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When we left Kulua Lumpur for Siem Reap (the gateway to the Angkor Temple Complex) on June 5th, our batteries were running low, but the time we spent in Cambodia turned out to be just the rejuvenation we needed. The Angkor temple complex was breathtaking and exceeded all expectations and Siem Reap was a fantastic place to spend a weekend. The Cambodians we met were warm and genuine; the food was great; and the atmosphere was relaxed; albeit sometimes sad. We left with many fond memories and hope that this once troubled nation will continue to move toward peace and prosperity.
The main draw to Siem Reap is the Angkor temples. Built between 900-1400 AD by the Khmer Empire, the temples are a source of immense pride to the Cambodian people. While troubles abounded in Cambodia in recent history, there is no doubt this country was once home to a powerful empire. Each of the temples was (mostly) unique in style and design and we were delighted by all of them. That is once we wiped the ever-present sweat from our brow; it was HOT!
The first temple we visited was the iconic “Angkor Wat” -- the best preserved of the temples and the centerpiece of the Angkor complex. Over the three days we were in Angkor, we were fortunate to see sunrise, sunset and the rise of a full moon over Angkor Wat; all were differently beautiful. The size of Angkor Wat is hard to appreciate from a picture. Its outer walls are 1024 x 802 meters and are surrounded by a moat 190 meters across. We entered by crossing the original stone bridge through the western gate and once inside were hit by an overwhelming sense of being someplace very special. The temple itself is quite large and is intricately carved on most surfaces. Bas-reliefs span the entirety of the temple walls and depict Hindu epics and Khmer empire historical accounts (The Khmers were Hindu when Angkor began and converted to Buddhism during the reign of the Empire). Facades, pillars, walls, ceilings, etc., are all carved in relief and this holds true for all the temples in the complex. The five major lotus pillars still remain at Angkor Wat and, overall, the building seems to be amazingly well maintained. Monkeys roam the jungle around the temple and we saw a number playing amongst the inner walls. We visited again the second morning to watch sunrise over the temple. While this was beautiful, even more enjoyable was sitting and observing the temple from every angle when the flocks of tourists cleared out and we were able to find some quiet and peaceful spots.
Aside from Angkor Wat, here were some other highlights from around the temples. Angkor Thom: The center of Angkor for many centuries and the biggest city of the empire during the 12th century (according to our driver). Still remaining at this site are the four entry gates guarded by larger-than-life statues depicting the Hindu tale of “the Churning of the sea of milk”; the “Elephant” and “Leaper King” terraces; Bayon Temple and lots of monkeys. All of the structures in this city were impressive and it was fun to imagine what it must have been like during the height of the empire when the stone temples were surrounded by the active city life. Bayon: The central temple in Angkor Thom. Bayon is a complex maze of pillars that depicts four different faces that were important to the empire (we didn’t look this one up). It is a completely different style than Angkor Wat and possibly more stunning at close range. It was a photographer’s dream as with each step you are watched by the ever-present stone faces. Ta Prom: The quintessential jungle temple. Abandoned 500 years ago, it was swallowed by the jungle only to be rediscovered in the early 1900s. Today there are immense centuries-old trees growing off the walls, roofs, and through the middle of some structures – the result is amazing! This temple was used in the movie “Tomb Raider” and we felt the only thing missing was a fedora, a whip and some Indiana Jones background music. Bantay Srei: “The Woman’s Temple” is located 32 km from Angkor Wat. The scenic ride out there in a Tuk-Tuk through the surrounding villages was refreshing and interesting and gave a glimpse into the lives of Cambodians in the countryside. While this temple is quite small in size, the carvings are so exquisite and intricate in detail that it was worth the effort of getting there. Warning: It is also pretty darn HOT there during the day so if you want to visit, plan a trip early in the morning or when the sun isn’t at its peak. We also visited a few other temples including Preah Khan, Pre Rup, and Eastern Mebane that were really nice but too much to write about here.
Aside from the temples, the rest of our time in Cambodia was really memorable. On our second night, we took a boat out on Tonle Sap (largest lake in SE Asia) to see one of the floating villages and watch the sunset from a rooftop of a floating restaurant. It was amazing to have a short glimpse of how the people had to constantly adapt to the changing water levels and to see schools, health centers and even a billiards club floating on the water. The people in these villages were pretty poor and appeared to have to work very hard to live like they did.
We were also constantly amazed by the Cambodian children who were outside all the temples trying to sell us cheap goods/provide us with facts and figures about the USA and Australia. Many of them spoke English quite well and had acquired and incredible amount of information (which they happily regurgitated for tourists) about foreign (country) capitals, populations, state capitals, government officials, iconic animals and even the occasional G’day mate. We must have given out at least $40 USD to the adorable kids who were out working hard to help their families. Interesting side note: the most accepted form of currency in Siem Reap is the US dollar and this is what was dispensed from all of the ATM machines. The Cambodian Riel (4000 Riel to 1 USD) is used for small change, but it is a lot easier for a child to say “lady only $4” than “lady, only 16,000 Riel”. While there were definitely touts in Cambodia, and although they could be as relentless as the ones we had come across in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, we didn’t seem to mind them as much as they were all friendly and good-natured.
Lastly, the Cambodian people have been through hell and back in the past 40 years. There is still a lot of poverty in Siem Reap and we assume that the extent of the poverty in even greater in the non-touristy portions of the country. The majority of Cambodian people live in rural villages under the constant threat of land mines detonating while farmers till their fields or when children are playing around the farms or in the jungles. In Siem Reap, one is constantly reminded of what the landmines have done to the country and its people. Landmine victims with missing limbs are a common sight and like cancer in western countries, everyone seems to have a family member who has been affected. Despite the economic hardships and the recent history of foreign and civil wars, the Cambodian people seem to be looking forward with hope. The people seem genuine and the parents are working hard to provide their children with a brighter future. Although it was only one short weekend, the Cambodian people touched our hearts and we were grateful for the opportunity to visit their beautiful country.
