Angkor Wat: Day 2 and 3

Whatup,

So in the last post I covered day 1 in Angkor, seeing the big circuit and the smaller temples there. This post will cover the small circuit, the big temples like Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.

Angkor Wat. The temple is one of the 7 wonders of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the largest religious monument in the entire world. It's pretty cool, is what I'm trying to say.

We started our tour at 5:30 am, sunrise at Angkor Wat. We shuffled in, hungry and sleep-deprived. At the first the night is oppressive in its darkness. The light of a thousand flashlights criss-cross in front of you, but detach yourself from the crowd and you are enveloped in blackness. Never in silence, though, a thousand tourists from around the world make too much noise to ever be truly ignored. You learn to screen it out as best as you can though.

Gradually, the faintest touch of light begins to illuminate the scene in front of you. Shapes begin to form, then to sharpen, as if seeing them through a focusing lens. Far, far away, you can see the famous peaks of Angkor Wat begin to form in front of you.

It isn't just the scene in front of you that astounds, though. It is the set piece all around you. You are inside Angkor Wat's courtyard, and everything the light touches reveals a new marvel, a new casual masterpiece of painstaking craftsmanship. From the looming portico to the right of where you were sitting:    

To the beautifully carved wall, with an apsara serenely overlooking you and a delicately chiseled flower balustrade, right behind you.  

I was sitting right in front of this the whole time

Eventually the sun hits its peak, and you stare in wonder at the full glory of Angkor Wat. 

So, full disclaimer. There is a shot of Angkor Wat with the sun rising behind it, a glowing ball of fire. Well, I don't have that shot. And the reason is, after seeing the scene light up, we figured that was it. And we left to get breakfast and coffee since we were still totally asleep. 

So, we were outside the compound when we saw a giant ball of fire rise behind the walls. Oops. Breakfast was delicious, though. Thanks for asking. 

We didn't stay at Angkor Wat, instead jumping straight in our tuk-tuk and heading straight to Angkor Thom. The reason?

Tourists

An estimated 3,009,989,325,008 people visit Angkor every day [citation needed]. On the big circuit with the smaller temples, this is not as big a problem. Fewer people do the big circuit, and there are just more temples to see, so tourists tend to be spread out. 

On the small circuit though, everyone goes, and sites can quickly get overwhelmed. People walk into your pictures, you walk into theirs, the general tranquility and mystery is disturbed, etc. etc. So, it's best to try and beat the crowds. We would spend most of today in a sprint to stay ahead of the crowds, with some level of success. 

Kate slows us down to tie her shoe. Michelle disapproves. 

Our first destination was Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was the capital city, and the most recently constructed, with the final stone being laid in 1295 under Jayavarman VII. The buildings there are very well-preserved, and the architecture is the most beautiful and refined Angkorian art. Unlike Angkor Wat, which was a temple, Angkor Thom was a whole city.

Angkor Thom is comprised of several sights that we would see: Bayon temple, Baphuon temple, Phimeanakas, The Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King. First up: Bayon temple.

Entrance to Bayon

Ground floor of Bayon 

So from the entrance and from the ground, Bayon does not look particularly special. It's big, sure, but nothing too impressive. It's only when you reach the top and look around that you realize the detail of the carvings. 

Every single tower is sculpted with four faces of Buddha on each side

Every

Single

One

At the top of Bayon

In the courtyard on top 

Michelle lights some incense at the top of Bayon

One interesting detail of the Bayon temple has to do with the different religions in the Khmer empire. At various points the Khmer emperor had been Buddhist (Theravada or Mahayana) or Hindu (Brahmanism, Vaisnuism or Saivaism). The original constructor of Bayon had been Buddhist, and so the faces on the temple are of Buddha.

However, at some point a Shiva-worshipping emperor came to the throne. He converted the Bayon temple into a Saivaite temple by carving a diamond into the forehead of each Buddha head. This diamond was the eye of Shiva, making these Buddha heads into Shiva heads. You can still see faded diamonds in many of the heads at Bayon.

Its hard, but you can sort of see a diamond in the forehead

The central pillar of Bayon

Kate and Michelle stare in wonder

Kate, get your self together. What is happening here?

Perspective: forced

The whole gang

As cool as the top floor of Bayon is, in some ways the ground floor is more interesting. Bayon is carved with an incredibly detailed layer of bas-reliefs that have been very well preserved and restored.

