Angkor Away
6 Days wandering Angkor Wat and its neighboring temples has turned us into archaeological devotees, admiring every lintel, pediment, and bas-relief. Package tours bustle most tourists through the Angkor temples in 3 days, starting before sunrise and ending after sunset, ostensibly seeing the same number of temples that we have in 6 days. We lack the stamina and desire for such a whirlwind trip. Our thorough investigation has paid off. We have discovered that the temples of Angkor are as distinct as the malls of Bangkok.
The 3 imposing towers of Angkor Wat are plastered throughout Cambodia from beer cans to T-shirts, but that only scratches the surface of the wonder that is the Angkor temples. Though the largest, it is not the most memorable. That honor could belong to the 37 eery face towers of the Bayon, the huge strangler figs slowly destroying Preah Khan, the myths intricately carved in stone at Banteay Srei, or one of several others that rapidly come to mind. Then there are the temples that time has forsaken, and we’d probably forget if not for the blessed shade they offered or the resident monkeys ambushing us for our water.
Amidst this ancient splendor are the modern day realities of Cambodia. Young children spend their days relentlessly hawking postcards, cold drinks, and junk souvenirs. While their antics can get annoying, we are happy to see they are not just begging, and they can chat, joke, and play games with us.
Back in Siem Reap, the closest town to the temples, most Khmers are just going about their daily business, though they are always willing to take a moment to share a smile. If you came to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat, you wouldn’t be disappointed. If you expected a third world country filled with poverty surrounding it, you wouldn’t be disappointed. But, if you expected a downtrodden people, you would be.
Tags: Cambodia
Adam
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