Angkor Thom

Narath was waiting for us at 6:30 and we headed out into the chilly morning. Ian and I wonder how cold it actually is - we aren’t use to low temperatures anymore - it probably isn’t even that cold. We’re going to be such sucks next winter! We huddled together for warmth on the backseat of the tuk tuk with sweaters and my sarang wrapped around us (NOTE: I looked up the minimum temperatures for those early mornings and it looks like it was anywhere from 18 to 21 degrees. We couldn`t help but laugh about that – back in Canada, we`d think that was warm!).

We were headed for Angkor Thom, one the largest of all Khmer cities in the late 12^th century and probably the capital until the 17^th C. Like Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom is surrounded by a manmade moat and walls 8m high and 3km long on each of the 4 sides enclosing an area of 900 hectares. 

The approach to the south gate over the moat is lined by fierce statues holding the 7 headed naga (snake).

Our first temple stop was the Bayon. According to our guidebook Ancient Angkor, this is one of the most powerfully religious constructions in the world. The temple is very complex in structure and meaning because it has passed through different religious phases: the Pantheon of Gods, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

The place looked brilliant in the early morning sun. At times, it felt like we had the place to ourselves.  There are 37 towers, each one carved with 2 to 4 faces. The outer bas reliefs were possibly carved in the 13^th century and illustrate historical events.

We walked around the exterior and I noticed a thick web in the upper corner of a doorway. In the middle was a thin black and white stripped spider with long legs. A low stone entrance led me into a dark gallery where I found an inner courtyard. At this point, I started messing around with my camera and discovered different colour settings: sepia, tungsten, neutral, vivid, etc. so I began experimenting. From now on, don’t be surprised with what you see – I’m just having fun with the camera:

Ian and I loved this place. It was like a maze. On one level, there were these interesting tunnels and galleries and staircases while up above were towers and upper terraces. We could hear more and more tourists arriving by the busload, but from where we were, it remained mostly quiet and empty.

We spent a long time down in those galleries and courtyards but time was ticking so we decided to head up. The upstairs is supposed to be peaceful and calm offering several profiles of the faces carved into the stones but it was loud, noisy, and crowded with Chinese, French and Russian tourists.  It was positively claustrophobic. However, I did manage to grab a few shots of the carved towers:

As I stood waiting for Ian to catch up to me, I caught a movement in my periphery. On the wall was a green pencil thin snake.  It was exactly like the tiny one we saw on the road outside of Angkor Wat only this one was about 3 feet in length. It was really neat watching it slither up and over the wall without anyone else noticing. I got a photo for Ian but without me pointing it out to you, it’d be hard to see.

We explored the east side.

I was standing on some stone steps getting a photo when I felt a sting on my leg. Low and behold a large red ant was biting me. I flicked it off only to feel another one getting me just under my sock. Clearly red ants are undeterred by bug spray.  Well this was the shot I took whilst getting bit:

We left Bayon and headed north to Baphoun. Not long ago this temple was still covered by dirt. It is amazing how many countries are involved in the restoration of the temples in this area: Japan, Belgium, France, and Germany to name a few. This temple was discovered by the French who started unearthing it but were interrupted by war – they returned 25 years later to continue what they had started.

This is an enormous 11^th C temple with a 5 tiered pyramid set within a long enclosure. A 170+ metre causeway runs in the front leading to the east entrance and a set of stairs taking visitors up to the wall.  Ian and I followed the wall around to the back to see the reclining Buddha started in the 16^th C. You can just make out its features: the head is to the left –

We exited out the back and followed a trail through the woods to Phimeanakas and the Royal Palace. This photo is from the front:

Guardian lions flank the staircase and elephants sit on the four corners – although they no longer look like elephants.  In the front are manmade ponds where the King held aquatic games.  Running parallel with the road, and out front, is the elephant terrace – a large platform running 300m carved with elephants.

From here you can see the Suor Prat Towers across the way. There are 12 identical towers in a row of unknown function.  Next to the Elephant Terrace is the Leper King Terrace with a narrow gallery revealing hidden reliefs.

The reliefs reveal men with swords drawn and the many headed naga underneath as well as female dieties.

Our day came to a close and we headed for lunch having spent about 6 hours going through Angkor Thom (and not seeing everything).

Postscript

You might have noticed from the photos that Ian’s beard has disappeared – I forgot to mention that he shaved it off in Sihanoukville.  It was so odd seeing his face again! Now he needed a haircut. Ian found one in Phnom Penh.

The barber shop had no electricity and although fairly primitive, the scissors, manual clipper, and straight razor were clean.  After some of his hair was cut, Ian received another shave – and I mean a shave: jaw, ears, nose, around his eyebrows, and his forehead; all with a straight razor and no shaving cream. The barber used a liquid lotion that Ian said stung “just a little bit.” He trimmed Ian’s nose hairs and did a second round of cutting while Ian was lying back from the shave. The cap to the cut was a neck and head massage – all for 5 dollars.