Had to fly Laos to Bangkok to Cambodia
First flight delayed 2 hours
Tight connection in Bangkok. Luggage didn’t make it.
SIEM REAP - Day 1
Cambodia means Golden Land
80% of population are rice farmers
7000 years ago, old civilization
Country was devastated in the last 40 years of 20th century by the Vietnam War, followed by civil war and the massacres of the communist Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot.
Nearly three million people were killed by the Khmer Rouge. Lost 80% of the intellectual class and 90% of teachers after 1975, and the surviving educated class had to hide to survive. Education collapsed.
Education became free and compulsory for girls and boys through grade 6 after 1998, when 48% of the population was illiterate. Many drop out of school in ensuing grades to help with the family farms. Today 30% are high school graduates. with 16 PhDs in all of Cambodia.
Now a constitutional monarchy
- Population is 17MM people, Khmer culture and food
- US dollars are the preferred currency, even dispensed by ATMs. (Officially national currency is Rial)
We came here, as do 2.5 million other tourists each year, to see Angkor Wat.
The UNESCO Angkor Archeological Site (1992) covers 154 square miles and is an active archeological site. People live within its boundaries.
The Angkor period: 802-1431
- Hindu-Buddhist culture
- empire covered most of Southeast Asia extending to southern China
- city of Angkor world’s largest pre-industrial urban complex
- Managed periods of drought by hydronic system of retention basins, dikes, canals that are still being studied today using satellite and drone imaging
- Built massive cities and temple complexes
- Temples built in concentric sections, often rising in levels, with the whole surrounded by distant outer gated walls
Area was abandoned, overgrown and “lost” to history until rediscovered in 1860 Frenchman Henri Mouhot.
Theories for why it was abandoned include war, long drought, and moving the capital south to the Gulf of Thailand to facilitate trade.
The god-kings who ruled during the Angkor period had three main obligations: build a temple, build a capital city and provide a water reservoir system to ensure irrigation for the rice fields. In a remarkably inefficient system, each successive god-king started from scratch, abandoning the previous temple/city and starting over. We visited three.
TA PROHM TEMPLE, aka the Jungle Temple and originally called Rajavihara, was used in the Tomb Raider movie. (We are were told this multiple times with many references to Angelina Jolie). In fact, now it’s pretty much called the Tomb Raider temple.
This outer wall has been restored by India-Cambodia under UNESCO oversight.
Unrestored outer wall
It was built in the Bayon style in the late 12th - early 13th century. This temple is built on a single level.
Strangler fig.
TERRACES IN ANGKOR THOM COMPLEX Angkor Thom is several times the size of Angkor Wat. The vast complex includes the terraces below and the Bayon Temple.
Terrace of leper king
Legend had it that the leper king and his concubines, many who also became lepers, crowd the walls of this building which served, fittingly, as the royal crematorium. However, its actually named after a discolored 8th century statue found here.
Segment of the elephant terrace
BAYON TEMPLE, built in the late 12th century, is known as the temple of faces due to the benevolent faces gazing each direction from its towers.
This temple has levels
The outer walls of the gallery were astonishing, covered with bas relief carvings depicting historical events. Like the Bayeux Tapestry in stone, dozens of times bigger. I loved these. Here: soldiers, an elephant, trees
Here: two battling dragon boats, crocodile grabbing someone tossed overboard, fish, a boar.
37 of the original 49 towers remain. There are approximately 200 faces.
Picking lice. The monkeys around the temple are rascals and steal bottles of water from pockets.
ANGKOR WAT
The crown jewel of the UNESCO site, Angkor Wat was built in the first half of the 12th century. It took 400,000 slavers, 6,000 elephants, 2,000 artisans and 37
years to build.
The temple is a mile square, with the other walls enclosing two squares miles. Surrounding all is a huge moat, previously stocked with crocodiles.
Moat and outer wall
The symmetrical temple is designed as a symbol of the Hindu universe, modeled to evoke sacred Mount Meru. Everything is carefully planned: the number of towers (5), the precise orientation so that the equinox sunrise and sunset passes directly through the central passage, the cardinal compass points exactly meeting in the center (checked with our phone compass)
Eight very long panels wrap around the first level, depicting tales of Hindu mythology. 800 meters - 1/2 mile of narrative bas relief carvings.
The level of depth and detail is amazing, such as the monkey’s leg and wrist wrapped behind and over the wheel spokes.
Water basins on the first level, used to monitor the overall water table
On the second level. The person peering out of the left tower is on the third level.
…previously reached by the impossibly high and steep (65 degrees) steps.
Almost as steep, but the handrail is a lifesaver
Hidden treasures on the third level
SIEM REAP - Day 2
We spent today in the countryside seeing farmers and fishing communities. They are largely uneducated and poor.
1989 government made land grants, acre per person in family. To get additional acreage, one can occupy undeveloped land and farm for 5 years to gain title.
Oxcart ride through rice fields to a see handicrafts and a middle-class family home
Francie and Mark
300 families live in the commune we were visiting. When the land is underwater during the rainy season, the men leave to work in the cities or other countries like Syria or Thailand.
We were hosted by Auntie Mao (right, below) who started a program to train women to make handicrafts during the rainy period when they cannot grow rice. The women thus earn money, which empowers them within the family and community.
Pocketbooks and bracelets are cleverly made out of pop tops.
Jackfruit. You like it or you don’t (like durian). We do
Floating village
A community of fishermen live in floating villages along a canal and land system.
Riverside girl
Chopping fish to make fish paste
Houses are moved every 3-4 weeks as the water rises and falls. Along with the house they tow their gardens, fish farms, even chicken coops.
A floating primary school serves the young children who live along the canal. Older children must go to school on land. The section with the elevated roof is screened in and serves as an exercise area where the children can play.
Angkor National Museum
Small, world class museum focused on the Buddha, Khmer civilization and artifacts from the UNESCO Angkor Archaeological Site.
Gallery of 1,000 Buddha Images. All the little alcoves in the way hold Buddhas
Peak of pediment from 10th century Angkor temple
We closed the day with a performance of Khmer dance. The highly stylized art form was nearly lost during the purges of intellectuals and educators in the late 20th century. A woman returned to Siem Reap from exile after the wars to start a school instructing young people on the intricate hand and body gestures to tell traditional stories. It takes five years of study to become a dancer.
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