Stories from Siem Reap (1/2)

Hana R
Hana R
Jul 28, 2017 · 13 min read

If someone had told me that I would spend two days in the rainy month of July trying to spot un-decapitated Buddhas, I wouldn’t have believed them. And yet that is exactly what has happened.

SIEM REAP — a province in Cambodia and home to the famous Angkor Wat. My knowledge of the region is dodgy at best, or I suppose it was, and I’d gone on this trip so I could cross it off my list of Southeast Asian countries that I’d been to.

My expectations weren’t high. There would be temples, ruins, lots of them. I’d imagined old stones, dust floating in the light, wild birds cawing overhead. In a way I’d ended up with that and more, with the more being an uncanny empathy for the people there and a fervent hope that one day their lives will be better.

I went to Siem Reap last week with my family as part of a week-long trip from Cambodia to Thailand. A lot of my colleagues back then had already been to Cambodia, and told me that you could easily get around by hiring a tuk tuk for the day. But after having been to Batanes six months prior, we figured that getting a local to guide you through the tourist attractions would be the best option for a place seemingly rich in history.

Angkor Wat as seen from the inner grounds. Acid rain has damaged the carvings over the centuries.

Angkor Wat

Our first stop, as expected, is the famous Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II and King Jayavarman VII in the 12th century. It is one of the few temples facing west in honor of the Hindu god Vishnu who resides in the west. Angkor Wat, meaning “city for religion”, took 37 years to build with the use of free people, animals, and boats. It has six libraries, five entrances, and four swimming pools.

To witness Angkor Wat at its finest, we chose to avail of the sunrise tour. Our guide Rany picked us up in our hotel at 04:45am on the dot and drove us to the designated parking lot (read: wild forest). From the forest, we still couldn’t see the lotus towers that defined Angkor Wat, so I though it must be hidden by a huge tree or structure of some sort. It turned out that to reach the actual temple, we had to cross a 190 meter wide moat via a buoyed bridge made out of recycled plastic bags. I don’t know why I didn’t know this — it seemed like pertinent information — but I didn’t.

When we reached the inner enclosure, we were greeted by that venerable institution that thrives on population and money — business. Tents of shops have sprouted up within the temple grounds and offer a wide array of souvenirs and food like bags, scarves, clothes, sweet potatoes, bamboo cakes, and the like. Even before recovering from the walk across the moat, a boy came up to us and asked in his learned London accent, “Would you like some coffee? Tea?” We trudged on and tried to ignore him and the other ladies who sprouted from somewhere and displayed their arms filled with scarves.

Angkor Wat‘s lotus towers have become a national symbol of Cambodia and are featured in the official flag.

When we first saw Angkor Wat, we thought that the temple was in fairly good condition — it was built in the 12th century after all — but our guide said that because of the lack of major restoration initiatives, the temple is slowly deteriorating, or is at least in worse condition than it should have been had it gotten the attention it deserved. The intricate red carvings have been washed out by acid rain. In the entrance, white spots mark repair efforts caused by bullet damages from the territorial fights between Khmer Rouge and the government. More devastatingly, statues have lost their heads, hacked by locals and sold off to private collectors during Cambodia’s communist period.

Angkor Wat has a feature that we would soon realize was common to all temples in Siem Reap: its floor is raised above the ground. This architectural feature stems from the belief that the dirty ground is reserved for sinners, while the temple floor itself is considered heaven. If the temple has several stories, they are most likely reserved for higher ranking officials and the king himself. Angkor Wat’s main center entrance is for the king, the two beside it are for officials, and the two at the corners are for common people and animals. Other distinguishable features of temples in Siem Reap are a surrounding moat, an outer wall, and a platform connecting the outer wall to the temple entrance.

TIP: Dressing up for that instagrammable travel shot is fun, but please, please, please take the dress code seriously. No exposed shoulders and knees for women, preferably shirts and trousers for men. If you prefer supporting local business, shops near the temples sell scarves and traditional trousers.

Angkor Wat has no private rooms, only galleries. Aptly named “city of religion”, the temple was primarily used for praying. Unlike other temples with outer platforms used as venues for public gatherings, Angkor Wat was used exclusively for prayer.

Nāga, the serpent god of water (Hindu), marks the entrances and surrounding walls of Angkor Wat.

Instead of competing with the overwhelming onslaught of tourists, our guide Rany had us walk around the temple to a side entrance that led to a gallery. The entrance that we walked into had carvings showing the epic of Rama and Sita, the lovers who were separated when Sita was kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. My knowledge of Indian lore is dodgy at best, but I do remember Ramayana from a play in high school that my sister participated in. It had pajamas, and swords, and actors who were a little too careless in wielding the swords — so it was pleasant to revisit those characters and hear again how their adventure played out.

We did a little more loitering in the grounds as we inspected more of the carvings. At this point, it was already apparent how much damage the temple has sustained from natural elements. Some stones have been stained black by rainwater pouring through their surface over the centuries. Other carvings have washed out or deteriorated because of acid rain.

