Cambodia Day 4- The Large Circuit

Our last morning in Siem Reap our driver picked us up at 5 a.m. and took us to a lake where we could see the sunrise. More interested in photographing the ruins at sunrise than just seeing the sun come up over the water we asked him to take us back to the Laura Croft Wat (This is where part of the Tomb Raider movie was filmed) where we had been the day before but the lighting hadn’t been ideal for photos. We hoped that in the early sun photos would turn out better...and they did! For the first hour we had the Wat all to ourselves. It was so peaceful and serene as we moved about photographing various angles and details. Slowly other tourists began to show up as well as a few young boys that set up their “shop” of trinkets to sell. I watched as one boy swept the leaves from the dirt and surrounding area giving it a tidy feel, while the other boy laid out a cloth and then began to set up very systematically the mini metal statues of various gods and wat replicas.

The plan for today was to hit several wats that were further out (which is why we paid $3 more than the previous day) and which is referred to as the Large Circuit. We started with the Bantea Siray (Fortress of Women) which was a special treat! To begin with, the road to get there was lined with Cambodian life. Children riding bikes to school in their uniforms, children playing in the dirt, cows and chickens in the front yards, basket weaving, cane sugar being boiled down to make crystalized sugar and many more activities. We saw a man on a motor bike with a basket on the back filled with young pigs. There were flat carts on the back of motorbikes overflowing with charcoal. So much life taking place. Then we reached the women’s fortress which is the smallest of the temples but also the best preserved. The stone has a pink hue to it. The carvings in the stone are so intricate. Unfortunately, it was hot and very crowded so I didn't get a chance to admire it as much as I would have liked.

We moved on to other temples which were much less crowded since they were further out than the temples in the small circuit that we had enjoyed the day before. As the day progressed and it got hotter and hotter we lost our energy and enthusiasm for climbing the steep stone stairways to the tops of the eroded edifices. When we learned that we had just a few temples left to see we decided to stick with it and keep the end in mind. Some of the sites were more interesting than others I have to admit and at some point they all start looking the same...tall stone structures with really steep, tall stairs to climb, with much of the engravings and carvings worn off. That's about all we saw in the end as it all became a blur. But, we knew we only had 2 full days to see it all. Probably not the best plan but it’s what we had. While it was an intense 2 days I think we would have enjoyed it all a bit more if we had planned one additional day in order to avoid being out during the hottest parts of the day.

At several of the temples there were groups of landmine victims playing music and selling recorded CDs. We decided to purchase one as it claimed to have traditional music. The CD is described as “A group of the cripple musians at the east Prasat Preah Khan Buy one CD of the cripple is that you have supported the cripple musians projested in Cambodia.” No, those are not my typos. I've typed it exactly the way it is written. :-) It made us chuckle. The music, I have to say, is pretty good.

So, that brings to an end our time in Siem Reap. I mentioned in a previous blog that we had the companionship of a monk for a little while. He asked us what we thought of the temples. I told him I was amazed by all the work that went into the construction and how well preserved it all was. He admitted that the buildings left him empty inside but that he did have a sense of pride for his country. The artistry is tremendous! Imagining what these buildings must have been like when they were first built (some dating as early as 800! The most recent dates to about 1300). It really is spectacular.