The bas-reliefs

As beautiful as the bas-reliefs are, they were also a source of considerable amusement for us. These bas-reliefs are not necessarily very accessible re: the culture of the Khmer empire, the historical events they depict, the specifics etc. However, they are very accessible in terms of the general themes they project. 

Here are the two types of people you see in Angkorian bas-reliefs:

1. People about to go on absolutely insane killing sprees (the minority)

2. People in the middle of absolutely insane killing sprees (the vast majority)

An example: 

Soldiers marching off to battle. Preparing to kill people

People killing each other

In the foreground, people kill each other. In the background, two elephants also try to kill each other

The man in a chokehold and about to be stabbed in the face is a stylized representation of a man in a chokehold about to be stabbed in the face #postmodernism

Here, two men fight on the back of an elephant. I dubbed the unknown artist of this work "Cambodian Michael Bay" for his clear dedication to portraying action scenes that make no sense but are totally awesome. Bravo sir.  

Khmer art isn't real subtle, is what I'm trying to say

And it's amazing

We wandered around the Bayon temple for a little more before jumping back in our tuk-tuk, escaping just ahead of the crowd.  

A buddha statue in front of the Bayon temple

Contemplation

Another shot of Bayon

I climbed to the top of this thing (which I never would have been able to do at any other world historical site) and took some photos of the Bayon area

View from the top

I'm real mad about the crane to the left, screwed up a perfectly good shot

Fragments of bas-reliefs, awaiting restoration. More awesome scenes to undoubtedly be revealed

Last shot of Bayon

Next up was Baphuon temple, formerly one of Angkor's most impressive temples and recently being slowly restored. It was the former capital of Angkor before the surrounding Ankor Thom area was built. 

Walkway to Baphuon 

Baphuon temple

The climb to the top of Baphuon temple is pretty nerve-racking, here are the stairs on the way down. 

The view is worth it though

I really hope these all get recycled

On top of Baphuon

After climbing down Baphuon we headed towards the Royal Enclosure, the former site of the palace.

The gate to the Royal Enclosure

Unfortunately, most of the Royal Enclosure has been destroyed, with visitors forced to imagine the magnificent Royal Palace of the Khmer empire. However, no imagination is needed when it comes to Phimeanakas, the Royal Temple. 

The one building left in the Royal Enclosure is an imposing sight

Okay, so the climb to the top of Phimeanakas is scarier

View from top of Phimeanakas 

Top of Phimeanakas 

Top of Phimeanakas

Front gate of the Royal Enclosure

Next we walked out to the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King.

Terrace of the Elephants. From here, the Khmer emperor would survey his assembled legions before going on campaign. 

You can see the pillars at the front of the terrace are carved like elephant's trunks. 

Carvings of elephants

Kate at the Terrace of the Leper King, surrounded by seated apsaras. 

The Kleangs, were apparently quarrelers were imprisoned in two separate towers. Whoever died first was considered to have won the argument.

Then we drove out of Angkor Thom, and headed to a few other, smaller temples. 

East gate of Angkor Thom 

At Chau Say Tevoda

Coconut break!

At Thommanon 

A shrine in Thommanon. Headless Buddhas are very common in Angkor. Again, if you see a Buddha head that says "Angkorian blah blah blah," the body of said Buddha is probably still here

Another shot of Thommanon

Ta Keo

Then we headed to Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm has become very famous in recent years, as it was the site of several scenes from Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Having never seen the movie, I can't testify to that, but it is still one of the most evocative temples in Angkor. 

Just like at Ta Som, many of the trees at Ta Prohm have grown to the point that they are overwhelming the temple. The trees have to be cut back, but some of them are such a part of the temple's structure now that removing them is impossible. 

Trees grown into and holding up the sandstone

The whole thing gives the temple a fantastic Jungle Book atmosphere, as if you had stumbled onto this temple in the middle of the wildest jungle.

You know, aside from all the goddamn tourists.

Still, one of my favorite spots in the world. Experiences like this are hard to beat.

After finishing Ta Prohm it was time to head off to Angkor! 

On the approach to Angkor's back gate

Tourists playing cards on an Angkorian ruin

There is a huge colony of monkeys that lives around Angkor Wat

Watching us carefully

I'm pretty sure they rely entirely on human food for nutrition

It should be noted at this point that all of us were totally exhausted. Temple fatigue is a real thing, as clambering around the temples combines the physical activity of hiking with the mental stimulation of going to a museum. It's awesome, but sometimes also a bit too much. 

