On the road again – to see a bit of the exotic Far East with Overseas Adventure Travel and our travelling companions Jo Wilson and Carol Bennett.  We visited Burma, Laos, and Cambodia, with a just a little taste of Bangkok, Thailand.  We left home in mid-January and travelled via Chicago and Tokyo for 24 hours to reach Bangkok, Thailand.  After an overnight rest, we flew on to Vientiane, Laos and then to Luang Prabang, Laos.  After five days in Laos, we flew back to Bangkok and enjoyed a short city tour there.  After overnight in Bangkok, we flew to Yangon, Myanmar (aka Rangoon, Burma).  During two weeks in Myanmar, we had four more internal flights and then it was back to Bangkok.  Another overnight and we flew to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  We spent 6 days in Cambodia and then flew back to Bangkok for one last night.    Then it was time to reverse our route and head home – a long ride, but a great trip.   This blog is one of four that describe our adventures in three countries and one big city.   

CAMBODIA

The ancient Khmer kingdom that we call Cambodia is a nation of 14.5 million people in a country about the size of Missouri.  It is a land of geographical contrasts – the borders (with Laos, Vietnam and Thailand) are mountainous and rugged, while the center of the country is a fertile farming and fishing region created by the Mekong River, the Sap River, and Tonle Sap Lake.  Cambodia is 96% Buddhist and 95% of its people are ethnic Khmer, making it the most homogeneous country in Southeast Asia.

The history of the great Khmer empire dates back to at least the 6^th century, followed by many wars as the Khmers fought off invaders.  Asian control over the region ended in 1863 when the French began a long period of domination over Cambodia.  By the end of World War II, a strong local leader, King Sihanouk, had risen to power, sought independence for his country, and succeeded in expelling the French.

The Vietnam War spilled over into Cambodia, followed by civil war that ended with Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge establishing a new communist government.  Year of terrible genocide ensued, interrupted by Vietnam invading Cambodia in 1978.  Real peace wasn’t found until the Khmer Rouge finally collapsed in 1997.  Real prosperity still hasn't been found:  only 25% of Cambodian homes have electricity and about 1/3 have running water. 

PHNOM PENH

Phnom Penh is strategically located at the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers.  This location led to its selection as the capital of the Khmer Empire in the mid-15^th century, when it was moved from Angkor.  Once known as the Pearl of the Orient, the capital is regaining some of its former luster.  We found it to be a vibrant city, far removed from its harrowing past.

The National Museum of Cambodia contains the country’s largest display of Khmer statuary, housed in four pavilions enclosing a courtyard.  Exhibits range from prehistoric to present-day and include many statues of various Hindu gods and kings.  Hinduism is the world’s oldest extant religion, with a billion followers; it originated in India, but has a long history in Cambodia.  Hindus have a multitude of gods and goddesses, and we got a major Hindu lesson here to prepare us for our visit to Angkor.

No photography was allowed in the buildings, except in the front entry hall, where we were greeted by a larger than life 10^th  century statute of the mythical Garuda (half man, half bird).  In the inner courtyard, there is a statue of Yama, the Hindu Lord of the Dead.  It was brought from Angkor Thom’s Terrace of the Leper King, which we will visit later in the week.

 

In the outer courtyard, there is a statue of the elephant-headed Hindu god, Ganesha.  Nearby is a small spirit house – got to keep those spirits happy so this museum will be a happy place.

 

Directly across the street from the museum, and adjoining the Royal Palace, there was a magnificent new temple that was crowded with visitors, even though the day was getting late.  Little did we know … this building was the King Norodom Sihanouk’s Crematorium.   Cambodia’s former king, Sihanouk, died on October 15, 2013.  His body lay in state at the Royal Palace for 3-½ months while this magnificent shrine was built for his cremation.  His casket was moved to the crematorium on February 1^st, where untold numbers of people passed by to pay their last respects.

The main building is ringed with flower arrangements – memorials sent by heads of state.  Apparently, the US did not send flowers, nor did it send a representative to attend the funeral service.   On February 4, 2013, Sihanouk was laid to rest as his funeral pyre was lit by monks following age-old rituals.  His ashes were divided into separate urns: ashes from one were scattered at the confluence of the Kekong and Tonle Sap rivers; the other urn will be interred at the Royal Palace.  The crematorium/shrine is quite a splendid memorial to a deposed monarch who overshadowed his country’s politics for almost 70 years.  Amazingly, the entire complex now will be torn down.  It has served its purpose, it’s no longer needed, and a new one will be built for the next royal family death.

