The Ladies Temple

Our original plan was to take today off because we were exhausted from the past 2 days and Phyl's knees were killing her. Hell, my knees were sore. It is not so simple to explore the temples as they are large and the pathways uneven. Each doorway, and there are hundreds, contains a sill about 12” thick which cannot be stepped over but must be climbed up and over. However, we had befriended 2 women from Hamberg, Germany ( Mizzi & Katha) and agreed to share a tuk-tuk for the hour long ride out to Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean. We ate breakfast together, then set out to procure a tuk-tuk


G- Whatever we do, we can't let Set see us in another tuk-tuk.

P- I agree since we promised him he'd take us to all the temples.

G- But his tuk-tuk does not have seating for 4 people.

P- I know, but I doubt he'll get that. Hopefully he won't see us.

The road to Banteay Srei (aka Lady Temple) afforded us a taste of rural Cambodia. The street was lined, intermittently, with houses and we saw people going about their daily lives without the tourist trade. Some people washed at their well, their laundry drying on a fence or line, chickens ran about the yards, and large pots cooked on open fires in the yards. As we passed we enjyed waving at the little children who seemed excitd to see us.

P- It is so funny to me that the little children are wearing only shirts; no diapers or pants.

G- Well, the yard is dirt and diapers are expensive.

Katha – This is very common in Cambodia.

G- What is the place coming up on the left?

Katha – I think it is a place where they make bricks.

Mizzi- Yes, look at the smoke stacks.

P- Can you imagine how hot it is to work in there in the summer?

G- Have y'all notice that you never see Asians reading?

Mizzi – We have commented about that also. A man told me that tourists are always reading; on the bus, at the cafe, everywhere.

P- So they notice that we're always reading and we notice that they never read.

G- So many of them are studying English that I can't imagine why they don't read or study it while they're sitting around.

Mizzi- It is a different culture. They sit and look and nap. I think they do not sleep much at night so they nap during the day.

P- Yes, all of the tuk-tuk driver nap while they wait for us in the temples.

Katha – Have you seen the drivers who hang the hammock on the tuk-tuk and sleep?

G- We have and it cracks me up. I'd be bored out of my mind if I just sat around waiting for the better part of every day and I didn't read.

Also on the ride Mizzi told us about growing up in Zimbabwi and how her family (originally Germans) had to flee, leaving all of their belongings behind, when Mugabi, once a very good leader, became violent toward the white Zimbabwians. It was very sad and she clearly felt displaced and missed her home. It is always interesting to hear peoples' real experiences rather than the bias American version of the world.

We spent an hour exploring Banteay Srei, a remarkably intact, exquisitely carved pink sandstone temple, built in 967. It is very beautiful, on a miniature scale compared to the other temples, and with almost every surface decorated with carvings. We explored this temple for almost an hour, then returned to the tuk-tuk for the short drive to Kbal Spean, carvings in the riverbed of the Stung Kbal Spean, a tributary of the Siem Reap River. Little is known about the actual origins or purpose of the river carvings, but they have been dated to the 11th or 12th Century. The climb, 1500 meters up the Kulen Mountains, afforded beautiful views, but was not easy. Often we had to literally climb up and over huge boulders and Phyl struggled mightily. Finally reaching the top, we walked along the riverbed, viewing the carvings, until we reached a mossy waterfall in an idyllic, cool setting. We rested for a while before making the trek back down the mountain. This excursion was definitely not easy one, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

When the tuk-tuk driver dropped us off at Kbal Spean, we were swarmed with people wanting to sell us things. This is not unusual, but one particular woman, Lisa, was relentless.

Lisa- You buy something.

G- No, thank you.

P- We are about to climb a mountain, we can't carry things up the mountain.

Lisa- When you come back you buy from me.

G- Ok, we'll need water when we come back.

Lisa- Ok, you buy from me. You promise? Lisa. Stall 6.

G- Ok, Lisa, I promise.

Lisa - (When we returned, Lisa spotted us and yelled from across the parking log.) You buy from me. You promise.

P- OMG! Please go buy some water from Lisa!

