Raven's View

The medieval city of Angkor once served as the capital of the Khmer Empire, the indigenous people of Cambodia. Only 3mi (5km) east of Siem Reap Airport, it is very closely located and easily accessible. A thriving ancient megacity, at its peak it housed up to one million residents and contained several hundred temples with over 70 of them found inside the core of the city.

The temples were built over a period of 300 years, first dedicated to Hinduism and later to Buddhism. King Jayavarman II, the first king of the unified country circa 9th century, declared himself a Devaraja (God-King) and as such built himself temples for king-worship. Although very little remains of his structures, Jayavarman set the ground for succeeding kings to follow.

Believing that the mountain was the centre of the world and a link between heaven and earth, the temples were built to resemble mountain-like structures with tall, tapering towers. By the end of the building period in the 12th century Angkor was the largest city in the world.

After repeated invasions from the Thai in the west, in 1432 the Khmer moved the capital to Phnom Penh and Angkor was abandoned. Over the following centuries the city was swallowed by the jungle and disappeared until 1860 when naturalist Henry Mouhot, in search of exotic insects, was cutting his way through the depths of the jungle and came upon the city.

Teams of archaeologists descended upon Angkor to study it until the mid-20th century when decades of political unrest left the city neglected. In the 1990s preservation efforts resumed and in 1992 Angkor was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I am standing at the Victory Gate within Anghor Thom and I imagine, as lore tells it, the King sending his army through the gate into battle and upon victory welcoming their return. The elaborate arched gate is adorned with four large heads, each facing a cardinal direction, representing gods and demons. At the inner corners of the gate are sculptures of three-headed elephants. Through the gate is a path lined with statues of gods and demons holding onto a seven-headed serpent known as Naga. Just as the army departed into battle centuries ago, I too began my journey heading to the famed Ta Prohm temple that’s been enveloped by giant tree roots.

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Here's the overall route, and my small progress so far. 

It was with great anticipation that I arrived at Ta Prohm temple. Possibly the most photographed temple in Angkor due to its unique appearance and subsequent rise to fame when it was used as a location setting for the 2001 Tomb Raider feature film. It’s not every day that you see trees growing out of ruins but that’s exactly what the jungle did during Angkor’s dormant centuries.

Ta Prohm was built by King Jayavarman VII around the late 12th century in honour of his family. He was the most prolific Khmer builder, constructing hundreds of monuments in as little as 40 years. The complex with the temple at its centre is made up of five wall enclosures. The outer wall is significantly larger and surrounded by a moat. Much of the internal space is now forested but this area once teemed with life when the complex had as many as 12,000 people living within its walls.

The three inner enclosures are galleried. With a low roofline, the interior passageways are very dark with little light filtering through the windows from outside. Some of the external walls have carved decorations of deities, meditating monks and temple guardians.

When restoration works began on the complex it was decided to leave it untouched allowing the trees to co-exist with the buildings they have grown over. Whilst it provides a fascinating view, the concerns are that the trees weigh heavily upon these fragile buildings. Although conservationists have added iron supports in some of the passageways, many of the ceilings in unprotected sections have collapsed under the weight.

Wooden walkways have been installed to protect the temples and as I walked around the complex I marvelled at the huge trees, snaking their roots along the temples’ roofline, spilling down the side like a fan. As nature strangles the narrow passageways it lets it be known that at any time it can reclaim itself and anything within it.

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Here are a few more views of the temple area. 

Pre Rup (/ˈprɛ ruːp/; Khmer: ប្រែរូប, Prê Rub [prae.ruːp]) is a Hindu temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman[1]: 116 [2]: 73–74 [3]: 361–364  and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction.

The temple's name is a comparatively modern one meaning "turn the body". This reflects the common belief among Cambodians that funerals were conducted at the temple, with the ashes of the body being ritually rotated in different directions as the service progressed.

Apparently, taking a sunset photo from here is a big thing. MY route continued north, less paddies. more trees, still open areas as opposed to dense jungle.

Stopping point was near some small restaurants, as well as some hat shops. Lots of hats. 