Built in the mid-19^th century in the classic Khmer style, the Royal Palace is the official residence of Cambodia’s reigning monarch, King Sihamoni.  With its gilded, pitched roofs framed by nagas (serpents), the Royal Palace is one of the most prominent landmarks in Phnom Penh.  The Palace and Throne Room was closed to visitors at the time of our visit due to the recent death of the former king, Norodom Sihanouk.  This picture is borrowed from a friend who wanted us to know what we missed ...

The 19^th-century Silver Pagoda lies within the same complex as the Royal Palace.  With its curlicued, golden roofs and tropical gardens, it is a jewel in the city’s skyline.  The Silver Pagoda is named for its floor, which is inlaid with over 5000 solid silver tiles.

The other name for the Silver Pagoda is Wat Preah Keio, Temple of the Emerald Buddha.  Its centerpiece is a tiny jade Buddha perched high on a gilded pedestal and surrounded by royal and religious memorabilia. 

The inner wall of the pagoda compound is beautifully decorated with frescoes of scenes from the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Indian epic, Ramayana.

 

Also within the Silver Pagoda compound, there are stupas holding the ashes of former kings and members of the royal family.   The one on the right holds the grandparents of the current king.  The other one, which holds the ashes of the younger sister of the current king, is the place where King Sihanouk’s ashes will be interred. 

Our best view of the Royal Residence and Throne Room came from the western courtyard of the Silver Pagoda.  In this photo, a scale model of Angkor Wat is in the foreground; the Silver Pagoda is on the right.  Straight ahead, beyond the red-roofed wall, is the Royal Palace. 

There’s more to see throughout the Royal Palace – Silver Pagoda complex.  There are many images of elephants, as well as a life-size model of the king’s white elephant.  And there are Buddha images everywhere – here’s one smiling and one sleeping.

 

 

Our itinerary called for us to visit two grand markets in Phnom Penh – the Central Market and the Russian Market.  Well, we visited both, but … most of the shops were closed for Chinese New Year. We did see lots of flowers, fruits, vegetables, sunbaked mussels, and a wonderful fortune teller.

 

 

The Legacy of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge

In 1975, Cambodian Communist forces under Pol Pot occupied Phnom Penh, forcibly evacuated the city, and established a new government, a new society with “no oppressors and no oppressed.”  The regime abolished money, personal property, schools, laws, religion, markets, and freedom of movement.  Paranoid about unidentified enemies, Pol Pot ordered mass executions; over 3 million people met with unexpected, often violent, deaths in three years, eight months, and twenty days of tyranny.

Killing Fields of Choeung Ek:  A former fruit orchard, the deceptively peaceful setting was the scene of some of the most disturbing violence in contemporary history.  Some 17,000 men, women and children, who had been held as prisoners in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Sleng Prison (see below), were brought here to be killed – usually by blunt instruments to conserve bullets and reduce noise.

Victims were buried in 129 shallow mass graves – bone fragments and bits of clothing can still be found here.  Grave sites are ringed with mementos left by visitors.  Nearly 9000 corpses were unearthed from 86 of the communal graves before a decision was made to leave to others in peace.

A beautiful pagoda was erected in memory of the people found buried here.  On one side of the pavilion, some of the mass grave sites are visible (shallow indentations).  On the other side, 9000 skulls, arranged according to age and sex, are visible through glass panels.  They will not be forgotten.

 

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum:  Hidden down a peaceful side street bordered with bougainvillea, this memorable and disturbing museum was originally a school that was turned into Khmer Rouge torture headquarters.  Tuol Sleng Prison, also known as S-21, was the largest detention center in the country.  Here, 17,000 men, women and children were subjected to torture en route to the Killing Fields of Cheoung Ek, though most did not make it that far.  Only 7 people were found alive when Tuol Sleng was liberated – each because of his/her skills as artist or photographer.

The prison now has been converted into a museum.  Its former cells and gallery are covered with thousands of haunting photographs of torture subjects, including many before and after pictures.  Security rules, cells, torture instruments, lists of prisoners’ names, mugshots, even clothing, have been preserved and now paint a frightening picture of the atrocities that took place here.

