Angkor WOW!

Posted under Southeast Asia 2009

What can I say — aaaawesome!!!!  Was getting a little “templed” out, but this is different. Same, same — but different. It is difficult to visualize the magnitude of the construction of this type of undertaking, all with primitive tools and equipment.

 

Although Angkor Wat is the most famous of the temples in Cambodia, there are actually a number of temples, some larger, some more spectacular, but Angkor Wat is probably the most restored, and was the first to be “re-discovered” in 1860. History now tells us that a Japanese explorer had previously visited Angkor Wat in 1642, by accident, it seems. This must have been in a time prior to Japanese high-tech electronics, and luxury cars, as his compass, or GPS, or whatever he was using, lead him astray. He was on his way to India to visit an ancient Hindu temple, and ended up in Cambodia at Angkor Wat. Because of the Hindu gods depicted in the carvings at Angkor Wat, he patted himself on the back and said, “I have arrived”. He had, just not where he had intended. Like a friend once told me, “you’re only lost if you give a damn where you are at”. The explorer returned to Japan, and Angkor Wat returned to the jungle.

 

Now when the French were here in the mid nineteenth century, there were rumors of a magnificent lost city, but no-one believed that a country as poor as Cambodia, could have ever had the presence to build, or occupy a city of this stature, and so it remained only a rumor until it was re-discovered once again in 1860. Some restoration has been ongoing since then, in fits and starts.

 

The development in the Angkor region carried on from about the eighth to the thirteenth centuries, and what we see are the temples to the Gods. Apparently only the Gods could live in temples made of stone, the lesser beings compelled to live in structures made of wood. Much like present day Canada and parliament hill. Anyway, these temples were not meant as places of worship, but only a place for the Gods to dwell, but of course the king and those in favor could stroll through. The temples became increasingly more elaborate as time progressed, and each successive king tried to outdo the others in his quest to win favor with the Gods. Add to this mix the fact that religious affiliation swung back and forth between Buddhist and Hindu. As Cambodia was in the gateway region between India and China, traders brought many items from the area of India, including religion, however Cambodia was sporadically controlled by the Khmer (Cambodians) and the Cham from central Vietnam. The temples showed the influence of the time by the deities carved into the temple structures. It is interesting to note that there was no mortar used in the construction of these temples. The sandstone blocks were transported from a quarry some 60 kilometers away, and then assembled by rubbing the stones against each other until a perfect fit was obtained. Seemed to work as there are thousands of these stones still in place after all this time. In addition to this, they built huge moats around the temples and the adjacent cities and huge reservoirs for water control. It was a time of great wealth and prosperity for the Khmer.

 

We also stomped around ruins in a more primitive state. Ta Phrom has only been partially cleared of the jungle growth and gained some notoriety with Harrison Ford and Angelina Jolie in the movie Tomb Raider. A most impressive vision that helps to show us how really insignificant we really are. For six hundred years the jungle has patiently crept forward to reclaim the land that was taken from it. Trees have slipped their roots between massive stones until roofs and walls are toppled, leaving stones strewn about the jungle floor like so many fallen soldiers, lost in battle. It is easy to see how these massive developments were lost from history, but for stories passed from generation to generation. In our short time here, we have but scratched the historic surface of the area, leaving much to see on yet another journey.

 

More to follow —