Day 4: Temple Tour (Part Two)

Destinations: Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei, Neak Pean, Preah Khan

[drumroll please]

Ladies and Germs...

... now, comes what we've all been waiting for

the wonderful,

the magnificent,

the spectacular,

the one and only...

Angkor Wat.

:)

Our tour guide picked us up at 5:30 in the morning so we could catch the sunrise over Angkor Wat. I think we managed to clock in just 4 hours of sleep that night, but I practically jumped right out of bed pumped with adrenaline (but that wore off in like half an hour, haha). Watching the sunrise over Angkor Wat is one of the most popular things to do. Like a beeping conga line of fireflies winding through the same dusty road, we were joined by hundreds of equally eager tourists riding on buses, vans, cars, tuk-tuks, and even on bikes all headed towards the temple. We found a nice spot along the wall and nestled together to watch the scene unfold.

Khmer "Starry Night"

Angkor Wat means "the city which is a temple". It is the representation of Mt. Meru where the gods live with its 5 top sanctuaries and the moats symbolizing the cosmic ocean. This Hindu "Mt. Olympus" is believed to be situated near real-life Mt. Everest. So this is what I meant when I said that these temples are figuratively, Heaven on Earth.

I know this may sound crazy, but it was incredibly moving to walk through these temples knowing that these structures were man's attempt to bring heaven down to earth. Can you imagine being a pilgrim in those days visiting Angkor Wat in its original state of glory, both beckoning and intimidating as it represents the entire universe as you believed it to be? It's as if a Christian were able to go to a church where you felt like you were actually going through the Pearly Gates and then worshiping while being surrounded by everything you believed Heaven would be. From what I know, there is no where else in the world like Angkor Wat. It is a superstructure, larger than I could have ever imagined. The amount of genius, conviction, and passion required to build Angkor Wat can only be driven a beautiful mission such as human faith.

... um, and a lot of gold from King Suryavarman II, of course. :p

Mt. Meru on top of the cosmic ocean.

Angkor Wat and its moat.

Lining the walls of Angkor Wat were these INCREDIBLE bas relief galleries depicting everything from legendary battles, royal processions, heavens and hells (you see all these nasty punishments for various sins, just like Dante), and churning of ocean of milk. I have to admit I was a bad girl and would sometimes forget the "no touching" rule. :( Boo.

The Battle of Lanka -- whereby an army of monkeys defeated the demons to save Sita, wife of Rama.

Haha I liked how the monkeys were biting the demons. Good monkey.

Devatas, guardian spirits that guard the temples (seen everywhere!).

They're purty -- big boobs and fancy bling.

This is it -- the central tower of Angkor Wat at the very top level.

I felt like I missed a lot of important details, so I actually went back to Angkor Wat twice after this particular tour -- once for another sunrise before school, and again for a round of closer investigation.

Next, we headed towards Banteay Srei, the most exquisite temple of them all. :)

Banteay Srei is actually not in the Angkor temple area, but about 45 minutes away by car (or 1.5 hrs by tuk-tuk). It was commissioned not by a Khmer king, but a Brahmin, a very powerful royal adviser and religious figure. The carvings in Banteay Srei are simply unparalleled compared to any of the other temples, and is considered to be representative of the height of ancient Khmer art.

The demon Ravana (who seems like the main antagonist in a majority of Hindu mythologies) shaking a mountain because he's angry that he cannot enter a holy area. Shiva calmly crushes Ravana effortlessly under the mountain with just his toe, even with his wife sitting on his lap.

What a baller.

There are many children running around the temples selling trinkets.

Tourists are strongly advised NOT to buy any souvenirs from children because it encourages them to spend time selling cheap goods vs. going to school. The money goes to their handler anyway, and the children pocket a paltry sum. In the long term, these children will grow up uneducated and lacking a bright future. This situation has improved greatly from years past due to continuous efforts from NGOs such as the Ponheary Ly Foundation.

Door jambs with ancient Sanskrit.

You can stare at these carvings for days at end... just look at this detail!!!! O_O

A frieze depicting Indra riding his mount, Airavata the three-headed elephant.

We took a spin around Neak Pean, which is a complex of 5 large water basins believed to have magical healing powers for the faithful. Unfortunately the area was closed off and we couldn't see the water fountains up close, but what is interesting is that you pick which water basin to "bless and cleanse" yourself with based off your natural element (fire, wood, air, earth). These water basins can also be found in large temples such as Angkor Wat... but they're now empty of course. I don't have any really good pictures of Neak Pean.

Preah Khan, also known as "Sacred Sword", is a Buddhist temple dedicated to King Jayavarman VII's father (Ta Prohm is dedicated to his mother). Now I will say that I really really really enjoyed Preah Khan. When we arrived in the afternoon, there were very few visitors. We were able to enjoy the structure in peace and quiet, and the roofed enclosures provided pockets of cool air during the hot day. It also had the crazy trees and rubble like Ta Prohm, and its more complete state gave me a better idea of what these temples may have looked like (and functioned) in the past.

There are not many temples with their galleries and ceilings intact like Preah Khan.

Khmer architects never managed to figure out flying buttresses, so temple roofs were also very angular and narrow.

 I really need to replace my camera lens... those scratches are unforgivable! :(

Err, Korwin... how did you end up on the roof? HAHA. Seriously, only you...

We were then told that the fine for each shifted/collapsed block would be $10,000 USD. Yikes!

And thus concludes the temple tours with NKJ. :)

I had a great time exploring Siem Reap with Natalie and Korwin, and really do hope that we get the chance to travel again together sometime very soon. Thanks for the company and unforgettable experiences.

(to be continued... volunteering and more scallywagging!)