CHANGE OF PLACE: ON THE ROAD FROM PHNOM PENH TO SIEM REAP

We traveled northwest along the Tonle Sap River to Siem Reap.  It is neither a short nor a particularly scenic drive, but our guide did a nice job of finding diversions – lots of learning and discovery along the way.  Our first stop was a family-owned coppersmith shop.  Everybody had a job – from hammering out the pots and bowls to engraving pictures and designs to final cleaning and polishing. 

 

Next stop was literally on the side of the road, where a woman was selling the fruit of the lotus flower.  The lotus is an important symbol in Asian traditions, but it’s more than just a pretty flower.  After the bloom is done, before the seed head dries out – the fruits of the lotus flower are very tasty.  Our guide bought us each one stalk – and kept us busy digging out fruit for miles.

Riding along the broad river valley, the road on which we travelled was built up higher than the surrounding landscape, which is covered with water during the rainy season.  Houses were typically built on stilts and hay for livestock was stored in stacks up near the road, hopefully out of the water.  Driving here in rainy season, with cows wandering around the highway, must be a real challenge.

And then we came to something called Skoan Spider Village – sounds like an amusement park, right?  Guess again.  It’s a big, open-air pavilion surrounded by food stands and stalls selling all manner of interesting snacks.  There was the usual array of exotic fruits and vegetables but wait … what are those critters?  Deep-fried insects, amphibians and birds – all important sources of protein for people here, where meat is not a common item at meal-time.  Your choices:  water bugs, roaches, crickets, grasshoppers, tarantulas, stuffed frogs, herons, and fertilized chicken eggs.  Oh, my. 

 

Want a closer look?  Here are water bugs, crickets & grasshoppers, frogs, and – the specialty of the house – tarantulas. 

 

 

Our guide, Vuthy, was quite determined that we need to taste these delicacies, especially that fat, juicy tarantula.  We compromised – I took one small bite of one leg.  Not bad – nice and crunchy – tastes like chicken.

 

Next stop was at a Sumnak Village, a stone-cutters village, where there are many people involved in stone carving because there is a good quarry nearby.  Here they specialize in stone Buddha images, big stone Buddha images – REALLY big ones.  These were, of course, our very favorites of the entire trip, but couldn’t quite get around the luggage weight restrictions for the flight home …

 

Our final stop (before Siem Reap) was at the Ancient Bridge of Kampong Kdei, known as Spean Preah Teus, one of the finest bridges built by the Khmer kings. Dating back to 10^thcentury, the ancient bridge was one of 22 located on the route between the capital of Angkor and the provincial area to the southeast.  Today the bridge is closed to motorized traffic (except for scooters); it still gets plenty of use from horse carts, ox wagons and bicycles.  

The bridge is 210 feet long and 53 feet wide.  It stands on 21 arches at a height of 33 feet from the river bed.  On both sides at both ends, there are naga heads, whose bodies create very impressive handrails.

 


Some of the rural areas through which we drove were restricted to foot traffic off the highway, reminding us that land mines are a serious problem in this part of the world.  Restricted access to farmland, forests and water resources creates major problems for people living here.  After three decades of war, Cambodia has some 40,000 amputees, one of the highest rates in the world.  There may be as many as 10 million mines and other unexploded ordnance in Cambodia.  De-mining operations are costly; it may be 20-25 years before the mines are cleared and folks can move about without fear.

SIEM REAP

Siem Reap literally means ‘Siam Defeated,’ referring to the Khmer sacking of the great Thai city of Ayutthya in the 17^th century.  It is a pleasant town, with colonial buildings and tree-lined boulevards.  For us, Siem Reap was basically a staging post on our way to the temples of Angkor, but we got a lot more than we expected.  We arrived in late afternoon from our road trip, had dinner downtown and then enjoyed a remok rickshaw (same as tuk tuk, but here they call them remoks or remok rickshaws) ride back to the hotel. 

Tonle Sap Lake, which is about the size of the Chesapeake Bay, is a one part of a combined lake and river system that is of major importance to Cambodia. The Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997.  Lake Tonle Sap expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons; its average depth changes from 7 feet in dry season to 28 feet in rainy season.   It is one of the most productive inland fisheries in the world, supporting over three million people and providing over 75% of Cambodia's annual inland fish catch and 60% of Cambodians' protein intake.  Global warming means less water overall, while hydro-electric dams upstream in Laos and China are playing havoc with the ecology.  This we gotta see.

