Tempting Temples
From Trains and Boats then Planes in Angkor, Cambodia on Jul 06 '06
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Up before the crack of dawn we sleepily got in our tuk tuk with Luong our driver -far too chirpy for that unearthly hour. We drove to Srah Srang which is a small temple situated on an artifical lake. There were only a few other people there and in the lake there was a fisherman casting his nets. It was very atmospheric as we watched the sky turn from deep blue to white to pink and the reflections in the water. This was our introduction to the Temples of Angkor and we were completely Templemental thereafter.
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The temples were created between the 8th and 13th centuries by a succession of Khmer kings. Each king tended to build a new one within a new capital city. Depending on whether the king was Hindu or Buddhist, the temples venerated different Gods, including some of the older Khmer Gods. The cities which once surrounded the temples are gone now, having been made of wood but the temples in varying conditions remain as testament to this once great empire.
massive ficus and cottonwood trees snaking their roots amongst the masonry
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We had bought a seven day pass which set us back $60 each (Oh yes, we were very serious about these temples). So we decided to try to see a separate section each day to have time to absorb as much as possible without getting exhausted.
On the first day after Srah Srang we went to Ta Prohm which is many people's favourite temple. This one has been left in much the same condition as it was found with massive ficus and cottonwood trees snaking their roots amongst the masonry. We spent an hour there and we were the only people wandering around at that cool time after dawn. It was amazing, we guided ourselves round using our book and spotted many things we would have missed without it. Including a carving of a stegasauros - no really. Check out the picture if you don't believe me. The place was beautiful with crumbling masonry, musty corridors you had to clamber through until you came to a gallery or hall of dancers to be confronted with beautiful lintels, doorways and windows.
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After Ta Prohm we went to Angkor Thom which was a the largest Khmer walled city. Entering through the East Gate with a gorgeous, elegant tower graced with four huge contended-looking faces. There are two famous terraces there, the buildings which once graced them, long gone. First we explored the Elephant Terrace, with bas reliefs of elephants in procession and three headed elephants pulling lotus leaves. In front of the terrace are some old smaller temples, crumbling away and many minor buildings. Beside the Elephant Terrace is the Terrace of the Leper King (so called it's believed because the king that built it died of leprosy). This is absolutely stunning with seven tiers of bas reliefs in some cases and inside there are two carvings of a five-headed horse and hundreds of Garudas (mythical flying human-type figures). We spent almost two hours just wandering around these two terraces and Phimeanakas and the Royal Enclosure.
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Not straying too far we then went to the jumble of face towers that is Bayon. This is Cathal's favourite temple and it certainly has very interesting bas reliefs portraying a battle against the Cham people (these are believed to be related to the Khmers). It also shows ordinary life and several scenes from mythology. We've visited this temple twice now because we liked it so much.
The next day we got up early again to go to Angkor Wat for sunrise. Again this was very beautiful, not as tranquil as the previous day since lots of other people had the same idea. Plus our driver Luong had sent some other bloke and we'd had an argument with him by phone since he said he would be with us the whole week.
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Still it was worth seeing. We then spent a very long time exploring the temple, it's enormous, the biggest religious monument in the world. It's laid out very carefully in a series of enclosures surrounded by galleries with little sanctuary temples dotted around. There are well preserved bas reliefs depicting battles and the Hindu creation myth involving the Gods and demons pulling either end of Vasuki (a serpent) coiled around Mount Mandara to churn the ocean and release the exilir of immortality. The mountain rests on a turtle the whole process of churning the sea of milk has various fishes in disarray at the bottom of the bas relief. It's really amazing and beautifully carved. We got the driver to take us back to the hotel, whereupon we went to sleep, had some lunch and found another, hopefully more reliable, driver in the form of Mr Dara who seemed amenable enough.
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After that excitement we visited Prasat Kravan which is a smaller temple, glowing reddish with five towers, two of which have unusual bas reliefs. Originally it was surrounded by a moat. Next we went to Pre Rup, built in the mid 10th Century. This has an interesting cistern and several nice vestibules or gopuras.
Off we went then to East Mebon which we really liked since it had several elephant statues. Originally this was surrounded by a large water reservoir four metres deep to supply the city's water so it must have been quite beautifully reflected in the pool in its heyday. Next up Ta Som a compact 13th century temple. I found this one very charming with face towers and similarily overtaken by trees as Ta Prohm, but on a much smaller scale. It's very simple in layout and very attractive for that.
