We were finally in the mystical land of Cambodia of the myth of the White Crocodile and human kings were half divine and where rivers run backwards.
We entered the lovely Angor Pearl Hotel to a smiling, helpful doorman who each time afterwards jump up to open the door for us whether leaving the hotel or returning to it! The Apsara Suite was all it was expected to be - unfortunately we'd had them convert it into a family room (with 2 camp beds) which took away alot of the classy spaciousness, but no matter.
That afternoon our family decided that we would explore Angkor Thom ourselves. Booking the gorgeous Mr Thet to drive us in his 'remork-moto' (the local word for a 4 seat trailer pulled by motorbike - also known as tuk tuk) we headed out to be amazed by the ruins of Siem Reap. Our first glimpse of Angkor Wat, the earthly representation of Mt Meru (the Mt Olympus of Hindu faith), the abode of the ancient Gods was exciting!
Angkor Thom was an amazing place to begin our sightseeing. A city, rather than a temple, this last great capital of the Khmer Empire (supporting over 1 million people in its heyday) is set over 10km2 and is formidable with a massive moat and high walls.
we were stopped in our tracks by the vast representation of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk where 54 demons and 54 gods engage in a tug of war along the causeway all the way to the South Gate. The gate towered abve us with the smiling face of god staring out over the kingdom.
At the cetnre of this city lies the unique and imposing Bayon - the state temple of Cambodia's legendary King Jayavarman VII and epitomises what must have been an inflated ego. Stooped corridors, flights of stairs and the amazing 54 gothic towers with 216 (apparently! No, we didn't count them!) smiling faces of 'god' that are said to bear a close resemblance to the king!
These huge heads glare down from every angle facing all 4 points of the compass. Looking at these and at the 1.2 kms of detailed carvings of everyday life and the history of the land kept us entertained for hours.
We just had enough time for a quick walk to Baphoun, approaching it by a 200m elevated walkway made of sandstone. We had it all to ourselves until Sanjay showed interested in some bamboo whistles sold by a young man! The young salesman proceeded to follow us the entire way wih the deal getting sweeter with each step. Eventually Sanjay bought 4 whistles for $5 only to be offered 5 for $5 by another young fellow on the way back!
We also spent some time looking atht eTerrace of the Leper King with the carvings of Apsara's (celestial nymphs) and the 350m long Terrace of the Elephants (the giant viewing stand for public ceremonies) imaging the pomp and the grandeur of the Khmer empire at its height parading past the watching king. Amazing decorations of Garudas (a mythical bird that is the mount of Lord Vishnu) and lions and of course a parade of elephants with their detailed mahouts.
We had spent about 4 hours (!) there and it was time to meet the patient Mr Thet who offered us some welcome iced water!
The next day we decided to hire a van and guide and took off for the day. I wasn't keen to participate in the circus that is viewing the sunrise OR sunset at famous spots so we left straight for Tah Prohm instead. We visited:
* Tah Prohm - the most atmospheric ruin at Angkor, swallowed up as it is by jungle. We loved the various shapes the tree roots make - one a huge snake (Naga). Another is called the Tomb Raider tree as it featured in the movie. While all the Korean and Japanese tourists were fixated on this we had some of the other areas to ourselves.
* Ta Som - nice and quiet and it's most impressive feature is an amazing tree completely overwhelming the eastern gate.
* Pre Rup - the steps upt the towers of this Hindu temple were very very steep. Our first experience of haivng to climb up and down almost on all fours. May have been a crematorium.
* Eastern Mebon - we loved the perfectly carved stone elephants guarding this templ at each corner - each cut from a single stone! (nearly 3/4 the size of a real elephant we reckon).
* Preah Neak Poan - this Buddhist temple of the 'Intertwined Nagas' was so cute. Perfectly constructed and sitting in a large square pool.
* And last but not least - Angkor Wat!
WOW the first glimpse is staggering and almost cliched as you grow up seeing so many pictures of it that it's hard to believe you're seeing the real thing! The ultimate expression of Khmer genius in what is believed to be the world's largest religious building.
It's giant moat (1.5km x 1.3km) we'd already glimpsed the day before and were keen to walk the sandstone causeway for the first time - a truly spine tingling moment for me.
The sandstone blocks from which Angkor Wat was built was quarried more than 50km away! and floated down the river on rafts - an unbelievable feat for it's time - and said to have involved 300,000 workers and 6000 elephants.
The exquisite lotus bud towers (first glimpsed in the reflection in the lotus covered pond) are topped by the central tower giving a perfect symmetry to the design. We were lucky to be able to get to the upper level on steel steps - the original staircase is immensely steep with very narrow steps - because reaching the kingdome of the gods is no easy task :)
The bas-reliefs stretching 800m around the outside of the complex were stunning - telling the stories of various battles, the Ramayana etc. The most fascinating for me was the graphic depictions of the punishments and rewards of the 37 heavens and 32 hells. The condemned (judged by Yama - the judge of the dead) suffere horrible tortures!
All in all a mindblowingly incredible day.
On our third day in SR, still not quite "templed out" we hired the lovely Mr Thet and his remork again to take us to the far flung Banteay Srei - considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian artisanship.
This is again a Hindu temple, dedicated to Shiva and was different for all the other temples we'd seen as it had been built from a pinkish coloured stone with deep beautifully detailed carvings. Banteay Srei means ' Citadel of the Women' and it has been said that a woman must have built it as the details are so fine.
Unfortunately it was overrun by very loud tour groups - one Korean woman in particular was so loud and obnoxious when taking photos (unfortunately for her we'd also seen her in action the day before yelling out at another temple!) that I had to tell her to speak quietly. She didn't understand me so I made myself understood with signs and actions (always universal!) and got my point across that she needed to zip it! arrghhh....
By this stage i was over temples because of our experience at this crowded on - but Mr Thet suggested one last temple enroute before we headed back - Banteay Samre. Dating from the same period as Angkor Wat this temple is in a good state of preservation and best of all we had it to ourselves alot of the time! A max of 5 other people at any given time. So we were able to just sit and look and finally fully appreciate the beauty and symmetry of the these amazing temples and felt so privileged to be there.
Another highlight in Siem Reap was visiting a friend's brother and family as we headed out of SR to Phnom Penh. He showed us again the wonderful hospitality that seems to be innate to people in these countries.