Also, temple stank is a real thing too. This is Cambodia, and it is goddamn hot here. You are sweating a ton all the time, and climbing around doesn't do much to help. By the end of the day, you smell terrible, your friends smell terrible and everyone is happy but also pretty much drained. Plus on this particular day, we had gotten up at 5:00 am and it was currently pushing 4:00 pm, with no rest. 

What I'm trying to say is that first day I'm not sure we really appreciated Angkor Wat that much. 

The backdoor to Angkor

Monkeys examining the bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat

We got inside Angkor Wat and took some pictures, then headed back. Unfortunately, Michelle was leaving the next day, but Kate and I planned to come back tomorrow so we could really appreciate Angkor Wat.

On the second level of Angkor Wat

You know you're tired when you look at this and are still like "hey guys, you want to head back?" 

Outside Angkor Wat

A picture at the reflecting pool

Angkorian sunset

It should also be noted that at his point I had totally filled up my memory card. 900 pictures taken this vacation, awesome. So, we headed back to Siem Reap to recuperate and relaz after a long day, and to buy me a new memory card.

We spent that night chilling around Siem Reap, which is a wonderfully pleasant town to just relax in.

This is what my feet looked like after a day at the temples. None of that is a tan, all of that is dirt

Two meals in Siem Reap: Mexican and Middle Eastern. No regrets

Michelle and Kate got a massage and a pedicure, respectively

I opted for something a little more unconventional

"Dr. Fish" spa, where fish eat away at the dead skin on your feet. Cleans your feet and improves circulation. Feels prickly and ticklish at first, but actually starts to feel pretty good after a while.

I really enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of Siem Reap. Unlike Saigon, where people are so pushy, I ended up having a pretty calm conversation with several street vendors during my fish massage. A young boy came up to sell me a book, and we ended up just chatting for awhile, along with the guy who was running the fish massage stand. 

I definitely think being an English teacher has made me more patient. Now, whenever someone approaches me and tries to speak English, I try my best to always respond slowly and patiently. Sometimes, they're just trying to sell me something, but sometimes we have a nice chat. 

I did feel a little sorry for the kid trying to sell me a book. He ran up to me with a memoir titled My Escape From the Killing Fields and said to me "You want? Buy it for your girlfriend!"

Um, kid, that's not a present you buy for your girlfriend. Ever. I hope you realize that's a low percentage sales pitch you're throwing out there. 

Anyways, that night was Michelle's last in Cambodia. *tear* It was really great traveling with her, and I had a ton of fun! 

We were sad to see her go, but Kate and I still had one more day left. We slept in late, then headed back to Angkor Wat. 

Angkor Wat is an outer wall that is built around a huge compound. The compound includes two libraries, a long walkway and the giant temple itself. 

On the causeway to Angkor Wat

A Vishnu statue at the main entrance to the compound

A passageway in the outer walls

Another Vishnu statue 

Even the outer walls have decorative bas-reliefs, although these are not nearly as well preserved

Inside the walls, looking out

At the entrance to one of the libraries

Inside the library

The front wall of Angkor's temple

The front walls of Angkor's temple

The steps to Angkor Wat temple itself.

Inside Angkor Wat itself are a layer of bas-reliefs that put Bayon's to shame. The walls are covered with depictions of scenes from mythology, epic battles and heroic feats. Some of these are unlike the Bayon temple, in that they depict more theological and mythological stories, of which some background knowledge is helpful. 

Examining the bas-reliefs

The most famous of the Angkorian bas-reliefs: "The Churning of the Sea of Milk" Here, the demons pull the giant naga to churn the sea of milk, out of which the elixir of immortality will rise

The center, with Vishnu and his turtle incarnation steering the mountain used to churn the sea. Demons pull on the left, gods on the right. This is essentially a divine tug-of-war between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Cambodia is awesome. 

Heaven and Hell. Yama, god of the dead, judges the newly-deceased 

Heaven and Hell. On top, the virtuous live a contented afterlife, surrounded by pleasures. On the bottom...not so much fun. 

Demons torture sinners in hell by sticking them full of nails. 

However, the Khmers must have gotten bored with such abstract theological subject matters as a giant tug-of-war between the gods and the demons, and a painfully thorough examination of how demons torture sinners in hell. So, they returned to the good old staples of lots of people killing each other. And it's really cool. 

Battle scenes!

Lots of battle scenes

Armies prepare for battle

Archers

The cavalry

Khmer soldiers

Thai mercenaries, in their distinctive dress.

The Thais and their elephants

Look at how many parasols this guy has! You know he's a badass

Another huge battle. The carvings are really imbued with a fantastic sense of motion. 

