Upon leaving the airport, one is immediately struck by how the area feels lost in time. The airport is small and modern. But immediately, there is little to nothing in the surrounding area. The roads are simple, small, sometimes dirt, and overtaken by bicycles, tuk tuks (motorized rickshaws) and the odd minivan or bus loaded with tourists. There are a few cars but not many. And suddenly you turn a corner and there are temples. Just there. Some touched, some untouched. The largest and most central is Angkor Wat (meaning "Temple City") which is the largest religious monument in the world. It is dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu God, Protector of the Universe. This amazing, majestic place has been around since the 12th century. And one can just walk around it. I recall that I visited Stonehenge in the 70's when you could still sit on the stones. Now it's guarded by ropes and you can only look from a distance. I can't help but wonder how long it will be before you are not allowed to walk on or touch the great temples of Cambodia.
Whenever we travel, breakfast is definitely the meal that I most look forward to. Most hotels in Asia put on quite a spread. It's essential to eat as if you will not eat for the rest of the day - just in case. Den picked us up at the hotel in a minivan around 8:30am and off we went to explore the temples. A USD$20 pass provides access to all of the temples of the area. Despite the numerous tourists, they still check tickets. Interestingly, the preferred currency here is also the US$. The official currency in Cambodia is the Riel, however the US$ is more valuable so most prices are stated in US$.
Angkor Thom, Bayon,Ta Prohm. Lunch at the Khmer Grill.
The first temple we visited was Angkor Wat. The grandeur. The size. It is inconceivable to consider for even a moment how these temples were built. I'm sure I would have the same overwhelming feeling if I were to visit the pyramids in Egypt. Oh, and the age. It makes is almost laughable to think of the mere 200 years of the US when you look at temples that have been around since the 9th century. Yes, there were quite a few tourists. We were warned of this previously by the South African couple we met in Saigon. I'll never forget her very poignant statement about her own desire to want to capture the perfect photograph and all of her efforts being thwarted by never seeming to capture a photo without a another person in it. Then she realized that "everyone is trying so hard to capture the moment, that they are missing the chance to be in the moment." Indeed. The region is so very poor and depends on tourism to bring in money so it's hard not to accept. Den took this wonderful photo of the 8 of us near the lake on the temple grounds. Clearly he has done this before as he captured all 8 of us, the main temple in the background, in addition to the reflection of the temple in the lake. Good man! The historical and cultural significance of Angkor Wat is noteworthy and worth a read on Wikipedia or some other resource. |
I love the photo below of Sarah and Ethan sitting up on one of the ledges. The stark contrast of their bright clothing against the aged, dark stones is breathtaking. We took so many moments just like that to just sit there and revel in the moment. After all, we have never experienced anything like this ever before. Even the Great Wall for the Kohlmans earlier this year was a vastly different experience.
Final day in Siem Reap and we had another full day of touring the area: the Fishing Village, a small local orphanage, and an artists School. It seemed quite fitting to spend Christmas Eve amongst people with far less fortune than us. And yet they were all so happy and welcoming. I spent the entire day making sure that Nicholas and Sadie saw the point and looked for opportunities to give back. For the moment, we brought 100kg of rice to the orphanage. But that's a drop in the bucket. I'm sure that as a family we will find ways to give back. It's all around us every day.
The day ended with the Kohlmans returning to Singapore in a desperate attempt to get into our beds in time for Santa. The Cohens headed off to Bangkok on Christmas Day.