Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor, Cambodia

From Phnom Penh, we packed our bags at Fancy Guesthouse and prepared ourselves for one of the most highly anticipated portions of our travels in all of SE Asia: a visit to the unbelievably atmospheric, incredible temples of Angkor. "Angkor" refers to the region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer empire that flourished from approximately the 9th century to the 15th century A.D. (The word "Angkor" itself is derived from the Sanskrit "nagara," meaning "city.") More precisely, the Angkorian period may be defined as the period from 802 A.D., when the Khmer Hindu monarch Jayavarman II declared himself the "universal monarch" and "god-king" of Cambodia, until 1431 A.D., when Thai invaders sacked the Khmer capital, causing its population to migrate south to the area of Phnom Penh. Reason number 3,442 why Cambodians are suspicious of Thais and generally dislike them.

A very interesting factoid I learned while doing some background research on Angkor for this entry is that based on satellite photographs taken by an international team of researchers in 2007, Angkor has been concluded to have been the largest pre-industrial city in the world, having had an urban sprawl of 1,150 square miles at its height. The closest rival to Angkor in terms of square mileage is Guatemala's Mayan city of Tikal, which was only 50 square miles in size. This helps one appreciate the sheer scale and grandeur of this place. It is home to over one thousand temples built amid forests and farmlands, and including the principle (and magnificent) temple of Angkor Wat, constructed from 1113 to 1150 under Suryavarman II which is said to be the world's largest single religious monument. The temples are in a range of repair and disrepair, and perhaps one misfortune (or benefit, depending on how you look at it,) is the unbelievable access you, the visitor, have to them. It is literally possible to crawl and climb all over them, which certainly cannot be good for their preservation, but does make for some unbelievable photo opportunities. It would be impossible to properly explore this amazing place in a month, but we gave ourselves the most time which we had; about three days. I'd like to think that we made good use of our time!

Map of the Angkor Archaeological Park

Our first impression of Siem Reap, the closest town of significance to the ruins at Angkor, was one of being almost in a desert-like environment. The tuk-tuk kicked up clouds of red dust in the heat of the late afternoon as we made our way down the half-dirt, half-paved road through town to our guesthouse. Siem Reap is also very touristy, and generally there is less rubbish around than in other parts of Cambodia we visited. There were foreigners everywhere.

The evening of our arrival we checked into our very comfortable triple room at the Hotel Golden Angkor ($20 per night) and had some dinner. We wanted to leave enough time to watch the sun set from atop the hill at Phnom Bakheng. On our hike up Phnom Bakheng (amidst hordes of tourists,) the rain began to fall, but the clouds drifted away in time to reveal a beautiful sunset, with a rainbow. It was a good omen for us, weather-wise. We had three gorgeous days here.

Sunset over Phnom Bakheng:

Kate and Meg at Phnom Bakheng watching the sunset at Angkor

Catt and Kate waiting for the sun to set

That night we made arrangements to get a tuk-tuk to take us back to the temples first thing in the morning. First thing we had to do the next day once we set off was get our passes to visit the temples. These are really serious badges (especially by Asia standards,) that involved a scary, driver's license-esque photo and laminating. Mine was horrendous, so here's a picture of Catt with his newly-minted ID. Whenever we visited the temples, we had to show these to the guards:

Once that was finished, we were off and ready to go. The anticipation in our tuk-tuk on the way to visit Angkor Wat was palpable. We had our cameras at the ready:

Megan in a tuk-tuk headed to the temples of Angkor

Psyched for some ancient history

Our first visit was to Angkor Wat, the principle temple of Angkor (and the temple for which the site is probably most famous.)

Angkor Wat
Synopsis below thanks to Wikipedia.com

The principal temple of the Angkorian region, Angkor Wat, was built between 1113 and 1150 by King Suryavarman II. Suryavarman ascended to the throne after prevailing in a battle with a rival prince. An inscription says that in the course of combat, Suryavarman lept onto his rival's war elephant and killed him, just as the mythical bird-man Garuda slays a serpent.

