2017-11 Water Festival and Phare Circus (Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Video of one of the dragon boat races

We were just lucky enough to be in Siem Reap during the water festival. Our hotel was walking distance to all the festivities along the river. Of course, we had to check out the main event: the dragon boat racing. We saw many teams, mostly all males. However, there were a few all female teams. We even saw our tour group's co-ed team, GAdventures!

Ingenious tea carrier

Most of the other festivities included eating. We even saw fried tarantulas, although I only tried a green milk tea. Plus, there were so many ways to get wet. There was boxing over an inflated pool of water. Further in the evening, that pool of water was released into the street; and, the entire street was getting doused in hoses of water. We detoured around.

Phare Circus performers

Yet, my favorite part of life in Siem Reap had to be the Phare Circus show. "Same, same, but different" is a saying that our guide has used throughout our tour. The Phare Circus attempted to provide an acrobatic dramatization of the the saying. Throughout the show, there were actors who played western tourists and Cambodians while also performing a series of amazing stunts. The participants were extremely engaging and fully involved in their characters while drawing the audience into the skits. A definite must see!

Phare Circus performer somehow balancing on cylinders

2017-11 Angkor Thom and Baphuon Temple (Cambodia)

First view of Angkor Thom from across the moat

Our final visit near Siem Reap was to Angkor Thom. This complex is part of the extensive networks of temples and palaces around Angkor Wat and included in the price of the Angkor Wat ticket. Angkor Thom is a very impressive site of 9 square kilometers (3.5 sq miles) encompassing both older temples and palaces.

gods tugging on naga

Our driver left us off outside of the moat surrounding Angkor Thom. We took photos of the surrounding wall, entrance gate and bridge with the reflections in the water. Angkor Thom is a truly impressive complex that rivals Angkor Wat. Even walking across the bridge must have awed the people who first crossed it starting in the 13th century.

Entrance gate to Angkor Thom

The first iconography that we saw were a row of demons on the right side of the bridge, tugging on a naga, or seven-headed snake. A matching row of gods tugged on an identical naga on the left side of the bridge. This is part of a Hindu story of churning the sea of milk, that we had seen in an intricate bas relief in Angkor Wat. While some of the original gods and demons remain, many portions have been restored with new stone.

Tourist riding an elephant outside Bayon Temple

The bridge supported moto-scooters, pedestrians, and tourist vans, as we ambled toward the towering gate, crowned by the four faces of Buddha. We watched a tourist bus just barely squeeze under those heads and through the gate. On the back of the gate, we could see a sculpture of a three-headed elephant. According to our guide, these three heads represent the three competing familial relationships once a person is married.

We walked on until we saw the large temple of Angkor Thom: the Bayon. This was built by the same king that built Ta Prohm: Jayarvanam VII, the Buddhist king. Along the walls of the temple, there are detailed bas reliefs detailing Jayarvanam VII's defeat of the Chamba people, who were living it what is now southern Vietnam. There were also bas reliefs about daily life. The walls on each of the Bayon temple were covered in these intricate stories.

Within the temple, there are 54 towers. Many of these temples have the four faces of Buddha. However, since Jayarvanam VII was the first Buddhist king and did not want to alienate his Hindu following subjects, he also included Hindu statues. Therefore, the Bayon Temple was a merged Hindu-Buddhist place of worship.

Buddha faces sculpted on the towers in Bayon Temple

We wandered among the towers, staring up at the smiling faces of the Buddha. Interestingly, a later king subscribed to Hinduism; and, he had the third eye carved into the foreheads of all the Buddhas.

View from the top of Baphuon Temple

Our next stop was to the Baphuon Temple. This temple is older than the walls, gates and Bayon. It was built during the 1000s AD. There is a square swimming pool in the front; and, it is still possible to clim at least to the top covered walkway, albeit not to the very top. The views on the top were spectacular! After we descended and exited the back of the temple, our guide pointed out that the architect of the Baphuon had skillfully designed a reclining Buddha into the back of the temple.