We walked to Lisa's stall and ordered a large water. It was late in the afternoon and no one else was around. Mizzi & Katha walked down to another stall and purchased a coconut each. Phyl & I were swarmmed by what appeared to be, every other women with a stall. We wanted to order something to eat because we had not eaten anything since breakfast, but the chatter of all the shrill voices trying to sell us something was enough to make our brains explode!

P- OMG! I cannot take this. It's killing my head.

G- Ugh! I know. I feel like chum in a circle of sharks.

P- Let's just get out of here.

G- But I'm starving!

P- Me too, but you'll have to wait until we get back. I can't take this anymore.

G- Alright, let's get out of here.

We fled to the tuk-tuk, followed by the screeching mass of hawkers. We all sighed, relieved at our escape, but still flustered from the attack.

P- I swear I cannot take that!

Mizzie- Yes, it is stressful.

Katha – They all come to you.

P- It's Gina. They always surround her. We can be walking together coming out of the temples, and for some reason they surround her.

G- I don't know what it is. I must put off a smell or something.

P- You must look like easy prey.

G- I do? Since when?

P- Since we arrive in Asia.

G- It makes me crazy.

Mizzi & Katha – We don't like it either.

The ride back to town was the same as the ride out there, watching everyday life and waving to the little children. Where we had chatted constantly on the way out, we rode quietly, tired and contemplative, on the way back. The tuk-tuk driver returned us to Bun Kao and Phyl & I walked over to Rosie's to ensure that Set would not see us cheating on him. Back “home” in our rattan chairs (the best we could do to replace our recliners) we talked to Anna & Smiley, drank a few cold beers, finally got something to eat, and watched the people go by.

Staying Afloat

We exited Banteay Kdei around 3:40 and Set insisted that we had more than enough time to make it to the Tonle' Sap River to see the floating village and the sunset. Set took us through back neighborhoods of Siem Reap and we saw how many Cambodians lived in the city. Along the river houses (mostly wooden shacks) were built partially on the land and partially on stilts in the river. We were shocked to see TVs inside of some of the shacks. The city gradually gave way to the countryside and rice fields. The homes along this road were completely built on very high stilts. Set stopped briefly and explained that in the monsoon season, the water was so high it covered the road. Most of the people living in that area left during the monsoon season and moved to the foot of the mountains where it was drier.

P- Look at those 2 children walking alone along the side of the road.

G- They are adorable, but they're babies. She looks no more than 5 and he can't be older than 2 or 3.

P- It is bizarre that they're allowed to walk along the road.

G- Bizarre by American standards.

We waived at the children and they smiled and waived back, but the older sister was very purposeful in preventing him from becoming distracted and keeping him walking to their destination. Before we pulled away, we were passed by a man on a motorcycle. Not an unusul site, but.................

P- What did that man have between his legs? (Her eyes were wide and one eyebrow was raised.)

G- Um, you saw correctly.

P- What was it?

G- You just want me to say it, don't you. (We both started cracking up.) He had a large cock between his legs. A black & red one to be precise.

P- Was it alive?

G- It was very much alive. I think he was gripping its feet with his thighs and his hand was around it's neck.

P- That's the first time I've seen a guy choking his chicken on a motorcycle. Bwahahaha!

G- Bwahahahahah!!!

P- Freakin hysterical!!!!!!

After about 45 minutes we rounded a corner and could see the river in the distance. The road ahead was also lined with wooden houses on stilts. We reached the river, purchased our tickets ($20.00 each) and were put on a long thin wooden boat with 8 rattan chairs placed 2 by 2 down the length of the boat. Each traveling party was assigned a different boat and we found it extremely bizarre that they didn't fill each boat to capacity. Most boats had no more than 2-4 people aboard, even though they could take 8-10. We surmised that this was how they ensured that everyone made some money each day. But to us, it seemed crazy nonetheless.

The boat included a driver and a younger boy who helped him. The
motor looked like some kind of Frankenstein contraption and didn't sound like it was going to get us out of the tributary to the river. As we pulled away another boy, maybe in his late teens, jumped aboard. He came to sit by us, introducted himself and began to ask us the usual questions: what's your name, where are you from, etc. I raised an eyebrow at Phyl. It appeared that we were going to have a “tour guide” whether we wanted one or not.  Not long after the "tour guide" arrived, a small boat pulled along side our boat and a child of about 7 years jumped, as though we were all on solid ground, from his boat to ours, with a basket of ice and cokes.  We declined and he jumped off as quickly as he had arrived.  It was so startling and unanticipated that we sat in shock about his gazelle leap , the speed of the boats, and his young age.  As we rode, he gave us the history of the area, the lake, and the Vietnamese people (now so long in Cambodia that they consider themselves Vietnamese- Cambodians) who live in the floating village. Basically it was everything we had read in the guidebook.