After consolidating his political position through military campaigns, diplomacy, and a firm domestic administration, Suryavarman launched into the construction of Angkor Wat as his personal temple mausoleum. Breaking with the tradition of the Khmer kings, and influenced perhaps by the concurrent rise of Vaisnavism in India, he dedicated the temple to Vishnu rather than to Shiva. With walls nearly one-half mile long on each side, Angkor Wat grandly portrays the Hindu cosmology, with the central towers representing Mount Meru, home of the gods; the outer walls, the mountains enclosing the world; and the moat, the oceans beyond. The traditional theme of identifying the Cambodian devaraja with the gods, and his residence with that of the celestials, is very much in evidence. The measurements themselves of the temple and its parts in relation to one another have cosmological significance. Suryavarman had the walls of the temple decorated with bas reliefs depicting not only scenes from mythology, but also from the life of his own imperial court. In one of the scenes, the king himself is portrayed as larger in size than his subjects, sitting cross legged on an elevated throne and holding court, while a bevy of attendants make him comfortable with the aid of parasols and fans.

Some pictures of us with Angkor Wat:

Catt and Meg in front of Angkor Wat

Detail of Apsaras (nymphs) at Angkor Wat

Kate, Catt and Meg with Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

Apsara detail at Angkor Wat

Kate and Meg at Angkor Wat

We were definitely impressed with Angkor Wat- it is one of those places that is so hyped, photographed and visited, that it's easy for it to be a let-down. Despite the flocks of tourists, though, it is a large enough temple that it doesn't feel crowded as you're exploring it. Pretty amazing.

After Angkor Wat, we made a trip over to the walled city of Angkor Thom (reference the map of the Angkor Archaeological Park, above) which is home to some of the most impressive and unique temples and structures in the Angkor Archaeological Park, including the Bayon, the Terrace of the Elephants, and the Terrace of the Leper King. The five gates to Angkor Thom are amazing- you feel like Indiana Jones walking through them, and into the walled city. It was at the south gate that a segment for the film, "Tomb Raider," was filmed. We did our best Angelina Jolie impressions for some photos, not posted here. The results were dubious. Anyway, here is a blurb on the history, construction, function, and features of some of the structures inside of Angkor Thom, including the Bayon:

Angkor Thom was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. It was established in the late twelfth century by king Jayavarman VII. It covers an area of 9 km², within which are located several monuments from earlier eras as well as those established by Jayavarman and his successors. At the centre of the city is Jayavarman's state temple, the Bayon, with the other major sites clustered around the Victory Square immediately to the north.

The Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th century or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.

The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. The temple is known also for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes. The main current conservatory body, the JSA, has described the temple as "the most striking expression of the 'baroque' style" of Khmer architecture, as contrasted with the 'classical' style of Angkor Wat.

The Bayon was the last state temple to be built at Angkor, and the only one to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist temple dedicated to the Buddha, though a great number of minor and local deities were also encompassed as representatives of the various districts and cities of the realm. It was the centrepiece of Jayavarman VII's massive program of monumental construction and public works, which was also responsible for the walls and naga-bridges of Angkor Thom and the temples of Preah Khan, Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei.

The similarity of the 200 or so gigantic faces on the temple's towers to other statues of the king has led many scholars to the conclusion that the faces are representations of Jayavarman VII himself. Others have said that the faces belong to the bodhisattva of compassion called Avalokitesvara or Lokesvara. The two hypotheses need not be regarded as mutually exclusive. Angkor scholar George Coedès has theorized that Jayavarman stood squarely in the tradition of the Khmer monarchs in thinking of himself as a "devaraja" (god-king), the salient difference being that while his predecessors were Hindus and regarded themselves as consubstantial with Shiva and his symbol the lingam, Jayavarman as a Buddhist identified himself with the Buddha and the bodhisattva.

The temple is orientated towards the east, and so its buildings are set back to the west inside enclosures elongated along the east-west axis. Because the temple sits at the exact centre of Angkor Thom, roads lead to it directly from the gates at each of the city's cardinal points. The temple itself has no wall or moats, these being replaced by those of the city itself: the city-temple arrangement, with an area of 9 square kilometres, is much larger than that of Angkor Wat to the south (2 km²). Within the temple itself, there are two galleried enclosures (the third and second enclosures) and an upper terrace (the first enclosure). All of these elements are crowded against each other with little space between. Unlike Angkor Wat, which impresses with the grand scale of its architecture and open spaces, the Bayon "gives the impression of being compressed within a frame which is too tight for it."

Pictures from Angkor Thom and the Bayon:

Stone faces lining the south gate entrance to the walled city of Angkor Thom

South gate entrance into the walled city of Angkor Thom... very impressive

Terrace of the Elephants

The Bayon... check out all of the faces. They're always looking at you...

