Tonle Sap + Temples

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Our last day in Siem Reap began, at 8am, with a drive to Tonle Sap, the main water source in central Cambodia.  The current reverses direction after the rainy season.  We hired a small boat to take us out to the lake and Kim, our guide, explained how drastically the water level changes (four times larger in the rainy season) allowing for a large fish population.  Apparently the Chinese want to build a dam somewhere along the Mekong which would greatly impact the natural process of change (fortunately there is a Mekong council to discuss such issues).  We stopped in a lake town to visit the school, wat and see local life.  Sadly, we were not the only tourists and J.P. remarked that the kids are now getting distracted from lessons.  What stuck out to me was the large quantity of trash on the ground, lining the “streets” or in piles for burning.  There needs to be a community service project to clean up the village and educate about trash (once again, like Vietnam, these communities weren’t used to wrapped foods).

While we were on motoring along the lake, I noticed that Ros was wearing a blood donation t-shirt.  Considering that she never actually gave blood, I found it ironic that she chose to wear the shirt in front of us.  Maybe she ran out of clean clothes.  Don’t know why she got one in the first place unless she considers having her period a donation.

On the hour ride back to Siem Reap we learned about the Rolous group of temples, two of which we were visiting, built in the late 9^th century.  We had limited time to walk around the Preah Ko complex but it was very compact.  It reminded me of Prambanan in Java, Indonesia.  At the second temple, Bakong, the group took a few minutes photographing the temple from afar.  When we reached the entrance to the temple, Kim started telling us the history.  Ros rudely interrupted him saying like “we only have 20 minutes and we just wasted five taking pictures so can you hold off until we get to the van”.  I couldn’t believe her.  First of all, no one said anything about a time limit at the temple.  Secondly, its just inconsiderate to speak to your local guide in that manner.  Kim ended up answering some questions from Donna, Norm and me.  A few minutes later, Ros had the nerve to ask what he had told us. I really thought I was going to tell her off; I reached a breaking point.  Instead, I just told Donna about it and chose to ignore Ros.

Preah Ko

Information on the Rolous group from my Footprint guidebook:

“Jayavarman II built several capitals including one at Roluos, at that time called Hariharalaya.  This was the site of his last city and remained the capital during the reigns of his three successors.  The three remaining Hindu sanctuaries at Roluos are Preah Ko, Bakong and Lolei.  They were finished in 879, 881 and 893 respectively by Indravarman I and his son Yashovarman I and are the best-preserved of the early temples.  All three temples are built of brick, with sandstone doorways and niches.  Sculptured figures which appear in the Roluos group are the crouching lion, the reclining bull (Nandi – Siva’s mount) and the naga (snake).

            Preah Ko, meaning ‘sacred ox’, was named after the three statues of Nandi (the mount of the Hindu god, Siva) which stand in front of the temple.  Orientated east-west, there is a cluster of six brick towers arranged in two rows on a low rick platform, the steps up to which are guarded by crouching lions while Nandi, looking back, blocks the way.  The front row of towers was devoted to Indravarman’s male ancestors and the second row to the female.  Indravarman’s temple-mountain, Bakong, is a royal five-stepped pyramid-temple with a sandstone central tower built on a series of successively receding terraces with surrounding brick towers.  Indravarman himself was buried in the temple.”

Bakong

It was already after 1pm when I got back to Siem Reap town (the rest of the group was continuing to a silk factory) and I grabbed a quick sandwich and smoothie at Blue Pumpkin before treating myself to an ice cream on the way out.  In search of a tuk tuk driver, but not wanting to accept the ones who were hawking me, I walked down the street.  The guy I approached didn’t speak English well, but his friend, who came over to see where I wanted to go, ended up becoming my driver.  We started the long ride to Banteay Srei; it took over an hour to get there.

Banteay Srei

I spent only 30 minutes exploring the temple but I didn’t feel I needed any more time.  The main area of the temple was compact but the detailed carvings were beautiful.  I would try to describe what I saw but the guidebook can give more information:

“Banteay Srei was built by the Brahmin tutor to King Rajendravarman, Yajnavaraha, grandson of Harshavarman, and founded in 967.  Banteay Srei translates to ‘Citadel of Women’, a title bestowed upon it in relatively recent years due to the intricate apsara carvings that adorn the interior.  The temple is considered by many historians to be the highest achievement of art from the Angkor period.  The explicit preservation of this temple reveals covered terraces, of which only the columns remain, which once lined both sides of the primary entrance.  In keeping with tradition, a long causeway leads into the temple, across a moat, on the eastern side.  The main walls, entry pavilions and libraries have been constructed from laterite and the carvings from pink sandstone.  The layout was inspired by Prasat Thom at Koh Ker.  Three beautifully carved tower-shrines stand side by side n a low terrace in the middle of a quadrangle, with a pair of libraries on either side enclosed by a wall.  Two of the shrines, the southern one and the central one, were dedicated to Siva and the northern one to Vishnu; both had libraries close by, with carving depicting appropriate legends.  The whole temple is dedicated to Brahma.  Having been built by a Brahmin priest, the temple was never intended for use by a king, which goes some way towards explaining its small size – you have to duck to get through the doorways to the sanctuary towers.  Perhaps because of its modest scale Banteay Srei contains some of the finest examples of Khmer sculpture.  Finely carved and rare pink sandstone replaces the plaster-coated carved-brick decoration, typical of earlier temples.  All the buildings are covered in carvings: the jambs, the lintels, the balustered windows.  Banteay Srei’s ornamentation is exceptional – its roofs, pediments and lintels are magnificently carved with tongues of flamer, serpents’ tails, gods, demons and floral garlands.”

Banteay Srei

On the way back to Angkor, J.P. suggested I stop at the Landmine museum.  I thought I’d make a quick run through it due to its small size, but I was captivated by the movie showing how Aki Ra finds and destroys the mines.  He is nominated in the top 10 CNN heroes of 2010.  Fascinating story.  More information on CNN.

It was coming on 5pm by the time I left the museum, and my tuk tuk driver sped me back for sunset at Pre Rep.  "Pre Rup, the State Temple of King Rajendravarman's capital, was built in 961.  The temple-mountain representing Mount Meru is larger, higher and artistically superior than its predecessor, the East Mebon, which it closely resembles.  Keeping with tradition of state capital, Pre Rup marked the centre of the city, much of which doesn't exist today.  The pyramid-structure, which is constructed of laterite with brick prasats, sits at the apex of an artificial, purpose-built mountain.  The central pyramid-level consists of three-tiered, sandstone platform, with five central towers sitting above.  Its modern name, 'turning the body', derives from local legend and is named after a cremation ritual in which the outline of a body was traced in the cinders one way and then the other.  The uppder levels of the pyramid offer a brilliant, panoramic view of the countryside." Unfortunately, as I had anticipated, there were too many clouds to see much, but I did have a chance to discover the temple, another temple-mountain pyramid-style structure.  I’m glad I fit a couple more temples in, and even though there are still more than 200 to explore, I feel I’ve gotten a good sampling of Angkor.

Pre Rup

In honor of Ela and Jacek’s 32^nd anniversary today, I showered and dressed up for dinner.  We met in the lobby just after 7pm, everyone looking lovely in their best clothes and got in tuk tuks for the short ride to Café Indochine.  Ela and Jacek kindly treated us to a bottle of champagne and a bottle of wine and I had a delicious curry-like soup with prawns.  It was a wonderful evening.  For a bit of exercise, Elli, Ela and I walked  back to the hotel.  On the way, I stopped at the gas station to withdraw some money as they stood guard; pretty funny scene.  That’s all for now.

Me with the happy couple