Reclining Buddha in back of Baphuon Temple

Our next stop was to the Phimeanakas Temple, perhaps the oldest building within Angkor Thom. It was built during the 900s but was used by Jayarvanam VII as well as a place to come to pray. Our guide told us a story about the king having to visit the tower of the temple before going into battle. The story he told was that the naga (snake) would appear as a beautiful woman that the king needed to sleep with in order to bring victory in battle.

Phimeanakas Temple

We did drive by and photo stops of several other places after Phimeanakas. However, we were all so overheated by this point, that our new joke every time we would get in the van was "Just one more temple...".

2017-11 Ta Prohm Temple aka the Tomb Raider Temple (Cambodia)

Gate of Ta Prohm with four faces of Buddha

In the morning, we had gotten up early to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat and visit that site. Then, we went back to the hotel for breakfast and naps before heading out to our afternoon temple visit to Ta Prohm, made famous by the movie Tomb Raider. It was built by the Buddhist king Jayarvanam VII sometime during his reign from 1181-1218, approximately 37 years. Jayarvanam VII was the second king after the king (Suryarvanam II) that built Angkor Wat. Whereas Angkor Wat was built in honor of the Hindu religion, Jayarvanam VII was an adherent to Buddhism.

Spung tree in Ta Prohm

Jayarvanam VII's reign began after he collected soldiers to attack and remove the Champa from what is now Vietnam but was then part of the Khmer empire. He tried to control the Khmer empire by selecting an intellectual to run each of the four provinces. Within Ta Prohm complex, there is a former temple for teachers as well as a police university. Monks could come and study at Ta Prohm to get ready for their entrance exam to enter Angkor Wat school.

Stegasuarus carved into Ta Prohm!

Interestingly, becoming a Buddhist monk need not be a lifetime commitment. Every Buddhist male is expected to be a monk for at least some time in his life, which can be for as little as three months to indefinitely. At Ta Prohm, boys would come to study as monks but then could leave the monkhood when they needed to return home to work the rice fields.

Another tree in Ta Prohm

After Angkor Wat fell to Siam in 1342, the monks left Ta Prohm; and, nature took back the area. The impressive trees that we see that have grown through the foundations and walls are either spung trees or chambak trees. Angkor Wat did not see such degradation, as there was always someone living there and pulling out sapling trees from the stone walls. However, Ta Prohm did not have such caretakers over the centuries. It is a fitting reminder that no matter the mark that we think we have as humans, all of our great buildings and monuments can just as easily be returned to the earth in several centuries.

Looking up the central tower of Ta Prohm. The Christmas tree looking opening is to support the weight of the tower

2017-11 Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

Waiting for sunrise over Angkor Wat.

We boarded the bus this morning at 4:45 am in hopes of seeing a glorious sunrise at the Hindu temple complex of Angkor Wat. Surprisingly, we weren't the only ones queued for tickets at 5:15 am. Each of us needed to have our photos taken to be printed on our tickets. Then, we walked along the moat and found seats to wait for the sunrise behind the temples of Angkor Wat. Unfortunately, the clouds prevented any beautiful sunrise photos. However, we were able to get a photo of the temples reflected in the moat.

Walking toward the entrance of Angkor Wat

One of my misconceptions was that Angkor Wat is a Buddhist temple. We've seen so many Buddhist monks in Cambodia in their orange robes. However, in my few days in in the country, I've learned that the Khmer (what Cambodians call themselves) originally followed Hinduism. The Angkor Wat complex was built by the Khmer King Suryavarnam II, who reigned from 1113-1150 AD. Archeaologists and historians don't know exactly how long the temple took to build but use 37 years as an approximation, using the dates of Suryavarnam II's reign.

A lion sculpture used to stand on this pedestal at the entry gate

Giving up on sunrise, we walked across the moat on a floating bridge, which has only been in place for eight months as restoration work begins on the original bridge. The moat goes 5 km around Angkor Wat and was originally 1.5 meters deep. It is fed by both monsoon rains and the Siem Reap river, providing a first defense against any enemies.