It should be a short ride from Siem Reap to the lake, but our guide has a sharp eye for spotting things that might interest us along the way.  Actually, we didn’t even have to stop – just looking out the windows was an education.  Everybody seems headed to or from market – ox carts and motor scooters are the most popular ways to travel.

 

 

Our first stop was at another spider snack shop.  Vuthy (our guide) was very fond of these nasty little things and he wanted us to like them as much as he does.  Not going to happen.

 

After we turned off the main highway, we passed lots of small farms and stopped at one that had a cricket trap in the front yard.  The fluorescent tube attracts the crickets at night. They hit the plastic sheet and fall into the water below, drowning. They are then collected for home use or sold to vendors who fry them and sell them as snacks. 

The woman who lived here was hard at work, hauling water from a nearby stream to water her garden.  Seems we should repay her patience with a little assistance.  Those buckets are heavy and hard to balance – even when they’re empty.

 

The 13-year old is her nephew, who is keeping an eye on her young son while she’s watering.  We asked the boy if he was in school – he said he had been to school, but he didn’t like it and he wasn’t going back.  We heard a similar story far too many times on this trip – the little kids seem eager to learn, but they’re losing them at middle school age.

A bit further down the road, the small farms gave way to huge rice fields.  As luck would have it, we came upon a family harvesting their crop.  As most things in this part of the world, rice is harvested by hand.  These folks were using sickles to cut the rice plant about 6 inches above the ground.  They’d then bundle the stalks together and pile them on the ground to pick up later.  We all tried our hands at this simple task and can attest that it is not as easy as it looks – fortunately, we came away with all our fingers.

 

 

Other rice paddies and fields had been flooded, providing homes (at least temporarily) for small fish.  In this photo, a group of boys was fishing – using baskets that had a hand-hold and a small hole in the narrow end.  The boys would stand quietly looking for fish and then pounce when they spotted one, inverting the basket to trap the fish and then reaching in to remove it.  Thankfully, this was one local activity that did not require our participation.

Finally we reached the water, not the lake, but a muddy little creek that empties into the lake.  We boarded our very own charter boat and were soon on our way.  Along the creek, we saw a few fishermen and passed a temple that sits on a hill where the creek empties into the lake.

 

 

Chong Khneas floating village is a testimony to the ingenuity of the Cambodian people, fighting for survival.  Theirs is not an easy life, but they persevere.

As we enter the lake, the most conspicuous floating building is the Catholic Church.  Today is a big day – the church is distributing gift boxes from Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian evangelical and relief organization.  Kids and teachers paddled down from the school to pick up their goodies.

 

The school is floating, too, on the upstream side of the lake.  The school building consists of five floating classrooms hitched together and anchored near the bank.  By the time we got there, some of the kids were returning with their loot.

 

Houses are built on bamboo pads that float on the water.  The houses are mostly bamboo with thatched roofs, but some use lumber and have tin roofs.  Faded tarps cover porches hung with rope hammocks.

 

 

As we drift past these houses, we see women tending steaming pots, men fishing or cleaning the morning’s catch; nobody is idle.  A thick, inescapable smell of fish laces the air.  There are loads of fish spread in the sun to dry, but the really serious smell seems to come from a house where two women were making fish paste.  Fish paste (prahok) is a crushed, salted and fermented concoction that is used in Cambodian cooking.  (If that sounds disgusting, just imagine how it smelled.)

 

So … we tied our boat to the porch, watched them work, and asked them questions (through our guide/interpreter).  They were fileting vast quantities of mudfish that had been caught earlier in the morning.  Their sharp knives were flashing:  it took only two quick flicks of the wrist to remove the small piece of flesh on either side of the backbone.  The meat was stored in baskets, ready to be chopped for preparing the paste. 

 

A couple of kids were playing in a hammock on the porch.  The little girl was pre-school age, but her big brother was another middle-school dropout.  Our guide gave him a big pep talk about staying in school, but the boy didn’t seem much impressed.

 

Several houses had a bamboo fish enclosure attached to one side.  These were financed by a charitable foundation trying to help these subsistence fishermen raise fish for fish past and other commercial products.  Others try their hands raising floating pigs.

 

Scattered among residential structures are small businesses that serve the local population.  Here are a couple of grocery stores and a place that recharges batteries.  Automobile batteries are the primary source of electricity for the floating village.

