Ta Prohm

To me, Ta Prohm was man's lesson in what happens when you let nature run its course.  It would be an understatement to suggest that massive fig and silk-cotton trees grow from the ruins.  There is literally jungle sprouting and protruding from the beautifully ruined remains of what was Jayavarman VII's first major temple project. Ta Prohm was originally constructed as a Buddhist monastery and was enormously wealthy in its time, boasting of control over 3000 villages, thousands of support staff and vast stores of jewels and gold. 

All this history is helpful to know, but when you're standing there the overriding feeling is one of wonder.  For a few minutes, I stood staring at something I thought was a joke. It looks like a joke, like it couldn't possibly exist.  And then I realised it was the sublime sneaking in again.  

A completely different sense of the sublime than Angkor Wat and one that Hollywood has cashed in on.  But maybe Hollywood has desensitised its audiences using all of those well-crafted sets that are meant to mimic real life.  Because I haven't seen 'Tomb Raider'.  But if I had, I would've thought that the background scenery was something of Hollywood fiction, a beautiful lie.  

But it was no lie.  

 trees growing on top of ancient buildings 

around ancient buildings 

Through ancient buildings 

 

in massive bigger-than-person-sized-roots-and-branches 

and skyward protrusions 

it makes no sense.  

it's magnificent 

 

in every nook and cranny, the trees take over 

 And even without the trees, it's still hard to fathom an age where this beauty could be built 

or carved

 

After roughly seven hours of temple-hopping in the heat and humidity, we couldn't process any more.  We needed time to sit, dissect and consider what we had just seen.  Looking back now, I'm not sure if I'm even putting it into words that do it justice.  I do know however, that it is the single most magnificent site i've ever seen.  Coming from a girl who has struggled to appreciate archaeological sites in the past, this is big.  

Jayavarman VII agrees.