Ta Prohm

A distance from Angkor Thom is the temple complex of Ta Prohm, which was left in a natural state (with the exceptions of some brush clearing) giving the best idea of how these temples first looked to European explorers. Huge trees grow around and on top of the structures cloaking them in speckled shadow. Their roots are all that hold some of the buildings together while conversely trying to tear them apart. Small children run thought the ruins selling postcards for $1, while older children sell T-shirts for $5, their mothers in the shadows looking out for their children (or the dollars they make). If you want to get a feeling of being the first to find one of these temples or of time standing still, this is the place to come.