 

At least one of these floating businesses was a restaurant – we know because we stopped there.  We actually stopped to see the crocodile farm, but our guide smelled something good cooking in the kitchen.  Given his fondness for fried bugs, we should have been worried.  It turned out that the cook had a big pot of snake soup on the stove, and (of course), our guide couldn’t wait for us to try it.  Oh, joy.  The cook ladled up a big bowl of snake and broth, and our guide set about dissecting out some edible meat.  Note all the little while bowls – this crazy man actually thought we’d eat this stuff.

Vuthy wasted no time in showing us how to tackle this delicacy – boiled water snake.  A couple of us tried a bite or two; not my favorite meal – yecch!

 

ANGKOR

The ancient capital of the great Khmer Empire, Angkor is with doubt one of the most magnificent wonders of the world – a site of immense archaeological significance.  Located in dense jungle on the hot and humid plains of northwestern Cambodia, its awe-inspiring temples transported us back in time to an enchanting and mysterious ancient world of grandeur and glory.  For nearly six centuries, between 802 and 1432 AD, Angkor was the political and religious heart of the Khmer Empire, an empire that stretched from the South China Sea to the Bay of Bengal. 

Today the remains of the metropolis of Angkor occupy 77 square miles, now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Although its wooden houses and magnificent palaces decayed centuries ago, an impressive array of stone temples still stands.  Set between two reservoirs, Angkor today contains around 70 temples, tombs, and other ancient ruins.  Among them is the splendid Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument. 

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat literally means the ‘City which is a Temple.’  Built during the 12^th century, it was originally dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu, and its layout was based on a sacred design of the Hindu cosmos.  A five-towered temple shaped like a lotus bud, representing Mount Meru, the mythical home of the gods and the center of the universe, stands in the middle of the complex.  The temple is surrounded by high walls, then a courtyard, then a lower outer wall and a moat.  Angkor Wat is unusual among Khmer temples in that it faces the setting sun, a symbol of death. These photos are of the southern entrance, where the moat has been filled in to allow access by visitors.

Within the outermost walls stands the temple itself, with its surrounding courtyard and a building used as a library. 

 

Towering over the whole complex, the central sanctuary is a steep climb.  Its four entrances feature images of Buddha, reflecting the Buddhist influence that eventually displaced Hinduism in Cambodia.  We were rewarded for our efforts by a view of the western side of the complex, with part of the moat visible.

 

Lining the walls of the temple, there are carvings of hundreds of sensual apsaras (celestial dancing girls), each one different from the next.  Holding alluring poses, they are shown wearing ornate jewelry and elaborate headgear.

 

There also was a group of local folks dressed in traditional costumes, posing for the tourists.  They didn’t look all that happy about their work, but we couldn’t resist all that color.

The outermost walls of Angkor Wat, which are 2.2 miles long, are lined with galleries – intricate carvings and bas reliefs, including scenes from the Hindu epic, Mahabharata.  There are hundreds of images of brave, weapon-bearing warriors engaged in furious combat. 

 

 

We eventually made our way through the temple over to the western entrance (or exit, in our case).  This is the main entrance to Angkor Wat, and is marked by a gigantic statue of Vishnu, revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike for its representation of the ‘King of the ancestors and spirits’.  Outside there are even larger statues of singhs (guardian lions) and our first chance to see the moat that surrounds this temple-city.

 

We walked out across the great stone causeway that offers a spectacular view of Angkor Wat’s grand exterior.  Recently-restored balustrades carved in the form of nagas (serpents) line both sides of the avenue. 

 

As the late morning crowds began to gather, we had one last look at this magnificent structure across the moat.  We weren’t really ready to leave, but our guide promised that we’d come back again – in the afternoon when the crowds thin out.

And so we did – for breath-taking views in the late afternoon sun.  Our guide surprised us with wine and assorted snacks (some of which were recognizable as food items).  The wine was memorable for all the wrong reasons, but what a view …

Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom is an ancient city remarkable in scale and architecture.  It was built on the river in the 12^th century and was the largest city in the Khmer Empire.  The city spreads over an area of 4 square miles and is protected by a wall 26 ft high, 7.5 miles long and surrounded by a moat.  There are five gates – four facing the cardinal directions and an extra one on the east side – all bearing four giant stone faces. 

