My journey to Siem Reap from Bangkok went smooth enough, and when
I arrived at my hotel after 10 in the evening, I found my room
spacious and comfortable. The next morning complimentary breakfast
satisfied my taste, especially with a cook in the room making custom
omelets to order, and after walking around the neighborhood visiting
a nearby grand temple and old town with bustling market full of
foods, fabrics, and arts & crafts, my previous attitude
melted away.If there were any doubts of the value of being in Cambodia, they have been completely erased by Angkor Wat and the cheerful beauty of Cambodians. I had seen photos of the largest temple complex in the world and was not impressed by the drab colors and jungle scenery. I did not know that it is the most visited sacred site in the world, and if I did, that would have discouraged me further.
I set out this morning before dawn with Francesca, an Italian I
met on the flight from Bangkok and became friends with, and Dara, our
trusted and smiling tuktuk driver. Even before we got on the road to
the temple, tuktuks with passengers were everywhere going in the same
direction through the darkness. Fifteen minutes and we were pulling
up to Angkor Wat and joining a throng of people walking toward the
featureless dark temple. A crowd was already massed at a lake, unable
to go further until opening time. As the sun rose the sky brightened
behind the spiraling domes and slowly the temple features became
visible in bluish tinges with a rosy sky above, embellished by fluffy
clouds of purple. We were a bit in awe and simultaneously
disappointed to be at the back of a crowd, unable to get the pictures
we wanted. Surprisingly, a charming little girl arrived by our side
in the half-light and took an order for coffee, then dutifully
arrived back in minutes with tasty hot drinks. When we continued
forward my impressions steadily rose at the base of the complex while
I looked up at the massive scale of the carved rock and orderly
beauty of the temple. As we strolled, it became apparent we were in
no ordinary place. The crowds quickly thinned so we were actually
quite alone. The place is so huge, people set out in all directions
by foot and tuktuk. Our wandering excursion took seven hours and there is far more to see, but we were overwhelmed, hot, and growing tired. I bought a ticket that allows for two more visits.
At various times Dara would find us and drive us from temple to
temple. Always, the beauty was great along with the dimensions,
especially in grandness of design and the ubiquitous stone carvings
adorning every facade and corner. Angkor Wat is more interesting for the fact
that it began Hindu and later shifted to Buddhist, so the two
influences are mingled. The jungle through the ages has entwined with
structures, so that huge trees are often seen growing out of temples
and snake-like roots wrap around carved block. Many stone faces
appear, sphinx like and huge in improbable places high above,
adorning towers. Often, monks in orange saffron robes are seen making
an accent amid the monotone structures, and I loved taking their
picture. Always a smile in return for a smile. And that is the way it
has been in Cambodia so far.
