Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat at sunrise

When we first arrived in Siem Reap, we didn’t have a clue as to how we were going to attack seeing the temples of Angkor.  The area is so vast and there are so many different ways it can be done.  After much consideration, we decided to purchase a three-day pass for $40, which could be used any three days within a seven-day period.  After everything was all done and said, we wish would have purchased a seven-day pass for $60, to be used within a month’s time.  Seven days would have allowed for half-days in the park, as well as returning to favorite sights at different times of day to see them in various lighting.  It would have also given us a day to tool around on a bike.  As it was, we spent three packed days exploring the park and could have done more! 

All the other sunrise-watchers!

Arranging transportation was easy as there are tons of tuk tuk drivers hanging out ready to take you to the temples at a moment’s notice.  As an added bonus, they are very familiar with the park and know the best routes.  We hired a nice young guy nicknamed “Lucky” who drove us around the major sites for two days in his tuk tuk.  On the third day we hired a car and driver so we could see some of the sites that were further away.  Both of our drivers were so friendly and eager to help us – we really enjoyed their company.  The only downside to visiting the temples was all the aggressive peddlers.  Lots of children were selling trinkets, postcards, scarves, books, you name it.  They would surround you once you emerged from the tuk tuk and follow you all the way to the entrance of the temple, making the hard sell the entire time (in a friendly and fun way).  Adults were in on the action too, selling t-shirts, drinks, food, and anything else the kids might have missed.  We thought we were safe once in the ruins, but even there we were surprised.  On the first day Daron was wandering around one of the ruins when a woman monk (at least I think she was a monk; she had a shaved head) found him and handed him a burning stick of incense.  She gestured for him to follow her, which he did, leading him into an alcove in the ruins where she had an altar set up.  She had Daron place the incense stick on the altar as an offering to Buddha, gave him a blessing of some sort, and then asked him for a donation.   It was kind of fun the first time we did it; after that we weren’t as interested in paying for Buddha’s blessing in every other ruin we went to!  They were interspersed throughout the various temples, but most especially at the top of the ones you were allowed to climb.  I was surprised that they were allowed to set up altars inside the ruins.  

The mysterious faces of Bayon

Angkor Wat itself is the main temple of the entire complex, and is considered by many to be the eighth wonder of the world.  It is the world’s largest religious building.  We started our first day in the temple complex with sunrise at Angkor Wat, which was quite amazing.  The other major sight that most people are familiar with is Bayon, where there are 54 gothic style towers decorated with 216 faces smiling down on you.  Similar to Angkor Wat, there are enormous bas-reliefs carved into the walls wrapping around the temple.  Many of them tell stories of everyday life, while others are based on Hindu mythology.  Ta Prohm is another well-known site, having been used as a location in the first Tomb Raider movie starring Angelina Jolie.  It is the temple that has been swallowed by the jungle, with trees roots hugging the walls and trees sprouting from the roofs – great for picture-taking!  

The famous Tomb Raider tree at Ta Prohm

In addition to these three well-known temples are many, many more – all with their own unique style, depending on the time period in which they were built.  In its heyday the Khmer empire was quite vast, it covered present-day Cambodia as well as parts of Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam (the temple we visited in Laos was built by the Khmer empire).  The current skirmish between Thailand and Cambodia along their shared border is over one of these temples (both sides are claiming ownership).  It’s amazing to me how large the Angkorian Empire was back then – it had a population of a million when London was a mere 50,000 people!  

Daron surrounded by children selling trinkets

Way back when, Cambodia used to be an important port of call along the trade route between southern China and India.  Indian boats used to be stuck here for months at a time, due to the monsoon weather.  While here, they shared their Hindu religion with the Khmers.  This is how Hinduism found its way into Cambodia.  The Angkorian period (when the temples were built) began with the first “god-king” (as they are known in Hinduism) in 802 AD, and ended with the last god-king in 1219.  It was the god-kings that built the various temples that we explore today, each having their own distinctive style.  Many of the buildings have Hindu symbolism throughout, although the last god-king (and the most prolific builder) had switched to Buddhism, so there is some Buddhist symbolism in there too. During this time, Cambodia’s competing kingdoms were unified into one great Khmer empire.  They created a complex hydraulic system of reservoirs and canals to support the agriculture of the area.  The last god-king had embarked on a large public works project, complete with roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals. 

Note the "pajamas-as-clothes" style that's so popular here

After the death of the last god-king, the Khmer empire fell into decline.  The Thais sacked Angkor a couple of times and the Khmer court moved to the Phnom Penh area.  The temples were “discovered” by a French explorer in the 1860s, although at that time Angkor Wat was a working monastery with monks and slaves.  Other European explorers had encountered Angkor Wat and had even written about it, but the French explorer’s vivid descriptions and colorful sketches captured the world’s attention - tourism to the site began shortly afterwards. 

Lucky, our tuk tuk driver, and Daron

Daron and I had a great time exploring the various temples, and found them absolutely fascinating.  It was fun to imagine how the place must have looked in its prime.  Every little detail had significance, from the orientation of the temple to the carvings in the walls.  There is so much more I could write about, including the Hindu symbolism and details of some of the more interesting god-kings, but I think without a visit to the park it would be sort of boring.  I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to come to Cambodia and discover the temples for themselves.  If you like that sort of thing, you won’t be disappointed!