We entered through the South Gate, approached by an impressive causeway flanked by 154 stone statues – gods on the left side, demons on the right – each carrying a giant serpent.  The gate itself is a massive 75-ft high structure, surmounted by a triple tower with four gigantic stone faces facing the cardinal directions. 

 

Located in the heart of Angkor Thom, the Bayon is the city’s most extraordinary structure, epitomizing the ‘lost civilization’ of Angkor.  Shaped like a pyramid, the symbolic temple-mountain rises on three levels and features 54 towers bearing 216 huge, enigmatic stone faces.  From a distance, it appears to be a complicated, almost erratically structured temple.  On closer inspection, we were truly awestruck.

 

The temples central towers are decorated with four massive, mysteriously smiling faces gazing out in four directions – north, south, east and west.  The faces are believed to represent the all-seeing and all-knowing Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, a Buddhist hero who renounced nirvana to save all sentient beings.  Of course, this powerful superhero as thought to be personified by the King Jayavarman himself (he’s the king responsible for the building of Bayon).

Following the death of this Buddhist king, the Khmer kingdom reverted to Hinduism and the Bayon temple was altered accordingly.  In later centuries Buddhism was again the dominant religion, leading to still further changes before the temple was abandoned to the jungle.  Attempts to hide or destroy all traces of Hinduism were largely successful, sharp eyes spotted this carving of the Hindu god Vishnu – part of a doorway that had been covered over.    A statue of Vishnu, dating from the time of the founding of Bayon, has more recently been installed in one of the galleries; devotees burn incense sticks before this statue.

 

Within the temple, there are more carvings of celestial dancers, similar to those at Angkor Wat.  These are called devada and differ from the apsara in that the devada are portrayed in less alluring poses.

 

Another similarity to Angkor Wat is in the galleries in the walls which surround the temple.  On the southern wall of the complex, the bas-reliefs feature images from everyday life in 12^th-century Angkor.  These include depictions of a cockfight, meals being cooked, festival celebrations, and market scenes. 

In the eastern gallery, the bas-reliefs provide scenes from the struggle between the Khmers and the Cham Empire, which once ruled the area between Cambodia and Vietnam.  Here, the warriors are shown on land and sea.

 

Beyond the Bayon temple, the Terrace of the Elephants is a large platform that was used by the king to view military and other parades.  It is decorated with almost life-sized images of sandstone elephants in a procession.  Nearby is a series of twelve towers of unknown function, but still nice to look at.

 

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm (which means Ancestor of Brahma) is perhaps the most evocative and mysterious of all the temple structures at Angkor.  It was a wealthy Buddhist monastery built during the 12^th century.   During the colonial period, the French started their archaeological restoration of the temple, making a deliberate attempt to maintain the structure as they found it.  Thus, the restoration was limited and little of the surrounding dense jungle was cut down.  As a result, the temple buildings remain smothered by the roots of giant banyan trees, preserving the atmosphere that 19^th-century explorers must have experienced. 

We entered the temple complex through the western gate, which is crowned with a huge face tower, similar to the huge faces seen at Bayon.  Throughout the temple, there are beautiful carvings, again reminiscent of those in other parts of Angkor.

 

But … the overwhelming sense of Ta Prohm is of beautiful ruins overgrown with trees and tree roots.   This tree, for example, is known as the Waterfall Tree for the cascading appearance of its roots down the wall of the inner gallery.  This strangler fig has encompassed its host and now dominates the temple’s masonry. 

 

On the eastern side of the central sanctuary is the strangler fig known as the Crocodile; every year its roots spread further across the complex.  Nearby, one of the corner towers is relatively unscathed (so far).

 






This striking strangler fig enjoyed a moment of fame when Angelina Jolie appeared from the doorway below it in one scene from the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.  Only a couple of scenes in the movie were shot in Cambodia, but it was here that Jolie’s global social conscience seems to have been sparked.  She remains a firm patron of Cambodia and is much loved in these parts.

 

We made our way slowly through Ta Prohm – it’s not possible to hurry, just walking is pretty treacherous.  We went out through the eastern entrance, which was mostly clear of roots – probably because it’s guarded by huge singh (mythical lion-like creatures).

