Monday, February 27, 2012

Temple Run

There's been fresh ideas for runs lately.  There's a beach run.  There's the extreme uphill runs.  There's a zombies run.  Why not have an actual Temple Run? Yes, the iPhone and iPad game that had the hero running in a temple collecting coins and jumping through obstacles in form of oversize tree roots and holes in the road and even balls of fire.  I have just the place in mind for an actual temple run.
Angkor is clusters of temple constructed in the early 12th century and located in Siem Reap in Cambodia.   Angkor Wat is the biggest and most popular temple in the area. The moat in front of it gives a breathtaking view of the temple.  Inside, you get to see the intricate details of Khmer architecture.  To add challenge to this part, there are steep climbs and paths and the rock-solid base of Angkor Wat will make a very strong impression to your strides. On the positive, you get to see ancient architecture at its finest.
Ta Phrom is the fusion of ancient infrastructure and nature.  This is situated in a forest and built in the 12th and 13th century. The century and strangler fig trees have grown intertwined with the temples.  Traversing this path is hardcore as you get to pass overgrown roots, slippery soils and narrow paths.  This is a real challenge even Tomb Raider had this obstacle to overcome.
Bayon Temple is an uphill climb as you go up in the temple to see 37 towers carved with the four faced Buddha.  This is late 12th century addition to Angkor area.  It's quite the challenge as its built like a mountain and has narrow and steep pathways.  It's also an option to enter the area with an elephant ride so maybe that could be an exciting twist.
Now with direct flights to Siem Reap, it's becomes a bit more realistic.  Because of the great sights, people might take their time in passing through the temples so might as well waive the cutoff time.  Angkor Wat is like stepping into a time machine and makes you appreciate ancient architecture.  It's just amazing how even without the wonders of modern technology, there are structures built in time that stands through time and remains a wonder to this very day. So back to where I started, why not do an actual temple run?