Jan 31 - 19km mark.

It's been a few days - distracted by the protest convoy that is disrupting much of Ottawa life. I've included an image with terrain added. so that you can see the forests vs paddys. 

I headed north, past East Baray a now-dry baray, or artificial body of water. In the centre is a temple, East Mebon. It was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and honors the parents of the king. Its location reflects Khmer architects’ concern with orientation and cardinal directions. The temple was built on a north–south axis with Rajendravarman's state temple, Pre Rup, located about 1,200 meters to the south just outside the baray.

Onward then, past more paddies, then across the mighty Siem Reap river. North, with the waters of Jayatataka Baray on my left. Next, on the right, Ta Som, a small temple only recently reclaimed from the jungle.

West along the baray, then a sidetrip to Neak Poun, on an island in the middle. Neak Pean/Poun was originally designed for medical purposes, the ancients believed that going into it's pools would balance the elements in the bather, thus curing disease. 

Around the baray, then headed east through Preah Khan temple, built in the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII to honor his father., with which it was associated. It was the centre of a substantial organisation, with almost 100,000 officials and servants. Then west to the main 'road'. 

And here's where I ended up. 

Feb 8 - 32.2 kn, 21 days. Finally I arrived, after lots of little steps. I'll put down a few highlights along the way. 

Krol Romeas was used as an elephant enclosure, one of the few stone examples left. 

Then south to a group of temples and enclosure, including the Terrace of the Elephants, use by kings for viewing important events. 

Bayon Temple - Buddhist, 12th century, famous for 200 large smiling faces carved into its walls.  

Out via the southern gate, then past more temples (same old, same old) and I was done.  

  I got a final postcard. Here's the text: 

Finally, I arrived at the most significant complex on my journey, Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. Everything about this temple was carefully thought out, from the moat surrounding it, the architectural design, the geographical position and its purpose, in one word Angkor Wat is a masterpiece. It is the Khmer Empire’s greatest achievement and Cambodia’s crown jewel.

Built in the first half of the 12th century as a Hindu temple and mausoleum for King Suryavarman II, the complex covers an area of 400 acres, separated from the rest of the city by a moat that is 650ft (200m) across. This beautiful lake-like moat has a very important role in the survival of Angkor Wat. The weight of the water pushes against the earth and structure like a retaining wall, keeping Angkor Wat from collapsing. It is a symbiotic relationship which the architects intentionally planned when they designed this megastructure.

The architects wanted a dramatic and visually stunning structure visible from a long way away. They achieved that with a lengthy causeway allowing the grandeur of the temple to slowly unfold as it is approached.

Crossing the massive moat, I entered the main grounds through the central portal of the outer wall and found myself on the Terrace of Honour with stone balustrades decorated with sculptures of the serpent Naga.

To take in the expanse of Angkor Wat, I took a northbound perimeter walk, heading east and slowly winding my way towards the centre.

Passing the Reflecting Pond, I entered the concentric gallery through a handful of stairs and experienced the first of many wall carvings that formed military, mythological and daily life stories. The most iconic was the 160ft (49m) long relief known as the Churning of the Ocean Milk, a Hindu story portrayed as a tug-of-war between good and evil.

More than 2,000 statues of apsaras (female spirits) can be found in the temple, each one highly detailed showing masterful craftsmanship and the artists’ desire to bring the sculptures to life.
Entering the central terrace, I was met with the exceedingly steep, eye-watering, set of stairs that led to the final terrace. It was made up of five conical towers that represent the peaks of Mount Meru, home of the Hindu Gods. This final climb ended at dizzying heights but was worthwhile for the aerial views of the complex and surrounding jungle.

This brings me to the end of my journey. The city of Angkor is a remarkable testament to the Khmer Empire, its artisans and architects. It is also a reminder of the syncretic nature of its religion, as illustrated by the Hindu and Buddhist elements found in its architecture. The stone temples have endured for over 500 years and although extremely fragile, with ongoing conservation efforts I hope it will continue to endure for future generations.