Cambodia - Siem Reap & Ankor Wat - Travel Story

Written by Thomas Dembie Tuesday, 06 April 2010 01:09

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Siem Reap & Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The Road to Siem Reap

Siem Reap means ‘Siamese Defeated’, which is a great name for a city located near the Thai border! This boomtown essentially exists to serve as a base for tourists who arrive by plane, boat and bus to spend time exploring the breathtaking ruins of Angkor Wat. The cheapest way to get to Siem Reap is to take a local bus. Be prepared to bounce, though, as the roads are in terrible condition from both directions. Of the roughly 36,000 km of highways in Cambodia, only just over 4,000 km are paved. Though it might be seen as an inconvenience to many, I found the trip to be quite fun. We made plenty of stops at tiny shops and villages and we were often greeted by little kids who were most likely accustomed to seeing foreigners, but still curious and eager to earn a dollar. They’re not at all threatening, and rather amusing at times with the creative entrepreneurial spirit and high energy they possess.

Upon arrival in Siem Reap, there were plenty of touts waiting to take us to their hotel, grab our luggage and offer their services for the entire length of our stay. If possible, try to find some tourists to vouch for a driver, or at least find out what the going rate is for daily services. For $5 a day, I managed to get a local to drive me around on his motorcycle to all of the temples and help me find my way around the complex network of sites in the area. Not only was having a driver useful from that point of view, but it also gave me the chance to get to know someone who has grown up in Siem Reap.

History of Angkor

From the 9th to the 12th centuries, Khmer Kings established their capitals at Angkor. At one point in history, Angkor was a highly developed civilization, which is obvious when examining the temples, sculptures as well as the elaborate irrigation system that helped them thrive. Today, Angkor covers more than 400-square kilometres and still boasts more than 100 temples.

Angkor was founded by Yasovarman I, who ruled from 889-900 A.D. The site that most people associate with the region, Angkor Wat, was not built for another two hundred years. This period, from 1113-1150, under the rule of Suryavarman II, represents the high point of Khmer civilization.

The famous temple of Bayon, with its estimated 200 faces, was the work of Jayavarman VII, who ruled from 1181-1219. Under his rule, over 100 hospitals, 100 rest houses for pilgrims, and possibly as many as 20,000 shrines were built. He also undertook the huge task of building a strong infrastructure for the region, by building roads and supporting military activities.

In 1431, the Thais attacked  Angkor, and by 1434 the city was completely abandoned. Eight hundred years of Khmer rule came to an end. The area remained forgotten and unknown to the world until 1860, when French explorer Henri Mouhot re-discovered the sites. Fascinated by the literature on the temples, Mouhot went on several expeditions to the area. Many important artefacts were removed and brought to Paris during his expeditions. From 1908 to 1970 the area was protected, studied and partially rebuilt by the Conservation d’Angkor. During the Khmer Rouge years, the site was inaccessible and suffered from neglect.

Ancient Playground & Click Click Click

At 5:00 am, my driver picked me up at the hotel and we headed for Angkor Wat to catch the sunrise. Before entering the Angkor Wat area, I had to get my site photo identification. At $40 for three days, the entrance fee is super expensive – especially when you know that only a very tiny portion of the proceeds actually goes to the restoration and maintenance of the temples. You are required to show this ID at the entrance to all the major temples, and there is a stiff fine for getting caught without one. For this reason, your driver can take you to the temple, but if you want a guided tour of a certain Wat, you’ll have to find an authorized guide.

The Angkor Wat temple was already buzzing with plenty of tourists waiting to see the sun rise on this magnificent morning. I must have sat around for a good hour staring at the temple and thinking about all the hard work that must have gone into building such a huge complex. The temple itself is not open to the general public until later that morning, so after the sun had risen, I left the site to visit the Bayon.

Of all the temples in Angkor, the Bayon is by far the most eerie and fun to explore. From afar, it looks like a giant pile of rubble or a temple seriously damaged by natural disasters, but as you approach from any direction, you start to notice some of the 1200m of intricate carvings depicting Cambodian life in the 12th century. There are more than 200 faces of Avalokitesvara staring downwards from 54 towers and below these towers are many places of worship still used by Cambodian Buddhists. Seeing this site in the early morning, or at sunset, is especially eerie, as the shadows seem to bring these faces to life, making you feel lost in this maze of unsettling and enigmatic looks. Every so often I would find myself in a seemingly hidden area where Buddhists were seen parying. They often invited me to plant incense sticks in front of sacred images – some for religious reasons, others for the hope of getting some money.

The vast majority of the sites in Angkor have been restored during the past decade. Restoration efforts have focused on clearing away overgrowth, supporting sites that may possibly collapse and clearing away tree roots that have over the years grown up through the temples compromising their structural integrity. The restorers have, however, left some of the temples as they found them, in order to show the visitors what the sites looked like before they were re-discovered. The most fascinating site that has remained relatively untouched is Ta Phrom. This is also probably one of the most photographed areas for the large trees that have, over the years, grown to surround and swallow up the site.

After a break for lunch, I returned to the area to visit Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is considered by many, including myself, to be one of the greatest achievements of humankind and one of the most spectacular monuments in the world. Angkor Wat was designed to be a small replica of the universe. The central 65-metre tower represents the mythical Mt. Meru, situated at the centre of the universe. For Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Bon-Po, Mt. Kailas in Tibet is believed to be the physical representation of Mt. Meru. The five surrounding towers symbolize the peaks of Meru. The outer wall is supposed to represent the mountains at the edge of the world, and the 1.5 km by 1.3 km moat the oceans beyond. The site is so big that it is best seen over the course of multiple visits, as there is way too much to digest in one visit. For example, you’ll find over 800 metres of bas-relief at the base of the central temple. To add to the complexity of the site, French archaeologists have discovered gold objects in a vertical shaft that descends 27 metres below the surface of the temple.

