Today was one of the main reasons I ever took a Southeast Asia trip at all: Angkor Wat! What I've come to learn during the last 48 hours, though, is that that temple is just part of a massive complex but but the Khmer Empire nearly 1000 years ago. Taking several days to visit just a fraction of the many historical and cultural sites makes a lot more sense. In any case, we've got the main event today! I was awake at at 0600 and spent time packing, working on puzzles, reading and completing Duolingo exercises. At 0700, I went down the restaurant in the Park Hyatt Siem Reap and got some breakfast (eggs, noodles, beans, pancake, French toast). I ate my food at a pretty garden table and was serenaded by traditional music. I was pleasantly surprised to see that we had wonderful weather (not too hot, not too humid, not overcast). After meeting the rest of my Bus 1 group in the lobby (0730), we boarded the motor coach and headed towards Angkor Wat. On the way, Reth told us about the history of the temple; it was built in the Fourteenth Century and took 37 years to complete. That was not a coincidence - 37 is a holy number to the Khmers. We learned about the significance of the temple in the Cambodian flag, the reason for using five towers (but only three appear on the flag), the reason (and construction methods) for the moat and bridges. Upon arrival (0800), we were immediately assailed by aggressive monkeys. The weather was outstanding and the crowds weren't significant yet. As we walked across the moat and entered the complex, “Red” took us to many different "perfect" photo spots. While taking photos for each member of the group, he taught us how to say "1, 2, 3, Cheese" in Cambodian: "moy, bee, bye, Cheese". In almost everything we encountered, there was a lot of mystic symbolism. We passed many young couples, posing for photos in traditional garb, and learned about Cambodian wedding traditions. Reth told us about the connection between Hindu and Buddhist in the Khmer and Cambodian cultures. We passed libraries, crematoriums, stupas (outside the walls) and "resting rooms". From photos he showed us in a special book he carried, it was clear that the Angkor Wat complex was even more impressive (painted) and magnificent (completed buildings) while it was being used within the Khmer civilization. Even as it crumbles, the spectacular size and scope of the buildings still caused me to catch my breath at times. We visited some of the interior structure and learned about the four quarters of the design, each with temple halls and cleansing pools that were used by the people depending on their astrological sign and/or life concern. So much of what we learned still had a modern context for the local people - this was driven home very clearly by our guide's description of his young life just after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime - the people still see the buildings as connected to their daily lives. The whole visit was just as magical and memorable as I'd hoped and I was a bit sad when we finished our tour. That being said, the crowds had expanded tremendously and the temps had climbed into the 80s (it was also very humid and I already felt very sweaty. On the bus, the driver gave us each a cold towel - I'm really loving that tradition. Next, we began driving towards the airport so we could visit our next temple. Along the way, we passed many water buffalos and Reth treated us to “candy time”. By 1115, we had arrived at Bakong Temple, built in 880 AD. When I asked our guide if there were any older edifices nearby, he replied that almost everything older was built in the mountains nearby. This temple complex had five levels and statues of elephants and lions. Reth told us that the builder (an early king of the Khmers) was trying to replicate the concept of Mountain “Meru”, the home of the gods. We were allowed to climb to the top of the structure and I was very impressed by the views and little architectural and artistic details I encountered along the way. I explored the whole complex (only about one-twentieth the size of Angkor Wat) but had to meet the bus again at 1150. Meanwhile, the Boomer Grandmas were doing a lot of shopping... One thing I've already noticed about this area is that we almost always encounter little kids waving and smiling at the buses. Because of all the local attention, we didn't depart Bakong Temple until 1205. Before leaving the area, Reth took us to nearby Preah Ko Temple, which was built a little later than Bakong. It had six towers (three for ancestors and their consorts: grandfather/grandmother, father/mother, uncle/aunt). The stucco artwork here was still very well preserved and I marveled at ancient writing and intricate scenes of mythic history and Eastern religious concepts. As I mentioned, Angkor