Angkor Wat

"Warning: Do not attempt to play Indiana Jones. The risks are real." Despite this warning on the first page of my travel guide Amy and I had a terrific time in Cambodia. We visited "Angkor" which consists of monuments located near the town of Siem Reap. The warning comes because only a few years ago several sites were unsafe because of mines. Even today around the complex toilets cost 500 Riel (about 4000 Riel to the dollar) -- it being unsafe to wander off trail into the bush because of the possibility of land mines. 

Angkor Wat is the largest Hindu temple in the world. The temples were erected between the 8th and 13th centuries A.D. by the kings of the Khmer empire. Almost all temples include elements from both Hinduism and Buddhism. Towers and gateways are carved with representations of demons and gods. On walls you find interesting bas-relief of scenes of daily life. Looting has taken its toll though, and throughout the temples you can see marks where statues, especially heads, have been hacked off and taken for sale. We hired motorbike drivers for the three days and I am convinced balancing on the back of a motorbike, covered with red dusty grime, the wind in your hair, is the best way to explore the area. On the way to sites outside of the main temple circuits we drove past local villages (wooden thatched huts raised on stilts, front yard family rice paddies, and stands selling chunks of palm sugar wrapped intricately in leaves). Also caught a glimpse of small local markets and village women on wobbly bicycles riding to work while balancing huge stacks of firewood behind them. 

Every day we tried to arrive before dawn and the crowd of tour buses. Unfortunately, this also meant we were the only targets for the vendors. During the day we purchased food and drinks from vendors that line every temple entrance. At first I was outraged at the cost, but I grew to embrace a different perspective very quickly. It is a tourist area, perhaps becoming the single most visited spot in SE Asia. So, it becomes very expensive very quickly, comparable to buying a meal in Disneyland. At least here it does help support local families. 

The children were relentless though, shoving bracelets onto my wrists, wanting me to promise to have coffee at their stand ("or I will cry madam"), breakfast at another stand, to buy a shirt form this girl, and cloth from another one. I found myself repeating, "sorry sorry I cannot buy from everyone" and I got the line back, "sorry doesn't get you anything, you're just a cheap fly!" Had to laugh at that one. They are excellent mimics -- speaking Japanese, English, German, French, Thai, and whatever else they need to make a sale. 

Two full days were adequate, with my favorite temple being not Angkor Wat, but Ta Prohm -- swallowed by trees. The visual information was plenty for me to absorb, I can't imagine having to keep up with the pace and running commentary of a bus-package tour guide. No, the motorbike was definitely the way to go to discover Angkor on our own. I only regret that I did not have time to explore real Cambodia.