I have wanted to see the temples of Cambodia for a very long time, so I was a little worried that my inflated expectations would lead to disappointment once I was actually there - but I had nothing to worry about. Standing among the ruins of this ancient civilization was an absolutely overwhelming experience. Enormous trees soared overhead, their roots oozing between the moss covered stones, and parrot calls echoed through the canopy above. This is a solemn place that, despite centuries of abandonment to the elements, still stands proudly as a testament to humanity's creative genius. What makes these temples so magnificent isn't their age or their vastness, but the fact that most of their surfaces are covered with beautiful, intricate carvings.
Carvings, such as this Apsara, adorn much of the wall space throughout the Angkor complex
A typical scene from the temples of Angkor.
Virtually every square centimeter of stone in this vast complex is carved into bas-reliefs. The most common images are those of lovely dancing women - Apsaras, female spirits of the clouds and water. If you spend a few days wandering through the ruins you will see tens of thousands of these wonderful carvings - each one exquisite, each one with her own unique expression. I found the apsaras to be absolutely enchanting, so I decided to take numerous pictures of them and put them to music in a slideshow. If you have he time, give it a try. I think that you will agree that these works of art are completely engrossing.
Even if you don't read this blog, click on this video slideshow and enjoy the beauty of the Apsaras
Another common icon is the Naga - a multi headed cobra that offers protection. These cool looking serpents are seen all over the place, especially along the causeways, where their bodies form long, stone railings. You also see them on the corners of roofs, and coiled underneath statues of the Buddha with their open hoods reaching protectively over his head. Sadly, this didn't offer enough protection; almost every single Buddha statue in the park has had its head removed to be sold to collectors around the world.
Naga on roof corner at Banteay Srei
Another iconic symbol in the Angkor complex is the peaceful smiling face of Buddha found on many of the gopuras (ornate entrance gates to the temples). These large, serene faces are found all over the park, but are especially prevalent in the amazing Bayon temple of Angkor Thom. It is hard to describe the visual impact of the hundreds of smiling faces that adorn the roof tops of the Bayon. I guess the human brain just responds with positive emotion when confronted with so many smiles.
The rooftops of the Bayon
There are many temples in the Angkor complex. Obviously the one that everyone has heard of is Angkor Wat. Don't get me wrong, Angkor Wat is amazing - it's huge, ornate, and well-maintained, but it is terribly crowded, and lacks the "lost world" feeling of the other temples. The one thing that really sets it apart and makes it a wonder of the world is the set of bas-relief carvings that wrap around its outer corridors. These carvings are almost 3 meters tall, depict elaborate battle scenes from Hindu mythology, and extend for close to a kilometer without ever repeating themselves. Fortunately for us, human nature drives most of the tourists to the top of the temple, so we were able to enjoy these immense artworks in relative solitude.
I couldn't resist the iconic reflection pic. See the pointy things on the sides of the towers? Each one is a Naga snake
On small detail from the kilometer-long battle scene at Angkor Wat
Although Angkor Wat gets all the attention, it is the smaller temples scattered around it that I found to be the most appealing. My absolute favorite was Ta Prohm. What sets this one apart from all the others is that they have left it in the state it was found - cloaked by the jungle canopy and smothered by massive tree roots. It is worth noting that these temples, mostly constructed between the years 800 and 1200, were never really "lost", but were simply no longer associated with a powerful kingdom, and were slowly swallowed by the jungle.
In the clutches of the strangler figs
Jen and Mel provide a little scale
Sadly, this temple is most famous as the backdrop for the Tomb Raider movie. We had never seen it, so when we got back we rented it on Amazon, thinking that it would be cool to say "hey, we were there," but it turned out to be such a bad movie we couldn't watch it for more than a few minutes.
Another gem was a temple called Ta Som. It too has trees that overgrow parts of it. It also has also has lovely smiling faces on its entry gate, and many wonderful carvings on its walls.
The entrance to Ta Som
For some reason this apsara appealed to the geologist in me
The best carvings are those of the small Banteay Srei temple. This site is known as the women's temple, and it is constructed of a lovely pink sandstone. Just look at the details!
Door lintel at Banteay Srei
I'm not sure how these statues avoided the looters and kept their heads
Here's a few things to consider if you plan to visit this spectacular UNESCO site.
The "rainy" season (when we visited) has much fewer people and not that much rain. Okay, so you can plan on a shower in the late afternoon, but they don't last long and they actually feel pretty good. Most of the time we had lovely weather.
Khmer food is delicious (especially fish amok), but bring your imodium!
Cambodia is an very impoverished country. You will see extreme poverty. When you enter any of the temple areas you will be surrounded by women and children who are desperate for you to buy their wares. It is heartbreaking.
The legacy of landmines is very much in evidence. Wherever you go you will see people with missing limbs. A group of these amputees will serenade you with traditional Khmer music as you enter each of the temples.
Despite their poverty he people of Cambodia (at least in Siem Reap area) do not seem at all resentful of wealthy tourists. You will feel safer walking the streets at night here than you do in America.
We really loved our time in Cambodia. This posting just focused on the temples, but there was much more that we experienced while we were there. I'll post more on that later. Thanks for reading!
