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One Week in Siem Reap



Angkor Wat has been called the largest religious monument in the world along with being one of the World's Seven Wonders. Located about 192 miles from the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, and close to the small village of Siem Reap, it appeared to be the ideal place for Diane and I to go and step into the past. The complex, which is huge and spread out over almost 40 miles around Siem Reap, was built between the 8th and 13th centuries. Having seen pictures of the area in magazines I am still not sure what I expected to see but I do know that I was ill-prepared for the abject poverty of many of the village inhabitants. The recollection of the use of a cattle prod on the horde of taxi drivers that swarmed us at the airport still makes me cringe. It was rather hot and after settling in at Bakong Guest House ( a very beautiful oasis in the midst of a lot of dust) we decided that we would go to Angkor the following day. It cost us 20 dollars US for the car and driver (per day). We had been informed that the distance was too great and as there were still problems in the area we tended to agree that hoofing it probably wasn't the most intelligent thing for two blondes to do. It was then 20 dollars US each (per day) for admittance to the sight. There was a rather uncomfortable moment when Diane attempted (and succeeded .... Way To Go!) in paying in the local currency (they had firmly stated that they would only accept US dollars) but this was forgotten as we ventured further and further into a world the likes of which neither of us had encountered before.


ANGKOR WAT
This huge pyramid temple, built between 1113 and 1150 is regarded as the supreme masterpiece of Khmer architecture. It is just as impressive from the ground as it is from the air. The only difference is that you have NO real understanding of how much walking is involved until you actually enter the site.



The moat that surrounds the entire complex is 570 feet wide and about four miles long. It was absolutely beautiful and would have been perhaps more so were it not for the people trying to sell us items all along the route.




The portrayals
of women in ceremonial attire were to be found everywhere. Some of the representations were plain and others exceptionally ornate.



Even though we had a map of the temple proper it was easy to lose ourselves as we walked from one building to another. In some places there were courtyards and I spent several moments both resting and trying to imagine the daily lives of the people who had once made this temple their home.



Walking along the numerous corridors of the central building offered one treat after another for the eyes. These murals are still easy to see and the details of Khmer History raise up from the walls.



There were libraries and offices, places for worship and places where people undoubtedly met for the conferences of the day.



One of the things I was made keenly aware of were that people in the past had exceptionally small feet judging by the size of the stairs. They also probably did not suffer from any inner ear inbalance. As you can see, even the areas that were open to the public were in a state of disrepair at times. War, time, and mankinds' ability (for one reason or another) to destroy that which was wonderous is more than evident.



Can You See The Stairs Here?



For those people who know me, they know that I would no sooner walk up the outside of a building than I would lean over a rail on the 15th floor. I DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT like heights. This was a prime example of appearances being deceptive. The stairs looked steep but were actually pretty easy to climb ..... up. After walking around and feeling quite glad that I had made the climb (the sights were fantastic) I decided it was time to go back down and continue on my merry way. Wrong. I took one look at where I had, moments before, ascended and backed up to the nearest wall. I sat there ... stunned. Visions of spending the remainder of my life atop this building flashed before my eyes. There was no feasible way that I could get down those stairs on my own. Thankfully Diane (the brave one in this respect) took pity on me and walked me down, or actually walked in front of me while I crawled down the stairs .. BACKWARDS. I do believe several of those stones still carry the indentations caused by my fingernails as I panicked more than once and sought purchase. When I finally reached the bottom I was A) exhausted and B) feeling rather foolish. Thankfully a kind-hearted fellow tourist approached me and said that I had more nerve than she did as she would never have attempted it at all. Had I been honest I should have replied that this was the same in my case. Yet. I didn't. I salvaged my shakey pride, smiled, and told her that it "wasn't that bad ... when you got back down".




I generally do not take pictures of people I do not know but this was a common sight throughout the temple complex. Years of war, uncountable land mines and extreme poverty are evident everywhere.





Following looking at the Angkor Wat complex we set off to explore some of the smaller and earlier sites. It was hot and humid but some of what we saw was amazing in its detail. I loved these carvings. Even after hundreds of years they are still powerful.


Some Sights Play Upon the Senses



There were buildings and walls, statues that were almost destroyed and others that looked as if they had been created only a short time ago. It made me wonder about the workmanship of the artisans and ponder on how many lifetimes went into the creations that I was admiring.



Small children were everywhere and many of them spoke more English than students that I teach at the University. Poverty is a great motivator. Several children also spoke a smattering of several languages. Of course, their motivation was centered around economics. Many would ask if you needed a guide through the sites.



At times the walking was smooth and easy. Other times you felt as if you needed to be part goat.



There were several places that were off-limits for good reason. It would have been treacherous to enter! I loved seeing the way that nature reclaims land. It gave several areas a surrealistic feeling, as if one was traveling in a land that time forgot.

Dust In The Wind

I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind.
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see

Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind

[Now] Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy.

Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind, everything is dust in the wind.

Kansas





Ozymandius

I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said--"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart . . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandius, King of Kings,
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Percy Bysshe Shelley
First Published in 1817



While both of these buildings were fantastic in terms of architecture, they lacked the creature comforts that I have become accustomed to. At the end of the day Diane and I returned to the village and our 50 dollar a night room that, despite the infrequent power outages, was cool and clean. Apparently there are less expensive places since we have been there but at the time we believed we had a good deal.




While we did more, and saw much more in the week in January that we spent in Cambodia this gives you a taste of the time spent there. It was definitely a worthwhile place to make your way to, and I am glad that I went. All in all it was more fodder for my mind and my brain is a hungry critter, to say the least.



1998 - 1999