 

After our time spent in Ta Prohm, we enjoyed a home-hosted meal in the nearby village of Rahel.  Our hostess was a woman who spoke not a word of English, so we were much relieved when her college-age daughter came to join us … to try to teach us a few words in Cambodian and to translate when all else failed.  This was another group participation effort – we helped make the dessert, banh chanoeuk, sweet glutinous rice balls filled with a lump of palm sugar and served with fresh coconut.  Pretty tasty!  Cute grandkids, too.

 

Pre Rup

Pre Rup was a Hindu temple, built around 961 AD, in the temple-mountain style of structure. It's now believed to have been the state temple of King Rajendravarman II.  It is roughly square in shape, with a three-tiered platform is enclosed within two concentric walls. Between the two walls on the east side are two groups of three towers. Inside the second wall and all around the first tier, there are long halls that were used by pilgrims. It’s a magnificent building.

Banteay Srei

The complex of Banteay Srei, meaning Citadel of Beauty, is covered with exquisitely detailed carvings.  Built with pink sandstone, the Banteay Srei was constructed in the late 10^th century.  Unlike most other monuments in the Angkor World Heritage Site, it is not a royal temple.

 

What separates this miniature scaled structure from so many others in Angkor is the fact that most of its surface area has been decorated.  Little wonder that it is often described as the Jewel of Angkor.

 

 

Discovered in 1914, four of its finest statues were famously snatched by the French minister of culture.  Fortunately, they were eventually recovered and returned to the site.

 

Rectangular in shape and enclosed by three walls and the remains of a moat, the central sanctuary contains ornate shrines dedicated to Shiva, the most powerful god of the Hindu trilogy.  A few of these interesting windows are still intact.

 

The intricately carved lintels depict scenes from the Hindu epic, Ramayana.  There are beautiful etched representations of Shiva, his consort, the Monkey God, Krishna, and others.

 

 

The towers of the central sanctuary contain elaborate and finely detailed carvings of gods and goddesses.  The male deities wear simple loincloths and often carry lances.  By contrast, the goddesses, with their long hair tied in braids, are dressed in loosely draped traditional skirts.  Almost every inch of their bodies is laden with jewelry.

 

Banteay Srei is near one of Angkor’s reservoirs, which we passed just as the sun was setting.  It seemed like a nice way to end the day, but our guide had one more stop in mind. 

On the outskirts of Siem Reap, heading back to our hotel, we stopped at what appeared to be a cross between a flea market and a county fair.  There are carnival rides, games, food booths, and …mats for rent so you can sit and people-watch or eat dinner or whatever else you choose.  It seemed to go for miles in every direction, and it seemed that everyone under age 40 had come from miles around.  It was a happening place – the place where our guide met his bride-to-be.  Amazing place, but even more amazing is that it goes on like this every single night … maybe folks just don’t want to go home?

 

FINAL DAY IN CAMBODIA

Our final day in Cambodia was a major change of pace.  We visited the village of Aranh, which about 40 miles from Siem Reap.  This is not a tourist area – Aranh is a dusty little village, backed up against a muddy creek.

 

Many residents are fishermen; fresh fish were spread out to dry in the sun.  Others are farmers; this woman is bagging up rice that was dried in the sun.

 

Cockfighting is a popular pastime here.  This man is checking his stock in anticipation of competition later today.

 

While we were standing around starting, our guide disappeared and was replaced by some fine fellows driving ox-carts.  We piled in (2 per cart) and off we went past more bamboo houses on stilts.

 

After a while, we pulled up to a nicer looking house, which turned out to be the home of our driver and his brother, their wives, and assorted children (most of whom were at school).  They showed us around the place – huge rooms with no furniture – just mats for sitting and sleeping.  Cooking is done outside.

They showed us pictures of children and grandchildren, as well as quite a few musical instruments.  The only instruments that looked even vaguely familiar were the drums – our hosts really wanted us to get some music going, but it was time to say our goodbyes.  In spite of the complete language barrier, it was an interesting and pleasant visit; we left with a new appreciation of life beyond Angkor Wat.

 

We also made a short stop at a local orphanage, operated by the Children and Development Organization.  They provide a home for 36 kids, all displaced from the same village.  We left gifts of toilet articles and toys, wishing we could do more …

 

And then suddenly it was time to load suitcases for that last trip to the airport.  By this point in our travels, we were truly exhausted, but also very glad that we had this opportunity to visit Cambodia, see the ruins of Angkor, and gain a better understanding of the lives of people living there today.