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Published: December 12th 2016
Angkor Wa
Magical view!Our whole afternoon was for
Angkor Wa. Noy scheduled our visit for the heat of the day after lunch because the crowds thin out then and one can actually see the temple. Still, there were lots of people, although perhaps not as densely packed as at Angkor Thom. Also, we began at the back to arrive at the front, which faces west, when the afternoon light improves the views. Alone of the 1080 temples in Cambodia, Angkor Wa faces west, possibly because a king was buried there, thus it is not a conventional temple. All others face east so the main gate greets the sun.
As we approached, I could see that unlike Angkor Thom, Angkor Wa is built on three distinct levels, and the architecture is more regular. The great marvel is the second level which is adorned by extensive bas-reliefs in a quadrangle. They tell Hindu mythical epics, the principal one being the creation story, “
Churning of the Ocean of Milk ”. Because these are carved into the interior stone walls of long colonnaded corridors, they look remarkably fresh. The gods are pulling mightily on their side of the python and the demons are pulling mightily on theirs, with Vishnu serenely balanced on a
tortoise to keep the mountain spindle from sinking into the sea.
Another theme showed gods and demons (in the form of monkeys) torturing and fighting each other and humans. These “murals” were in four strata, the top two representing heaven and the bottom two representing the vast number of hells. Humans throughout the world must be fascinated with hell, and here tortures in hell were depicted in much greater detail than the orderliness of heaven. For some reason, a fair amount of the original red and black paints have survived. Unlike in the smaller bas-reliefs in Angkor Thom, daily life is not depicted at all. Noy pointed out the exact symmetry of the long corridors that form the quadrangle, every pillar aligned.
Out in the courtyard, I joined a long queue - shorter than at other times of the day, I was assured. Only one hundred people at a time, for fifteen minutes each, were allowed to climb the fifty steep stairs to the top level. The line moved fairly quickly, partially shaded by the building in the burning hot sun. The stairs are relatively new, so stamina was the only requirement. Up, up, up!
The wide
Window detail
The shape stirs the air into a tiny cool breeze. vistas gave a good view of the temple layout and its setting in a large, cleared, grassy area, surrounded by its moat. To the west, glary by now, stretched the ceremonial walkway to the decorated formal entrance. To each side were the stone-tiled roofs of the long corridors. High above us were the towers reaching to heaven.
The opportunity to see the detail of the tower carvings was the reward. The towers (five in all) have been eroded by the weather or broken down by trees. For example, banyan tree was growing on the main tower when it was “rediscovered” after the civil war that ended with
Pol Pot’s reign of terror, even though monks maintained the temple for all but sixty years. Angkor Wa has more interior space than the temples I saw in the morning. Inside two of the towers were Buddhas, one very old and one fairly new, both current places of worship.
Noy led me out through the imposing main gate, along the ceremonial walkway and across the moat. Having escorted a professional photographer, he knew exactly where to stand on the far side of the moat to take the best photos. We gradually walked away from the
Blessing Dance
The essence of grace temple, looking back frequently at the sun-warmed stone. Its unusual symmetry gives Angkor Wa a special feel. The restoration has been a multi-national commitment to human history.
Back at the hotel, I removed all my sweat-soaked clothes and plunged them one by one into soapy water in the bathroom sink. Chores done, I plunged myself into the cool swimming pool – bliss!
Noy picked me up for dinner at a restaurant that put on traditional dancing performances for tourists. As a single person, I was given a table right at the front with a clear view of the stage. Most of the audience were on large tours, and they unfortunately weren’t attentive. Young women and men presented five traditional dances with graceful and exact hand and foot movements. They were accompanied by drums and a wooden version of a xylophone.
Dinner set menu: salad with excellent marinated vegetables, clear broth soup with two little chicken dumplings in cucumber slices, both crispy fish and grilled chicken, and Khmer coconut milk pudding with fresh fruit, plus Cambodian beer (the brand name).
">View slideshow of Angkor Wa.
Isabel Gibson
non-member comment
Slow and deliberate
The blessing dance was lovely, and a good reminder that blessings deserve to be delivered deliberately, not slapdash(edly?). Re the temple, I saw a similar flight of steps in Guatemala, which were narrow enough to require the climber to stand sideways while climbing. Apparently this enforced the properly respectful position when approaching the VIPs at the top.