The Temples of Angkor

I came to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat. When I arrived in Siep Reap, I found out what this truly meant. Rather than an amazing temple, I discovered that there are many, many temple ruins dating from about 1000-1350 AD. Angkor Wat is only one. In actuality, Angkor means city. There are two big "Angkor" cities among the ruins discovered in the area, and other ruins scattered around the jungle in all directions.

The idea of Angkor Wat is like Disneyland in the US. Many tourists from all over, especially northern Asia come on packaged tours to be bused around the area with their cameras and guides. They stay in monsterous hotels and travel around in packs, scrounging for the best spots to take pictures.

My experience was quite different. To get into the park, you must pay $20 a day, or get a 3 day pass for $40. I did this route. I hired a motorbike driver Prom (with a very rolled R, and an elongated short O) for $10 a day to take me at my liesure around to the temples of my choosing. I later found out this was a good price, as the going rate is $12. He was not allowed to enter any site, but would dutifully drop me off at the entrance and wait in the shade for me to reemerge. He wore an official vest that mortorbike drivers in the park must have, which costs him $20 a month. He gave advice as to what to see at what times, and at first this helped tremendously. But as the days went on, my knowledge of the area grew and my tastes became more specific.

I had cammera troubles the first day and ran out of memory by 10:30 am. I got to see all of Angkor Thom and one other temple called Ta Keo (I think) We came back in the evening for the sunset. Instead of going strait to the temple for a sunset view, we stopped at a flat long temple which was very overgrown. The insects at dusk were too much for me to handle while beating back the crowds, and I decided to had back to town.

The second day I started at Angkor Wat, in hopes to catch the sunrise. I got there at 6... about 15 minutes late, to find about 500 people inside the gate watching the sunrise over the temple. It was still a great site, and most of them left right away. I spent 2 hours inside Angkor Wat, and climbed every peak I could find. We then continued to Ta Prom (with over grown trees and a wreck of a ruin), and then we headed north to Banda Srei and the Cambodian land mine museum.

This day I discovered that the ruins could be broken up into 2 categories: 1) temple mountian, and 2) flat ruins with a central temple sanctuary. The flatter ruins were overcome more by the jungle and I found them very creepy. The temple-mountains were more like fortresses reaching to the sky. I loved these and would cautiously climb up every stair and sit perched for hours looking at the scenery, writing my my journal, and even read.

The third day I completed the "grand circut" which was 26 km around. I discovered that in the middle of the day... the hot part... most of the tourists go back to their hotels for lunch. I was able to see many sites virtually alone. I visited some of my favorites again and ended with a temple-mountain up on a hill overlooking all of Siep Reap and the surrounding area. I spent my last two hours here watching, looking, reflecting.

I cannot describe with words what I saw or how intense and personal this experience. I think I took over 700 picutures, but those are just images (probably never to be printed). The area of Angkor Wat really is a natural wonder that can only be understood by a personal visit.