Choum Reap Sur from Cambodia! Today was our first day exploring Angkor! Above you can see us in front of the Tonle Om Gate, which also serves as the South Entrance into Angkor Tom, the city where the King lived. The entrance features 54 Devas gods on the left  and 54 Asura demons on the right symbolizing the balance between good and evil. We were lucky enough to be able to visit many sites with the first being a hospital that is in the process of being restored.

Pictured above is one of 102 hospitals built by King Jayavarman VII. The tower once held a Buddha statue where people would come and put medicine in his hands. The Buddha is sometimes called the “healing Buddha,” and the tower would serve as the center of the hospital. The wooden buildings that served as the main space for the hospital are long gone, but the layout can still be determined based on the stone structures and pond that still remain.

We also visited a few temples. There were 91 temples in total in the Angkor area where people would go to be blessed and to pray. The carvings on the walls mostly include gods, Apsara, elephants, and many other important symbols of Buddhism.

Lastly, a huge thanks to Ea Darith, the Director of the Department of Conservation and Archaeology, for showing us around Angkor today!