Angkor Wat

It seems to materialize out of the darkness, the ethereal towers gradually taking substance from the pale light. As dawn approaches the magnificent temple of Angkor Wat resolves itself against a rose-peach sky. We have come to watch the sun rise over the temple, along with several hundred other tourists. It’s the thing to do and well worth it despite having to get up before 5 am. Angkor is synonymous with Cambodia. The iconic temple is featured at the center of the Cambodian flag.

Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure in the world,  covering some 400 acres. And it is only one of dozens of temples scattered around the city of Siem Reap. It is a fitting culmination to the first phase of our tour of SE Asia. But just getting to Siem Reap was an adventure in itself.

BANG!!

There are gasps on the bus. It sounded like an explosion, but it’s actually just a blow out on one of the rear tires. Three of the four rear tires are still intact, so we limp along the side of the highway until the driver can find a tire repair shop. Fortunately they’re fairly common and the bus has a spare. It adds about an hour to a six hour drive, but an extra bathroom break is always welcome.

Next we stop for snacks – 0f a rather unusual sort – crickets, scorpions, spiders and frogs. Under the Khmer Rouge starvation was rampant and people ate whatever they could get their hands on. Now these things are a bit of a delicacy, fried with peppers, lemon grass, curry and other spices. Some of our group turn away, but Liz and I have always believed that “When in Rome…”. We try everything except the scorpion, and agree that the crickets are the best of the bunch, tasty and crunchy. And they’re good for you, a great source of protein, fibre, minerals and other nutrients. OK, I still prefer a good steak, but insects are a much more efficient and sustainable way to feed an ever increasing population.

The nutritional lecture concluded, it’s time for a little history. From 802 to 1431 the Khmer Empire, also known as the Kingdom of Angkor ruled most of SE Asia. Although, various kings moved the capital from time to time, it was always in the Angkor area. At it’s height, more than a million people lived in the city of Ankor Thom, supported by a vast system of reservoirs and irrigation canals.

Unlike Europe in the middle ages, the Angkor kingdom was very tolerant of different religions. Traders from India and Java had brought Hinduism here in 2nd century CE. Buddhism was introduced slightly later.  The rulers of Angkor shifted back and forth between the two as the official state religion. Angkor Wat was built as a Hindu temple. Bayon, with its four-faced towers was designed as primarily Buddhist. Many of the temples combine both elements. The history is complicated, but it left behind these splendid structures.

Today, what remains is mostly bare stone. Originally the intricate carving would have been painted, with statues and towers covered in gold leaf. Zhou Dagaun, a Chinese diplomat who visited in 1296, describes Angkor as bustling, rich and glittering. The tropical rains and looting have stolen all that away. What remains today is impressive, but back in the glory days of the Angkor kingdom, it must have been truly magnificent.

Like all empires, the Angkor kingdom eventually faded. There were internal power struggles, external enemies, as well as degradation of the irrigation system. Angkor was largely abandoned in the 15th century, though Buddhist monks continued to maintain Angkor Wat itself. The jungle took over most of the other temple sites.

Various restoration projects were begun in the 20th century, first by the French, later supported by the Indian government. Today it is ongoing, directed by Cambodia with the aid of UNESCO. Stones that have tumbled are being put back together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Steel beams and posts are evident in places. Sometimes it’s a dilemma whether to keep a tree in place, where it supports the structure, or remove it. Left unchecked, the trees would, of course eventually destroy these archeological marvels.

You may be wondering why only the temples survive. The answer is that all the other structures, from houses for the commoners, to the palace of the king were made of wood. And wood in a tropical environment doesn’t last long. I’m sure there are archeological traces of foundations and hearths but we didn’t see any.

The town of Siem Reap itself is pleasant but unremarkable. It exists primarily to service the over three million tourists who visit Angkor (2024). However on our last night in Siem Reap we are given a real treat. The leader of our tour group, Sarou, is Cambodian. He takes us out to the village where he was born, half an hour outside of Siem Reap. The houses here are much simpler than you see in the cities. It’s not poverty, but it’s also not prosperity. Sarou is the local boy who has made good and he’s determined to give back.

His mother and sisters make us a delicious home cooked meal while Sarou shows us around the projects he has sponsored with his foundation – a small dam for irrigation to improve farmers’ yields; a school where local children can receive free English lessons after regular school; he plans to start a farm to table restaurant. It’s all very impressive. There’s no hard sell, but his enthusiasm makes you want to be part this grassroots project. If you’re interested you can check out Sarou’s foundation here.

And here’s the link to the photo gallery for this post.