Page 60 - Asia 2021 Catalog

known as the temple of the Holy Sword, which served as a religious center, cultural and, for a period, also
of royal residence. At the moment of its maximum development, more than
ten thousand people resided there, including many of the important teachers
and the Apsara dance troupe, the celestial dancers. We continue with the
Neak Pean, the only circular structure in memory of a mythical lake from
which the four rivers of Hindu mythology arise. At the time it was used as a
place of purification through the waters. Then we head towards one of the
most suggestive and romantic temples, the Ta Phrom, totally immersed in
the jungle and deliberately left in the conditions in which it was found by
French archaeologists around 1860, partially covered by vegetation, with the
roots of centuries-old trees that magically wrap the sculptures and the stone blocks of the galleries, signing
a union between history and the bursting force of nature itself.
Lunch in a local restaurant and free dinner. Overnight.

Day 6 – Siem Reap – Phnom Penh B, L.
Breakfast in hotel.
Departure for the capital heading towards the provincial capital of Kampong Thom, located just over halfway
between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. This was once the Royal Route,
passing at Kampong Kdei on the stone bridge of Spean Praptos, dating
back to the Khmer period and built by King Jayavarman VII. The
landscapes are splendid, the scenarios reflect rice fields, villages, scenes
of real life in the Cambodian countryside, otherwise not visible if not
traveling this route by land. We head towards Sambor Preikuk, the most
important pre-Angkorian archaeological complex in the country, the
ancient capital of the kingdom of Chenla, precursor of the Khmer one.
There are more than one hundred temples of great suggestion and rarely
visited, divided into three monastery complexes: the South group of
Prasat Yeay Poan, the central group of Prasat Tor and the North group of Prasat Sambor. The latter
includes the most important buildings and an incarnation of Śhiva is dedicated. Lunch in a simple local
restaurant and then departure again. After about a couple of hours, a short stop is planned in the , famous
for its giant spiders, served, of course, in all kinds of sauces to those who wish it. We are surrounded by
vendors who in baskets, facing the sun so as not to cool the delicious food, offer the delicate arachnids,
which can be purchased in small bags from which they are taken and enjoyed one by one, like french fries.
In the late afternoon, I arrive in Phnom Penh.
Sistemazione, cena libera - Pernottamento in hotel.

Day 7 – Phnom Penh B, L .
Breakfast in hotel.
The visits begin by going to the complex of the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, so called for the more
than five thousand silver tiles from which the floor is made, all embellished
with gifts offered to the royal family from all over the world. We will then
visit the National Museum, built around 1918 and entirely dedicated to
Khmer art. There are splendid finds from both Angkorian and pre-
Angkorian times on display, including important statuary from Angkor
itself and several everyday objects found in various areas and historical
periods. Lunch in a restaurant.
Transfer to the airport in time for the scheduled flight to take off.

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