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Neak Pean then was another temple built around water. In this case the water had an integral worship purpose, following the story of the four holy rivers issuing from the mouths of a lion, ox, horse and an elephant. Worshippers would pour water into the mouths of the statues which were housed in little pool fronted chapels at each cardinal point outside the lake and the water would then flow into the main lake. There's a circular island in the middle with a temple on it and an unfinished horse statue outside it.
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Off we trundled to Preah Khan, which is my favourite. It's quite big, dating from the 12th century. It's thought that it was also a Buddhist University as well as a temple. There's a very interesting two storied columned building at the side, what purpose it served, nobody knows. The temple is crumbling down, pieces of masonry everywhere. Like Ta Prohm it has a Hall of Fire, a smaller dedicated temple which is in very good condition, also it has a Hall of Dancers with asparas everywhere, on lintels and on bas reliefs. I found it very beautiful.
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For sunset we went to Bakheng overlooking Angkor Wat along with the hundreds of other tourists. Most of the disappeared before the sun actually set since the climb up was fairly tricky. We had a torch though and were one the last people up there.
Day 3 we got up at 3.45 to leave at 4am for sunrise at Bakong. We were the only people there and we climbed up to the top in the dark to watch the sun come up from the other side. We could hear chanting by the monks nearby and at one point we could see a red light glowing in the distance, it turned out to be a monk with some incense sticks. As the sun came up and the stars disappeared we walked round to see the pinkish light shining on the sandstone facade of the towers. It was beautiful being the only people there apart from the orange robed monks walking round. After that we went to the other temples in that group and headed to Thommanon.
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This is an unfinished temple with lovely carvings of female deities. Off next to Ta Keo a 'temple mountain' built to represent the holy five peaked mountain. The towers are not carved in this, as it wasn't finished at it's quite imposing to see this huge hunks of stone. Then we walked about a kilometre to Ta Nei, buried along a pathway in the forest. There are moats on either side and it was lovely to have the little temple completely to ourselves.
Cathal wanted another look at Bayon so we finished the day doing that and were back at 10.30, after lunch I promptly fell asleep!
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Day 4 we started off at the much more reasonable time of noon. First up we went to the pyramid temple Baksei Chamkrong and its neighbours - Prasat Bei and Thma Bay Kaek. Once again nobody about apart from a horse quietly grazing. Our big temple for that day was Bapoun. This is under a considerable amount of restoration by the French so it's not possible to go into the main pyramid but it must have been something in its day. There's a causeway leading up to it, supported by round columns. The pyramid was topped with an open lotus flower carved on a slab of rock and a reclining Buddha graced the rear of the temple. There are still some charming bas reliefs on the gallery but not much else that isn't covered with scaffolding. The other minor temples we visited were all in front of the Royal Enclosure and Elephant Terrace. As were were climbing up Preak Palilay it started to rain and cooled down the air considerably. Just walking past Tep Pranam - a giant Buddha statue - we noticed a lot of people getting water poured over them by a monk. Not sure what it was all about but they were praying furiously whilst getting soaked. We finished up with a visit to Bankteay Kdei ----
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Day 5 we got up very early again to see sunrise at East Mebon. The sun was pretty shy that morning, preferring to remain behind the clouds so we headed off to visit the tiny temple of Banteay Srei. From the outside it looks like a normal size but inside all the buildings have been shrunk to child-size. The doorways are just 108cms high. For the diminutive size it's incredibly well-preserved and carved. The lintels and pediments are beautiful and just about every surface is richly decorated. I think it's become my new favourite temple.
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After that we went to visit the carvings on a river bed at Kbal Spean. We walked uphill through a forest for about half and hour, reaching a fast flowing brownish river and there were carvings in the bedrock. It's amazing since they must have known they'd eventually be eroded away. We were there around 8am and had the place to ourselves, but on the way back we met at least 20 people coming up the hill so we felt very lucky. After that we went to Banteay Samre which was interesting, with some lovely Naga (five headed serpent) carvings and balustrades.
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The next day we started at the very civlised hour of 7am and went to Phnom Krom which is a very ruined temple on top of a hill. The temple has been withstanding the wind for over a thousand years now but shows the scars. We were very impressed at the 360 degree view from the top of the hill though, all over the Tonle Sap and surrounding fields - well worth the climb.
After that we revisited Pre Rup and Preah Khan before heading back to give blood at the Children's Hospital. Khmer people generally don't give blood so this hospital is dependent on foreigners. Neither of us had ever given blood before, but it was painless and we got a free t-shirt and cookies!
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