Temple-Touring Day
We spent the morning touring temples at Angkor, the capital city of the ancient Khmer Empire. We’ve learned about Khmer society through their carvings, meandered from site to site under the shade of huge trees, and climbed to the top of 800-year-old temples to the gods.
I don’t remember learning about the Khmers in school, but thanks to our guide, we’re starting to understand them now. Just as the day’s heat was starting to take a toll, we took a break and had a refreshing Cambodian-style lunch. We’ve cooled off, and at least for the moment, our batteries have been recharged. Time to head out to see “Angkor’s Little Gem,” and then the famous Angkor Wat.
A short drive from the restaurant brought us to the site of a temple called “Banteay Srei,” also known as “The Citadel of Women.” It doesn’t take long to figure out why people think this place has something to do with women. The carvings of apsaras, (female sprits), in the walls make it pretty clear.
Angkor’s Little Gem
Like Ta Keo, Banteay Srei was built in the 10th century – more than 1,000 years ago. Unlike the other temples, though, Banteay Srei isn’t huge. It’s made of red sandstone. Red sandstone is easy for artisans to work with, and it holds up well over time. The result is a beautiful structure that’s known as Angkor’s “Little Gem.”
The intricate carvings in the red sandstone walls of Banteay Srei are beautiful. We walked through most of the site, oohing and aahing. It’s an amazing place. Our guide told us he’d wait while we walked through the remaining part of the temple ourselves. We looked at each other. “No, that’s OK,” we said. “We’re good. Let’s go on ahead to Angkor Wat.”
“But you’re going to miss some good stuff,” he said. “Are you sure?”
We looked at each other’s red, sweltering faces and half-sweat-soaked clothes.
“Oh yeah,” we said. “We’re sure.”
It was the hottest part of the day, and we were on the verge of over-heating. It was really getting hot, and there was no shade to be seen at Banteay Srei. That’s when we noticed that while we were wet sweaty messes, our guide looked fresh as a daisy. His shirt was still neatly pressed, and I don’t think there was even a drop of sweat on his brow. We all had a laugh, a drink of cool water, and moved on. We assured him that we didn’t feel like we weren’t getting our money’s worth.
Angkor Wat
I think it would be reasonable if the authorities decided to change the name of Angkor Wat to “Angkor Wow,” because when you catch your first glimpse of Angkor Wat, all you think is, “Wow!”
OK – that would be ridiculous. But it’s really something to see. Angkor Wat was built, (at least to my untrained eye), in a similar style as the other Khmer temples we’ve seen today. The thing about Angkor Wat, though, is that it’s just so huge. The first glimpse of it gave me chills.
Something about the architectural design of Angkor Wat is special, too. It’s enclosed by long, low galleries that act as city walls. Inside the walls, five towers shaped like lotus buds rise above everything else.
The Khmers built Angkor Wat in the 12th century. It was a temple, but it was also the capital city of the Khmer Empire. The 12th century Khmer King, Suryavarman II, built it to be a Hindu temple. Many years later, when a Buddhist king took the throne, he changed it into a Buddhist temple.
Angkor Wat still a Buddhist holy place today. You’re likely to run into Buddhist monks there, walking around in their saffron robes. If you wish, you can receive a Buddhist blessing at Angkor Wat.
We wandered around Angkor Wat, oohing and aahing, (some more). We had the option to climb another staircase to go up into one of the towers, but there were no takers this time around. Not from our group, at least.
The Last 400 Years
In the 15th century, the neighboring Thais were on the rise, while the Khmer Empire was in decline. The Thais became more of a threat than the Khmers could handle, so they moved their capital from Angkor, east to Phnom Penh. For the next 400 years or so, most of the remains of Angkor were slowly swallowed up by the Cambodian jungle.
It was the rediscovery of Angkor Wat by a Frenchman in the 19th century and the subsequent excitement by the French public that led to the French claiming Cambodia as a protectorate in 1863.
Our personal discovery of Angkor Wat, the other temples, and really, the Khmer Empire today is something we won’t soon forget. It’s been an awesome day.
Tomorrow morning we have to leave Siem Reap. Our stay here was way too short. Good things lie ahead, though. In the afternoon we’ll board a boat that will take us down the Mekong River, through Cambodia to Vietnam, all the way to the Mekong Delta.
To be continued…
Angkor tour details are on this Travel Notes page.
