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Postcards from:
Big Bear Lake California Angkor Wat Cambodia Aranyaprathet border Angkor Wat First Day Angkor Wat Second Day Angkor Wat Third Day Bangkok Thailand Big Bear Lake California
Siem Reap
-
Ruins First
day
- Ruins
Second Day |
Holiday Greetings from Angkor Wat,
FIRST DAY PHOTOS PAGE
Siam Reap is
the gateway to the fabulous ruins of Angkor Wat. This is my
second visit, the first being back in 2002. I took so many
photographs this time I've decided to break up the presentation
into several web pages... as well as providing access to my
Kodakgallery albums which display the photos as a full screen
slide show.
After leaving Kolkata India, Bangkok provided a three week refuge from the Indian misadventure. Eventually, the new 30 day Thailand visa again approached expiration and I jumped over to Cambodia for a return visit to the fabulous Angkor Wat archaeological park previously visited some four years earlier. I love ruins.
Today is Christmas and despite
the presence of very few Christians in the country, music and
decorations insure American visitors will not be deprived of the
holiday spirit. My hotel has an elaborately decorated ten foot
tall tree in the lobby and traditional Christmas music is piped
into all public areas of the hotel every morning and evening. I
think they only have one XMas CD as the selections often
repeat... though I suspect few of the indigenous folk notice
- most speak only Khmer. Around the hotels one hears plenty of
English, however. Parents must teach newborns "hello papa" as
their first words. Tiny tots commonly stare and pronounce the
greeting, awkwardly managing feeble hand gestures resembling a
"wave bye-bye." On the streets I am never far from someone
yelling: "Sir! Want Tuktuk?" This is the high season, but there
must be at least ten times as many of these motorcycle pulled
carts as are needed by tourists and drivers are anxious to find
someone willing to pay $10 for a full day of their services.
Most foreign visitors arrive with a package tour which
provides deluxe air conditioned buses. It is only the young
backpackers and other intrepid solo travelers like me that must
make independent arrangements. The manager of my four star $70 Somadevi
Angkor Hotel, Ms. Revira says she rarely sees independent
travelers in her hotel. So unusual is my presence she invited me
to be her guest at the lavish Christmas eve party around the
pool last night. So much for my lackadaisical efforts to stay on
a diet!
Today I again walked-climbed the
extensively restored ruins of the vast Angkor
Wat archaeological park. Hindus built the temples during a
period spanning four centuries. Starting around 800CE a series
of powerful rulers undertook massive building campaigns rivaling
those of the Egyptians or the First Emperor of China. The
dominant religion of the region shifted back and forth between
Hinduism and Buddhism. Originally created as Hindu temples, the
Buddhists co-opted the structures and added their own statues of
revered monks and the Buddha... only to have most of them
destroyed or defaced by later Hindu conquerors. Today, broken
relics of grander times are protected by orange robed Buddhist
monks and white clad nuns. Here and there throughout the
monument statues are draped in orange, yellow and gold cloth,
burning incense nearby adds to the exotic atmosphere and is a
reminder that this is first and foremost a spiritual place for
many. Spending a major Christian holiday walking Hindu temples
in a predominantly Buddhist country is a heady experience.
The ancient architects liked
steep inclines and tall structures so some of the stairs to the
top of the tallest temples have steps ascending at a 70 degree
angle. Many of the steps are less than six inches deep and rise
18 inches each step. On my last climb and descent I suffered a lactic
acid attack and
my leg muscles threatened to collapse. Needless to say, I slowed
the pace down the steep incline and steadied myself with
precarious handholds along the occasional wall edges. It is now
36 hours later and it still hurts to stand up! The tuktuk wagon
bounced along the uneven roads between temples spanking me all
the while. Last night crawling into bed became a test of my
ability to tolerate pain as I must surely have badly bruised the
tailbone judging by the tenderness.
I trust that your holidays are
full of joy and that you can look forward to a happy and
eventful new year.
Peace,
Fred Bellomy
|
Siem Reap
-
Ruins First
day
- Ruins
Second Day |
 Reference photo:
authorAugust 2002 |
