I just had some of the best Italian food I've ever eaten, hand-rolled fetacini and gnocchi and sauces of incredible flavor. No, Jillian and I didn't drastically change our itinerary and hop a plane to Rome--I was dining at our guesthouse in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It's owners are three men from France, Spain, and Italy, and the menu downstairs on the patio reflects these origins. After a full day exploring the temples of Angkor in the hot sun and sticky humidity, kicking back with some red wine and one of these homemade dishes was just about perfect.
Siem Reap, until recently a quiet little town, sits a couple of miles south of the temples, so Jillian and I opted for a pair of the guesthouse's ancient, Wicked Witch of the West bicycles. They were small--I looked like a 12-year old riding a tricycle--but they proved to be an excellent way of getting around what is essentially a national park. In fact, it's an extremely well-maintained park with near-Western standard infrastructure and organization. It's been less than twenty years since the country was totally freed from the grip of the brutal Khmer Rouge and less than ten since tourists began coming in large groups, but already Siem Reap and the temples are humming along nicely with activity.
Wow, Dan, this is all very interesting, let's hear more about your diet and choice of transportation. Shut up and get on with the temples!
Describing the temples of Angkor is like describing the Grand Canyon or the guy who mugged you in that dark alley: it's damn difficult. There are hundreds of temples scattered about the area that once housed one of history's great empires. Between the 9th and 13th centuries Angkor dominated the region, battling rivals and neighbors Siam and Vietnam, building a still-impressive irrigation system that helped feed a population of one million, and commemorating all of this with a vast array of temples dedicated to their religion (a mix of Hinduism and Buddhism) and their kings.
First and foremost is Angkor Wat:
Angkor Wat is the national symbol of Cambodia. It appears on the nation's flag and currency and is a source of honor for all Cambodians. Jillian and I walked around the immense grounds (1.5 km x 1.3 km) on three separate occasions, taking in the grandeur of the pyramids and marveling at the intricate base reliefs along the outer wall, each relief panel telling a story from either the empire's history or religion.
It was during our first stop at Angkor Wat that Jillian and I started seeing all the monkeys. They're everywhere in the park, often simply sitting along the side of road or walking across the path. And best of all, we saw several families of monkeys climbing around on the entrance steps at the east gate of Angkor Wat. What's better than monkeys on ancient ruins?
Maybe this: The Bayon.
Situated inside Angkor Thom, a walled city near Angkor Wat, the Bayon was built in the late 12th century to celebrate a reunification of the empire. Without a doubt its calling cards are the 37 (down from the 54 when it was built) complex face-towers. Each tower, rising impressively from the Bayon's third level, is adorned with four faces, each of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion. Jillian and I climbed the steep and slippery steps near sunset and were simply blown away by what we found. From the ground, it's a bit difficult to ascertain what all the hype is about. It's not until you're at eye-level, such as it is, with these towers that the immensity of the project sets in.
The temples, like the monkeys, appeared everywhere we looked, around every corner we steered our bikes. We passed numerous smaller temples--amazing in the their own right--completely devoid of tourists. You could surely spend an entire day at Angkor and nary see another Westerner. There are simply that many temples.
One more: Ta Prohm.
This temple gained some fame when it appeared in the movie Tomb Raider. What makes this temple so interesting is that when Angkor was "discovered" by Europeans (they found hundreds of monks living there) in the mid-1800s and began restoration projects shortly thereafter, the decision was made to leave Ta Prohm as it had been found: devoured by the jungle. Though less impressive from the outside than many of the other temples we visited, Ta Prohm was the most fun to explore.
Alas, the monkeys stayed away from Ta Prohm, thus preventing my ascent to photography nirvana.
As always, more pictures can be found by clicking on "Our Photos" on the right sidebar.
Her life is in ruins
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