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  • Day 151

    Siem Reap

    September 17, 2015 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    The biggest tourist attraction in Cambodia is the ancient city of the Khmer Empire, Angkor. Situated 4 miles north of Siem Reap (which has been established as a hub to serve this archaeological wonder) the site extends as far as 400km sq and consists of multiple temples and structures within what was at one time a working city of approximately 1 million people. To fully explore it would require weeks but with only one day we took a tour to two of its prominent temples, Angkor Wat and the Bayon.

    Although we had planned to arrive very early to watch the sunrise above the iconic towers of Angkor Wat, our luck with the weather finally ran out as heavy cloud and rain obscured any chance of success. Therefore we arrived later, by which time herds of tourists were funnelling their way toward the temple.

    The sheer scale of Angkor Wat alone was incredible to take in. The gigantic moat surrounding it, was hand-dug by tens of thousands of Thai slaves whilst the huge stones making up the structure were hauled into place using bamboo scaffolding and teams of elephants. Unsurprisingly many lives were lost under the unswaying drive of the Khmer god-king to complete such a construction.

    The sullen clouds and slicing rain did their best to dampen our mood and the grandeur of the temple, yet it was still possible to appreciate its beauty. Walking through the shadows of the long cool corridors, where light slipped through the finely carved sandstone bars of the windows, we learnt how the multiple edges, corners and towers of the temple were meticulously planned from the very start of the construction to represent important ritual aspects of the Hindu and later Buddhist religions that the Khmer followed over the centuries in which they ruled. The interior and exterior walls were etched and carved with the figures of dancing gods and stories and messages we could not begin to comprehend, all with an almost super-human accuracy and consistency. Our tour guide explained that the artisan craftsmanship came from both experience as well as belief that mistakes would bring bad karma (and the likely punishment from Khmer overseers). At the Bayon, the intricate masonry continued with bas-reliefs and multiple towers, leaving us to wonder how more visually stunning it must have been at the time of its completion. Freshly carved and free from centuries of decay and encroachment. We gained but a mere glimpse of the mighty Angkor but this was still impressive enough.
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