Siem Reap, located in northern Cambodia, was to be our final destination in SE Asia, and it was a magnificent one. The town itself is wildly picturesque and tourism-focussed, due to the hordes who visit it. We spent 2 very full days there, mainly because it is the site of several temples (Wats) dating back to the 10th century.
The most notable of these is Angkor Wat, the largest religious building in the world, located on a huge site that would take days to explore
. With our excellent guide, Ruttanik, we did it in just a day. Without going into alot of detail, AW was built a century ago as a Buddhist temple and later transitioned into a Hindu temple. The stories behind why it was built and how it evolved were almost as sensational as the building itself. When approaching it, you are immediately struck by its massive size and its 4 iconic spires. It takes your breath away. Made entirely of huge 3000-pound chiselled limestone blocks, it is hard to imagine how this was built at a time when men and elephants were the only available resources. During our day there, we climbed in and out, up and down the 3 massive stories, as we were shown the well-preserved walls which depict scenes of important events and everyday life, intricately carved into the stone walls. In its time, it was brightly painted and covered in gold, and surely must have dazzled worshippers who made pilgramage there. Though well-preserved, the forest and nature have had their destructive effects, and there is much lost and lying in huge piles of rubble. However, this doesn’t diminish its impact in the least. Quite simply, we were left dumbstruck.
Nor will we forget the level of our fatigue caused by the stenuous day in the oppressive heat (close to 35 degrees, or in the 90s F)
. As we climbed throughout, our leg muscles were sore, our feet hurt, and we developed an unquenchable thirst. Fortunately, the sun block we had liberally applied had done its job in the blazing sun of the day, but we were exhausted. This was partly resolved with a hot shower and a long nap before our planned evening activity—a dinner theatre show which featured traditional Cambodian food, music and dance. It was lots of fun, and as you might guess, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to have my picture taken with the lovely young costumed dancers.
The next day, we were up at 4:30 a.m. for a special treat offered by our guide—a sunrise visit to a Wat deep in the forest. Over several centuries, Ta Phrom Wat has been complelely overtaken by trees and vegetation after it had been abandoned as a worship site. Literally bathed in bug repellent, after a half hour hike in the early morning mist, and with the cicadas in full force, we reached it. Not a tour group in sight; not another soul in sight. We felt like we had stumbled upon a Lord of the Rings set, as we saw just how powerful Mother Nature can be. We could imagine ourselves as the explorers who happened upon this lost site. Walls and buildings 3-4 ft thick were shrouded by the roots of massive tress which had intertwined themselves so as to be inseparable. Each relied on the other for support. Thousands of large pieces of the original structures were lying everywhere, awaiting archaeological classification
. Resoration efforts are currently underway. Abandoned for centuries, it was as if the trees had taken over the guardianship of the site, enfolding themselves over the walls to ensure their protection. After having seen example after example of this, we sat and rested in the quietness of the forest, taking it all in. This visit had a powerful spiritual impact on us. It felt mystical; it felt magical.
Our last site, Angkor Thom, yet another Wat of that era, was the central temple for the population, and it too, was quite overwhelming in its size and the extent to which it had remained in its original state. There, we saw beautifully detailed carvings of gods and goddesses (some with remnants of the vibrant colours which were originally used). Moreover, we heard the tales which made these carvings come alive. Most amazing of all were the large faces carved into the towers, many of which were in excellent condition. These were the faces of the nobility at the time of construction, representing each province of the country. The site, like all Wats, is perfectly aligned with the four directions, with the entrance always facing due east. We marvelled at the architectural and engineering skills used a millennium ago.
Truth be told, after 2 intensive days of touring these ancient sites, Bonnie and I were exhausted, both physically and mentally. Yet, we soon found out that our challenges were only beginning
. We were facing a 12-hour ordeal in returning to Bangkok, our departure point. And an ordeal it was. Long story short, this involved waits for multiple minibuses and buses, a 2-hour border logjam, line-up after line-up. We were kept in the dark the entire way, some times with little rhyme or reason. Some people got white stickers, some got red. Why? Who knows! "You go here, you go there, you go now" our shepherds commanded us. We obeyed, with trust. The vast majority of our fellow travellers were backpackers, who just treated it stoically. This was the price to be paid for dirt cheap rates to get from point A to point B. We, on the other hand, began to question the wisdom of our decision, although this was 20-20 hindsight! Ultimately, however, we actually did make it to Bangkok, though tired and hungry.
Our time in Southeast Asia was drawing to a close, because the next day we were to fly to Istanbul for a nine day stay before starting the trek home.
As always, we want to thank you for reading our blog, and especially those who have sent us their comments and feedback. It really means a lot to us.
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Awed in Cambodia
Friday, March 23, 2012
Siem Reap, Cambodia
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2025-02-12
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cissie.retired
2012-03-27
Wow! What a magnificent end to your SE Asian experience. those Wat sights are wonderful and to see the trees overtaking the area again shows how quickly man can be forgotten if Nature is left alone! I just finished a wonderful book about a man seeking God and tries many different religions looking for a suitable match for himself. At one point he goes to Turkey and tries the Dervish sect with the whirling...unfortunately, he gets dizzy and cancels that out! Ha! A great read, but your stop in Turkey reminded me...
Enjoy and continue to be safe.
Love,
Cecile
joseph
2012-03-27
Cant wait till you tell all when we meet.
Have a safe return home.
Best