Wat gets all the fanfare but the area nearby, which has just as much significance to the local people, is widely diverse and amazing. By this point in the day, I'd finally understood how my Brit passenger friends (on the flight to Siem Reap) could keep returning to Cambodia, year after year, without running out of places to visit or scenes to enjoy. Back on the road (1225), Red told us more stories of his life and home near Angkor Wat, his grandmother’s stupa (on the grounds of Angkor, the scourge of landmines, etc.). A 1255, we arrived at the Royal Theater Restaurant, where we ate a delicious lunch, which was another Set Menu: Grilled Beef Salad with Morning Glory Tempura, Clear Vegetable Soup, Grilled Chicken with Curry Sauce, Stir Fried Yellow Noodles with Pork, (Jasmine Rice), Steamed Pumpkin Pudding with Fresh Fruit. Feeling quite satisfied, our group departed at 1420 and drove for one hour to reach our next tour destination. Along the way, I marveled at the different kinds of cows that I kept seeing. They didn't look anything like the Holsteins, Jerseys, Angus, etc. we have at home. (When I had WiFi again, I asked Google AI to tell me more about what I had been seeing. The response: "Cows in Cambodia are primarily zebu (Bos indicus), including the local Kor Khmer (or Khmer) breed, which is a domesticated, yellow-haired, humped cattle. Other breeds present are the Hariana from India and the Brahman from the Philippines, along with various crossbreds.") Back on the bus, our drive had to navigate so many holes and treacherous obstacles to driving that I wondered if we'd make it safely. Happily, by 1515, we'd arrived at Banteay Srei Temple, a Tenth Century structure that which was located near the Cambodia Landmine Museum (we didn't end up visiting that but I'm sure it was good). While we were parking, Reth pointed out that most of the temples were built as Hindu temples but later became (in most cases, forcibly,) Buddhist. This worked well, mostly, because the pantheon of gods was related. It also allowed local Buddhist people to feel comfortable using the grounds for their daily worship. Once we'd walked a few hundred yards into the jungle, we saw lots of lotus plants, exotic birds (in the trees), free range chickens (on the ground) and lots of rice paddies. With the latter sight, we also got to see people harvesting their rice crops - it looked like very difficult work. Even more impressive, though, were the many examples of amazing carvings that were still clearly visible. I actually enjoyed this temple very much until one too many buses offloaded their passengers and there was "standing room only." Once that occurred, I saw outside the buildings on a big rock and relaxed until the tall trees. After retracing our steps through the forest and reaching our motor coach again, we departed at 1630. Reth gave us another “candy time” while Mr. Long drove us back to Siem Reap in a reverse direction from the early afternoon. During this time, my clothes stayed wet from all the sweating I'd done during the day (chafing started). I really wanted to go back to my hotel room and change but Reth had an idea that we might be able to watch a beautiful sunset from Srah Srang, a huge Khmer Empire era Reservoir. Since the motor coach was too big to reach that place, we had to stop (1700) to switch to a smaller bus. From there, we drove through busy streets and stopped (1720) at Pre Rup Temple. This place, like all the others today, was a wonderful place for. Once we arrived at the reservior, though, we didn't get lucky enough to see a sunset - instead, there was only massive thunder storm clouds. All around us, the young kids were hard selling the Boomer Grandmas. This likely delayed our departure... Once we left, it took from 1745 to 1830 (with the traffic and bus swap) to reach the Park Hyatt again. I was so ready for a break but Reth told us we only had one hour to change clothing and rejoin him for our dinner. So, at 1930, I was back with my group and reboarded the motor coach. Our destination tonight was a place called "Street 27), which was located across the river (east side) and featured a “Khmer Set Menu”: Banana Blossom Chicken Salad, Chicken Sour Soup, Stir-Fried Pork Cashew Nut, Grilled Chicken Satay served with Peanut Sauce, Steamed Jasmine Rice, Fresh Fruit with Passion Sauce. As usual, all the food was excellent and I felt refreshed after a full day of walking, exploring, sweating and hydrating. We finally departed the restaurant at 2115 and I was back in my hotel room by 2130. I spent about 90 minutes blogging, reading (audiobooks), etc. before going to bed (2300). I have to admit that we had beautiful weather for a once-in-a-lifetime stop at Angkor Wat. So many amazing memories - an unbeatable experience and a great day!
