How many Devitas & Apsaras was that?

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We were again reunited with the French Connection. They had booked us into a very comfortable hotel, with an inviting swimming pool. We had picked the hottest month to visit Siem Reap; this was the only time I could get off work so it was just unfortunate. It was so hot and humid I began sweating in places I never knew it was possible to do so.

Exploring Ankor

The next three days were spent exploring the temples and ruins around Ankor. We followed in the well worn path of millions before us. The heat could not diminish the wonder of these ruins.

Our guide, Vanna, was very informative and he had a big challenge – he had to give his commentary in both French and English. He was well and truly up to the challenge. In the mornings Lorenza and I could make out some of his French commentary, so he did not have to repeat himself too much, but by the afternoon the heat was affecting our comprehension skills and he had to do a lot more translating.

Vanna’s favourite method of explaining pieces of history or cultural information to us was to grab a stick and draw lots of pictures on the dusty ground. This method worked very well for us, a drawing of a temple or the dates in an important timeline need no translation – a smart method.

Among the many things that Vanna was able to explain via his drawings in the dust was the “le Methode Napoleon” which was a very complicated mathematical formula to predict a person’s fortunes.

Must have tourist trinkets

Did I mention it was hot? I was very thankful that I had a fan that I had purchased in Bali still in my day pack; I could have sold it many times over to my companions.

Aside from viewing the ruins we also had some fun with the many young people selling tourist trinkets. They can border on being absolute pests, but I certainly understand why they make the most of every possibility to make some money for their families.

We were offered a large variety of items, such as – fans, bamboo flutes, scarves, hats, temple rubbings, postcards and many more indispensable items like crossbows and even a Police badge (this offer came from a Policeman).

How can anyone pass up a bargain on some fridge magnets? The tackier the better I say. In addition, the hot climate version of the snow globe is a must have also. Who could not marvel at the sight of Ankor Wat being rained on by a shower of glitter in a small plastic dome? One of these now adorns my mantle piece.

Equanimity and the Daily Quiz

Another of Vanna’s skills as a tourist guide was his use of a regular quiz to keep us interested and to judge if we really were listening to him despite the heat. He would tell us to “Pay attention there will be a quiz later this morning” and then proceed to fill our heads with facts and figures about something.

For example, he would tell us that “there are 2324 Apsaras in this next temple” or “this temple had 99,129 assistants”. He would explain the difference between a “Devita and an Apsara”. Then the trip back to our hotel became question time to check how our memories were going.

He would also give us a challenge for the following day. For example when he spoke about the Buddhist “four immeasurables” he set us the task of finding out the definition of “equanimity”.

Next morning we could not only recite the four immeasurables, but we were able to give him a concise definition of “equanimity”. We noted that Vanna himself projected a fair amount of the “calm and balance” required to attain this quality.

I found that Vanna was very interested in discussing Buddhism and meditation techniques. Cambodia had a very intriguing transition from Hinduism, to Mahayana Buddhism to Theravada Buddhism. Vanna was a wealth of knowledge on many subjects. He also has a keen sense of humour. During our tour we came cross his Uncle and met his wife, all of whom are guides.

Vanna also discussed some of the political history of his country. It is hard not to be shocked and stunned at how cruel and merciless the Khmer Rouge regime has been. When I was in my mid to late teens I can recall seeing many reports on the news of the turmoil and massacre in Cambodia during Pol Pots rule. Hearing the story told from a very personal view point sent a shiver down my spine. Not too many Cambodians can introduce you to their grandparents or older parents, Pol Pot took care of that.

Apsara show

No visit to Siem Reap would be complete without taking in one of the dance shows. We did this at a buffet restaurant were the food cost was about five percent higher to cover the cost of the show. The food was ordinary, the beer was very cold and the dancers stunning. This was well worth going to see.

New Year festivities

We happened to be visiting while Cambodians were celebrating the Khmer New Year. The celebrations were not as hectic as the Thai celebration of Songkran; the Cambodians were much more restrained.

We saw a lot of children playing a simple game of chance and betting small amounts of Riel on the outcome (the equivalent of ten or twenty cents each time). We were told it was only played during the New Year. I had a go at this game with some kids at a restaurant and was fleeced by them in moments – I lost about $1.50.

Thaksin Shinawatra came to town

One person who did not mind hectic celebrations for the New Year was Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai Prime Minister. He visited Siem Reap and brought along 40,000 supporters to help him party! There were red shirted Thai folks everywhere for a few days.

On the outskirts of town Thaksin’s supporters had set up an area for a concert, fenced off with cyclone wire and guarded by thousands of Cambodian troops who had been freshly fitted out with new riot gear and weapons from China.

On the day the Thai folks left town the procession of pimped out tour buses was amazing. One had the loudest music system I have even heard pounding away as it rolled out of town. Many of the buses were painted with garish murals, it was quiet a spectacle.

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Photos

Around the ruins
I told you it was hot

Comments

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Good karma !
"Somebodies" have all the fun ... talking of good karma !! bb :)