Angkor What?
Trip Start
Jun 17, 2005
1
8
21
Trip End
May 15, 2006
Siem Riep,
Cambodia
Sunday, July 3, 2005
Well everyone, right now I am in Dalian ready to start my summer teaching position tomorrow.
Now I would like to share with you my experience in Cambodia. After my excursion through the Mekong River and Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam, I took a flight to the capitol of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. I spent less than a day there and immediately made my way north to Siem Reap, where the majestic temples of Angkor Wat, Ankgor Thom, Ta Prohm and Banteay Sreai awaited me. I took the morning flight into Siem Reap and spent three days and two nights there. Here is what happened:
Angkor Thom (pronounced like "Uncle Tom" in the Khmer language)
The temples of Seam Reap proved to be an untested battleground for this wannabe, aspiring photojournalist. Armed with the standard issue Canon Powershot A510 and a magazine of Duracell batteries as my bullets, I made my way into my first battleground in, Bayon, the most famous temple in Angkor Thom. The temple proved to be a worthy opponent with its grandiose four-sided headpieces made of large blocks of sandstone. With my tour guide as my officer in command, we spent our first mission deciphering the murals that stretched along the hallways of each side of the temple. The carvings told the story of the Khmer people and their ancient empire that along with present day Cambodia included parts of Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Their story was filled with prosperity and wealth along with the definitiveness of war against their rival enemies, the Cham. And as a bright headline of white clouds permeated the sky, my mission would prove to be unsuccessful. Shot after shot, the bright reflection of the clouds proved to be a hindering obstacle as no clear angle that day could have captured the mysticism and sanctity of this temple.
After a failed attempt to sack Bayon, we diverted our mission to a few of the less popular, yet still grand, temples of Angkor Thom: Baphoun, the King Palace, the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of Elephants and Suorprat's 12 Towers of Lava stone. Some shots were fired with moderate success but our true test that day would be Siem Reap's most prized treasure, Angkor Wat.
Angkor What?
Surrounded by a moat of water wide as a football field, we made our lengthy entrance into the gates of Angkor Wat only to realize that another hundred yards awaited us. Originally constructed during the 11 century A.D., Angkor Wat's is filled with Hindu symbolism. The wide moat that surrounds the temple represents planet Earth as each of the temple's towers represent one of four elements: wind, fire, water, and earth. And the raised center tower symbolizes the center of the universe. As we neared the footsteps of Angkor Wat we cautiously surveyed the linings of the walls. In contrast to Bayon's tale of the ancient Khmer Empire, these carvings told the legend of the Hindu gods, Vishnu and Shiva.
Following our inspection we passed through the main walls and into the inner courtyard however our mission was still at the doorstep of completion as our last task was to ascend up a flight of stairs that were steeper than I had expected. Upon entering the top bunker of the temple, shots and flashes were immediately fired amidst innocent civilians and Buddhist monks dressed in orange robes. Just like an inexperienced foot soldier, I prematurely shot my first round of batteries and had to quickly reload as the clouds in the forefront closed in. Shot after shot, I contorted my body in to uncompromising positions in order to get "THE SHOT." Kneeling to the ground, hunching over a stairway, laying on the ground, waiting for unknowing tourists to GET OUT OF THE WAY!! I did my best to complete the mission. Did I get the shot? I don't know. I'll let you be the judge.
Two more days were spent rummaging around the vast forest of temples in Siem Reap. Just take a look at the pictures. After my excursion in Siem Reap, I flew back to Phnom Penh and spent one day touring the city before leaving to Shanghai.
One Love,
Paul