Vishnu statue with 8 arms to protect from all 8 cardinal directions

At our first stop, our guide explained about the types of stone that Angkor Wat is built out of: sandstone and lava stone. The lava stone is porous and lighter. It was used for the bridge to the complex, as water could pass through it. The sandstone is quite heavy and came from 100 km away. One of the ways to transport it was to quarry it during dry season and leave it on a bamboo raft along the river bank. Then, when monsoon arrived, the river would flood and carry the sandstone to Angkor Wat. Other types of transportation for the stones included elephants and ox carts.

Dancing Apsara

What is really amazing to me is how much of the carvings, both bas reliefs and inscriptions into the stone, have survived all these years. Many statues have been stolen over the years; and, some are at the National Museum in Phnom Penh. Still, the amazing architecture and intricate decorations on the buildings remain. We saw a Vishnu statue and many, many dancing apsaras, in addition to bas reliefs adorning the walls. One section was a total of 900 meters, at a height of 3 meters, telling the story of Ramayana.

Bas relief sculpture of the story of Ramayana

At this point, we hadn't even passed the first wall of the complex; and, I was already very impressed! Our guide led us out to the main courtyard, pointing out a library on both sides of the stone sidewalk. The sidewalk had been built to slightly slope down from the center to both edges for rain to drain. Along the walkway, the railings were stones that were cut and fitted together.

Sidewalk stone railing

Still ahead of us, the three central towers of Angkor Wat rose. The entrance gate that we walked into was 35 meters high. The central tower of Angkor Wat is 65 meters high. Currently, there is a policy in Siem Reap that no one can build any building higher than 65 meters, leaving this tower to soar alone among the trees.

The three main towers still seem a long way away

Which brings us to an important point: there is no signage anywhere within Angkor Wat. I saw one total sign about a restoration project going on in one of the library buildings. The best way to enjoy this large complex is to hire a guide to explain it all. Our guide provided us with lots of information; and, I fear that I didn't catch half of it!

One of four water reservoirs

Once inside the largest building, we walked among the four water reservoirs, one at each direction (north, south, east west). The walkway between the water reservoirs represented the center of the universe. In order to keep the temple in balance, different reservoirs would be filled or drained throughout the year. In addition, the water kept in these reservoirs was thought to have medicinal properties.

View from the central tower

Now, it was time to summit the large tower. We queued to get a chance to climb the steep wooden steps that cover the original, narrow stone steps, which our tour guide said that people used to crawl up. The views from the top were spectacular!

View from the central tower

Quick Notes:
- go early (yes, pre-sunrise early)
- you'll need a guide because there is no information posted around the temple
- no limit on number of visitors per day, so it gets busy
- keep careful track of your pass -- even a tear in your pass will require that you purchase a new pass. We had to show our passes a couple times throughout our visit. This is the same pass that you'll use for the other temple complexes in the area.
- different pass options: 1 day, 3 day, 7 day

2017-10 Insects and floating villages

Tarantula anyone?

Today was a travel day from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Yet, traveling doesn't have to be all bad. Along the way, we stopped at a food market famous for its' insects: Skuon. As soon as we disembarked the bus, there were kids surrounding us trying to sell us pineapple and other fruit. There was also a girl wearing a tarantula on her t-shirt. After our tour guide assured us that Cambodian tarantulas aren't poisonous, some in our group took turns hold the tarantula and posing for photos.

So many fried insect options!

There were so many insects to try: tarantulas, scorpions, crickets, grasshoppers, worms and water beetles (known in Texas as cockroaches). I tried everything except the cockroaches. Even I have my limits. Everything was delicious since all were deep fried in vegetable oil. Like popcorn with a little extra crunch.

