Wat's Up, Doc?

June 18, 2012

It's a beautiful morning in Siem Reap...that is, if you like to sweat on your way to breakfast. The air conditioning in our room, however, is fantastic so we got a good night sleep and are ready to see Angkor Wat!

We learn from our guide, Sunny (who, by the way, is really named Selsun...like the shampoo...that's what his parents named him after), that Angkor is really a complex of temples that includes Angkor Wat as well as 1,000 other temples both large and small. This complex used to be the capital of an expansive Khmer empire which thrived from about 800AD until about 1400AD, then, after it's decline, the jungle consumed the temples and they were lost until the French rediscovered it and began uncovering it in the mid 1800's.

We actually start our day by visiting Angkor Thom, which was the last capital city of the Khmer empire. The name we had over and over is Jayavarman VII...seems he did alot of building while he was king. To enter the temple grounds you cross a long bridge lined with figures on each side, and each line of figures is holding the body of a snake. On the left side of the bridge are the protectors, and on the right are the demons...The main gate is topped by massive stone faces pointing all four directions, and on the exterior walls to the right and left are tall three-headed elephants...

Once inside the gate, we see the massive Bayon temple ahead and all the towers that rise above us. Each tower again has four faces, each pointing north, south, east or west...there are over 200 of these huge stone faces on the temple.

In many places you see how the jungle easily grows over everything, even the stone used to make the temple. And on the walls you can see the light and dark patterns on the stone where roots and tendrils that once covered the walls.

The temples and structures in Angkor are known best for the intricate stone carvings that not only serve as ornamentation, but also were created to tell stories, both mythological as well as historical. The level of detail, and the fine carving is extraordinary, particularly in light of the fact that these are over 1,000 years old.

This is the aspara, or dancing goddesses, which represents the Hindu version of a "happy dance"...

The large stone faces constantly looking over our shoulders is a little intimidating! Interestingly, the faces are so well carved and in such good condition that our camera's facial recognition program actually locked on to the stone faces when we would take pictures!

As we emerge from the other side of the Bayn temple we can really see all the faces watching over us...

Some tourists have chosen a slightly faster way to get around the temple complex...

Adjacent to the main temple is an older temple which is built as a series of terraces, which is referred to as a mountain temple. This temple is not nearly as ornate as the Bayon temple, but it is an impressive structure nonetheless. We decide to climb to the top to get a look around...

Some of the stairways to get up and down on these temple are a little steep...our guide generally saw us off as we started our ascents and met us at the bottom of the stairs on the other side...we're guessing he has seen the top several times already...

On the back side of the temple is a large wall on which was carved a reclining Buddha. You can still make out the face of the Buddha in the photo below...the top of the head is to the left and is pointy, there's a little bit of his left ear lobe rising up off his cheek at the top, you can see the nose sticking out and the jaw line. What's remarkable is that this whole temple has been taken apart, stabilized and rebuilt, and was only completed about a year ago...

As we walk toward the front of the complex we see signs in the jungle that indicate that the conservation teams have identified another ruin to be rebuilt at some point..

One more older temple within the complex...this was where the king supposedly went at night to hang out with a snake that would turn into a woman. The further we go on this trip, the harder it is to keep all do the Buddhist and Hindu lore straight...there are so many legends that involve this god or that, and explain this aspect of life or that...every once in a while our eyes glaze over a bit as we wait for our tour narrative to return to historical fact...

It's always good to have options...

We have navigated our way out of the complex and onto a terrace where the king watched and participated in festivals and other large scale activities...in the distance are 12 towers that were used to confine individuals charged with crimes. The individuals charged would be confined in the towers for three days without food or water and if they were healthy when they emerged they were judged innocent, otherwise they were declared guilty and that was the end of them. Given the heat and humidity at present - and remember, it is winter here right now - I would not want to be confined anywhere without some water!

One of the kings had leprosy, and this was where he would go to try to get better...probably didn't work...

Now it's time for lunch! We take a short drive back into Siem Reap and eat at an all but deserted restaurant...the food was actually very good, and it was a nice break before we go see the mack daddy of them all, Angkor Wat..

Next stop, Angkor Wat, the largest and most ornate of the Angkor temples...built in the 1100's, it is the best known of the temples and it's image is on the Cambodian flag. It is surrounded by a moat and a wall, so you cross a bridge to enter the temple itself. It is a little bit of a déjà vu moment...this is such a familiar sight it feels like we've been here before...

As we pass through the wall, which is designed like an incredibly long gallery on either side, we are greeted by a Hindu god statue that has been draped in gold cloth...and of course, a donation box...didn't we just pay an entrance fee...?

Once inside the wall, the familiar shape of Angkor Wat is right there in front of us...the pointed towers rising above the wide galleries...the approach to the temple is a raised pathway, like a bridge without a moat. On either side are two structures which are referred to as Libraries...

There is a pond on the left side of the raised pathway, and from it's edge you can get the world-famous image of Angkor Wat with its reflection on the surface of the water. Now that we're here, we understand that all those really great postcard shots were obviously taken during or right after the rainy season when there is alot more water in the pond...!

This picture gives you a sense of how Angkor Wat is constructed. Like other temples we have visited, it is a mountain temple so it rises up on three tiers. The surrounding base level is a series of really...really...long galleries that contain the bas relief carvings for which Angkor Wat is so famous. The carvings in the main gallery (which must get the most tourist traffic) are shiny from being touched by millions of human hands over time...today there is a rope that keeps us away so we cannot touch them...

Before we enter the temple, we get another look at the Library from the side...then we enter the temple...

Inside the temple, the layout is very geometric, with columned galleries connecting passageways that encircle four pools..

As we progress through the levels, we emerge and see the tall towers of Angkor Wat above us...

The stone carving is all around us, it seems every inch of stone at eye level is carved in ornate patterns or with Hindu figures. This one caught Michael's eye...

To get to the top of the temple you have to climb...fortunately, we didn't have to climb these ancient stairs, but did have to climb a very steep set of stairs created for tourists.

On the top level the pattern continues...there must be thousands of these narrow stone columns in windows throughout the temple. On this level there are four more pools, though they are smaller than the pools below.

It's so hot...! How do I get this pool filled with a little cool water...?!

When we return to the first tier of the temple, we continue around in the galleries to see more of the amazing bas relief artwork...it is truly mind-boggling how much of this carving there is, how complex the carvings are, and the level of fine carving and detail done in stone. The other mind-boggling aspect of Angkor Wat is that the stones were laid wothout mortar, and in some places it is difficult to see the seams between stones...and these are big blocks of stone! Our guide says there is something like 1,200 square meters of this kind of carving here at Angkor Wat...we did our best to get photos, but they are much more impressive in person...

On our way out, we see folks pausing in the shade of a large tree at the edge of the moat...including this group of monks who are visiting the temple. There is a large plaque at the end of the bridge proclaiming Ankgor Wat a UNESCO World Heritage site...

Phew, back into the car where Lon greets us with chilled water and a cool cloth to wipe our brows. It has been quite a day of sightseeing, and now it is time to head back to the hotel, shower and cool off, and then do a little blogging...on the drive we take a few quintessential photos of Cambodia and Siem Reap...

This is called a Tuk Tuk...it is a cross between a rickshaw, a taxi and a motorcycle. Here in Cambodia, as we saw in Nepal, motorcycles are very popular due to their affordability, gas mileage, size and versatility...and if you're the Tuk Tuk driver it sure beats pedaling!

A great day seeing some great sights...tomorrow, we explore the Angkor complex a little more.