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In Siem Reap Cambodia. To think that this country was so remote, so inaccessible, so recently. Just six years ago, the US Peace Corps, who were planning to launch projects here, pulled out for fear of political instability and it seemed that the only people I’d met who had been there were of the hardcore variety, thrill-seeking renegades. My images of the country had been formed mostly from movies, “The Killing Fields” and “Tomb Raider.” So it came as a surprise to learn that one can fly directly from Bangkok to Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat, in one hour. The same time as to fly to Phuket. Internet research turned up a number of quite luxurious-looking hotels. Suddenly the idea of visiting seemed a lot more feasible.
Don’t get me wrong. I like adventure. I enjoy adrenaline rushes. I’m sure there’s still a lot of wildness to explore in Cambodia. But when push comes to shove, I don’t enjoy long bus rides or airplanes scavenged from World War II, held together with duct tape. I prefer AC to fan rooms; a private bathroom and toilet to one shared by everyone and his mother. A swimming pool is a necessity for me if the beach is not available. My old, ignorant images of Cambodia didn’t conjure up any of these amenities. I expected little more than mats on the floor, brick pillows and legions of mosquitoes, in a land where I wouldn’t be able to set foot outside for fear of losing it to a land mine. We were met at the airport by a driver from our hotel, a pleasant young man who spoke good English. Siem Reap is booming and hotels and resorts are being built all along the roadsides as quick as rabbits populating a new warren. Already, there are a number of luxury hotels such as the Sofitel and the Grand D’Angkor, but accommodations at every price range are available.
We checked in, met the boutique’s delightful staff and took a few minutes to admire the woodwork, the gardens and the long, elegant swimming pool, where an Angkor-style lion, a fountain of water gushing from his open mouth, stood guard. Then we headed to the restaurant for our first taste of Cambodian cuisine. I found the flavours both piquant and refreshing, with hints of Thai, Indian and Vietnamese spice. After lunch, we arranged for a guide and a car and set off for the temples. Already, I found myself regretting the singular purpose of our
trip, - we were here to see the great ruins of Angkor Wat, - for
the pleasantness of the people awakened a desire to explore further
afield. When planning the itinerary, I’d agonized over whether to
stay for three days/two nights or four days/three nights, before
settling on the former. I figured that, grand as the ruins may be,
this would be sufficient. However, now that I was here, the travel
bug was buzzing and I needed to get out to the markets and the villages,
to go visit the fishing communities built upon the surface of Tonle
Sap Lake. Glancing through a tourist brochure informed me that Siem
Reap is far more than just temples and history. One can tour the countryside, ride elephants, visit the mine museum, learn about traditional crafts and more. While the ruins are the focal point of the region, it seems that there’s nearly as much to do and see here as there is around Chiang Mai. Money is relatively easy here, all our transactions were conducted in US dollars and there are exchange services were readily available. Visas are $20 on arrival, with a $5 surcharge if you forgot to bring extra passport photos. Temple passes are $20 for one day, $40 for three and $60 for a full week. Although our actual time in the ruins was not quite two days, we purchased three-day passes. In addition, we hired our guide and driver for $25/day and $15/day respectively. All told, it wasn’t a cheap vacation, rather similar to going skiing for a weekend and taking a couple of lessons, but one must spend for ease and comfort. Other travellers would be fine on their own, wandering with guide books, using inexpensive taxis to get around. We were just as glad to have everything taken care of for us.
Before I began preparing for this trip, I had believed that the ruins were one massive site called Angkor Wat. In fact, our guide informed us, there are hundreds of sites. The Angkorian era began in 802 AD, with the king/god ceremony of Jayavarman II at Phnom Kulen. The first major monument at Angkor, the new capital of the Khmer kingdom, was Phnom Bakheng, completed in 893. Angkor Wat itself was built in the reign of King Suryavarman II, in 1150, at the zenith of the Khmer Empire, being both the political and religious capital, which was, at that time, Hindu. According to some sources, including our guide, Angkor Wat was the king’s funerary temple. Sunset represented death, which explains why this was the only West-facing site in the Khmer empire. Because of this orientation, it is a popular sunrise destination, for the spectacular view of the dawn sky as its backdrop. In 1177, the Cham kingdom took over Angkor and ruled for four years, until Jayavarman VII re-established Khmer sovereignty in 1181. It was then that the building began in earnest. Most of the “must-see” temples were built during his forty-year reign, including his capital city, Angkor Thom and Bayon, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei and Preah Khan. It is his face, the god/king, which features so prominently in these “Bayon-style” sites.
As we entered the temples, I felt as though we were stepping directly into a lost world. In fact, these sites had been lost at one point for hundreds of years until a French explorer, Henri Mouhot, who had read accounts of missionaries and Portuguese merchants, “rediscovered” them in the jungles in 1860. Some of the temples, such as Angkor Wat and Bayon, have been cleared of trees, while others, like the awesome Ta Phrom, remain entwined in the roots of massive fig and silk-cotton trees. In these jungle temples, one really gets the sense of what it must have been like to discover the ruins for the first time. All the major temples are brimming with images of gods and the Buddha and bas reliefs carved into sandstone depicting the Ramayana and ancient Khmer life, especially their many battles and wars. Evidence of religious embitterment is clear. the Buddhist images of the Bayon style were later defaced, carved into Hindu phalluses called “Linga.” When the Buddhists regained control, they destroyed all the Linga, but one can still clearly see the outlines of both the Buddha and the Linga in the stone. The paradox of these awesome sites is that such tranquil temples rose up amid so many years of war. Even the recent wars in Cambodia have had major impact on the ruins, as bullet-holes in the sandstone abound. The centuries-old practice of defacing religious icons sadly also continues, by real-life tomb raiders who have stolen practically all the remaining Buddha heads, even ripping off huge sections of the intricately carved bas reliefs for sale to irresponsible collectors.
Of the fact that Angkor Wat is an architectural wonder of the world, there can be no doubt. The temples are simply awesome. I could easily have spent a week, or even a month, exploring the ruins, getting out into the countryside, immersing myself into the laid-back charms of the region. Either way, for a short side-trip such as ours, or for a full excursion, Siem Reap is a wonderful area to visit and you’ll rest better in the knowledge that you have experienced Angkor Wat in this lifetime. It is so easy to get here and to take in these phenomenal sites that it really should be an essential destination for anyone visiting South-East Asia. |
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Benjarong Magazine - July 2003, Volume 6 Issue 7 |
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