Tales from Thailand: 2013

Traveling to Cambodia, I was excited to explore and learn about Angkor Wat...I had no idea how incredible this experience would turn out to be!

Day One:

We arrived in Siem Reap in the early afternoon, and after an informative trip from the airport to our hotel, we hired our taxi driver, Mr. Koy, to be our driver for the next three days.

At Mr. Koy's suggestion, we went to Phnom Bakheng to watch the sunset. This temple, built in the early 10th century, is one of many "once-capitals" of the Cambodian empire. It was an amazing spot to begin to understand the symbols and structure of the temples.

Phnom Bakheng, outer courtyard

"THE" Angkor Wat temple complex in the distance. This temple gives the area its name.

And it was a great spot for watching the sunset!

Day Two:

We started early to see sunrise at Angkor Wat--the world's largest religious structure. Angkor Wat means "temple city". Stone structures were reserved for the gods, so almost all evidence of the 12th century houses and other buildings for mortals have disappeared. As we walked more than half a kilometer from the moat that surrounds the grounds, I could imagine a large city filled with residents, not just tourists.

Even pre-dawn, the symmetry and balance of the architecture was obvious. In the dark, hundreds of people gathered near a pool outside the temple to glimpse the sunrise reflection of the facade of Angkor Wat. We decided instead to watch the soft, growing light from the raised platform approaching the west entrance and as soon as there was enough light to walk, we slipped into the temple. Here we were generously rewarded for our early wake-up, as it felt as if we had this amazing place to ourselves for a brief moment of time.

Outer lawn...the flashes are of all of the other tourists

Entrance to the temple

Anna & Chris climbing the stairs of an outer building

That's me for scale!

Chris in a, now dry, pool

The guide book was vague about access to the third and highest level of the temple. But there were stairs and a gate, so we were optimistic. Without signage or clear answers about the time that the gate would open, we plopped down to wait while taking turns exploring the expansive second level.

At 7:40am, as the first people in line, I felt like we had won again, with the peace and serenity of the third and highest level of this awe inspiring temple!

Anna for scale

View towards outer gate (and moat)

Buddha protected by a once seven-headed, now six-headed, naga [serpent]

Here's Chris for scale

Again, view towards outer gate (and moat)

Nearly every window was filled with these columns

Angkor Wat is also a clear example of a symbolic recreation of the Hindu universe including holy Mount Meru. The five central towers on the highest level represent this mountain, and the wide moat symbolizes the ocean surrounding Mount Meru.

Angkor Wat was stunning in proportion, and I was surprised as I repeatedly realized there were sections I hadn't even discovered.

Departing Angkor Wat

Outer wall and moat of Angkor Wat

After breakfast (yes, all of that happened before breakfast!), we next visited Ta Prohm, popularized by scenes from Tomb Raider. Ta Prohm was intentionally left in a deteriorating state after it was re-discovered by French adventurers in the 19th century. At that time the 12th century temple was overgrown with trees and partially ruined. The combination of beauty hewn by human hands with the grace and power of nature was stunning and even more disorienting than Angkor Wat.

Chris discovered his element (this would continue for the next two days)

We felt like tomb raiders at this point

Root or Rock?

Obligatory "Tomb Raider" scene photo

Smiling face through the tree root

Another "Tomb Raider" scene photo

Next we stopped by Banteay Kdei, which is a smaller version of Ta Prohm.

Then I enjoyed Khymer fish amok (curry) in a coconut for lunch at a restaurant near Sra Sarong, once the royal bath.

We had just enough energy for one more temple, Pre Rup, which was used as a crematorium.

Day Three:

I didn't expect to be amazed again, yet Banteay Srei, Kbal Spean, and Beng Meala were incredible sights to behold!

Banteay Srei had small proportions and incredible detail in the carvings in pink limestone. This temple honored women in particular and means Citadel of Women or Citadel of Beauty.

Kbal Spean is a bit like a river temple, where Hindi images, including many lingas, are carved into the riverbed and nearby rocks.

In addition to the carvings of the figures, there is a sunken blue print of Angkor Wat

Beng Meala felt like an ancient playground were I could climb unencumbered. It made Ta Prohm feel manicured, and it was nearly empty!

Neil's favorite tour guide

Day Four:

We returned closer to the central area to start with Angkor Thom. At its height, this city had a million residents! This was at a time when London was a town of 50,000 people.

We first explored Bayon, which is unique in its design which includes over 200 sculptures of a deputy's face (and closely resembles the king who commissioned the construction).