Angkor

The anchor on a ship is a lifeline. In turbulent times, it provides hope through surer ground. Angkor does just that for the Khmer people of Cambodia. In its single name are deep and long-lived meanings of religion, art, history, and now tourism. The name means pride and power. The symbol is depicted on government offices, street corners, and the national flag, the only one in the world to boast a building. It is even the taste of the country as it is the name of the national brew.

I hesitate to title this entry "Angkor" because I scratched so little of the area's surface. In three days time, I visited half a dozen temples but only three with sincere focus: Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Prohm. There are more than two dozen temples scattered throughout the Angkor area built over many centuries of rule. A visitor can easily spend 2-3 weeks here and not see all of them, so I chose quality over quantity.

The peak of Angkor's civilization was under King Jayavarman VII. If you visit Cambodia, you will become as familiar with his face as you will with those of the Buddha or different Hindu gods. Under his reign, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, the gigantic walled city containing Bayon and many other temples, were constructed. He had no shortage of workforce as the estimated population of the time was near 1 million, a time when London had 50,000. In some museums or famous sites I have often felt an urge to "save the best for last"; the 'best' often meaning the most famous attraction. This time, however, I altered course and began with the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat.

It is the biggest single religious structure in the world. On any given day between 1 and 2,000 people visit it. The moat surrounding it is wide enough to fit two football fields...lengthwise. It has the same volume of stone as the great Cheops pyramid at Giza, however it happens to be carved with detail as small as the tip of a ball-point pen. Only walking up the stairs on the Harbour Bridge and seeing the Sydney Opera House for the first time awash in golden floodlight comes close to my first gaze of Angkor Wat. I had rented a bicycle the evening before so I could make the 6km ride early enough for sunup. I missed sunrise behind the main entrance, which faces due west, because I walked my bike the last kilometer in pure awe. I was humbled by its size. Its layout is four nested rectangles, the largest and outermost being the moat which measures nearly 1.5km on each side. The longest wall is the one a vistor first faces upon crossing the 200m moat. It measures more than 8m tall and is just over 1km in length. Through its gates is an open field with libraries and pools. Beyond that the two innermost and most trafficked rectangles, home of the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas, the bas-reliefs, and the five stone cupolas at the very center.

I spent the entire first day at this one temple. Even though the lighting was poor due to overcast skies, I shot dozens of pictures. At mid-morning, I found a quiet spot to rest and write in my journal. Ironically, it turned out to be one of the old libraries. After my lunchtime food-coma nap, I spent at least an hour speaking with Van, a young Buddhist monk. The day was full of short, fun, memorable moments, however it was the complete essence of the temple that ended up bringing me back every other day, if only for a sunset (shared with a monkey) or another brief stroll through the arcades to see the light cascade on the stone at a different hour. There many professional photographers who have dedicated their careers to Angkor Wat. Their photos are far superior to my own. However, no picture of any quality will ever reproduce the other sensations of Angkor Wat: the smell of the incense burning at the foot of a Buddha or the dried bat guano from AW's only present inhabitants; the sound of the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' of people from all countries, backgrounds, and ages or the three good-luck thumps on a person's chest as he or she stands in one of the prayer resonant chambers. Angkor Wat, like so many other wonders, must be experienced first-hand not so much for the dominant sense of sight, but for the lesser ones of sound and smell.

The second day I dedicated to Bayon in the morning and Ta Prohm in the afternoon. These temples may not ring bells with their names alone, but they each have some distinct images which have been featured in 1st world media. Bayon's most prominent features are its 216 enigmatic faces of Jayavarman VII. Ta Prohm was featured in "Tomb Raider" because the fig trees have reclaimed this temple in the name of the jungle.

Upon looking at its architectural layout, Bayon seems much like Angkor Wat: rectangular base shape with walls facing the principal directions, bas-reliefs around the outer perimeter, and a center skyscraper. However, unlike its more famous southern neighbor, Bayon distinguishes itself with vertical construction and rotational symmetry. It is built in three layers with the third layer being the most magical. It is on this level that the central prayer area is built but not in a rectangle. It's cylindrical shape with faces pointing in a multitude of directions is one of the few, if not only, examples in Angkorian architecture to do this. It is also this third level that brings a visitor within a few meters of Jaya's faces. Some of the gazes seem to follow and cast a "Big Brother is Watching" look. Others you face at eye level and recognize them as a welcoming smile. All of them, from any angle are fascinating and very picture-worthy.

I broke for lunch and returned to dirt-floor, palm-leaf roofed shack I discovered the day before. A young man named Chaay (pronounced like the tea) had called me over for some Cambodian food he was very proud to have just finished. It was a simple meal of rice with pork, veggies, and chilies, but it was more Chaay's conversation and beaming happiness that made me bike 3km back to him. His father lives in Texas and he hopes one day he can earn more than $20/month so that he may make the expensive journey to the US and join him. After the second day's meal of rice and catfish with tamarind sauce, I gave him my contact information with the instructions to use it if he needed help getting to the US. We parted ways with a photo and hug. Best of luck to you, Chaay.

Ta Prohm. Unfortunately, this temple is now synonymous with Hollywood, Angelina Jolie, and "Tomb Raider". It's draw was great enough without that extra hype, however it can still live up to all of it. Angkor Wat was never consumed by the jungle thanks to its massive moat, but many other Angkorian temples were. Ta Prohm is being restored but only to a limited degree. It is widely felt that this temple has some of the greatest character because the vines, lichen, and massive fig trees remind visitors that man never really conquers the land on which he lives. He just leases it. Nature eventually reassumes control and ownership.

On my third and final day in Angkor, I revisited Bayon and Angkor Wat but only during the last two hours of the day. Unlike the previous two days, the sun had decided to grace us visitors with a warm light ideal for amateur and professional photographers alike. I literally raced, with as much respect and control as necessary, through the temples on a blitzkrieg of picture taking. It was during these hours I captured some of my favorite images of both temples.

I will conclude this entry with a few apologies: I am sorry if there are too many pictures; I am sorry if they seem repetitive; I am sorry if you have not yet been to Angkor and understand why. Remedy that.