Tales from a Broad #8

Cambodia: Siem Reap and Angkor Wat
Monday, November 13, 2000

Greetings, I’m still in Phnom Penh, although we leave tomorrow for the beaches.

But first, back to Siem Reap. When I woke up the next day after my hell journey, I quickly figured out that Siem Reap was nothing special. It’s a very small, dusty town, and exists almost solely as a jumping off point to seeing Angkor Wat. After Chris the Swede and I did a little bit of poking about, we realized this and plunged right into Angkor.

Many people don’t know much about Angkor and the region, and it’s only recently that tourists have been allowed to see the ruins. Up until about three years ago it was too dangerous. Armed robbery and kidnapping were common in a Cambodia that was rife with war. However, in the last few years, things have stabilized, and Angkor has been open to the public.

Angkor is a series of complexes built between the 9^th and 13^th centuries by a succession of kings. There are about 100 temples in an area that covers about 20 square kilometers, and at one time there were many more, but as only gods and kings were allowed to live in stone houses and temples, the villages that surrounded them, made of wood, have disappeared.

Eventually, Angkor fell out of favour as a capital for the Khmer people, and it was abandoned. Jungle took it over, and it wasn’t actually rediscovered until 1860, when a French explorer stumbled onto it quite by accident. An excavation programme was undertaken in 1908 that continues to this day.

The temples are best explored with a motorcycle driver that can whiz you between the temples quickly and efficiently. The moto drivers know their stuff and can fill you in on a lot of the history as you go. Chris the Swede (who has become my constant travel companion as we get along like a house on fire), Amed the French guy and I all decided to explore Angkor together over a three day period. The moto driver was US$6 a day, the pass for three days was US$40 dollars. A bit expensive, but worth it.

Angkor is stunning. I have never seen anything like it and is worth the hell I went through to get to it. Temples soar to 55 meters or more. The architecture is overpowering, and you can just imagine it as it was back when constructed. It’s really awe inspiring and I find it hard to put into the words the beauty and magic of the place.

We visited over 20 temples in our time there, but I’ll just tell you about three of my favourite. The first is the Bayon, a temple that has 54 towers and over 200 stone faces about 10 feet high decorating it. It’s haunting, and in the dawn and dusk, with the sunlight’s angles, it’s truly spectacular.

Next is Ta Prom. Ta Prom isn’t really as impressive as the rest of the temples, but what makes this one special is that it has been left as the explorers found it. The jungle is devouring it, and trees hundreds of years old have dug in their roots and made it theirs. The pictures are amazing. In its day, they have found evidence to suggest that over 80,000 people were needed to keep it maintained.

Angkor Wat. I’ve read somewhere that many people believe that Angkor Wat is thought to be one of the most inspired monuments ever conceived by mankind. It’s huge, towering about 60 meters tall, and has some amazing stone sculptures and details. Chris and I climbed to the top of the largest tower for a spectacular view as the sun was setting over Angkor. This place just has the most amazing feeling to it.

I’m reading back what I have just wrote, and I can’t give this place justice with mere words. It beats the pyramids hands-down in its genius. I took six rolls of film in quick succession and I can’t wait to get them developed. When I next see you, ask to see them. Then you will know what I am talking about.

Next update: On to Phnom Penh.

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rita moreno

07 June 2009

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