Temple Tour Begins!

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Who needs to pack an alarm clock, when you can lovingly get woken up by the cockle-doodle doo of a rooster at a little before 5 am? Yes, this resort comes with its very own rooster and I would later find out that the streets around my hotel are actually overrun by them. There are also a variety of “cacaw-like” sounds early in the morning but the source has yet to be identified. And I did fall asleep last night to the calming sounds of the crickets … an entire eco-system just on these grounds!



So at a little before 6 am and not really able to fall back asleep, I decided to throw on some clothes and head out to the observation tower to see the sunrise. In the distance, I could already see the Angkor Balloon flying as the sun came out and I could finally get a great view of my hotel grounds. Right opposite the tower is the area for relaxation; laid out with mattresses and the traditional krama scarves laid out on the pillows. The grounds of the hotel are really beautiful with tons of trees, flowers, beautiful statues and a central pool. A perfect setting for this leg of my Cambodian adventure …





















I also had my first experience with the shower . This is not something that I would normally point out but (although I did figure out that I needed to push an on/off button to get the hot water going) I could not figure this contraption to save my life. I figured that the large jug filled with water and a small bowl made from a coconut shell (which I had been wondering about since arriving) would actually come in handy. So yes I washed my hair using the coconut shell …. This is my version of roughing it. It is a well documented fact that I hate showers because I find them so violent with water splashing about … ugh … but this was actually very relaxing and soothing. I rather enjoyed it actually.









At this point, I headed to the reception area to have breakfast. In keeping with the tradition started in Thailand, I had vegetable soup with a plate of tropical fruit (the best mango I have ever eaten!). The vegetable soup I ordered came with this little side dish. I asked the waiter what it was; hoping for a long and drawn out explanation of some Khmer tradition but the answer was “sauce” …. Aaaah thank you, I would not have figured it out on my own! So that lead to the “is it hot” question to which he replied no. He lied … it had one hell of a kick but as my mom would say it is also a good way to kick start the day. Later when he came to clear the table, I said “oh that was spicy” to which he replied yes. I think we had a communication breakdown ….



My tuk tuk driver arrived soon after and I was off to my first stop on this day of touring temples - the Angkor Wats. The Angkor Wats are a UNESCO World Heritage site and have been since 1992. In 2003, it was removed from the endangered list as there are continuing efforts with respect to restoration and preservation; something that I witnessed as I made my way through some of these amazing temples. One interesting fact is that the damage caused by the Khmer Rouge and the resulting civil unrest was actually quite limited due to the fact that many of the artifacts and statues were removed and stored for their protection.



My guidebook stated something to the effect that seeing Angkor Wat provokes the same sense of awe that one would have seeing Machu Picchu. If seeing Machu Picchu is half as awe-inspiring as seeing this temple, then I am in big trouble! I had seen so many photos of this particular site that it was such a thrill to come up on it and finally get the opportunity to visit it in real life. The tuk tuk driver left me at the gate and waited patiently for me as I made my way through. I took my time to truly soak it all in as much as I could, spending almost two hours just at this particular wat.



As you arrive, you walk down this narrow pathway flanked by these enormous pools of water. You cross a gate and you find yourself in the inner sanctuary, again reached by a long walkway flanked by naga (serpent) balustrades.





















Words escape me at this point to describe the Angkor Wat, filled with intricate carvings of apsara and depictions of different scenes. One thing that always surprises me is the fact that you always see the same classic photos of Angkor Wat and was so surprised to see beautiful Buddha images, wrapped in the traditional orange robe and other amazing facets of this particular site, something I had never seen on photo.











































As I finished touring around the Angkor Wat, I noticed a small temple just off to the side and decided to go and explore. There were many chedis, spirit houses and places to leave offerings around the central temple. The temple itself was extremely colourful with these murals of traditional Khmer dancers and in the centre stood a huge golden Buddha image surrounded by offerings, candles and smaller Buddha statues.

















I made my way back to find my tuk tuk driver and we then made our way to the south gate of the Angkor Thom. You may recognize this site somewhat, the east gate being featured prominently in the Lara Croft Tomb Raider movie. The tuk tuk driver dropped me off early so that I could actually walk through the gate and take photos. The passage way again is lined with a balustrade, one with 54 gods (to the left) and 54 demons (to the right). The gate itself also prominently displays the face of the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

























This lead me then onto the Bayon, famously known for the 216 faces of Avolokiteshvara spread over 54 gothic towers and who bear a striking resemblance apparently to the King Jayavarman VII. At any one time, you can see a number of these faces just staring back at you calmly and with serenity. Definitely a highlight of the day for me!



























The next sight was Baphuon, a temple just up from the Bayon. This particular temple was part of a restoration effort when the civil war erupted. At that time, the temple had been taken apart piece by piece in order to use a specific method of restoration called anastylosis however the records were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge thereby leaving what is considered one of the world’s largest puzzle. You actually see the blocks laid out around the area and there are large areas of the temple itself covered in scaffolding.













Leaving Baphuon, I noticed this large sala with a large Buddha and decided to pop over to see it. I was greeted by a Buddhist nun, dressed in a white robe with a clean shaven head. She handed me joss sticks and she proceeded to show me how to make an offering … she said “for my mother, my father, my brother, my sister, my grand-mother, my grand-father, my family, my friends” …. I think she covered it all for me. I just found her so incredibly beautiful; no artifice, just a natural beauty with a strength and serenity shining through.

















We continued touring through the area stopping at lesser known temples such as Cau Dau Temple and the Ta Keo Temple. At that last one, you could climb up to three levels. I made it to the second and was tempted to climb the third but the thought of having to come down made me resist the temptation. These were some extremely steep stairs; imagine the height being almost to my knees and the depth being less than my actual foot and being more like the width of my shoe. Coming down was quite the challenge!!





At this point, I stopped for lunch and was pretty much approached throughout by small children trying to sell me flutes, bracelets, bags, scarves and such. This happened at every site with the classic opening line of either “hey lady where you from?” or “hey lady what’s your name?”. The difference here is that when you tell them you are from Canada, you get the now famous line of “Capital of Canada is Ottawa” which is then followed by “You know the capital of …..insert country” which then leads to “I tell you if you buy my bracelet”. One little girl asked me if I knew the capital of Madagascar. I almost wanted to buy a bracelet just to see if she could tell me because I sure don’t know!! And no, they are not really impressed when you tell them that you live in the capital of Canada.



So after a great lunch of Khmer noodles with stir fried vegetables and beef (mmmmm), I went into Ta Phrom. Again, you may recognize this temple as it was prominently featured in Lara Croft Tomb Raider. This site was also a highlight of the day for me. Essentially, it was a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of King Jayavarman VII. The atmosphere is definitely different from the other temples in that it is a little more shaded and moodier. The temple has been overrun by overgrown trees which have left it to crumble and many of the inner corridors are inaccessible because of rubble or the danger that it may collapse. Some parts of the temple are literally being kept together by these enormous tree roots winding their way around. Again, words cannot describe the sight of these trees!!



By this time, I had hit the proverbial wall and feeling the effects of a bit of jet lag. I asked that we go to the Angkor Balloon and then call it a day. Alas, I did not get to go up in the balloon due to bad weather. It was a covered day today and I did feel a few sprinkles here and there earlier on in the day. So I decided to come back to the hotel and just relax which meant taking a nap, checking my email (I sold another photo on Zazzle … woohooo!) and just sitting out on my little terrace. I ended the day with watching some of the staff perform the traditional Khmer dance while sipping an Angkor Beer and have a delicious supper of Sweet and Sour pork with sticky rice.



The temple tour continues tomorrow …

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