Stain and deterioration caused by centuries of rain. Steel reinforcements have been installed for additional support.
Bas-reliefs of cloud and water spirits populate the entire temple. These Hindu figures are relatively safe from the iconoclast fury that would soon rage in the Khmer empire.

We gradually made our way up the flights of stairs to the central sanctuary where the lotus towers were. We passed hallways with open windows, hallways showing pieces of looted statues with no heads, walls with dancing apsara (female spirits of cloud and water) and many other carvings, each with their own story.

At the main section, we lined up for our first queue. Entrance to the central sanctuary is through a flight of steep stairs that are controlled by temple staff. Guests need to wear proper attire before being handed a pass that they must wear while they are in the sanctuary. They are given 15 minutes to explore the section before climbing down again.

At the top of the stairs, we found ourselves in a square hallway surrounding a courtyard. From the courtyard, we had a view of all three lotus figures jutting out from the very hallway we were in.

The lotus figures are decked with carvings of apsara and statues of other Hindu gods. This Angkor style is evident in other temples.
View of the outer enclosure, taken from the temple’s central sanctuary. Beyond the gateway is a moat, a bridge, and the forest parking lot. The two structures in the middle are libraries.

After seeing the lotus towers, we descended quickly, walked all the way back to the forest parking lot, and took a nice long drink of cold water. On our way back, it was entertaining to hear snippets of other languages as people walked past, but what amused me more was how I could spot a fellow Filipino just by their clothes.

Pinoys, especially the traveling millennial, have a very specific intent in choosing their clothes for a trip — they need to look good in pictures. I can’t explain it very well myself, but I do know that I’m guilty of it as well. Off-shoulder top with brim hat? Pinoy. Floor length maxi skirt? Pinoy. Culottes? Pinoy. Thick-framed glasses and small satchel bag? Definitely Pinoy. It’s some kind of recognizable ‘brand’ which takes one to know one.

By 08:45am, we were done with Angkor Wat, and we headed back to our hotel to avail of breakfast.

One of the five entrances into Angkor Thom. Our guide told us that the rainy season (July) was the best time to visit Siem Reap while the statues are covered in moss.

Angkor Thom

Our tour resumed at 10:00am and we headed to Angkor Thom. Measuring three kilometers across it’s northern and southern gates, Angkor Thom is easily four times the size of Angkor Wat. Called “city for people’s lives” or “great city”, Angkor Thom used to be home to around 400,000 residents living inside the temple grounds.

Established by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century, Angkor Thom used to be the capital city of the Khmer empire. Angkor Thom is known for carrying both Buddhist and Hindu elements as Jayavarman VII, a Buddhist, sought to unite the two religions and thereby unite his people. However, his son King Jayavarman VIII reverted to Hinduism and ordered the destruction of every Buddhist image in the empire. That is why the remaining Buddha images in Angkor Thom have either been beheaded or completely defaced from existence.

Today, most Cambodians declare that they are Buddhist, but they still retain some Hindu practices.

Getting a quick geography lesson on how huge Angkor Thom is, relative to Angkor Wat. After this, our guide launched into a passionate history lesson of the Khmer empire.

It is said that the separation of Hinduism and Buddhism brought about the ultimate demise of the Khmer empire. After the separation, major areas of the population vacated the territory and moved to what would eventually be called Thailand and Vietnam. What is left now of the great city of Angkor Thom are its temples, forests, and termite mounds.

TIP: I know that DIY travel itineraries are fun, but I recommend, in this instance, to hire a guide. A guide can provide background on the attractions you see — context that you can appreciate instead of merely posing in front of a cool statue and saying ‘cheese’.

Because of Rany’s history lesson, we were especially keen on finding Buddha images that survived the extermination. It was like a game — find the obscure man sitting cross-legged and making hand gestures — and while it was all in good fun, I couldn’t help but think what a devastating loss it all was. Angkor Thom’s smiling faces all look so serene, but look a little bit closer and you’ll find the markings of religious hate.

One theory suggests that the 216 smiling faces in Bayon are that of Jayavarman VII. Only a few Buddha imagery survived the mass defacement.

Bayon

Angkor Thom measures a vast nine square kilometers, so our guide only took us to the temples worth looking further into. For the rest, we just drove by and watched the other tourists pose in front of stone elephants and abandoned living quarters. Of all the temples in Angkor Thom, Bayon is the most well-known.

The view of Bayon from a distance looks rather drab. You really need to get a closer look to appreciate it more.

Prasat Bayon is the center of Angkor Thom. It is named after the banyan tree, which is known to be where Buddha was under when he attained enlightenment. In the very center of Bayon are four faces facing four major directions, surrounded by eight faces facing the extended directions, and so on. It is said that the faces used to have gold content, and the roofs silver, making them a frequent victim of plunder. Locals have also removed the first steps in stairs in trying to search for jewelry.

