Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

Unfortunately the bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap isn’t as pleasant as the towns themselves, but it still didn’t surpass that dreadful ride in India. We were jam packed on a bus full of Cambodians since we took the budget option. For six hours we squeezed 7 people into the 5-seat back row of the bus. On the return trip they played nonstop Cambodian karaoke that resembled the high pitched shrills of a dying cat. To make matters worse the sound penetrated 3-decible earplugs and an iPod with volume on full blast.

Siem Reap is a booming town thanks to the tourism opportunities from nearby Angkor Wat. The central part of town is only a couple of blocks packed full of delicious local and international restaurants. The market in the same area sells beautiful Cambodian silk and kramas in almost every color you can imagine. It’s a pleasant town, but guesthouses and hotels continue to pop up and expand this area as the number of people coming into Cambodia increases annually.

Angkor Wat—the world’s largest religious building—was built by the Khmer Empire between the 9th and 13th centuries. The empire extended from Vietnam to Burma with its capital centralized in Angkor, a city of almost one million people at this time. The temples are impressive inside and out. While some have surrendered to aggressive tree trunks, others have remarkably stayed in tact and survived Cambodia’s extensive warfare. Ankor Wat is surrounded by a moat and wall. We spent 2 hours here exploring the temples bas-reliefs (intricate carvings), deep courtyards, steep towers, and noteworthy symmetry. We were here by 5 a.m. to watch the sunrise over the back of the temple’s three illustrious towers and back almost twelve hours later to see it again in the sunlight.

Our second stop was Angkor Thom, which is a 12km walled city just north of Angkor Wat. Within its walls and at the center of the city is Bayon. The temple boasts 216 gargantuan faces of Avalokiteshvara. It was one of our favorites to explore perhaps because we were being just as observant as the faces that were watching us. Other stops here included the Terrace of Elephants, Terrace of Leper King, the Royal Palace, and Prasats Suor Prat’s 12 towers.

In between visits to various sites, you could see amputee land mine victims playing in a band to support their families or bazaars with ambitious salespeople yelling for your attention and business. Precious little kids ran around you trying to sell even more things for—get this—only one dollar!

Ta Phrom looks like a scene from Indiana Jones. Lichen and moss cover the temple’s aging brickwork. The tentacle-like roots of mature trees slowly strangle doorways, walls, and ceilings. The remaining floor plan is a maze of narrow corridors and crumbling stonework. Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider was filmed here. Consequently, you have to wait in line behind aggressive, trigger happy Japanese tourists (in matching tour group hats) in order to take certain photos. The wait does give you time to admire the ruins and the trees that are growing from the top of the collapsing structure.

Our final stop was the hilltop location of Phnom Bakheng which is a small hike for a view over the trees and perfect for sunset. Turns out, everyone else thought so too. Thousands of aggressive tourists gathered on top of this temple, which one of Angkor’s several temples meant to represent Mt. Meru. The mob was indeed a circus and ultimately a distraction from probably one of the most beautiful sunsets we’ve seen all trip.

We managed to spend over 13 hours climbing, walking, and observing almost every crack and carving of eight Angkor masterpieces. Each one is unique and truly remarkable. Angkor today is a glimpse into the once-thriving empire and an ancient civilization whose abilities and dedication far surpassed many of its time.

Angkor Wat is the pride and joy of Cambodia. It’s the center of the nation’s flag and the national beer. Guesthouses, stores, t-shirts, and other products also proudly use its name and image. Angkor is a symbol of the country’s intelligence, success, and survival—perhaps even more so a diversion from their recent brutal history and a truer representation of Cambodian people.