One of the restaurant's cabanas

Fish amok

Our next stop was for lunch. Our restaurant, Prey Pros Rest Area, stretched out over the river on stilts. There were several thatched cabanas that were accessed by wooden panel walkways. We were lucky enough to sit on one of these and have our own private cabana. This was my first chance to try the Cambodian traditional dish of amok, a curry cooked in a banana leaf. It was delicious!

Floating village

Dragon boat racers in front of the main square of Khampong Khleang

Our group unanimously decided to follow our guide's recommendation and stop at a floating village before we arrived at Siem Reap. This was the village of Kampong Khleang. Here, floating village meant that people generally have to get around by boat. Some people do live on houseboats. However, the majority live on houses on stilts in the river. During dry season, the water recedes enough to have dry ground between homes. However now, just after monsoon season, the water is still high; and, boats are needed to get around. While we were there, we saw some teams practicing in their dragon boats for the upcoming water festival. Our boat took us all the way out to Cambodia's largest lake, Tonle Sap.

Houseboat

On the last leg of our journey to Siem Reap, suddenly our bus pulled off on the side of the highway; and, our guide jumped out talking about stuffed frogs, Curious, I and a couple others followed him outside to a roadside stand selling grilled frogs and stuffed frogs. I tried them both; but, the stuffed ones were the best. Definitely a great food day!

2017-10 National Museum of Cambodia

5th century AD stelae carved in Sanskrit and Old Khmer

The National Museum in Phnom Penh has quite a variety of artifacts on display. Even better, it has great informational cards in English with lots of background. Our guide kept telling us that the Khmer people had an empire long before the Thais or Laos, an empire that stretched from Burma to China. The pieces in the museum dated from the 5th century AD, including an stelae inscribed in both Sanskrit and Old Khmer languages.

Vishnu sculpture from 6th century AD, pre-Angkorian period

Reclining Vishnu from the 11th century (Angkorian period)

Which brings us to an interesting point: the Khmer (or, at least their kings) followed Hinduism. Thus the use of Sanskrit on inscriptions and the plethora of Hindu gods in their art. However, at the same time, the Khmer people (and their kings) also followed Buddhism. I’m not well-versed in either; however, sufficeth to say, there are also lots of Buddhas in their sculpture and art.

Buddha seated on naga, the seven-headed snake, 11th century

At the museum, the sculptures that caught my eye were those of Vishnu (Hindu) and the Buddha on “naga”, the seven-headed snake. There was also a very human statue of Jayarvanam VII, who embraced Buddhism completely. Instead of looking like a stylized or perfect royalty, this sculpture looks like an actual person.  We would visit two of his temples in Siem Reap: Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider temple) and Angkor Thom.

Jayarvanam VII, Angkorian period, turn of century (12th-13th)

In another room, there were detailed paintings of the Hindu Ramayana story. These intricately detailed panels tell the story that the Khmer call Reamker. Another room held an an entire collection of wooden Buddhas. (We were not allowed to photograph this room). There were also pottery and bronze items in other rooms and halls. Plus, there are some items from the previous Cambodia royalty, such as palanquins used to carry royalty. All in all, a very interesting museum.

Panel from Reamker, early 1900s

2017-10 S-21 prison or Tuol Sleong Genocide Museum (Cambodia)

My previous post was on the atrocities of the killing field of Cheoung Ek. This post continues on the brutality of the Khmer Rouge from 1975-1979 in Phnom Penh. S-21 was a former highschool in Phnom Penh. However, after the Khmer Rouge forced everyone to leave Phnom Penh, it was used as a top secret Khmer Rouge prison. We were able to walk in the four main buildings from the highschool.

A form of torture: tying the prisoners hands behind his/her back and then stringing the prisoner up by the wrists. After the prisoner would pass out, dunking them in the large pots of water below to revive 

During the four years, 17,000 total prisoners passed through S-21 and only a very few survived until Vietnam Invaded/Liberated Cambodia. The first building was for more important prisoners, prisoners who would have had larger connections or more powerful networks. Each prisoner here had an entire classroom to himself. Two of the other buildings were for general prisoners. Classrooms were divided up into tiny cells. The cells were 5 tiles wide by 11 tiles long, or approximately 3.5 feet by 7 feet. Each cell had a munitions box to be used as a toilet.

