Lopa Croft and the Holy City of Angkor

Its been 3 days in Siem Reap and each day has been filled with breath-taking views, intricate carvings and phenomenal structures of the ancient city of Angkor.


Day 1

We started out at 7:30am Saturday towards Angkor Thom. Built at the height of the Khmer empire under King Jayavarman VÍI this city included Phimeanakas, Tep Pranam with the king and his concubines pools out front, the terrace of Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. However the most memorable monument built has got to be Bayon. One of my top 3 'MustSee' Templess ofAngkorr, with over 200 massive faces, enormous towers and bas reliefs covered with intricate carvings, i was blown away by my first angkor temple. At this point i couldn't imagine it getting any better.

After Angkor Thom we went for a bite to eat. Cambodia's most famous known for its dishes prepared 'amok' style. A deliciously spicy and sweet fish or meat stew made with coconut milk, spices, ginger and other tasty ingredients. It definitely makes it on the top 10 food list.

Around 2:30 after a quick nap and shower back at the hotel we made our way to Angkor Wat. It may sound a little silly but i was so excited. Angkor Wat, a perfect symbol of the art, power, and culture of the Khmer Empire at its greatest is also the largest religious structure in the world. It is also the largest hindu temple in the world. During the 1st century Indian and Chinese traders began arriving in the region exposing the local people to their art and culture. The indian culture and religions of Hinduism and buddhism, as well as theories in the maths and sciences spread throughout the region. At the height of the Angkorian period Hinduism was most dominant and king Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat as his state temple to honor the deity Vishnu. The first thing you see as you approach the grounds of Angkor Wat is the massive moat that surrounds it. As you look up you enter through the outer walls and step into the courtyard. Up ahead you catch a glimpse of the 5 towers. Really it was surreal to be approaching such an enormous and extraordinary monument. The guidebook uses the phrase 'prepare for divine inspiration' and they are not exaggerating in the least bit. The central temple is made of 3 levels each surrounded by bas reliefs intricately carved with the stories of the Mahabarata as well as stories of the kings own battles. We carefully made our way up each level - as the steps were narrow, steep and smoothed away by time. After spending a few hours aimlessly wandering through the temple we went back outside and found the perfect spot to see all 5 towers.

The day was finished off at the top of Baksei Chamkrong where everyone comes to see the sunset. As for sunsets is wasn't anything spectacular but after a day of having our visual senses on overdrive a great place to relax and take it all in. We were also lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Ravi a 13 year old school boy who was just hanging out. It was nice to have a conversation with someone who wasn't trying to sell us postcards, flutes, bamboo boats, bracelets, or cold drinks (more on that the next post)

Day 2

Penne and I had the best intentions of getting up at 5am to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat another must while visiting the temples, but all it took was a few lighting strikes out our window to convince us we should go back to sleep. A few hours later we woke up to find a beautiful sunny day outside our window. So we had some brunch did a bit of shopping and sorted out a tuk-tuk to see somre more of Angkor.

First stop was going to have to be Ta Phrom - number 2 on my list. Ta Phrom is the temple that was used in Tomb Raider and for good reason. The temple is covered in green with trees growing under, through, and on each part of it. Partially unrestored, the jungle overgrowth gave the complex a romantic, mysterious feel and its trees filled with parrots added to the jungle atmosphere. Penne and I couldn't resist making a few Lara Croft references as we tried climbing the trees and picking up the huge pieces of stone.

After Ta Phrom we hopped back into our tuk-tuk and headed out to Ta Keo - the mountain temple dedicated to Shiva, then Thommanon - a small temple created in a similar style as angkor wat in great condition. Unlike many of the other sites it felt more like a holy temple and less like ancient ruins. Our last stop was Srah Srang a small island temple in the middle of the lake which unfortunately sank due to some locals trying to fish and therefore could only be seen during the dry season. Our visit here wasn't a total lost however as we were immediately surrounded by the pint-size touts trying to manipulate us with their big tear filled eyes to buy their goods. Seriously these kids are amazing. Some as young as 5 or 6 spoke perfect english.
"If you buy a cold drink, by from me"
"If you don't have money borrow from your friend"
"If you from India why you no have (pointing to the middle of her forehead)"

They try sulking, bribing you with gifts - "here bracelet for you, its free for good luck"and then a few minutes later "I give you for good luck, you buy scarf from me" It really does take a lot of energy to resist. You think you can outsmart them by having a conversation, becoming their friend but really they're the ones playing us because right when you think you're in the clear you hear " Lady i give you 10 bracelet for one daallar, only one daallar"

Day 3

This was our last day in Siem Reap and we were determined not to miss sunrise, so we arranged for Khimtay, our driver from Day 1 to pick us up at 5am. We arrived at Angkor Wat while it was still pitch dark and made our way to our favorite spot by the water. In a few moments first light started to appear in shades of blue-purple. Nothing could have been more beautiful than Angkor at this time. The whole crowd was captivated switching between staring and clicking away at their cameras as the light changed from blues to purples to pinks and oranges. Like many of the wonders of the world pictures just does not do it justice.

After we finished the morning with a stop at banteay srei to see the the beautiful delicate carvings that densely cover the walls, East Mebon which used to be an island temple in what is now a dry baray, and finally Pre Rup, a mountain temple with beautifully carved false doors built as the state temple of King Rajendravarman II.