Bayon itself is in no better state than the rest of the Angkor temples. A quick look in the inner courtyard shows piles upon piles of loose stones that have fallen from the high points of the temple. Climbing these piles is dangerous and extremely discouraged.

Defiled Buddha images are a common occurrence in the temples built by Jayavarman VII.

In the temple’s hallways are carved images of religious lore and public life. As we went up a few more stories, we became eye-level with the faces we’d seen from below. If you got into the whole Temple Run kick, you might get a trip from seeing these faces, except that the faces in Bayon look like they’ve just had a particularly good meal, and those in Temple Run look like they’re just about to devouryou.

It’s a bit eerie walking around the faces. It feels like the omniscient presence of Hindu gods judging you wherever you look. I wonder what the current public perception is of Jayavarman VIII, the king who’d brought on the hatred towards Buddhism. Ninety-five percent of Cambodia now practices Thearavada Buddhism. When the worshippers revisit these temples, what do they feel when they see images of Buddha completely scratched off the surface? Are they offended? Angry? Or do they see it as part of ancient history, no longer relevant to them?

Exploring the vicinity of Preah Palilay led to this gem. I think we just entered fairy land.

Preah Palilay

Preah Palilay is what one would consider a hidden gem within Angkor Thom. Since it is one of the few temples whose Buddha carvings are still intact, scholars have argued that the temple may have been built after the iconoclast period. It’s a fairly small temple, with a small platform used by the people for meetings and festivals. Residents would congregate on the platform and invite the god from the temple to go outside and join their festivities. Nowadays, a Buddha statue is erected in front of the temple, and locals wipe their powdered hands to the Buddha in the hope that the winning numbers of the lottery would be revealed to them.

Preah Palilay, at least in this time of year, is a whole bunch of green. Do not wear green when you’re visiting this place specifically, unless you want to blend with the foliage. The central structure of the temple is surrounded by building blocks that have been overgrown with grass and moss overtime. These blocks used to belong to the temple wall and tower.

(Left) The central structure of Preah Palilay is no longer open to the public. (Right) Temples with tall structures like Preah Palilay’s chimney tower always have a pile of carved stones lying around. These stones used to decorate the top of the temple and fell to the base as time passed.

It was a good thing that Rany took us here, because no other tourist group seemed to know about it. People may not flock to it as there is really not much to see, apart from a dilapidated chimney and three trees — but it does make for lovely pictures.

The well-known Tetrameles nudiflora (Spung) protruding from the temple structure is a defining feature of Ta Prohm.

Ta Prohm

Also known as The Tomb Raider Temple, said our guide.

Ta Prohm actually means “grandfather of the four faces of Brahma”. It was another project of Jayavarman VII as part of his great building program, and he dedicated it to his mother Queen Sri Jayarajacudamani. Ta Prohm was used as a royal monastery and university for 2,740 officers and 2,332 assistants to the king. Approximately 79,000 people lived around the area during its time.

It was in Ta Prohm that we first saw a rather unique way of defacing a Buddha carving. Instead of carving off the Buddha, locals carved over, creating new lines and reliefs to turn Buddha into a Hindu god. At first, I thought it was kind of petty — turn a god into another god, whoo, big deal — but on further reflection, I realized how scandalized I would be if it was a carving of Jesus Christ.

Until going to Siem Reap, iconoclasm was just a concept that I learned in high school history. It was abstract, something that would never be relevant to me. Ninety-four percent of the Philippine population worship Jesus Christ in some way or form — I can’t fathom his image being beheaded, vandalized, stolen, or struck with a hammer in public sight.

Khmer is only one empire. What sort of anarchy would reign in the modern world if 31% of its population suddenly found their god’s images defiled?

This original Buddha carving was carved over to make it a Hindu god.

Ta Prohm is known for an overgrowth of trees seemingly strangling the temple structure. Over the years, preservationists have had to cut down roots and tree trunks in critical areas as they threatened the integrity of the temple walls. New trees have also sprouted, one of which is the Ficus gibbosa, or the strangler fig tree. Ta Prohm may seem on the verge of collapsing, but its outer state is actually a result of carefully constructed support beams that stay out of sight to maintain the illusion of abandonment.

The place does look charming, and for a moment, it feels as if the only reason that the temple is still standing is that the tree roots are keeping it upright. In certain angles, tree roots becomes snakes, or elephant trunks, or bums (hah). It’s a place that fills one with imagination and taps into that child who’s always wanted to explore.

Ta Prohm isn’t immune to pillaging though, especially from a population that is in equal parts superstitious and desperate. Holes now ‘decorate’ the doorways since locals attempted to find secret stashes of jewelry.

Jewelry used to be hidden within the temple walls. The holes here were made by locals in search for a spot of fortune.

Ta Prohm was the last item in our first day of touring. We drove back to our hotel and checked our luggage to see if someone had brought Ibuprofen.

Next: We go to more temples and end up seeing something truly extraordinary.

Hana R

Written by

Hana R

strategist in training. i get around when i can.

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