In December 2001 PhotoMann made his long awaited visit
to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. I've had an interest in visiting Angkor
for many years but had never followed through. A family trip to Thailand
for the holidays provided the opportunity to finally make the trip.
It was a short two day `detour' from Bangkok to Siem Reap that was
most rewarding. My wife and daughter went on to Chiang Mai to visit
the relatives while I went on my latest photo adventure.
I made all the arrangements through a trusted travel
agent in Bangkok (DTC Travel)
that I've used for years. The managing director highly recommended
a historian (New Zealander) who has lived in Siem Reap for many years.
Although the cost
wasn't cheap it was worthwhile to have a personal guide to see as
much as I could in the two days I had. The only annoying part of the
trip was having to pay Bangkok Airways an outrageous $320 for the
round trip from Bangkok. Bangkok Air has a monopoly on the route.
That price in line with the ludicrous prices I'm accustom to paying
in Japan.
After arriving in Siem Reap everyone is obligated to
stand in line to submit their visa paperwork then in another line
to pay for it. Finally you have to wait for them to return your passport.
It's an absurdly inefficient process with lots of personnel involved.
The real purpose is to collect $20 from every visitor. They should
just collect the funds and not delay the visitor.
Once I made it out of the airport I was met by Graham
who was to be my guide for the next couple of days. We first offloaded
my things at the Freedom Hotel where I was to stay that evening. It
was a nice clean hotel with
friendly English speaking staff. There's also a good open air restaurant.
The Siem Reap (means "Siam defeated" in Khmer)
area changed hands many times between Siam (Thailand) and Cambodia
over the centuries. The culture is an interesting blend of the two
societies. Most of our time was to be spent in Angkor national park
which is home to over 70 temple sites many of which have been eaten
by the jungle. We also made a journey to the great lake Tonle Sap.
We started by visiting Angkor Wat itself. Angkor ranks
among the foremost architectural wonders of the world. It was breathtaking
to see its grandeur. The experience is only matched by the awe I have
felt at the Taj Mahal in India or the Forbidden City in Beijing. The
high sun during our late morning visit wasn't kind to the photographer
in me but it did allow exploration without the large crowds that are
typically found in the late afternoon. We did return late afternoon
on the second day so I could try to shoot a sunset. Unfortunately
it was an overcast day with mixed clouds.
I eventually gave up and went for a relaxing drink at a restaurant
outside the temple complex. While we were drinking and talking the
sun poked through the clouds. I was hot and tired but the PhotoMann
in me took over. I rushed off to capture my image. After the 700+
meter dash I arrive in place to take my pictures but the dam sun went
behind the clouds again. I eventually gave up again and started to
stroll back. Half way back to my cold drink I turned to see the sun
brilliantly illuminating the temple in golden light. It was off to
the races again. This time I made it with a few seconds to spare.
The sunset image of Angkor Wat was my prize. I was exhausted and hot
without a tripod so the image isn't as sharp as I would like but is
great nonetheless.
Angkor Wat is the star attraction in Siem Reap. Angkor
Wat was built between 1113 and 1150 as a funerary temple for king
Suryavarman II. The massive temple which symbolizes heaven on earth
has the same cubic volume of stone as the great Cheops pyramid in
Egypt. It's the largest religious temple of any kind in the world.
The temple is surrounded by 1500 by
1300 meter moat that is nearly 200 meters wide. The central tower
(65m high) symbolizes the mythical Mount Meru which is the center
of the universe and represents heaven. The other four towers represent
nearby peaks. The lower courtyards represent the continents and the
moat the ocean. The inner courtyard is surrounded by walls covered
in bas relief carvings. The carvings are 2-3 meters high and stretch
over 800 meters. The exquisite art depicts armies, battles, wars,
heaven, hell and everyday life. Some have deteriorated with the high
humidity over time but much of it is still quite clear. A thorough
reading of the carvings could take days or longer! Equally impressive
were the sculptures of Apsara (heavenly nymph) which frolicked with
amorous desire in the upper levels of the temple.
