Siem Reap Temples

Hi everyone,

We flew from Vientiane to Siem Reap on Lao Airlines, which does not seem to deserve the lousy reputation which it has acquired. The food was edible, the plane remained whole at all times, and the flight attendant even gave a brief safety lecture. Our Lonely Planet induced fear of flying on the airline seems to have been unfounded. Upon arrival, we met up with a tuk-tuk driver (Sophal) recommended by my cousin. He picked us up at the airport and patiently obliged us as we searched for a suitable place to stay. We found a guesthouse, which is not worth mentioning because it was unbearably hot, and not nice enough to recommend. We found another later which met our needs.

The main reason that we came to Cambodia was to visit Angkor Wat. It was a Hindu temple when it was completed in the 12th century, then later became Buddhist. It was located deep in the jungle, and was not destroyed in any of the numerous wars in Cambodia. It has been called one of the seven new wonders of the world, and it is easy to see why. It was magnificent. We watched the sun rise over the temple, bathing it in the soft morning light, before exploring the interior under the blazing sun. It seemed like every turn held some new treasure. Every wall is intricately carved, adding to the overall beauty of the structure. The fact that it stands without the aid of modern binding agents is simply miraculous. We explored for most of the morning, enduring the crowds and the sun, learning about the temple, taking innumerable (ok, not literally, but close) pictures and admiring the architecture. The trip to Cambodia would have been worth it just for the amount of time that we spent in the temple.

On the first day, we saw five temples, including one made famous in Tomb Raider (kind of sad that after almost one thousand years of wear and tear, numerous wars and diseases, somehow the best way to present an image of the temple is to describe a Hollywood creation). They are all incredibly intricate. Though I know precious little about architecture, the different styles of temple were evident to me. Each one was well worth the visit. On the next day we saw more temples, though the weather refused to cooperate, making for an adventure that was less charming than that experienced on the first day. I must also say that after having seen the shining jewel at the heart of the complex, the temples that we saw on this day simply lacked the lustre they might have had if they had been viewed first.

However, on our final day of temple viewing, we saw Ban Teay Srey Temple. It is significantly smaller than the others, but even more detailed. It was the only one into which we were not allowed free access, but the view from the non-restricted areas more than made up for it. Someone we met in Siem Reap remarked that the diminutive doorways appear to have been designed for children. Everywhere we turned there was another fantastic design, each one worthy of the place above the mantle in the living room of the grandest home. It was not the only temple we visited on our 3rd day, but it was the most memorable.

An album will soon be posted with more pictures from the temples.

Thanks for reading!

note: posted by Mike