Tonle' Sap Lake is a fresh water lake that swells to twice its size during the monsoon season. This lake has a larger variety of fish than any lake in the world. It was the life blood of the Khmer Empire and is still an important resource for the area. When we reached the lake our driver headed toward the floating crocodile farm and the glut of other tourists. We advised him that we did not want to go to the crocodile farm; afterall, we had one behind our guesthouse, but asked him to take us to the floating restaurant. We had no small bills and knew that we would be expected to tip the 'tour guide' for his unsolicited services.

Phyl stayed in the boat and I jumped off to find change. I purchased a beer so that they'd break my $20.00. When I returned she was pinned in by a canoe type boat filled with children and one woman, cigarette dangling from her lips, all begging her for money. They were grabbing at her arms and our backpack. Phyl's anxiety level was through the roof and she looked at me imploringly.

P- OMG! I can't take this!!!

G- I got back as quickly as I could.

P - Get me the hell out of here.




The boat driver began to back away as the 'tour guide' got back on the boat. We drove around the village for a while. Any time we'd stop moving for even a minute, a baby (literrally a child under 6 years old) would start paddling the large wash basin in which he or she floated over to our boat to beg for money. Some of the babies had a huge snake in the wash basin with them as an enticement to take a photo in exchange for money.

Our hearts breaking, we could not take one minute more of this!!! We told the 'tour guide' we wanted to be taken into the middle of the lake to watch the sunset. This was his cue to get off, after we had given him a tip, and after he had advised us that the government takes all the ticket money, leaving the driver with nothing. We instucted the driver, via pantomimes, to take us to the middle of the lake and stay there until it was time to go.

The setting sun was beautiful, but we were worried about the time because we had to get back to Rosie's before 7:00 pm so we could meet the artists. The driver was surprised when we asked to return to the dock before the sun finished setting, but he obliged. He drove a little too slowly for our taste, but after all, he was talking on his Blackberry, and we didn't want him to run us aground. Back at the landing we were met with someone trying to sell us plates with our photos on them.


P- When did they take those pictures?

G- I saw a guy with a camera as we walked to the boat, but I wasn't sure what he was doing.

P- Unbelievable! Now that's like Disney World.

G- You gotta admit that it's the most creative thing they've tried to sell us.

Set spotted us and came zooming over. He knew we were in a hurry to get back to Rosie's, and assured us that it would be 'no problem'. We sped, as fast as a struggling motorcycle can while pulling a tuk-tuk, back toward town. The scenic road that we had driven in on was now a very dark, bug filled road, and we were constantly passed by vans and tour buses coming from the floating village dock. We were trying to shield our faces from the bugs.



P- There are pretty many TVs in these shacks.

G- It is kind've surprising to see isn't it?

P- Very surprising out here in the middle of nowhere.

G- Did you just see that pool table? How in the hell did they get that in there? Maybe it was a bar shack.

P- I'm about over these bugs hitting me in the face.

G- Ah! OMG! The one that just hit me was very large! (I felt around on my lap and on the seat.) Where did it go?

P- I don't know, but don't let it crawl on me.

G- Pretty soon I'm going to open the umbrella to protect us.

P- This wind will break that umbrella.

G- If another one of those large bugs hits me in the head, a broken umbrella will be the least of your worries.

When we arrived at Rosie's the artist brothers were sitting at our favorite table. They showed us the picture of the tree that they had painted that afternoon. We discussed the location of the tree and remembered seeing it during our exploration of the temple. We were thrilled that they had actually painted it for us and delivered the paintings. After thanking them and again complimenting their work, they left and we sat down for a beer. It had been a great day, but we were still shaken by the events at the floating village. We worried, not for the first time or the last, that the poverty and begging in India may just be too much for us to withstand.

