The Terraces of Angkor

East of PhimeanAkas lies the terrace of Elephants. The wooden palace of Jayavarman, squeezed between the Bayon and PhimeanAkas, has not survived but would have stood on the terrace, the edge of its grounds marked by a latterite wall, of which only a ruined gopura remains. Don’t miss the elephants starching some 300m, and life-sized. Also worth seeing are the stylized elephants that are three-headed, their trunks delicately entwined around lotuses.

The adjoining terrace is that of the Leper King. It is believed to have been the site of royal cremations and the statue on the terrace is that of Yama, god of the underworld. For many years this statue was assumed to be that of Jayavarman VII who several legends say contracted the disease, although nothing remains to verify this. The real thing to see here are two walls of gods and goddesses that have been now restored with multi-headed nagas upto 7 storeys high. Behind and above all of this stands the towering face of Jayavarman scrutinizing everything. Amidst the crowd of tourists, their guides and vendors trying to sell everything from kravats to sculptures, my attention is drawn to two children, bare-feet and destitute who look lost and confused by all the photo-clicking and noise that the tourists make. They cant understand what the fuss is all about when they cant find enough to eat or wear despite their rich but transient neighbours.