Cambodia: Siem Reap, the Heart of Angkor

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WALK FLY PINOY:
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It is a little bittersweet to be writing this post. It will be my last about the temples of Angkor. Nevertheless, I find it appropriate that this set is the last one. As imposing and grand as Angkor Wat was, it was not the largest nor the most enduring of all ancient Angkor's structures. A much bigger territory was built just north of Angkor by a later Khmer king. He called it Angkor Thom, "the Great City."



After having driven out the Chams, an empire from a territory that is now central and southern Vietnam, Jayavarman VII, the last of the great Khmer kings, unified his people and built a new capital city, the great city of Angkor Thom.



Angkor Thom runs an area of nine square kilometers. Angkor Wat only occupied two. At its height, this new capital city attracted some one million people. It housed the court, the palace, the priests and other high officials of Khmer society. Everyday life in this great city as well as the defeat of the Chams by the Khmer are depicted in the walls of Angkor Thom's central temple, the Bayon.




Bayon



As beautiful as Bayon's carvings are, it will not be the first thing that you will notice about this temple. Walking up to it, you will see that it is remarkably different from all the other temples of Angkor. Its most distinctive feature are the many stone pillars jutting out from its higher levels, each pillar decorated with the face of Buddha on each of the four sides.


I was asked a few days after I got back from this trip which of the many temples I visited left the clearest mark on me. Without thinking, I instinctively said Bayon. Then, when I tried to explain why, I couldn't.


There was something about its being different from all other temples, from its being a digression from the classical Khmer style, that made it very enigmatic. Apparently, even modern day scholars have a hard time explaining this temple. It did not help that there was a rainbow halo over the sun on the day we came here. It made the place more mystical really.



The Royal Palace

Just outside the Bayon's northern gates, you will come upon a very open field. On one side, you will find a number of prasats, or towers, standing out on the wide open space. On the other side, you will find a wide and long platform, the sides of which contain beautiful Khmer carvings.



The Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King form part of the Royal Palace. The Terrace of the Elephants is where the king would stand and look out onto his subjects during parades and ceremonies.


The Terrace of the Leper King, meanwhile, had a lesser celebratory purpose. One of the more known theories is that it was used as some sort of a platform where the bodies of the members of the royal family were cremated after their death. As for the name, and this is according to local stories, the king who commissioned this structure actually suffered from leprosy.



Behind the terraces are the actual walls of the palace complex. We found the eastern gate to the palace right behind the terraces. It is enclosed by its own walls, as understandably, the king and his servants lived within them.


Walk inside the gates and head straight into Phimeanakas, a pyramid-like sanctuary built around a small moat. Our guide says that on rainy days, when the moat fills with water, Phimeanakas transforms into a floating temple. I would have loved to see that.


On a good day (like the one we had, obviously), it would be nice to walk around the palace grounds. Right beside Phimeanakas are two large bodies of water. They were actually baths, one for men, the other for women.


We headed north and took an exit towards the northern gate. Leaving the palace, I actually understood how the place could have been comfortable for Khmer royalty. The palace had everything really.


The Royal Palace was one of the last places we visited. That morning was actually the last morning we were spending in Cambodia. Our flight back to Vietnam leaves that afternoon. I kind of felt sad to be leaving. This was my first major travel abroad and I did not really want to say goodbye yet. But I knew I had to. All I could really do at that point was to make a promise to come back. And I will. I definitely will.


* More photos from Cambodia: Siem Reap, the Heart of Angkor set can be found in my Flickr account: click here.

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Cambodia: Siem Reap, the Royal Foundations

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WALK FLY PINOY:
Travel, Photography, Asia
www.walkflypinoy.com

Then we go to the grandest of all the temples of Siem Reap, the most well-known, the most visited, the best preserved, the mere sound of which is synonymous with the country Cambodia itself. They have it on their national flag and on their bank notes. It is the source of their national pride. It is Angkor Wat.



Dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu god of protection, the temple was originally built under the name Vrah Vishnuloka or "the sacred abode of Vishnu." It is this god's image you will see upon entering the first of the three levels of the temple.


The two temples in this group, Angkor Wat and later, Preah Khan, exemplifies the ancient Khmer's veneration for their kings and their king's dedication to them. He is their provider and guardian, which is what made him construct these grand temple complexes they each considered paradise on earth.



Walking around, you will still see remnants of what life was back then. The ancient Khmer people came to Angkor Wat to pray, I suppose, on the third and highest level. Then, on the second level, our guide explains, the king provided them four huge pools of water where they could drink from.


What I was most amazed about, really, are the intricate, elaborate and extensive carvings on the walls, found on the hallways of the temple's first level. They are the most well-preserved in all of Angkor and the most beautiful. They depict, not the ancient Khmer's daily life, as with most temples, but rather the battle between good and evil, as told in the Hindu epic Ramayana.