Kate and Meg with the Bayon

The next day we decided to rent bicycles from a shop near our guesthouse and explore some of the more distant temple sites on self-powered transport. This is a wonderful way to see the ruins- just try to budget your time so that you return back to Siem Reap before sun set. We ended up pedalling through trafficky darkness, helmet-less, through a maze of Cambodian-style rush-hour: motor bikes, dogs, tuk-tuks, trucks and cars. It was definitely an adrenaline rush (although probably not all that safe.) Anyway, having our own wheels afforded us the freedom needed to explore the temples at our leisure, which was great. We returned to Angkor Thom (the walled city,) to check out more of the sites within, and also visited the temples of Ta Keo, Ta Prohm, and Pre Rup. Ta Prohm was one of our favorites- it is an incredibly atmospheric temple. Giant tree roots have slowly strangled the temple; a profound example of mother nature taking back what is rightly hers. Here is a blurb on Ta Prohm,

Ta Prohm is the modern name of a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara. Located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray near Tonle Bati, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.

After ascending the throne of Cambodia in 1181 A.D., Jayavarman VII embarked on a massive program of construction and public works. Rajavihara ("royal temple"), today known as Ta Prohm ("ancestor Brahma"), was one of the first temples founded pursuant to that program. The stele commemorating the foundation gives a date of 1186 A.D.

Jayavarman VII constructed Rajavihara in honor of his family. The temple's main image, representing Prajnaparamita, the personification of wisdom, was modelled on the king's mother. The northern and southern satellite temples in the third enclosure were dedicated to the king's guru and his elder brother respectively. As such, Ta Prohm formed a complementary pair with the temple monastery of Preah Khan, dedicated in 1191 A.D., the main image of which represented the Bodhisattva of compassion Lokesvara and was modelled on the king's father.

The temple's stele records that the site was home to more than 12,500 people (including 18 high priests and 615 dancers), with an additional 80,000 souls in the surrounding villages working to provide services and supplies. The stele also notes that the temple amassed considerable riches, including gold, pearls and silks. Expansions and additions to Ta Prohm continued as late as the rule of Srindravarman at the end of the 13th century.

After the fall of the Khmer empire in the 15th century, the temple of Ta Prohm was abandoned and neglected for centuries. When the effort to conserve and restore the temples of Angkor began in the early 20th century, the École française d'Extrême-Orient decided that Ta Prohm would be left largely as it had been found, as a "concession to the general taste for the picturesque." According to pioneering Angkor scholar Maurice Glaize, Ta Prohm was singled out because it was "one of the most imposing [temples] and the one which had best merged with the jungle, but not yet to the point of becoming a part of it". Nevertheless, much work has been done to stabilize the ruins, to permit access, and to maintain "this condition of apparent neglect."

The temple of Ta Prohm was used as a location in the film Tomb Raider. Although the film took visual liberties with other Angkorian temples, its scenes of Ta Prohm were quite faithful to the temple's actual appearance, and made use of its eerie qualities.

Here are some photos from our day of cycling around the Angkor Archaeological Park, including Ta Prohm, Kleang, Ta Keo, Pre Rup, and other, smaller temples:

An example of strangler fig roots growing over an ancient gate. This particular gate was used in the filming of "Tomb Raider"

Massive tree roots at Ta Prohm

Bargaining with the locals... it is a sad fact that most of the vendors at the temples of Angkor are kids. They are real characters...

Cambodian school children playing at a temple

A giant tree growing at Ta Prohm temple

Ta Prohm

We climbed up... more like scaled... this temple. The climb was scarier than it looks, but the view from the top was incredible.

Prasats Sour Prats in Angkor Thom

Pre Rup temple... I think

While we were at Siem Reap, we also had a chance to check out the bar/restaurant, the "Red Piano," which was one of Angelina Jolie's favorite haunts while she was in Cambodia, filming for the movie "Tomb Raider."

The next day we were supposed to depart for the long-haul journey to Trat, a city in eastern Thailand, but Catt wasn't feeling well, so Kate and I hired a tuk-tuk and took the chance to visit some of the smaller and more remote temple sites (and see a photo shoot for a Cambodian wedding from afar- bonus!) We'll add more pictures once they are uploaded.

All in all, our visit to the temples of Angkor far surpassed our expectations. It is a magical place that definitely deserves more than a day. If you travel to SE Asia, you are definitely doing yourself a disservice if you don't take out three days or more to explore this incredible spot.

Next up, a long, tiring journey to the border, and Thailand Round 2!