The main draw to Siem Reap is the Angkor temples. Built between 900-1400 AD by the Khmer Empire, the temples are a source of immense pride to the Cambodian people. While troubles abounded in Cambodia in recent history, there is no doubt this country was once home to a powerful empire. Each of the temples was (mostly) unique in style and design and we were delighted by all of them. That is once we wiped the ever-present sweat from our brow; it was HOT!
The first temple we visited was the iconic “Angkor Wat” -- the best preserved of the temples and the centerpiece of the Angkor complex. Over the three days we were in Angkor, we were fortunate to see sunrise, sunset and the rise of a full moon over Angkor Wat; all were differently beautiful. The size of Angkor Wat is hard to appreciate from a picture. Its outer walls are 1024 x 802 meters and are surrounded by a moat 190 meters across. We entered by crossing the original stone bridge through the western gate and once inside were hit by an overwhelming sense of being someplace very special. The temple itself is quite large and is intricately carved on most surfaces. Bas-reliefs span the entirety of the temple walls and depict Hindu epics and Khmer empire historical accounts (The Khmers were Hindu when Angkor began and converted to Buddhism during the reign of the Empire). Facades, pillars, walls, ceilings, etc., are all carved in relief and this holds true for all the temples in the complex. The five major lotus pillars still remain at Angkor Wat and, overall, the building seems to be amazingly well maintained. Monkeys roam the jungle around the temple and we saw a number playing amongst the inner walls. We visited again the second morning to watch sunrise over the temple. While this was beautiful, even more enjoyable was sitting and observing the temple from every angle when the flocks of tourists cleared out and we were able to find some quiet and peaceful spots.
Aside from Angkor Wat, here were some other highlights from around the temples. Angkor Thom: The center of Angkor for many centuries and the biggest city of the empire during the 12th century (according to our driver). Still remaining at this site are the four entry gates guarded by larger-than-life statues depicting the Hindu tale of “the Churning of the sea of milk”; the “Elephant” and “Leaper King” terraces; Bayon Temple and lots of monkeys. All of the structures in this city were impressive and it was fun to imagine what it must have been like during the height of the empire when the stone temples were surrounded by the active city life. Bayon: The central temple in Angkor Thom. Bayon is a complex maze of pillars that depicts four different faces that were important to the empire (we didn’t look this one up). It is a completely different style than Angkor Wat and possibly more stunning at close range. It was a photographer’s dream as with each step you are watched by the ever-present stone faces. Ta Prom: The quintessential jungle temple. Abandoned 500 years ago, it was swallowed by the jungle only to be rediscovered in the early 1900s. Today there are immense centuries-old trees growing off the walls, roofs, and through the middle of some structures – the result is amazing! This temple was used in the movie “Tomb Raider” and we felt the only thing missing was a fedora, a whip and some Indiana Jones background music. Bantay Srei: “The Woman’s Temple” is located 32 km from Angkor Wat. The scenic ride out there in a Tuk-Tuk through the surrounding villages was refreshing and interesting and gave a glimpse into the lives of Cambodians in the countryside. While this temple is quite small in size, the carvings are so exquisite and intricate in detail that it was worth the effort of getting there. Warning: It is also pretty darn HOT there during the day so if you want to visit, plan a trip early in the morning or when the sun isn’t at its peak. We also visited a few other temples including Preah Khan, Pre Rup, and Eastern Mebane that were really nice but too much to write about here.
Aside from the temples, the rest of our time in Cambodia was really memorable. On our second night, we took a boat out on Tonle Sap (largest lake in SE Asia) to see one of the floating villages and watch the sunset from a rooftop of a floating restaurant. It was amazing to have a short glimpse of how the people had to constantly adapt to the changing water levels and to see schools, health centers and even a billiards club floating on the water. The people in these villages were pretty poor and appeared to have to work very hard to live like they did.
We were also constantly amazed by the Cambodian children who were outside all the temples trying to sell us cheap goods/provide us with facts and figures about the USA and Australia. Many of them spoke English quite well and had acquired and incredible amount of information (which they happily regurgitated for tourists) about foreign (country) capitals, populations, state capitals, government officials, iconic animals and even the occasional G’day mate. We must have given out at least $40 USD to the adorable kids who were out working hard to help their families. Interesting side note: the most accepted form of currency in Siem Reap is the US dollar and this is what was dispensed from all of the ATM machines. The Cambodian Riel (4000 Riel to 1 USD) is used for small change, but it is a lot easier for a child to say “lady only $4” than “lady, only 16,000 Riel”. While there were definitely touts in Cambodia, and although they could be as relentless as the ones we had come across in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, we didn’t seem to mind them as much as they were all friendly and good-natured.
Lastly, the Cambodian people have been through hell and back in the past 40 years. There is still a lot of poverty in Siem Reap and we assume that the extent of the poverty in even greater in the non-touristy portions of the country. The majority of Cambodian people live in rural villages under the constant threat of land mines detonating while farmers till their fields or when children are playing around the farms or in the jungles. In Siem Reap, one is constantly reminded of what the landmines have done to the country and its people. Landmine victims with missing limbs are a common sight and like cancer in western countries, everyone seems to have a family member who has been affected. Despite the economic hardships and the recent history of foreign and civil wars, the Cambodian people seem to be looking forward with hope. The people seem genuine and the parents are working hard to provide their children with a brighter future. Although it was only one short weekend, the Cambodian people touched our hearts and we were grateful for the opportunity to visit their beautiful country.
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