Royal stairway

The royal road and stairway leading to Phnom Chisor, taken from Sen Ravang

I need to post some photos and text from my Sunday jaunt to Phnom Chisor before I get away on Friday for a couple of days, so be prepared for the onslaught. I'll kick-off with 3 pictures of the royal processional stairway and road leading to the summit of Phnom Chisor, the temple mountain, facing to the east. The main temple was built, according to inscriptions, on the edge of the mountain in the 11th century when the complex was known as Suryagiri. At the foot of the laterite stone walkway, which my guide Anoy told me contains 405 steps - on this visit I didn't count them personally but I have walked the stairway on a previous trip - are the ruined sanctuaries called Sen Thmol, then a little further east is Sen Ravang and past that, the sacred pond of Tonle Om. I visited all three of these before making my own way up the mountain via the modern northern stairway. More to follow but for now, here's three views of the royal stairway that the King and his entourage would've climbed, actually the King would've most likely been seated on a palanquin - and I don't blame him.

At the foot of the 405 stepped laterite stairway leading to the summit of Phnom Chisor
At the top of the stairway looking down on an intrepid traveller on his way to Sen Thmol, Sen Ravang and Tonle Om in the distance