SE Asia 2014 Day 18


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November 22nd 2014
Published: November 27th 2014
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Early start (7 am) in order to beat the heat and the tourists. We drive north of the city once again to Angkor Wat, one of wonders of the ancient world.

Angkor Wat was built by god-king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century about 80 years before Angkor Thom. It lies inside a huge moat measuring 1.5m X 1.3m. The complex was intended to be the earthly representation of heaven on earth; in fact, "angkor" means city and "wat" means "temple", so it quite literally is an entire city that is a place of worship. It is the largest religious structure in the world. And it has great cultural significance for the Khmer people. In some ways, it has come to manifest their national pride.

The mystique surrounding Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the other architectural achievements of the Khmer empire lies partly in the fact that they were lost in the jungle. The locals knew about them, of course, but it wasn't until 19th-century French explorers stumbled on them that they became known to the outside world.

Sinat cleverly leads us to the back entrance of the complex on the east side instead of the main causeway on the west. That way there will be fewer people and the sun will be behind us for picture-taking.

We get off the bus and proceed on foot. We climb through a ruined watch tower on the road to the east entrance. My blood pressure is picking up in anticipation of the first glimpse–and there it is through the trees! The iconic towers of Angkor Wat are in front of me.

It's a stunning sight. The famous five massive towers are clearly visible, laid out in a quincunx with one massive tower in each quadrant with a still larger one in the middle. The complex is completely built from gigantic stone blocks, each hand-carved to fit perfectly in place. No mortar of any kind was used. One of the reasons that these building have survived the centuries so well is that the foundation is built from porous volcanic rock that lets the rainy-season floods pass through. The upper walls are all composed of limestone.

We enter by climbing steep wooden staircases prepared for tourists. The outside wall is a vast story book relating the accomplishments of the god-king, stretching around the entire complex. Passing through an entrance way, we reach a spacious courtyard surrounding the central tower. Like Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat is undergoing continuous reconstruction. Some areas have barely been touched at all, except to clear away debris, and others have been extensively repaired to more or less their original condition. Every single surface is carved. The aspara, celestial female goddesses, gaze impassively at you at they strike their seductive poses.

The climb to the central tower up a narrow staircase is a bit harrowing. At the top are four vast square basins that once held water, earth, air and fire. In the middle of them is the central tower, rising higher still above our heads and not accessible to the public. We spend a half-hour exploring these upper reaches, marvelling at the vision of the king and the craftsmanship of his people.

Sinat proves himself an expert guide. He is all alone today because Kien is still not feeling well. Sinat herds his cats expertly, moving us along without hurrying. He also knows the best places for that unforgettable photograph.

We reach the main entrance on the west side. There are two massive buildings just in front of the gate that are known as the libraries. A relatively gentle sloped walkway runs between them. This is how the king would have entered and exited the central area. We exit through the impressive gateway but, instead of taking the immense causeway that leads to the outer walls, we vear off to one side where there is some shade and stroll along under tree cover. The heat and sun are extremely fatiguing and the only thing that stops our bodies from going into heat shock is regular sips on our water bottles.

Along the path, I spy what I first think is a millipede, no a snake, no it's just an earthworm, but what a size! I pick him/her up and it wraps itself quickly around my arm and fingers just like a snake would. I imagine it's not happy to be in the sun either, so I deposit it in some shady soil.

In the blessed air-conditioned coolness of the bus, we move on to another ancient Angkor temple, this one called Banteay Srei. Much smaller, its claim to fame is the pink limestone that was used in its construction and the delicacy and detail of its carvings. It is also in remarkably intact condition, despite pre-dating the other complexes by a hundred years. A jewel in the crown of Angkorian art.

On the walk to Banteay Srei, we encounter a group of musicians. They are all people who have lost limbs, arms, or sight to land mines. Cambodia's tumultuous history in the 20th century has left vast numbers of land mines all over its territory. They have been carefully cleared from the tourist areas, of course, but even now visitors are warned to always stick to the path.

Lunch is next at a local restaurant sitting the middle of a dragon fruit field. The restaurant is decorated in themes inspired by Angkor antiquities.

We have one more stop this afternoon, a temple named Ta Prohm. In some ways, it is the most awe-inspiring. Contemporary with Angkor Wat and lost in the jungle for centuries, it has been partially cleared, but the decision was made to leave much of the vegetation and trees intact to remind us of the inexorable power of nature to tear down what man builds. This temple has been nicknamed the "Tomb Raider" temple, because it was used in some scenes of that movie, as in fact were several other Angkor landmarks, including Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.

Towering kapock trees wrap their roots around walls and towers and slowly strangle them. Rubble crunches under our feet. Birds and monkeys provide a constant echoing sonic backdrop. The sunlight is filtered through the jungle canopy, and shadowy corners entice you to explore. It's like an Indiana Jones fantasy, but it's completely authentic.

We return to our hotel for a much-needed rest and shower. We are all completely drenched with perspiration and close to exhaustion.

For supper, we are bused to a restaurant in the countryside. Descending from our bus to enter, we are ambushed by hordes of children trying to peddle their cheap wares. It's heart-breaking. Why are they up at nighttime instead of home with their families? I guess the answer is abject poverty.

We eat al fresco at a long table on a lawn, served by very attentive waiters. Tonight drinks, including alcohol, are complimentary, apparently as a way of making up for the cancelled trip to My Son. The food is excellent, but the lighting is very dim and it's almost impossible to figure out what's on the plate. The sounds of the night are soothing, except when a horny cicada decides to let loose. They must be an incredible size. Same gauntlet of urchins on the way out of the restaurant.

On the way back, the bus stops at a local market–a real local market with the food that local people really eat. Sinat wants us to see insects: Fried and live crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, etc. are all available. Sinat gets the reaction he expects from most people, but I honestly believe that insects will eventually become an important food source even in the west.

Finally, our bus deposits us at Sien Reap's main "tourist" area so we can do some souvenir shopping. The truth is that there is little of interest from our point of view. After an hour, the bus collects us and we return to the hotel for bed. A long, exhausting but unforgettable day.

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