Saturday, November 1st, 2003 – Day 256
I was awake at 5.00am and got dressed. My moto driver was ready when I went down stairs at 5.15am. They check your Identity pass at the entry booth and at all the temples. It was still pitch dark when we got to Angkor Wat. There were many tour buses aleady there. They stay for 20 minutes and head back to Siem Reap for bed and breakfast.
Please note that I visited over 15 temples in 2.5 days. I am not an expert in this area and I may not identity all of my pictures as I am unsure as to the temple name. I took hundreds of pictures. I make a quick judgement as to the ones posted here. They may not be the best, but they should give you an idea.
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Sun Rise at Angkor Wat. (01-11-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Sun Rise at Angkor Wat. (01-11-2003)
Angkor Wat — The symbol of Cambodia, the four spires of the main temple of Angkor are known the world over. In fact, this is the most resplendent of the Angkor sites, one certainly not to miss even in the most perfunctory of tours.
Built under the reign of Suryavarman II in the 12th century, this temple, along with Bayon and Baphuon, is the pinnacle of Khmer architecture. From base to tip of the highest tower, it’s 213m (669 ft.) of awe-inspiring stone in the definitive, elaborate Khmer style. The famous bas-reliefs encircling the temple on the first level depict the mythical “Churning of the Ocean of Milk,” a legend in which Hindu deities stir vast oceans in order to extract the elixir of immortality. This churning produced the Apsaras, Hindu celestial dancers, that can be seen on many temples.
The most measured and studied of all the sites, Angkor Wat is the subject of much speculation: It’s thought to represent Mt. Meru, home of Hindu gods and a land of creation and destruction. Researchers measuring the site in hat, ancient Khmer units of measure, deduce that the symmetry of the building corresponds with the timeline of the Hindu ages, as a map or calendar of the universe, if you will. The approach from the main road crosses the baray (or reservoir) and is an ascending progression of three levels to the inner sanctum. The T-shirt hawkers are relentless, and the tricky steps and temple height are a challenge to those with vertigo, but the short trip is awe inspiring and the views from the top are breathtaking.
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Bayon Temple at Angkor Wat. (01-11-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Bayon Temple at Angkor Wat. (01-11-2003)
The Bayon is a Buddhist temple built under a later king, Jayavarman VII (1190), but the temple nevertheless adheres to Hindu cosmology and can be read as a metaphor for the natural world.
It has four huge stone faces, with one facing out and keeping watch at each compass point. The curious smiling image, thought by many to be a depiction of Jayavarman himself, is considered by many to be the enigmatic Mona Lisa of Southeast Asia. Bayon is also surrounded by two long walls with bas-relief scenes of legendary and historical events, probably painted and gilded originally. There are 51 smaller towers surrounding Bayon, each with 4 faces of its own.
More information on the Angkor Wat temples and sites can be found here. There are hundreds of other sites on the Internet.
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Another Temple at Angkor Wat. (01-11-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Bayon Temple at Angkor Wat. (01-11-2003)
I came back from the Temples at 2.00pm. I had a ice cofee and a small rest. I came back early for two reasons. I already sepnt 8 hours at the temples (more than enough) and Ireland were playing Australia at 4.35pm local time. I went to a local bar as the hostel staff were watching and singing Karoke. The beer was a reasonable 1.50 USD per big bottle. I was the only one there. It ws an exciting game and I had the staff involved. I was jumped and shouting at the screen for half the match. it ws a good game and we would have won. We lost by one pont but we are still in the competition. See a match report here.
I headed back to the hostel for a bite to eat.
I see in a CNN report that Indonesian police are searching for two of Southeast Asia’s most dangerous terrorists, who have strapped themselves with explosives to become “walking bombs” in the West Java city of Bandung. I was there a few weeks ago. They may be preparing an attack on the Citibank branch in Bandung as well as Western hotels and residential neighborhoods in Jakarta.