Men's cells

Men and women were on separate floors. In the men's section, the walls were made of brick and mortar and only 6 feet high. There were no doors. In the women's section, the walls were made of wood; and, each cell had a door for more privacy, as all the guards were male. According to our guide, there was no sexual violation of women here, as one guard who did was swiftly executed.

Women's cells

Any communication was strictly forbidden. The prisoners didn't escape their cells because each was shackled in irons around their ankles. Prisoners would be taken out from the cells for interrogation and then returned afterward. Interrogation would require that people sign false confessions and provide lists of other names who were involved. While interrogation started without any brutality, as the interrogations progressed, torture was applied in increasing ferocity. During the entire time, systematic records were taken of every prisoner who ever entered the prison, even to the point of sometimes photographing before and after torture. Guards became especially skilled at keeping their prisoners alive through interrogation, because accidentally killing a prisoner could mean the killing of the guard, as this was seen as the guard killing someone to hide secrets. After no more information could be obtained from the prisoners, at night, they would be trucked in a covered truck to the killing field of Cheoung Ek for execution.

Barbed wire installed along the face of the buildings after one female prisoner broke away from the guards and jumped to her death over the railing

Throughout all the buildings, there were walls and panels with the photos of all the victims with their prisoner number. It was a sight too sad for me to photograph. However, in the last building, there were survivor stories posted. Not many survived; and several of them were children, who were carried out of the building. There is often a survivor onsite to talk about their experiences. The day we visited, Bou Meng was onsite; but, what does one ask someone who has lived such an experience?

2017-10 The Killing Fields of Cheoung Ek (Cambodia)

Former cow pasture used as killing field. Depressions are mass graves

Today was a very sobering day. We started by driving 13 km outside of Phnom Penh to visit an old cow pasture that is now a memorial set-up to honor all the people that the Khmer Rouge killed from 1975-1979. This is Choeung Ek. Now, it is an idyllic field, with depressions where mass graves have been exhumed. There are thatched roofs over various mass graves noting the types of people found at each one: political prisoners, rebellious Khmer soldiers (who were decapitated) and women and children.

Thatched area over mass grave

The Khmer Rouge was the communist party in Cambodia since the 1950s. Led by Pol Pot, it emerged victorious in its civil war in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh. The people in Phnom Penh were very excited to be liberated from the military government that had ousted their royal king. However, within three days, the Khmer Rouge forced exile the entire city of Phnom Penh to the countryside to work in the fields.

Choeung Ek wasn't part of the countryside where city people had been relocated. In fact, the farmers on this and surrounding land were forced to move away. This allowed the killings that went on here to be unknown by the general public.

The Khmer Rouge didn't want to waste bullets on killing the prisoners brought here. Instead, the prisoners were brutally killed in various ways, including being bludgeoned over the head and stabbed with bamboo. One of the saddest reminders is a tree where children that were beaten to death. A farmer found it with blood and brain on it after the Khmer had evacuated on what is called Liberation Day (or Invasion Day in Cambodia), January 7th, 1979. This is the day that the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia.

Walking on the raised wooden platform over the field, we see bones and bits of clothing sticking up from the field. Signs ask us not to touch these reminders of the men, women and children who died here. 9000 bodies have been found to date. Many of these human skulls have been categorized and placed in a stuppa on the site as a memorial to the victims of this killing site. If only this was the only killing site. Unfortunately, this is only one of several within Cambodia.

Memorial Stuppa full of human skulls of those killed at Cheoung Ek

Our guide told us that from 1975-1979, one third of the population of Cambodia died, from killing fields like this, from starvation and disease. He even mentioned his own personal remembrances, including that his uncle's entire family disappeared and no one knows what happened to them as well as about how he was so malnourished as a child that he had the spindly legs and big belly and that he almost died from measles.