Angkor Wat
Visiting the Ancient Kmer Civilization
A trip months in the planning; we originally tried to get to Bali, it's beautiful beaches and artistic mountain towns. But the volcano, Mount Agung would help us choose another destination one steeped in ancient temples and ancient traditions.
My in-laws arrived on Dec 15 2017 and we were aboard a HK Express flight two days later to Siem Reap, Cambodia, the jump off city for the Angkor ruins.
Amma, Jenn and Amélie get comfortable in their tub-tuk.
An aside here; as some of you may remember, Jenn and I visited these parts back in 2000 when we spent near a year working abroad and travelling. What I want to tell you is, Siem Reap is no longer the town I remember. It has grown exponentially in the last 17 years, (this was confirmed by the bartender that Cliff and I got friendly with). I remember a one-horse town kinda place that was just burgeoning with tourism. Small guest houses where beginning to spring up here and there and there was only one "real" hotel in town. We stayed at the modest Smiley's guesthouse back then. It was a two story long house with rooms on the second floor while the first floor was shared between a delicious little restaurant and more rooms. Now Siem Reap is home to convention centres and a multitude of resorts with hundreds of rooms each, multiple pools and restaurants and luscious grounds that are kept mosquito free.
Pops and Juliette wait to be taken to Angkor Wat.
Times marches on.
None the less we thoroughly enjoyed our second visit to Angkor and especially enjoyed sharing the experience with Jenn's parents and both our children. As we arrived fairly early during the day we had a chance to make our first visit to the ruins that same afternoon. We took advantage of this and hired a couple of tuk-tuk drivers to take us to Angkor Wat. That is another change, 17 years ago we hired motorcycle drivers, there weren't many tux-tuks in Siem Reap and there were certainly no tug-tuks that could carry more than two people. Turns out we chose a resort that was about a ten minute ride to the ruins.
We returned to the ancient ruins of the Kmer civilization on Day 2 and visited two other temples of the many temples that dot the landscape of the Angkor complex. Sadly Debbie would not have the fortitude to join us as she was suffering from terrible flu-like symptoms. First we visited Ta Prohm, which has sadly become known as the temple with the Tomb Raider tree. Thankfully the first time we visited Tomb Raider was not yet a blockbuster film and Ta Prohm remained an incredible sight all on its own with its own merits and reasons for visiting, now people rush in to take a photo with the Tomb Raider tree and rush out to the next temple.
That is something else that has changed; a visitor used to be able to roam freely just about anywhere around the temples they pleased as long as they respected the ruins and didn't cause any damage. Now the authorities have built boardwalks through the more popular temples to help direct the many tourists that have come from all over the world. It is more like walking through a museum then exploring ancient ruins. I suppose it was necessary because of the shear number of visitors and insuring that Angkor continues for following generations to enjoy and learn from.
We saved my favourite for last, the Bayon. One of the last temples to be built at Angkor it is a perennial favourite with visitors year after year and this year I'm guessing was no different for it was terribly busy. The Bayon is crowned with 216 faces atop 54 towers. Some say that the faces are all same sculpting of the king at the time while others have suggested that they are sculpted after Buddha. Either way they may both be right as the king at the time considered himself a God King.
It an incredible feeling to walk around any of these temples that blanket the landscape here at Angkor. But for me its the Bayon temple that I find most striking. Once you rise to the upper terrace you are faced with the stone-carved smiling faces all around you. It feels as though the king himself from that era is there watching you as you stroll around the terrace. You cannot turn a corner without a dozen more faces smiling back at you. Best of all you never want to put the camera down although you have already taken dozens of similar images. Each time you snap the shutter you think I've got it then you turn around and realize I need just a few "hundred' more.
I'm glad that both my girls were there with Jenn and I to experience Angkor, it truly is one of this world's greatest sites. I can't say they feel as deeply as Jenn and I do about it, but in time when they look back on these photos and videos I hope they understand the importance of history and bearing witness to it. At the very least I hope it quietly serves to help shape the incredible women I know they will become.
The video below showcases our two days at Angkor. Music; By and By by Brett Dennen