There are also several carvings and bas-reliefs portraying scenes from the epic Ramayana. I don't actually know anything about the Ramayana, so I had to ask Kate for explanations. Please excuse me if I get anything wrong. 

The monkey-king, wounded after the epic final battle

The monkeys

The final battle, monkeys vs. demons

Here, a monkey makes a flying leap and punches a horse in the face. Cambodian Michael Bay strikes again!

The epic final battle

There are a few amazing things about Angkor Wat. 

First of all, the sheer size of the place. The central tower is 63 m tall, and the outer walls of the temple (not the enclosure, just the temple) measure 187 by 215 meters. It used as much sandstone as Khafre's pyramid in Egypt, about 5 million tons. The stone was dug from a quarry 40 km away, then floated down the Tonle Sap on rafts. It was finished in only 30 years. That would have been an amazing feat now, but for 800 years ago that is insane. 

Secondly, the symmetry. The temple was built as a set of shrinking squares, with each square built slightly smaller than the square beneath it. At the point of each square is a tower of some sort. This means you can walk completely around the temple over and over again, each time crossing over something different. The back side of the temple is as interesting and carefully carved. 

Thirdly, decoration. Every square inch of Angkor Wat is carved. The bas-reliefs are the headliners, but everywhere you look there are apsaras, demons, gods and wise men. They are carved into every pillar, every wall, every raised surface. If there is a blank space on a wall, it means the carving was damaged and has not yet been restored. The glory of this place at its height is hard to imagine. 

The combination of the size, symmetry and decorations means that you can wander around Angkor for literally days, finding a new and exotic artwork around every corner. Kate and I spent four hours at Angkor, and we both agreed that wasn't nearly enough. When I climbed the central tower Kate just disappeared into the carved galleries at the top of Angkor, and saw some amazing apsara carvings that are overlooked by every tour guide and every guidebook. There's just too much to see at Angkor. 

When you reach the top of Angkor, you can climb into the central tower. 

Making the climb

The central pillar of Angkor Wat

Another angle

At the top of Angkor Wat

The central shrine to Buddha. Originally built to Buddha, then taken over by Shiva, now Buddha again. 

One of the older Buddhas found in the central shrine

The walls at the top of Angkor

From the top you can really appreciate Angkor's symmetry

Looking out of Angkor

Looking east out onto the enclosure

Surrounded by jungle

After seeing the top, it was time to climb down and head to our tuk-tuk. We headed out the back gate, but of course that was nearly as spectacular. 

Staring back in wonder

Do you want to know why this area isn't nearly as decorated? Because elephants rode in here. This is where the king/royal officials/monks would dismount from their elephants. 

Kate at the elephant gate

Last glimpses of Angkor

At Angkor Wat

So that was a ton of fun. Oh wait, one more thing. Time for us to see an Angkor sunset! We headed off to Pre Rup, the first temple we had visited, to try and catch a glimpse of an Angkor sunset. 

Pre Rup temple

At the top of the temple

All smiles

Kate at our chosen seats

Watching the sunset

A Cambodian lady selling beer at the bottom of the temple suggested we drink a beer while watching the sunset. Great idea, ma'am. Also, can this be Angkor beer's new promo shot?

We climbed down from the temple and bade farewell to Angkor, a beautiful, serene and throughly wonderful place.

Driving away from Pre Rup and Angkor for the last time

We had a wonderful last night in Siem Reap. We had previously met a group of Americans while climbing Phimeanakas. They were all teaching in China, and all really cool. We ended up going out with them for a fun night on the town, seeing traditional apsara dancers and dancing up a storm until the wee hours. 

The apsaras

Really sweet costumes

Then the next day Kate and I spent some time heading to the market, then caught our flight back to Saigon!

Exploring Angkor's market

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my encounters with Panha. A really great kid, he ran the fish massage stall I was at. Then I ran into him at the bar, then at a random store. This all happened in about three days. Very friendly and with a great sense of humor, lot of fun to talk to this kid.

And with that, my cambodian adventures were over. It was an amazing experience, only two cities in seven days, but so many sights! Kate and Michelle are fantastic travel buddies, and it was super cool traveling across the country with them. Cambodia is a wonderful place to visit, and I would recommend Angkor especially to any prospective world traveler. 

So, that's all I have for you today!

Later on, will have more up about the Lunar New Year, and how this amazing Vietnamese holiday is celebrated.

Stay tuned!

Peace,

Jefferson

"Whatchu looking at, bro?" - monkey with ice cream