After visiting the biggest temple we were off to explore
the smaller temples within Angkor Thom (green city) which was the
last capital of the Khmer empire. The ancient city is surrounded by
8 meter high walls extending 12 kilometers.
None of the palaces or other buildings remain as they were made of
wood which decayed long ago. Stone was reserved for the gods so the
ancient temples are all that remains. Many of the temples have decayed
but their ruins are impressive anyway. The most impressive temple
inside the ancient city is Bayon. It features 200 large carved stone
faces on 54 towers. The soft afternoon light made shooting images
of the faces a most rewarding experience.
Two other temples of note in the area are Ta Prohm and
Banteay Srey. Ta Prohm is a fascinating depiction of man versus
nature. The temple has been invaded by huge roots from giant banyan
trees. The trees and temple walls have blended to become one. The
massive scale of the trees and their roots snaking along the walls
is an impressive sight.
Banteay Srey also known as the Citadel of Women is a
magnificent temple located about a forty-five minute drive from Angkor
Wat. The drive along the bumpy road is worthwhile as it affords wonderful
views of the countryside. Along the way we saw the Cambodian flavor
of public service messages funded by advertising. The huge billboard
warned to be careful of landmines when walking, call out for assistance
when you find one, don't move if you're surrounded by land mines...
then have a Coke! We also stopped by a local village house where Graham
presented a B&W TV powered by a 12 volt car battery to the family
with 7 kids. The big reward for the journey was reaching the temple
itself. Banteay Srey was built in the 10th century as a Hindu temple
dedicated to Shiva. The pink sand stone is sculpted to perfection.
The quality and detail of the bas relief carvings was unequaled elsewhere.
We made one major excursion to Tonle Sap lake to visit
a fishing village and Phnom Krom temple. The immense lake is 12km
from Siem Reap along the Siem Reap river. Fortunately Graham was able
to drive up the bumpy road to the summit of Phnom Krom which towers
137 meters above the lake. The climb in the high heat and humidity
would have been arduous. The hill has a commanding view of the lake
and countryside. The Phnom Krom temple was
built at the end of the ninth century by king Yasovarman I. The structures
made of sandstone have been eroded over time. There are three main
temple buildings dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. There are
also some lesser structures that appear to be crematoriums. The temple
isn't spectacular by itself but is impressive when combined with the
commanding view of the lake and countryside it is a must to visit.
The area just below the summit is home to a modern Wat with brightly
colored murals.
After descending from the hill we parked and wandered
out through the fishing village at the base. It was fascinating to
see the mobile community that constantly relocates as the water level
of the Tonle Sap lake
rises and falls. The lake is fed by the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers.
From mid May through October (rainy season) the level of the rivers
rise and back up into the lake. The lake level raises from an average
of 2 meters to 10 meters. The lake more than doubles in size during
that time. This annual process of flooding and receding waters makes
the lake one of the richest sources of fresh water fish. Tonle Sap
is estimated to support the livlihood of 40 percent of Cambodians.
The village is centered around a dirt road that extends
out into the lake. As the water recedes the village moves outward
toward lake center. Some structures are permanently constructed on
stilts but most are either floating or can be easily put on wheels
for relocation.
The village was rich with picture taking opportunities. The floating
homes, kids playing, villagers at work, boats, etc. It was fantastic.
After strolling for a half hour and getting a bit sunburned we boarded
a boat to venture out further in the lake. We saw other small floating
neighborhoods teeming with activity. It was a definitely a worthwhile
excursion from the temples of Angkor where "temple burnout"
can occur.
PhotoMann truly enjoyed his short visit to Cambodia.
Two days was enough to get a good flavor of the temples and surroundings
but more time would have been great. I will likely return some day
to explore some more.
Be sure to view the
rest of PhotoMann's images of the Angkor area.
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