Our Favorite Temples

We had Set pick us up at 10:30 and headed to the temples. Our first stop was Ta Prohm, dating to the late 12th Century and built during Jayavarman VII, it is located northeast of Angkor Wat and east of Angkor Thom. This may be our favorite temple due to the fact that it was left in a natural state. Strangler figs and silk cotton trees are intertwined among the ruins. This is the temple of Indiana Jones and Laura Croft Tomb Raider fame. It's original name was Rajavihara, 'the royal monestary'.

Exploring the mountains of collapsed stones and hidden passageways, we spent several hours here and loved the atmosphere. Ta Prohm provided us the emotional connection to the past that no other temple had heretofore afforded.

After exploring Ta Prohm, we stopped to eat and asked Set to join us for lunch over which we learned that he is married with a 3 year old daughter. He also goes to school in the morning from 7:30 – 8:30 to study English. We asked why he did not also provide tour guide services and he explained that in order to get a license, course work costing $2,000.00, which he could not afford, had to first be completed.

After lunch we visited Preah Khan. Situated just north and a slight bit east of Angkor Thom, it was built around 1191. For a perspective on the 12th Century in the rest of the world, Notre Dame Cathedral was being built, in Paris, around this same time. Preah Khan was more than just a temple. It was a Buddhist university with over 1,000 teachers, and a considerable city. A moat surrounds this city, thus it has entrance causeways lined with Gods holding a Naga tail.

Preah Khan is very similar to Ta Prohm in that it is in a natural state of ruin, reclaimed by the jungle and choked by strangler figs and silk cotton trees. We spent several hours exploring this beautiful temple and imagining what it was like to find it in the early 1900's. In one of the courtyards we spotted 2 young painters, their portfolio spread, on the path, at their feet. Their paintings were fantastic!!

P- Wow! Look at their paintings. They are very good.

G- They are. Let's take a few pictures over here, then look at them. I like the one on top, of the tree in Ta Prohm.

We took our photos and when we returned, they were wrapping a painting for another tourist who had made a purchase. He said, “they are very good! I have seen painters all around Cambodia, but these 2 are the best. And so young.”

P- We agree, that's why we came back to see what they had and buy one.

G- (we looked through the paintings) I really like this one.

P- I like that one too. But I want that one of the Ta Prohm tree. Do you see it?

G- No, I can't find it.

Artist – Which one you want?

P- The one of the tree on Ta Prohm.

Artist – That man you talk to , he buy it.

G- Damn! What are the odds of that?! That's the one we came back to buy.

P- Whah! Flashback from Ubud. Why can't we buy a painting that we like?

G- I do like the one of the 4 headed towers of Bayon.

P- I like that one too, but I really want the one of the tree. Do you have any other paintings of the Ta Prohm tree?

Artist – No, but I make another for you. You come back tomorrow?

G- No, we're not coming back here.

Artist – Where you stay? In Seim Reap?

P – Yes.

Artist – I can make one and bring it to you. What is your guesthouse?

G- You'll make another one this afternoon and bring it to us tonight?

Artist – Yes. But cannot paint the tree at Ta Prohm. My brother and I will find a tree here, like tree at Ta Prohm, and paint it.

P- Gi, that ok with you?

G- Yes, that might be even cooler because they're painting it just for us. And I really like Preah Khan too. I'm good with that.

P- Ok, you'll come to our guesthouse tonight?

Artist – Yes. Where is it? What time will you be there?

G- Meet us at Rosie's Guesthouse. It is along the river. Do you know it?

Artist – No.

G- Wait! I have a card in my pocket. (I handed him the card.) Meet us there at 7:00 pm. Is that ok?

Artist – Yes. We will paint it and meet you there at 7 o'clock.

P- You promise that you will come?

Artist – Yes, yes. We come.

G- Ok, and please bring this one too and we'll buy both.

We negotiated a price of $30.00 for the 2 paintings, and left hoping that the brothers would come to the guesthouse as promised. After the Ubud incident, we were nervous.

It is often said that the Temples of Angkor Wat were “discovered” in the early 20th Century. This is western idea much like the notion that Columbus “discovered” America even though people had been living there for hundreds of years, and it's likely that the Chinese landed on the continent before the Europeans. The Temples of Angkor were always known to the people living in and around Cambodia. It was only that they came to the attention of the western world in the early 20th Century.

