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Published: November 21st 2009
I was getting frustrated that we had been in Siem Reap for a full 3 days and had seen only 2 temples and had yet to lay eyes on Angkor Wat; today we have finally turned the corner. And in a BIG WAY!
Comes the Dawn
This morning our wake-up call was for 4:45 AM; we threw on some clothes, grabbed our cameras, and jumped into a waiting car to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat. Not exactly an intimate experience we arrived there with about a thousand of our closest friends in pitch-black darkness and definitely cool weather. Having not been there prior to scope out the best location we split up and, I must brag, I found the far superior spot (I've seen enough Angkor sunrise photos over the past year that I knew what should be in the foreground). Personnel were passing out red plastic chairs for those who wanted them; others staked out their territory wherever they could. Everyone snapped away non-stop, hoping to get that one post-card photo. The colors were not as spectacular as they are sometimes, but the silhouette of those towers and trees against the brightening sky was still a
sight to take my breath away.
Surely Temple
We were back at the hotel by 6:45 to grab breakfast, gather our things up, and head off again with our driver (no guide) to knock off some of the lesser know temples. Now the challenge is to remember which is which long enough to name the photos! Armed with Dawn Rooney's invaluable guide, called
Angkor, Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples, we wandered through 8 temples in various stages of ruin or reconstruction - some single building sites, others with multiple structures on many acres. These were a good run-up to the guided tour that we will have tomorrow. I was annoyed that we did not have a guide, but I'm sure that even with one the details would all run together. Most of the temples have significant damage in addition to the ravages of time and the encroaching jungle. The kingdom of Cambodia has seen many wars and many conquerers over the years, but most damage can be attributed to two causes: first - change in the dominant religion between Hinduism and Buddhism and vice versa that caused the destruction of sacred objects, and second - removal of relics in
recent years to feed a thriving worldwide market in ancient artwork. It wasn't until the inclusion of Angkor in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the mid-90's that money was forthcoming that would allow the Cambodian government and foreign Non-Government Organizations (NGO's) to safeguard the sites with security forces.
Recent History
It's hard to fathom that only 30 years ago (1975-1979) between 2 and 3 million Cambodian people (one fifth of the population) were killed after the government takeover by the Khmer Rouge. Most of those targeted were the intellectuals and the influential; they were hunted down and killed because of the paranioa of those in charge; the peasants were seen as the basis of an indentured agrarian society over which the Khmer Rouge could hold supreme power. Even if the hunted ones were able to convince those in power that they were peasants, they were often worked or starved to death along with the actual peasants. Cambodia was finally liberated from the Khmer Rouge by Vietnam in 1979. As a result of the genocide, Cambodia has an extremely young population and it is trying hard to get its feet back on the ground. Recognizing that tourism is
a viable option for bringing hard cash into the country, attention turned about 20 years ago into developing an infrastructure and the amenities needed to attract tourist dollars. NGO's and foreign governments have come to the aid of Cambodia by setting up foundations to train war victims and the underemployed in service industries and crafts so that they can be self-supporing. The also work with the street children and orphans to provide them shelter and send them to schools. It's so heartening to see that despite all that the Cambodians have been through, they are unfailingly good-natured and charming - and every encounter is met with a huge smile.
What I found incredible about the temples of Angkor (and Angkor Wat is only one of 74 that have been opened up) is the vast size of them. Angkor Thom, for instance, has an exterior wall that is 1.9 miles on each side, enclosing 360 acres and in its heyday held nearly a million people. It was probably larger and grander than any city in Europe at the time.
I'm not going to bore you with facts and figures about the temples. If you want to know more, read
Dawn Rooney's book. I'll just post some of my favorite photos so you can get a little flavor of the place. I tried to put names to all, but I've probably gotten some mixed up, but you won't know the difference and I won't give you a quiz.
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Loren
non-member comment
Great album on Angkor
Every picture looked like a part of Angkor that told a story of past lives. Great album, but one that makes me think that the pictures alone can't convey how beautiful and evocative it is. Got to go to the site itself to really appreciate.