TEMPLES OF CAMBODIA....

"Spontaneity has its time and place"

~Frank Burns

A friend from Wisconsin writes and says she is going on an adventure in Cambodia....so....what to do???

I quickly book tickets and two weeks later I am off to Cambodia!  

This is one of those times where I pinch myself and say, "Seriously?  I am hopping on a plane - to meet a friend - for a quick overnight trip - in CAMBODIA??"   Yes I am!  I took an easy 2 hour flight into Siem Reap and met my friend Caran for a jam packed 2 days of temple touring.  

The area is in the midst of the worst flooding in 50 years.   Flying over Siem Reap I was shocked to see the extent of the flooding.   However, with all things considered, we have timed this trip perfectly... the region is having one if it's first stretches of dry and sunny weather.  Brilliant blue skies for us!  

Caran and our guide/driver picked me up and we set out straight from the airport to Beng Mealea.  It was about an hour and half drive and the 40mph snap shooting was as good as most places.

Pumping water from flooded streets

Off to market!

Laundry finally being able to dry

In most places flooding would be an annoyance...here, it was an opportunity for swimming and fishing!

Walking home (along the major road) from school

Being Mealea.....the actual temple site is serene.  Not many tourists here and you can hear the jungle all around you.  This is an unexcavated temple and is largely how it looked when discovered.  The spong trees growing on, over, and under the stones are eery.  True abandonment can be felt, seen and heard. 

The temple was built in the early 12th century under Suryavarman II. 

"Spong" trees

We stopped for a local lunch and from this I was able to make my first generalization about Cambodia.  It is distinctly more Thai than Vietnamese.  From the nature of the people to the style of the cuisine (with the noticeable exception of fiery spice).  The country is predominantly Buddhist and you more often than not greeted with the traditional "wai"  - hands meeting at the neck or chin and slight bow.  There is a sereness as well that permeates the feel of the country as well.

I am shocked (again!) at how little I knew of the history of Cambodia.  In all honesty, I did not know that the “Khmer” referred to a “people.”  I was under the mistaken impresson that Khmer was an exclusive term associated with “Khmer Rouge.”  I had no idea, for instance, that the Khmer empire was one of the world’s largest and longest lasting empires in history.  I had absolutely no idea they had an enemy called the “Cham” from "Chamka"(modern day central and southern Vietnam.)

We then checked into the wonderful Hotel de la Paix (love it!) and got ready for our river cruise on the moat surrounding Angkor Thom.  It was basically a gondola with a dragon on the front.  We did get to see some fishermen and the sunset.  I was also very surprised at how clean the moat water appeared to be.

Corner of Angkor Thom

Fishing in the moat

Our dragon boat

This moat was manually dug...incredible feat

A full day ended back at Hotel de la Paix and Ata restaurant...

Hotel de la Paix lobby...yes that is a bed in the middle!

Dinner at Ata

Day two and we were up and out early.  Had an absolutely delicious breakfast of native foods (of course!)  

Nom Ban Chok for breakfast...yes, I have been accused by many of turning "native"

We then set off for Ta Prohm.  This is where Tomb Raider was filmed with Angelina Jolie (I have not seen it yet).  It was quite similar to Beng Mealea, but it is being excavated and renovated.  It is a current archaeological sight sponsored by India.  I found it interesting that this is the only temple that was originally built as a Buddhist temple, and is the one that the Indian government is helping renovate.  The temple was originally known as Rajavihara (Monastery of the King) and was a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of Jayavarman VII.  Sadly, any trace of a Buddha carving was long ago hammered out when the king converted to Hinduism.  Some of the trees are being removed so they can piece back together the structure.  There has also been several enormous trees that have fallen due to the flooding and damage to the root systems of the remaining trees.

After touring this temple, we went to Angkor Wat.  Angkor Wat means “temple that is a city.”  It is the best preserved temple due to the fact that it was never abandoned to the jungle.  It was built in the early 12th century as a funerary temple for Suryavarman II to honour Vishnu (the Hindu deity with whom the king identified.)  This is the only temple which is oriented to the west, symbolically the direction of death.  The history behind the design of the Khmer temples is that they symbolically replicate the “center of the world” which in Hindu belief is Mt. Meru.  The location in India has 5 mountain peaks and is surrounded by water.

Corner of Angkor Wat temple

Inner park area with flooding

This used to hold water and functioned as a pool to wash before worship

The Khmer were a very scholarly society, this was one of many libraries

One of the 5 lotus pillars

The temple is surrounded by a 190m wide moat and stretches 1.3km by 1.5km. 

The outer moat

The bas reliefs on the outer wall stretch for over 1km and is considered to be the longest piece of art in the world.

I was amazed at the ability to construct vaulted ceilings...the bas relief runs all of the way down the left side and continues on another 3 sides

The temple itself is quite large (it is widely believed to be the largest religious structure in the world) and in pretty good shape.  We were able to climb to the top floor (3rd) where once only the king and high priest were able to enter.  Again, the weather could not have been any better!  Beautiful!  It has also been quite a learning experience to hear how the temples went back and forth between Buddhist and Hindu.  Interesting that when the Hindus took over they defaced any building with any reference to Buddha.  When the Buddhists took over any Hindu built temple, they simply “enhanced” the beauty by adding their gold/rust coloration to the walls and sculptures.

The final incredibly steep climb to the top

We popped in to a local stop for lunch and were immediately pounced on by a pack of little boys.  The ring leader was a boy of about 8 or 9 who spoke very good English and was able to rattle off a string of facts about the US.  His mantage went something like “You are from the US.  US has 300 million people.  Your capital is Washington DC.  Your President is Barack Obama.  Your biggest state is New York.  You buy from me?  What can I call you?  OK Miss Lisa, you come back and you buy from me OK?  OK, you have lunch and then you don’t forget me OK?”  He was a dynamo!  If I could have wrapped him up and sent him to school on a scholarship I would have done it!

The boy in orange ... wish I could send him to college

With

 a few hours left to go in our day we concluded with a visit to Ankor Thom.  This site was considered a “great city” at 10 square km and housing one million people.  The “city” is enclosed by a 100m wide moat which at one time was filled with crocodiles.  We did not see much of the entire city, but we did stop to see The Bayon.  

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Bayon contains 54 towers decorated with  216 icily smiling, enormous faces of Avalokiteshvara, that bear a striking resemblance to King Jayavarman VII who built Angkor Thom.  I absolutely loved it.  The faces everywhere were amazing and you felt that you are being looked at from anywhere you stand.  

Bayon

There are meters and meters of bas relief depicting everyday life of the Khmer people as well as scenes from the many battles between the Khmer people and the Cham people.

And as most know of me by now, I cherish seeing the people of the countries that I visit....Cambodia is amazing.  The people have so recently gone through horrors we cannot imagine...and yet they stay happy, at peace and persevere to make the most of their lives with such grace and warmth.

A troupe of musicians who have all been maimed by land mines

This little girl enjoyed a treat Caran gave her.  She gave Caran a big hug...
Me?  She came up to me and slapped me!

And with that, my 44 hours in Cambodia were done!  I found a reflexology shop at the airport and killed my 90 minutes having my sweaty, stinky feet rubbed!  And yet she maintains a smile...:)

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."

-Jawaharlal Nehru