My first day in Siem Reap I make the pilgrimage by tuk-tuk to Angkor Wat, 7 km north. A moat, more like a lake, is the first thing to come into sight, then I see the looming stupas and, below, a long wall of cut stone, and it is astounding, impossible-seeming, this formidable structure in the midst of jungle. A broad avenue of stone crosses the moat to the foot of Angkor. Inside, bas reliefs depict a vast Khmer army, some on foot bearing spears and shields, others on elephants. The march goes on and on along the wall, the soldier images repeated, the scene a testament to the glory and prowess of the Khmer Empire. Touring around the Wat, I can imagine when they were built, from around the 9th to the 12th century. Then,
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