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Angkor Wat and the other important temple ruins are too far from Siem Riep to visit on foot so I had to hire a this gentleman to guide me around. Long Dim was the driver of the colonel in charge of the airport. He had the use of the colonel's car seen here in front of the Sunrise Guest House where I had a beautiful mahogany lined room for only 5 $US.
When I expressed my surprise of seeing a big bowl of dried marijuana leaves on the coffee table in that guest house, I was told to help myself freely for ganja was legal as an integral part of Khmer culture! Naturally, I indulged and found it to be of excellent quality.
I just could not wait to see Angkor Wat so we drove over for a quick glimpse even though it was late and a thunderstorm was threatening. It was worth it to get this dramatic view of the causeway leading to the central temple complex across the wide moat around it..
Angkor Wat is only one of several dozen monuments built by the Khmer in the Siem Riep area between 800 and 1300 AD.
Angkor Wat was built by Suryavarman II in the first half of the 12th century. At that time, the Vaishnavite brand of Hinduism had replaced the Shaivite, the cult of god-kings, Devarajaism, was widespread and Buddhism had not yet achieved the predominant position it reached in the end of that century.
I found the Cambodians to be wonderfully warm and friendly. I mean all of them, not just the kids! It was very difficult for me to imagine how these gentle people could have been pushed into committing the terrible atrocities attributed to the Khmer Rouge by the collective madness of an extreme ideology.
I went back the following day, the temple complex was great but the weather was not nice.
The central complex must have been a very impressive island when the huge shallow moat surrounding it was flooded. This colonnade encloses the inner temple. Measuring about 160 by 200 metres, it protects about 1200 square metres of exquisite bas relief sculptures.
Below left, the entrance of the central complex with the causeway reaching in from the outer perimeter.
Below right, one of the corner towers of the inner temple.
The outside enclosure of the central complex is completely covered with beautiful bas relief representations of events drawn from the Hindu Mahabarata and Ramanaya epics and from mythical stories of the Khmer dynasty.
Below left, that's me with the sacred image of Vishnu in the inner sanctum sanctuary inside the central tower of the temple.
Vishnu was friendly enough but I would have preferred the company of this shapely "aspara" had she not been of cold marble!
Those wise Khmer kings certainly knew how to live well and enjoy life judging by the exquisite company they kept!
Although distinctly Khmer, the strong influence of India is obvious in these sculptures.
TA Prohm was built by Jayavarman II around 1200 AD when Buddhism had become predominant.
It was completely overrun by the jungle and has been left as found with only the minimum clearing required to allow visits. This doorway is a vestige of the 600 by 1000 metre outer wall that once enclosed the temple.
Here is the central tower.
The huge trees growing through, over and around the ruins are both impressive and beautiful.
The Khmer used the corbeled arch just like the Maya during the same period. Neither had discovered the true arch.
Small images of Buddha prefigure the huge heads that characterise the Bayon style that followed.
