Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

Maizuru Park, Chuo, Fukuoka, Japan Daily: 9.00am - 5.00pm Korokan was one of the ancient facilities to host foreign diplomats. Located within Maizuru Park that's not far from Akasaka subway station, which shall be the topic of the next post, it was built during the Heian period, the last division of classical Japanese history that lasted from 794 to 1185.

Narikala Hill, Tbilisi, Georgia Daily: 24 hours An ancient structure on Narikala Hill overlooking the capital city of Georgia, Narikala Fortress was once a Persian citadel established in the 4th century. Parts of the fortress were badly damaged and subsequently demolished in 1827 after a big earthquake. Some remain intact, thankfully.

Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm The Bayon, known for the multitude of smiling and serene stone faces adorning its structure, was built in the late 12th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. With beads of perspiration trickling down my forehead, thanks to the weather, I was ready to explore the last temple ruins for the day.

Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm Ta Keo is a mountain temple that's one of the tallest monuments in the Angkor Archaeological Park. It's unfortunate that the massive temple dedicated to Shiva was left unfinished. No one can confirm exactly the reason for the abandonment.

Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm Originally called Rajavihara, Ta Prohm is slowly being reclaimed by nature with trees growing out of the ruins. It has become more well-known to the world ever since it was used a shooting location in the making of the Tomb Raider movie, where Angelina Jolie played Lara Croft.

Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm This post is on two places of interests within the Angkor Archaeological Park that are close to one another: a temple called Banteay Kdei (lit. A Citadel of Chambers) and a reservoir called Sras Srang. Banteay Kdei is currently dilapidated as a result of not only faulty construction, but also the poor quality of the sandstones used. 

Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm Angkor Wat (lit. Capital Temple) was constructed around the first half of 12th century by King Suryavarman II. Originally constructed as a Hindu temple of God Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, it gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the same century. It stands as the largest temple complex in the world, measuring 162.6 hectares.

Siem Reap, Cambodia Daily: 5.00am - 6.00pm I believe anyone on a vacation in Siem Reap, Cambodia won't leave without visiting the magnificent Angkor Archaeological Park, which stretches over 400 square kilometres. To avoid having one long blog post, I'm going to split it into parts, starting with this entry about the journey to the site.