I was first told of the story of King Rama and Queen Sita when I was in high school. Among the carvings, our guide showed us the reliefs of King Rama and his ally, ape-king Hanuman, battling demon-king Ravana. Seeing all of them depicted on ancient art was an experience for me. I knew it made my trip to Cambodia.


We visited the temple in the afternoon. As this was the most famous of all the temples, we knew it was going to be full of people. And it is. All kinds of people from all nations of the world come here, even Buddhist monks themselves come here to visit.



I would recommend an early morning visit though. Yes, tourists come here for the sunrise. And they should. The sun rising from the back of Angkor Wat is a sight to behold. But after the sunrise, most of them leave to visit other temples. You will find a more solemn and maybe even spiritual exploration of Angkor Wat, walking around the temple all by yourself.




Preah Khan

One of the last temples we visited was Preah Khan, "the Sacred Sword." One of the temples left unrestored, Preah Khan can be found in the middle of the jungle. From the temple entrance, we had to walk for around five to 10 minutes on this tree-lined path before we got to the temple gates.



We did not enter the temple from its main entrance though. From the gate, we followed the path on the left and got to a wide platform leading us to, I think, the temple's northern gates.


Once inside, you cannot help but notice how much of it is in ruins. I think this is the most unrestored temple we visited. In some parts, you will have to crouch down to get to the next hallway. The fact that it is in ruins, however, does not in any way diminish the temple's beauty.



The temple is mainly Buddhist but, from what I read, there are quite a number of Hindu deities depicted in the temple. Our guide even showed us sort of an altar dedicated to the queen of the apsaras, the ancient Khmer dancers, to whom women come to pray for fertility.


One of the last things we saw walking around in the temple is this young local artist making sketches of the images he sees in the temple. I see all these paintings around town and I am impressed by the workmanship and artistry involved in creating them. It would not be easy to depict the temples of Angkor with all their details and intricacies. But somehow, the local artists manage to do it. I guess the Khmer talent for art has passed on over the years, from generation to generation. And that's good.


* More photos from Cambodia: Siem Reap, the Royal Foundations set can be found in my Flickr account: click here.

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Cambodia: Siem Reap, Masterpieces of Carving

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WALK FLY PINOY:
Travel, Photography, Asia
www.walkflypinoy.com

We have seen quite a lot of the temples of Angkor but we have yet to experience what the first European explorers felt when they first came here, when only the locals knew about these beautiful temples, when everything was still untouched for the longest time. We had a taste of that in the middle of the jungle, in Ta Phrom.


Because it is in the middle of the jungle, you would see that in the temple nature is slowly creeping its way back. Trees grew in and around the walls and pillars of the temple. These must have been what the first explorers saw when they came here. With these buildings left abandoned, nature took back what was hers in the first place.



Those who have seen the movie "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" would be familiar with this site. This is where they filmed the movie. And who can blame them. The trees here with its roots intertwining with the man-made structures are a site to behold.



Walking around the site, one would notice the cranes and other construction equipment around. Restoration is currently being done on the temple by, as with most of the temples of Siem Reap, a collaboration between the Cambodian authorities and some international NGO.


It was really admirable that not just Cambodians but also the rest of the world is seeing the cultural value of these sites. What I found most admirable, though, is the fact that in their restoration projects, it is not their aim to remove the trees from the temples. Yes, the trees are slowly destroying the walls and structures. But these people, they are trying to find a way to minimize the damage these trees do without having to take them out of the picture. They were clearly aware of the draw that nature had on these sites.


At this point, I should probably mention why this post is entitled Masterpieces of Carving. From what I read, this group of temples, the ones you will be seeing in this post, exemplifies the ancient Khmer builders' talent and determination. They preferred small temples, yes. But all the available walls and structures, they studded with carvings of astounding details.


Ta Keo

After getting out of the jungle, we headed out into one of the highest temples in Siem Reap, Ta Keo. Construction of the temple first started in 985 A.D. but it was never finished. Maybe this was why I thought the pillars on top looked different from the general design of the place. We did not spend much time here, though. Thunderclouds was forming that afternoon and our guide said we did not want to be standing on high places when thunder strikes.




Chau Say Tevoda


The next two temples we went to are right across each other. Both were smaller in size but very much characteristic of the temples in their group. The carvings in and around each temple are amazingly intricate and complex. Granted some have been the product of modern restoration but I am assuming they sought to be true to the originals.





Thommanon


Right across the street is this small temple whose interior and exterior are both lavishly decorated with very detailed carvings. When we came to these last two, the sun had almost set. So there was not much available light to be able to correctly photograph them. I discovered in hindsight though that even in little light, you would still be able to see the craftsmanship and diligence of the ancient Khmer people who slowly and painstakingly built them.




* More photos from Cambodia: Siem Reap, Masterpieces of Carving set available in my Flickr account: click here.

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