November 1

Siem Reap: Wat Me Worry?

I arrived at Siem Reap after a long day of travel from Phuket, having changed planes in Bangkok.  My cousin Paul had recommended a tuk-tuk driver, Naga, to help ferry me around Siem Reap; Naga was busy and deputized a friend, Mr. Ngen, to be my transportation.  A tuk-tuk is a bastardized motor scooter with a small carriage attached to its rear with seating for 4.  We set off for my hotel in the rain that had arrived.  Naga met me later in his own tuk-tuk and took me off to a buffet dinner at a restaurant that largely serves Asian tourists, about 500 of whom came to enjoy the Cambodian dance show that accompanied dinner.  The dances were quite impressive versions of classic Buddhist stories with elaborate costumes and choreography.  The Chinese tourists left in the middle, though, having gotten enough on their cameras, I guess.  A few hardy souls, myself included, stayed through the end.

The next day, I woke at 4 a.m.  Mr. Ngen met me before 5 and we putt-putted our way out to Ankor Wat in hopes of catching it at dawn.  Several hundred others had the same thought, all hoping that the previous days' rain would not return.  Our early rise was rewarded with a stunning view of the sunrise behind the ancient ruins of the temple at Ankor Wat.

Ankor Wat is the center of a constellation of temples, palaces and buildings.  About 1000 years old, built during the first blush of the great Khmer civilization established in Cambodia during what in Europe was considered the Dark Ages.  It is an immense architectural wonder with vast moats, walls and temples; at its zenith a couple of hundred years later, it was the Khmer capital and home to one million people.  In the 15th century, the capital was moved to Phnom Pehn, shortly before Ankor Wat was overrun by the invading Thai's, who would control much of Cambodia until the French arrived several hundred years later.  Ankor fell into ruins, although it remained an important shrine.

The wat is a complex set of buildings that, for the most part, visitors have great latitude to explore and clamber over.  The exterior walls of the main wat are covered with bas-relief telling both religious stories and recounting the lives and successes of various Khmer kings.

The images are often reproduced with rubbings transferred onto parchment and for sale everywhere in the area.  Everywhere were images of both Hindu gods and the Buddha, along with vast structures and lush surroundings.

I caught this visitor as he was enjoying breakfast at sunrise.

 From the wat at Ankor, we headed to the north gate over a bridge lined with statutes that overlook the moat and then under an enormous gate, its front surmounted by a round-faced Buddha.

Next came Ankor Thom, surrounded by a wall that is 13 kilometers in length and containing a number of impressive temples.  The buildings reflected astonishing industry and yet even in the smallest detail there was artistry; nothing was left unadorned.

The end of the path through Ankor Thom leads to the Terrace of Elephants, a giant viewing platform about 1000 feet long, where royalty would view passing parades and receive visitors.  It is adorned with elephants while its entryway is protected by mazes with images of gods.  I also saw this young visitor passing time while his mother worked on rebuilding some of the Terrace.

After Ankor Thom, Mr. Ngen and I had breakfast before heading to a few more temples, including the famed Ta Prohm.  Ta Prohm is a gorgeous smaller temple that nature has slowly invaded with trees and moss causing significant damage but leaving an otherworldly cast.  It is also known as the temple where Angelina Jolie filmed Lara Croft, Tomb Raider.  I will have to see it again, solely as an educational exercise, of course.

We continued on our way, visiting several other temples (one about 40 minutes away), including Ta Keo, Banteay Srei and Beng Mealea; all were stunning.

[I found it interesting that the happy goddess remained unblemished while the one with the unhappy face holding her sword was darkened by time -- a message?]

After some 10 hours of exploring temples in the 90 degree plus heat (with very high humidity), I was bushed.  We headed back to Siem Reap, where I enjoyed a dip in the salt water pool of my hotel.  Naga picked me up in his tuk-tuk and we headed off to a road at the outskirts of town, a wide thoroughfare built on land that had been a minefield during the time of the Khmer Rouge.  Every evening, people set up shop to sell fruits and vegetables and cook food for locals seeking to dine out.  We sat on a bamboo blanket and ate grilled frog, grilled chicken, pickled vegetables and assorted fruits, washing it down with the local brew - the inevitably-named Ankor.  The meal (which happily sat well on my stomach) was delicious, a perfect end to a very Cambodian day.