Angkor Wat

It is wonderful here. The people are incredibly fresh, open, and always smiling. The temples (Angkor Wat is the most famous of countless others) are wonderful in their jungle environs and fine detail. A friend of ours who lives in Singapore, Dharma, has also come and we all met each other at the Siem Reap airport, where HJK and JGR flew in from Bangkok. Siem Reap (the town that supports any visitor to the temples) has apparently grown incredibly over the past 10 years, following the demise of the Khmer Rouge, the brutal regime whose lasting effects can still be seen in the missing limbs of the landmine victims trying to make a living here. But, just like the jungle forest reclaiming the land where the temples had imposed themselves, the people of Cambodia are rebounding with joy and life. Babies are everywhere, always a good sign, on their mother’s back, on their father’s lap while riding the scooter, on their 5 year old sister’s hip, or running through puddles with no pants on, smiling, laughing and waving at the funny visitors on the bikes. Nowhere have we gone here where we have not been warmly received. The Cambodians are highly interested in who we are, where we come from, what we do, and when we are coming again to Cambodia to visit them.

We have rented what we are calling “authentic”Cambodian bicycles (rickety, hard seat, broken pedal, wheeled wonders) for a deeply bargained US$1.25 a day. (Interesting note: in addition to the Cambodian currency, Riel, the US Dollar is commonly used here, and most prices are actually shown in that denomination.) These bikes have been our major source of transportation here, and considering that the entrance to the World Heritage Site temples are no closer than 8 kilometers to us, our behinds are certainly paying the price. And considering that we have come at the beginning of the rainy season, which lasts until October, we have certainly gotten wet. Once again, our handy dandy Walgreens rain ponchos have come in handy, though they are beginning to show wear. Maybe they’re made for the New Mexico rainy season and not quite for a Cambodian one. It has rained here pretty consistently every morning and late afternoon/evening.
Riding into the temples, we are at once struck by the scale by which the ancient Khmer civilization had built these structures. The first one on the route is in fact Angkor Wat and is surrounded by a 70 yard wide moat with a stone causeway leading to the entrance. After winding our way through the throngs of hawkers and tourists, we are able to cross the causeway which is guarded the entire length by stone warriors holding a single 5 headed hooded cobra. The spires of Angkor loom 3 stories above us as we enter the rock cut doorways. Carvings of seated Buddhas, dancing aspara girls and a multitude of other figures adorn the walls as we wander through all the passageways and ascend the stone steps that were made for HJK sized feet. Exploring these ruins, which are still sites of worship by the Buddhist locals, is an adventursome journey, as the entire area is scattered with them, built over centuries under different rulers. We also see Angkor Thom, which encloses Bayon, made famous by the great stone faces, 4 to a tower, each facing a different cardinal point. Theoretically, the faces are said to be of the bodhisattva, Lokesvara, and of the Khmer king who commissioned their creation, Jayavarman VII. They sit atop what seems to be a cluttered jumble of stones, but what is truly a complex and ordered temple just fitted together very tightly with these massive, serene faces at the crown.

We have explored many other, less famous temples in the area and have really enjoyed the sense of exploration and adventure this place offers. Heading into stone ruins that the jungle has overtaken and discovering carved dancing figures, seated Buddhas, demon gods, snakes and lattice work carved into the walls, and then walking through short doorways dripping with green moss, and seeing a group of Cambodian kids running through to be the first to tell us we need to buy this or that from them, we really are enjoying our experience here.

As far as cuisine goes we have been having a great gastronomical time with it.   HJK has a new favorite, Khmer Curry, of which we will have to acquire the recipe for.  The fruit shakes are divine, using fresh mango and coconut.  They use pumpkin in a lot of dishes which is a really great addition.  The Cambodians do have a more varied palate than we do and have no aversion to eating fried grubs, crickets, or cockroaches, fresh snails, frogs and embryonic duck eggs.  Jonathan has been tempted to eat outside the box, but the courage hasn’t arrived yet.  Perhaps we will have to come again with JGR’s father who would be thrilled to experiment with the unique local cuisine, for the next time then…..

Tomorrow evening, we head to Vietnam to explore Hanoi and the surrounding countryside. Two more weeks and our excursion will draw to a close.  Enjoy the pictures!