Siem Reap

So we finally arrived in Siem Reap. Marina and I had a day or two to relax waiting for Marina's mom, Deb, to arrive. We got up early (4 am) and ran around to temples until midday, then retired to the pool to cool off. Siem Reap is a large town and a tourist hotspot. There are Mexican, Italian, and anytypt of resturant that you's care to try there. It's all shops, hotels, resturants and tuk tuks. But it was picturesque and quieter than Phenom Pehn.

The number of temples in the vicinity is staggering. A book I read said 52. The major ones are somewhat grouped together, while the surrounding area is peppered with more. The Khmer kings that constructed them led huge empires that stretched covered parts or all of modern day Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos and Myanmar, as well as Cambodia. Their religon was Hinduism but later became a mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism. Hence, the elaborate and intricate artwork and confusing mish-mash of gods.

I will not go on and on about all the temples we saw (only about 10 or so). After four days of temple-seeing it all becomes a bit too much. They blend together. But at the same time each temple was so unique. Angkor Wat was overwhelming. It is the largest single religous structure on earth. I did not capture it's grandeur in my photos. It is just too big. You either capture something that looks like a backdrop in the distance, or you capture one spire, a tiny corner of a massive courtyard looming over the landscape. We went before dawn, in the dark, to capture the Wat at sunrise, and you walk over a massive moat and through a gateway and then over a cobbled walkway that goes on and on and on, before arriving at a small lake overlooking the main complex. And then the sun rises and you look around and at the open space and it's humbling. Then you walk up to the temple, and climb up a level and there are intricately carved reliefs stretching 100-150 yards in both directions. You then climb into a huge collection of courtyards, then up again to a another level, another huge open space with another huge temple rising up to the sky in the middle. And looking down you see grassy fields with samller temples in them wrapping around below that you somehow missed in your climb up.

The other temples may not be as massive but each was awesome. Some where decimated piles of mossy rubble, with massive lurching temples, ancient trees growing over and through the stones. One temple was a huge pyramid-like structure, almost like an Mayan ruin. Others are smaller, catherdral-size building, but with much of their intricate carvings intact. My favorite was a later one, Bayon. It is a massive, towering structure with dozens of Buddha faces staring in every direction. The stone of all the temples is discoloured from centuries of weathering and you can climb all over all of them, except for the parts being reconstructed. All the sites have piles of ruins strewn around and no security to speak of. You could literally pick up a hunk of an ancient carving and throw it in your backpack and leave.

Well, I supoose I went on more than I intended. It is definantly a wonder of the world and bucket list worthy. Just make sure to give yourself a few days.