Angkor Temples

Sorry it's been nearly 2 months since we updated - it's been a busy couple of months!  Chris has been traveling around Penang, KL and Singapore for a number of races - see his running blog (AFloridianrunnerinpenang.blogspot.com) for details.  Brenna has been busy at school and Rox has, of course, been busy with work, making 3 trips to Singapore in 5 weeks for various meetings and trying to set the strategy for the next wave of shared services activity for Jabil.  The third week of October found us ready for a real vacation and we were psyched up.  This one's been on the list since before we left Florida - visiting the Angkor temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia!

The Angkor temples were built by various Khmer kings from the 9th century through the 13th century.  The most famous (and most intact) temple is Angkor Wat, but there are at least a dozen other major temples and countless smaller structures in the area.  Construction of Angkor Wat was begun in the late 11th century by Jayavarman VI and completed nearly 100 years later by Suryavarman II.  This temple complex covers nearly 200 hectares (nearly 500 acres for us Americans).  Here's a "classic" view of Angkor Wat as reflected in the moat surrounding it.

The temple is full of galleries, some of which are lined with fantastic bas reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu theology such as the "churning of the sea of milk" when the gods and demons tugged back and forth on a giant serpent (naga) to churn the seas in search of the elixir of the cosmos (the milk).  This theme was repeated everywhere, with giant naga balustrades lining the entrances and causeways to most of the larger temples.    Other bas reliefs featured battle scenes and processions of kings and soldiers...amazing work considering how old it all is.

Angkor Wat served as a Buddhist temple and was maintained by monks over the years.  The temple was also protected from major damage during the wars of the late 20th century, including the conflict between the brutal Khmer Rouges regime, Vietnamese and the nationalist forces in the 1980's.  Our guide informed us that both sides respected the temples, so most were spared major damage (though some small-arms damage was done).  Some of the outer temples were used as bases for generals or officials, so were well cared for in that regard as well.

Bas relief of "apsaras" or celestial dancers at Angkor Wat

We could go on for hours about the temples - just amazing to think they were built so long ago, with such sophistication and skill.  Here are some photos from Ta Prohm, a smaller temple (but still quite sizable) built during the 12th and 13th centuries by Jayavarman VII and dedicated to his mother.  It has been left in a "semi-natural" state as an example of what the temples looked like when they were "rediscovered" (at least by the western world) in the 1960's.

Ta Prohm (used in Tomb Raider movie, starring Angelina Jolie)

 

Another monstrous silk cotton tree at Ta Prohm



Just before lunch was the fantastic Bayon, a massive complex of "face towers" again built by Jayavarman VII as his capital city.  Jayavarman VII was the first Buddhist ruler, still honoring the Hindu trinity of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma, but emphasizing and honoring the teaching of the Buddha.  It is rumored that the faces on the towers were modeled after his own.

 

 

The next morning we visited Banteay Srei - a drive of about 35 minutes from the main entrance, taking us through some traditional Cambodian villages.  It was very interesting to see how the people still live - stilt houses, made of wood and often corrugated metal roof or thatched roofs.  One interesting observation was a number of small tables out front of homes with recylced soda bottles containing a clear yellow liquid for sale....it turned out to be petrol (gas).  Another interesting tidbit was that many homes had large advertisements for Angkor beer on their walls.  I thought it was a way of covering holes or windows, but our guide told us, no, they get paid to allow the beer distributors to put them there since so many tourists pass this way.  Imagine paying your bills this way...

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei was built in the second half of the 10th century, so was much earlier than Angkor Wat or the Bayon.  It was smaller in scale, with most of the buildings set very close together.  Red sandstone was used throughout and the level of detail was astounding.  Some think this temple was a "showpiece" for artisans to demonstrate their skill.  We couldn't disagree...below is just one of the many lintels with intricate carving.

 

 

 

On the way back from Banteay Srei, we stopped at Pre Rup, another mid 10th century temple that is a popular site for watching the sun set.  We did not enter this temple, but were content to capture some photos from just outside, with a local woman and her oxen in the foreground.

 

 

Next stop was Banteay Kdei, another city built by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.  It was similar in style to Ta Prohm, but smaller.  There were several watercolor artists working inside this temple -we bought two for $20.  We were also followed by adorable little children selling all sorts of trinkets to "go to school".  One tenacious girl followed us halfway around the outside as we circled back to the entrance until she finally persuaded Brenna and I to buy 3 bracelets for $2...after her sale, she said "thank you" and bolted back to the exit to pick up the next customer.  She couldn't have been more than 7 (said she was 11)...This is one of my favorite shots - a Buddhist nun in front of the highly decorated Buddha statue.

 

 

 

It rained heavily that evening, so the next morning was cooler and a little cloudy.  We headed over to Preah Khan, another project of Jayavarman VII, dedicated to his father in the late 12th century.  This temple was quite large and served as a "university" of sorts for Buddhist teachings.  The temple held some outstanding carvings and more giant trees.

 

Preah Khan

 

We also encountered more adorable children at this temple....so sweet!  Chris wanted to bring one home.

 

 

Our final day of temple hopping took us to one of the less popular and more recently "restored" temples - Beng Melea.  This temple was begun by the same ruler who constructed Angkor Wat (Suryavarman II) and some think it was a bit of a testing ground for the larger temple.  Until recently, this temple was still covered by vines and trees, requiring visitors to clamber/ climb up fallen stones to get inside.  Fortunately, wooden stairways and walkways have been constructed now.  This temple was full of fantastic galleries and windows with their lathe-turned stone pillars, surounded by fantastic roots.  It was quiet and much less crowded.  Here are just two of many photos of this site.

 

 

 

Our afternoon found us returning to the Roluos group of temples, which were built in the 9th century and served as the capital city prior to the construction of Angkor Wat.  Our guide grew up in this area and considers the Bakong his "neighborhood" temple.  Again we were amazed at the level of artistry and skill on even older temples than those we had seen before.



East entrance to Bakong

 



Elephant statues and stormy sky at Bakong

 

This post could go on much longer, but has gone on long enough.  If you'd like to see more of the photos, just email us and we'll send you a slide show.  Promise it won't contain all 1500+ we took.  We also can't say enough about this trip.  Our guide (Sopheat) and our driver (Barang, which ironically means "foreigner" in Khmer) made this such a pleasure.  They were patient and helpful, sharing not only the history of the temples, but also insight into the more recent tragedies of the country.  And although they did take us to "tourist" spots and shops where we are sure they get a commission, we never felt pressured - it was always at our option.  We were happy to spend some $ on things that would help these people earn a living - there are precious few options for them.  It was an experience we will not forget and we will probably blog more on different aspects.  Until next time...