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Published: December 13th 2014
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We know. Siem Reap is not Cambodia. With those world famous temples around it is a magnet attracting hordes of tourists. Everyone wants to see Angkor Wat. So we expected some facilities. Though we never have had the idea that it would become that good.
32 years ago I was at a Cambodian fugitives camp near Aranya Prathet, just at the border between Thailand and Cambodia. The country was in a complete mess. No one trusted no one. Even in the camp nobody dared to say he was a doctor or a teacher or an artist, fearing to be killed by the Red Khmer. Culture and science were forbidden.
Siem Reap Things have changed. When we walk along Siem Reap river to the center of the city we pass style full restaurants and hotels in colonial French mansions. Innumerable little lights in all kind forms and colors announce upcoming Christmas: pine trees, Santa Clauses, snowmen, sleighs and Rudolfs the Rednose rendeer.
Big trees stand along the river with captions naming them in English, Latin and their local names. In between the trees posters presenting pictures from all over the world. Everywhere are benches and romantic
lanterns.
When we arrive at the center we are welcomed by a superfluous number of bars and restaurants with Khmer food, French, Italian, even Mexican. The Old Market is overgrown with Cambodian silk, T shirts, bracelets, earrings, wooden elephants, Buddha's, bottles with snake wine, fish spa's, massage salons, food stalls with scorpions, crickets, spiders and snakes, tattoo shops. Live music comes down from the roofs in Pub street. With every step a driver invites you to bring you back to your hotel, to Angkor Wat, to a restaurant, to wherever. And if it is not now, then tomorrow. 'Tuk tuk, Sir?' To make it clear he holds with his hands an invisible steer: 'brrroem, brrroem'.
Angkor Wat
But we didn't come for Siem Reap. Rather we came for the temples. We rented two bikes and biked to Angkor Wat. It's a pleasant trip under the shadow of giant Dipterocarpus trees. Cicads are singing their deafening chansons. High up flocks of parrots fly from tree to tree. Down macaques are looking at us as if we are taking part in an Asian version of the Tour de France.
The first temple we meet is
Angkor Wat,
surrounded by a lake, representing the World Ocean, the temple itself being the world. The five towers represent Mount Meru, where the Hindu gods live. We follow the outer walls with their bas-reliefs, depicting battle scenes between the Kauravas and Pandavas, between the Khmers and the Chams. The Khmers are the heroes of course. Heaven and Hell, the unbelievable Churning of the Ocean of Milk, the Battle of Gods and Demons and so on...800 meter of epic events. After 400 meters walking in the burning sun, it becomes too epic for us and we disappear in the cooler intestines of the building.
Angkor Tom Not far from Angkor Wat is
Angkor Tom, the city built by great king Jayarvarman VII. In Bayon temple giant faces of bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara smile at us from all sides as if he is hiding a big secret and we'll never find out what it is. We walk in between the trees. Now and then we bump into a ruin, Baphuon, Phlmeanakas, the Royal Enclosure, the Terrace of Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King...
Everything is well maintained and clean. There are toilets and nice restaurants. Little stallions sell pineapple,
mango, cold drinks. We leave Angkor Tom via Victory Gate, stared upon by the one with the impossible name with his smile hewn in stone like a eternal smiley. 'I told you you wouldn't find my secret.'
Other Temples The
Ta Keo temple, just outside Angkor Tom is still under restoration by the Chinese. It would be fine if they made a lift since it's 50 meter high in a burning sun.
Ta Prohm is better as it is located in between gigantic trees. They root in between the stones as if they want to swallow the sanctuary. In spite of the hordes we get the feeling we are the first who discover the temple.
The National Museum There are far more temples but after 60 kilometers biking in two days we got a bit tired. So the last day in Siem Reap we visited the National Museum. It's about the origin of the Khmer people, their gods Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha (and a lot lot more), about Buddhism, about the Angkor kings and of course about Angkor Wat and Angkor Tom. A lot has changed indeed in Cambodia.
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