C A M B O D I A !!

Photo from the back of a moto taxi in downdown Siem Reap. Interestingly, Siem Reap means Defeat of the Thais (Siamese), interesting considering the proximitey of Siem Reap to Thailand.  

This is a photo of James' hat. One of the most fun forms of transport in Siem Reap is by tuk-tuk, or basically a bench-wagon structure fastened to the back of a motorcycle. I didn't adjust the focus here to get the street, but did get a shot of James here. When you hire a ride, the driver will drop you off at the temple gates, and pull over into a food and souvenir stall area, and wait for you......however long it takes. I tried to tell him that he could go and I could find a ride when I was ready, but apparently this is not how it goes at Ankor. Your driver is yours for the day, however long you want to make it. Going rate is about $12 US for a day. Interestingly, the currency of choice is the US dollar everywhere in Siem Reap. It would be an interesting research topic to investigate the impact on the US dollar and US fiscal policy considering the various countries that use it as their defacto national currency as well.  

Ankor Wat, in all its afternoon lit glory. 

Approach to Ankor Wat. 

This is my friend Aeang, a high school teacher from Hanoi, which he considers the best city in Vietnam. He was traveling alone during a school holiday for a week, and I kept running into him asking different nationalities of tourists different questions. Usually when you see someone who looks local asking questions of tourists in lesser developed countries, the questions go something like, "what country are you from, what guesthouse are you staying in, do you want to buy ______, where are you going, do you have transport, do you have any coins from your country...etc. So, I was surprised to hear Aeang asking Japenese tourists what their standardized testing was like for high school aged children and what percentage of high scorers opt not to go to college. Or asking the French couple how to say "Entemologist" in French. He asked me to take his photo, and I noticed he was decked out in all the modern tourist garb. Digital camera, cell phone, mp3 player, sporty duds...unfortunately, there is such a huge economic gap between Cambodia and the rest of the world that these features really stand out on someone who seems remotely local. The next time I ran into him was at one of the relief panels and he was describing the depths of the Khmer empire when Ankor was built. It extended into China, southern Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. He walked and talked with me for hours. While some of the information I took with a grain of salt, such as the Khmers being 7 foot tall, explaining the large holes in the huge stones that formed the temple (because the giants could pick them up with these finger grips), most was pretty informative and aligned with what I'd read. Even more interestingly, over freshly hacked coconuts for a drink, I asked him about Cambodia in the 1970's during the Khmer Rouge. He spoke in hushed tones...I know it is taboo to mention the subject to Cambodians, but thought he might take a teacherly approach to a quiet conversation after the time we'd spent talking history. Very sad...but I made a new friend and he provided excellent company for exploring Ankor Wat.  

This is the one shot I got at Bayon, in Ankor Thom, north of and larger than Ankor Wat, before my batteries died. 

A buddha sculpture in Ankor Wat. 

Another dancing aspara...but this one has been charcoal-rubbed (more on that below). 

A dancing aspara. 

This is an aspara, or a dancing nymph. They were celestial devotees to the kings who kept the secrets of the royal dances.  

These are dancing devatas. They are royal court dancers. Interestingly, the Khmer culture is the birth place of the type of royal dancing that is represented in Thailand. There are several Thai cultural traits that originated in Cambodia, but you'll never hear a Thai say that. In the 1400s the Thais sacked Cambodia and stole away with its artisans, dancers, and warriors. Thai boxing = really Cambodian boxing. Thai food = Khmer food drowned in chili paste. Thai dancing = Khmer royal dances. Same with the silk weaving, wood carving..... 

One of the buddhist sculptures on the oustide of the outer gallery at Ankor Wat. 

Entrance to Anchor Wat. 

Approach to Ankor Wat.  

Approach to Ancor Wat. 

Ankor Wat entrance across its moat. 

Scripted column in Ankor Wat. 

Outer gallery at Ankor Wat. 

Lawn crew hard at work. 

Some of the landscaping crew taking a rest. 

Ankor Wat is used today as a buddhist temple, so it is not unusual to see monks on the premisis.

Corner Tower at Ankor Wat. 

Ankor Wat is a Mountain Temple dedicated to Shiva. It was created by, in one report, Suryavarman in the 12th century (yes, 1100's), though I have seen other literature indicate Jayavarman as its ruler...perhaps it was built prior to Jayavarman taking over? Needs more research. At any rate, the temple is a Hindu temple and was built as a royal tomb, so it is one of only a few that face west. Interestingly, when the region later became predominately buddhist, no real destruction was laid to the existing temples. But later when it returned to Hindu rule, the destruction of Buddhist iconography was rampant among the temples built by Buddhists during that period.  

Inner courtyard at Ankor Wat.