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  • Day 18

    Angkor Thom and beyond

    November 11, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    We started the day at Angkor Thom. As we approached the South Gate, there were Buddhas lining one side of the roadway and demons on the other (similar to the churning of the ocean of milk yesterday), while the gate is topped with four faces of Buddha, representing compassion, equinimity, sympathy and charity. We visited the Bayon temple first. I think it was my favorite, in Siem Reap. It has 54 towers, representing each of the provinces at the time it was built. Each tower then has four Buddhas, for a total of 216 Buddhas looking down at you, as you visit. The towers are different heights, depending on the size of the province; for example, a populous province would be taller than a less populated one. Surrounding the structure were extensive carvings that depicted a day in the life of your average Khmer. It was quite intricate, with scenes detailing such things as daily markets, a buffalo nursing its young, and a man stoking a fire; however, no dinosaurs. We stretched out our stay as long as we could, since all of us enjoyed it so much.

    We eventually moved on to Baphuon, which is a three level, pyramid looking structure. There are few carvings to see on the building, but the view at the top offered a glimpse at the surrounding jungle. The steps were very steep and reminded me of the ones that take you above the tree tops at Tikal, in Guatemala. I’m sure they have visitors that get to the top and have a hard time coming down. Unlike the Bayon temple, which was a Buddhist dedication, with hints of peace toward Hinduism, the Baphuon is a Hindu temple, dedicated to Shiva. We didn’t spend a lot of time here, as it was less spectacular than what we had been seeing, so we walked toward the Royal Palace. At the gate, a banyon tree had completely destroyed a building and as we walked by, we could see a few stone blocks stuck in the trunk. I suspect that all of it will be covered someday. We got through the gate and looked at Preah Pithu. We could not climb up because it has been closed for some time, due to a tourist diving from the top to his death. It, too, had a pyramid feel to it, with large lions guarding the building on the corners. This building was within walking distance of the king’s pools, as well as the Terrace of Elephants. The terrace sits high off the ground, and the supporting walls have enormous men and elephants carved onto the side. The terrace was used for the king to watch out over military exercises and other ceremonies, in a large area in front of the terrace. Across the meadow, there were 12 buildings, which we understood to be armories; one building for each type of weapon.

    From here, we drove out from the grounds. We stopped in for lunch before being dropped at the airport, where we left for Laos. The flight was about two hours, and we experienced no problems getting through immigration. Our guide, Nik, definitely has the best English, yet. He was exceptionally friendly and helpful. He taught us a little Laotian, so that we can be polite with the locals. He also recommended a quick trip down to the night market. We made it about 20 minutes before we made our first purchase.
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