stunning angkor

the fiasco of just getting here made me curious about what lodging alice had arranged for me. fortunately the green garden hotel was clean and secure. an added bonus was the former ownder, a cynical old aussie expat who still lived there and typically lounged on its front veranda. his helpful tips on navigating siem reap were often punctuated by racist quips about the locals. that said, he also connected me with sakhorn, an honest and english-proficient tuktuk driver who could be my angkor guide.

angkor wat (via google earth)

over the next two days i spent many hours viewing over a dozen magnificent, humbling and haunting temples under a hot cambodian sun. the first king of the angkorian era was jayavarman ii, who returned from java in 790 to subdue competing states and declare a unified 'kambuja'. temple building became a defining mark of the angkorian kings. over 1000 temples were built during the khmer empire, which ruled much of southeast asia until the 15th century, when repeated invasions by the thai moved the capital from angkor to phnom penh. at its peak this 'holy city' had over 1 million residents, yet it was largely unknown to outsiders until henri mouhot re-'discovered' angkor wat in 1860. today, the vast angkor archaeological park hosts a million visitors annually.

highlights:

the haunting faces of bayon

angkor thom and bayon
angkor thom was built starting in the late 12th century by jayavarman vii. this 3 square kilometer walled and moated royal city was the last capital of the angkorian empire, built in an uprecendented campaign of temple construction after angkor was reclaimed after a brief control by the cham (from present-day viet nam). the huge complex is accessed through five gates to the city. the citys greatest temple is bayon, whose 37 towers feature four carved faces that point north, south, east and west. its thought these smiling chubby visages represented a combination of buddha and jayavarman vii, bayons patron. in addition to its serene and somewhat spooky faces, the bas-reliefs depicting the historical sea battle between the khmer and cham that decorates bayons south wall are remarkable.

banteay sreys pink sandstone

banteay srey
a good 38 km from siem reap and most of the other angkor temples is banteay srey, which was built in the late 10th century by king rajendravarman. this hindu-dedicated temple is loosely translated as 'citadel of the women,' but sakhorn and others usually just call it 'the lady temple'. unique in that it was built of a beautiful pink sandstone covered in intricate carvings, this temple reflects some of the finest examples of classical khmer art. on the lengthy drive there i enjoyed getting to seeing more of cambodian life, like small grade school kids in smart uniforms riding on bicycles more suitable for grown men and water buffalo foraging near modest stilted homes built above flooded rice paddies.

1866 photo of angkor wat by emile gsell

angkor wat
constructed in the 12th century by suryavarman ii at the height of khmer military and political dominance over southeast asia, angkor wat is a breathtaking testament to khmer greatness. this massive three-tiered structure is crowned by a quincunx of beehive-like towers that rise 65 meters. dedicated to the hindu god vishnu, angkor wat is surrounded by a wide moat and wall measuring 1300 x 1500 meters. nearly 2000 apsara carvings depict stories from hindu mythology. bas-reliefs running counterclockwise around the temples first tier depict the mythological battle of kuru, suryavarman iis march against the cham, scenes from heaven and hell and the 'churning of the ocean milk' scene on the north wall. at the heart of this massive religious monument (said to be the worlds largest) is a modest buddhist shrine thats been tended continually since the angkorian era. i visited angkor wat shortly after sunrise and the temple was largely (and eerily) absent of other spelunkers, which made exploring its walls and halls all the more haunting. of anywhere ive seen on earth, i wish i could see what angkor was like at its height.
more cambodia photos here.