The Indiana Jones temple - climbing over rubble

Beng Mealea The Indiana Jones temple
(Click the link to learn stuff)

I think this is a cooler temple then the Tomb Raider temple (Ta Prohm) we also visited, due to the fact that this one has not yet been restored. There are a lot more trees sticking up and through the stones, pilers and mounds of rubble that are all over the place. The government has only cleared out the land mines and put in a wooden raised path that less adventurous tourist can walk around safely. We hired a guide who took us off this pathway and over rubble piles, through dark corridors and across roof tops to get the best views. In Cambodia police men make great guides. They want to practice English, they know about the history and they have the authority to take you off the beaten path. We would always recomend hiring them. Police don't get a great wage in Cambodia and acting as a tourist guide is better way to earn money then extorting bribes.

First room we walked in looked like this. It was an afternoon of climbing over rocks and scrambling 

Michelle Loved it!!

I think this temple was the most beautiful seeing it being half absorbed by the jungle

Michelle found a natural swing

Trees love growing on top of the stone as it gives young saplings a head start in getting up higher to the sunlight. 

This stone bridge was originally over a moat full of water, this was the kings entrance

   

Michelle on top of a big pile of rubble, which is all that remains from the highest central tower. It is hard to see the scale as I am half way up already taking the pic, we were higher up that the two pics above these ones, with a sheer drop behind us!

A view from the top of what's left of the royal library

This is a great example of how wild this temple is!

But complete stone corridors are still intake and safe to walk through

An outer part of the complex with a public library on the right of the picture. 

Next we climbed up on to the top of the roof of one of the corridors. If you come here remember one key safety tip - The greener the stone the slipperier it is!

Us up high with a pretty sheer drop on either side!!

Some of the corridor roofs (like the ones we walked across) have collapsed but many are still strong

This was a fantastic temple to see, its a bit further away then Angkor Wat and the other temples but I think it is worth the trip to explore such a unique location