By the end of the day, my feet were extremely tired and my legs had gotten the best workout they’d endured since my adventures in Borneo. The final stop, Phnom Bakheng, is the best spot from which to photograph Angkor Wat. You get a great view from above and you can also catch the sunset over the Angkor countryside – unless you have the money to take a hot air balloon ride. To get there, however, you have to climb a steep dirt and loose rock path. If you’ve got a few extra dollars to spend, or if you’re too tired from all of the day’s activities, you can also make the climb on an elephant. It seems that every visitor to Angkor makes this climb for sunset, as the top of the Wat is overcrowded with visitors. It’s all worth it though, as the views are spectacular.

During my second day, I visited many of the lesser-known temples of Angkor located further from Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, as well as the Roluos Group. The Roluos Group, located about ten kilometres east of Siem Reap, are some of the first temples built in the area. These temples were built in the 9th century, and are a great way of gauging the architectural progress that was made from this time until the creation of Angkor Wat. Bakong is especially fascinating, as it was built to represent Mt. Neru and dedicated to Shiva, the third deity of the Hindu triad of great gods – the others being Brahma and Vishnu. They are located in a different direction from Siem Reap so getting there also gives you a chance to explore some of the Cambodian countryside.

After two days of wandering around magnificent ruins, I was starting to get tired of seeing temple after temple. It would have been nice to be able to take a break for a couple of days and then return, but my days in Southeast Asia were numbered. If you’re wondering what ever happened to this great Empire, here’s a brief explanation of what helped make it so great and what caused it to collapse.

Reasons for the Rise and Fall of the Angkor Empire

Religion - The Khmer kings adopted the Indian doctrines of deva-raja, or god-king. As “god-kings”, the Khmer kings were able to rule over the land with supreme power. This allowed them to build up a large army to defend the land as well as invade their neighbours. They were also able to maintain an elaborate irrigation system with Khmer workers and foreign slaves, which was essential to their survival.

Though religion helped the Empire achieve enormous progress, it also contributed to its downfall. The introduction of Theravada Buddhism in the 13th century, which taught people to seek self-enlightenment, abandon worldly things and discourage any superstitious beliefs, reduced the Khmer kings’ ability to motivate the dedication of their workers. The sovereignty of the monarch was thus challenged.

Irrigation - This decrease in devotion to the “god-king” had a negative impact on the irrigation and drainage system. With a lower supply of water for the rice crops, the drop in productivity translated into a drop of strength for the Empire. The irrigation and reservoir systems were essential, as the area encountered heavy rainfall during the Monsoon season, and no rain at all during the rest of the year. The complex system of reservoirs, dikes, moats and ponds helped prevent floods in the Monsoon season and store water for the dry season. This allowed the Empire to cultivate crops three times a year to adequately feed the large population.

Location - Jayavarman II chose Angkor for its strategic location. Thick forests from all sides protected Angkor. Situated in the north of Tonle Sap Lake, the only possible way to invade Angkor with large troops was to sail upstream from the Mekong River, as no well-developed roads existed. Knowing that this was the only way to attack, Angkor’s strong military had a great advantage. In over 600 years, Angkor only lost one major naval battle on the Tonle Sap to forces from the kingdom of Champa, located in what is now central Vietnam, in 1171.

Well-developed roads were built under Jayavarman VII in order to aid in the transport of products and trades across the empire. This inadvertently gave attacking empires another route to attack. The Ayuthaya Thai kingdom used these roads in 1431 to sack Angkor.

Tourist Town

As I mentioned before, wandering around the Angkor complex all day is very tiring! The good news is that the town of Siem Reap is a great spot to relax. There are plenty of great restaurants serving all kinds of food, fun bars showing live sporting events on satellite from around the world and markets to wander if your feet haven’t had enough. While wandering the markets, I got an invitation to take a look inside each booth I passed. It was kind of fun, as the people working the booths don’t really pressure you, and they are fun to chat with. This is also part of the bargaining process. If you walk in and immediately start asking for a super deal, you probably won’t get it. It’s important to establish a friendly rapport with the shopkeepers. There are also a number of amputees in the downtown area surrounding the market and by the river. As many of them are shunned by their own society, it is difficult for them to earn a living, so they often turn to tourists for an income. I still think it’s better to give them a piece of fruit or some other perishable item, as you don’t know what they will spend your money on. Drug use is a serious problem in the area. Internet access can also be found on each street corner, though I think they all share one connection. If the Internet is not working at one shop, which happens fairly often, it most likely won’t be working anywhere. With a relatively low number of tourists when I arrived, restaurants were offering great deals to compete for your dollars and happy hours are often extended. That said, I was still surprised to see prices above those in Phnom Penh and well above what I’d pay for the same meal in Vietnam or Lao.

Outskirts of Siem Reap – The Real Cambodia

On my last day, I explored on foot outside of the city limits to catch a glimpse of what a day in the life of a local would look like. I immediately noticed the condition of the buildings, as well as the attitude of the people I met. Just like the houses that we passed along the national highway, many of the places were extremely poorly built and maintained. If a storm were to blow through the region, I guarantee the majority of buildings would not survive. They make trailer parks seem like palaces. Looking into some of the primitive houses, I often saw one or many family members sitting around trying to stay cool and out of the sun. This does not seem to affect the mood of the people. I was often met with sincere smiles, laughter and curious looks. This was a nice change from Siem Reap, where touts and beggars won’t leave you alone. Like Lao, having a conversation is quite difficult, as the majority of the people, even the youngens dressed in their blue and white school uniforms, spoke very little English.

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