Finally, we stopped at Banteay Kdei, just southeast of Ta Prohm. Built in the late 12th – early 13th Century, it is believed to have been built on the ruins of a 10th Century temple. This temple is also in a state of disrepair akin to Ta Prohm & Preah Khan, but lacks the charm of those 2 temples. It does contain many well preserved Apsaras in the Hall of Dancers, but overall is smaller and less preserved. Set had admonished us not to save too much time for this temple and he was correct.

Angkor Thom

We now expected the crocodile pool noises, and slept much better our second night at Bun Kao Guesthouse. Excited about our first day at the Angkor Temples, we got up and went downstairs for a breakfast (included in our $14.00/day room cost) of baguettes, jam, a fried egg, and a banana. We grabbed a large water and headed over to Rosie's where we had arranged a tuk-tuk. After negotiating a price of $13.00 for the day, we headed off down the long, tree lined road, to the Angkor Thom complex, stopping only to purchase our 3 day, $40.00 tickets.

At the end of the tree lined road, we turned left and drove alone the south moat of Angkor Wat. We then turned right and continued along the Angkor Wat moat. This was our first view of Angkor Wat's 5, lotus shaped, towers rising to the blue sky. We passed Angkor Wat and continued to Angkor Thom. After discussions with other tourists, we decided to save Angkor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world.

Angkor Thom is one of the largest Khmer cities ever built, by Jayavarman VII, primarily dating to the 12th Century, and was the capital of the kingdom until the late 17th Century. Each city gate is lined with a causeway over the moat, lined with Gods holding the tail of Naga. At the south gate of Angkor Thom, our driver stopped, just before the moat, and we took photos and purchased our own Angkor Wat Temples book, from a hawker. Face towers stand at the end of the causeway and mark the entrance.

Inside the gates, our first stop was Bayon, the state temple of Jayavarman VII and his immediate successors. Construction began around 1200 and represents Hinduism and Buddhism. It is unique due to the quantity of face towers and the bas reliefs depicting daily life and Khmer history. We were greeted by a tour guide who lead us around the temple explaining the bas reliefs and pointing out the important features. The guide had one prostetic leg, having stepped on a land mine as a 14 year old boy. We spent about an hour and a half exploring this temple, then parted with our guide, paying him $10.00. The great thing about having a tuk-tuk ferry you around is the ability to walk through the temple and exit the other side while the tuk-tuk drives around to meet you.

After Bayon we were dropped off at Baphuon, dating to the mid 11th Century (1060). It was the state temple of Yasodharapura of King Udayadityavarman II, and is still under reconstruction. In the early 1970's, the French had begun reconstructing this temple which required extensive stabilization. In order to stabilize it, they had disassembled much of it, numbering and mapping each piece and laying them in a grid all around the temple grounds. When the Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975, they destroyed all photos, mapping & numbering. The French have been trying to unravel this mess and reconstruct Baphuon since the early 80's. The concourse to the temple is still surrounded by thousands of numbered blocks and pediments.

Under a tree, at the beginning of the concourse, we enjoyed our lunch, then, to the extent possible, walked around Baphuon. From there we followed the path to Phimeanakas (10th - 11th Centuries) the remains of a temple which is said to be the place where the Khmer king lay every night with a woman who was the incarnationof the 9 headed naga, said to have power over all the lands of the kingdom, and the Royal Palace area.



the temple base


















We walked along the Elephant Terrace which sits at the heart of Angkor Thom, overlooks the Royal Square and depicts hunting scenes with elephants via bas reliefs.

Phimeanakas

The Leper King Terrace projects into the Royal Square is just to the north of the Elephant Terrace, but almost appears as a protruding continuation. It dates to the 13th Century and is named after the 15th Century sculpture sitting on top of the Terrace. At the far northern end, the carvings of Nagas and dieties are absolutely spectacular!

We met Set, our tuk-tuk driver, at the end of the Terraces and enjoyed the breeze on our way back to Rosie's. It has been a long, hot day and we were dusty and exhausted. Settling into the cushioned wicker chairs, we drank a cold beer and discussed our day with Anna & Smiley.