Angkor Wat-ted
Trip Start
Mar 10, 2005
1
5
24
Trip End
Aug 02, 2005
Siem Reap,
Cambodia
Sunday, March 27, 2005
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Angkor Wat is truly fascinating and is sure to be a highlight of our trip. We were lucky on all fronts: we had a great hotel (thanks Josh and Carolyn for the recommendation), wonderful food, and a friendly guide and driver.
We arrived early on Monday the 24th, and decided that we would splash out a little on the hotel. We had stayed in some real shady hotels in Xian and Guilin, so we rewarded ourselves with luxury in Siem Reap. We stayed at the Bopha Angkor and would highly recommend it -- it featured well decorated rooms, delicious food, gardens, and a swimming pool. We spent the balance of the day eating lunch at relaxing and exploring the center of town before we met our companions for the next 2 days: our guide, Mao Bunthan, and tuk-tuk driver, Mr
Alex, Amy, and Bunthan at Angkor Wat
. Karann. (A tuk-tuk is a motorbike with a covered passenger compartment -- see photo above). We headed off to Angkor to pick up our three day pass and to catch the sunset on top of one of the temples. Bummer there wasn't a sunset -- too cloudy.We spent the next three days exploring 15 temples that were erected between 800 and 1150 AD by Khmer Kings. Some temples were built for ancestors or Kings to honor either Hindu gods or Buddha. Our guide mapped out a plan where we visited temples in the order that they were constructed, which helped keep the evolution of the Khmer's architecture, carving technique, growth, and evolution in perspective. The carvings on these temples were elegant, but each were distinctive.
Our favorite, Banteay Srei, was constructed and carved in a pink sandstone. It gave off a fiery redness in some light and a soft pink tone at other times. The carving on this temple was particularly fine. The drive out to this temple was 40 km, which is especially long in an open air tuk-tuk, but well worth it. It gave us a glimpse of rural Cambodia as we could peer into people's houses, farms, and yards.
Some temples, such as Ta Prohm, have been engulfed by the jungle
Her highness on the way to the temple
. Trees have literally invaded the temple and set down roots that enhance the majesty and wonder of these ancient worship halls. This jungle temple was built at a time when Angkor had over one million residents, while at the same time London had about 50,000, according to Lonely Planet.Our other favorite included the mighty Angkor Wat, which is the reason that everyone comes to the area. Supposedly, it is the largest religious building in the world. Our guide gave us great insight into the significance of the architecture and layout of temples such as Angkor Wat, in addition to the stories regarding the bas-reliefs that adorn this temple with inscriptions marking significant events in Cambodia's history and mythology.
Our final favorite was Bayon, which was is known for its hundreds of giant head sculptures. It is unclear if the sculptures are of Buddha, the King, or a Hindu god -- or possibly a combination of all three. One of the problems we found at Angkor, especially at this temple, is that everything was a picture. We had to stop looking through the camera to enjoy the sights, but all carvings and architectural features were worth a picture...especially when the temples were wrapped in jungles or sunsets.
The many faces of Bayon
It is hard to do justice to Angkor temples in words. We recommend a visit to anyone. We got to be Indiana Jones, learned about Buddist and Hindu traditions and art, and were able to take in some of the most magnificent artistic and architectural accomplishments man has created. Cambodians were helpful, laid back, friendly, and appreciative of those who take the time to visit the splendor of their country.
It looks like Angkor could change. More hotels are going up, more buses are driving in, and the town is modernizing. Get there now, before it is overrun... And order the Amok Chicken with Lemongrass and Coconut Milk from the Bopha Angkor restaurant.
Top 3 in Angkor
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1) Temples, and lots of them. Made even more amazing by our guide.
2) Visited a carving workshop where replicas of Angkor carvings are being made by young craftsmen using the same tools as centuries ago.
3) Chatting with the various children trying to sell us souvenirs at the temples. Thanks Du'an for the "special price" on postcards (10 for $1)!
Next stop...Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)...
