angkor in a nutshell

By lunchtime of our third day in Siem Reap, we had seen:

1. Angkor Wat
2. Phnom Bakheng
3. Angkor Thom, which encompasses the South Gate, Bayon, Phimeanakas, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King and the Victory Gate
4. Ta Prohm
5. East Mebon
6. Pre Rup
7. Banteay Srey

I was starting to experience temple fatigue, but we still had a long afternoon to go and I didn't want to waste it. I looked at the map and randomly chose a temple not too far, not too large and not too famous. And that's how we ended up at Preah Khan.

It was a good decision. I'm mentally giving myself a pat on the back as I write this. If you want to see everything that's important and need-to-know about Angkor temples, go to Preah Khan. To wit:

It has a moat.

It has a wall surrounding it.

An immense central structure.

Intricate carvings everywhere.

Evidence of Hindu built over Buddhist built over Hindu built over Buddhist built over Hindu.

It has apsara.

It has naga.

It has linga.

And it even has Ents.