Day 3: Angkor WHAT
Compared to the previous day, left relatively later around 7 (damn, this is getting to be a habit) for Angkor Wat, this time. Mulled hiring a guide but decided against it. Was suitably rewarded after watching the belligerent male counterpart of a couple, Indian presumably, lecturing a guide on the finer points of one of the panels.
The sandstone temple is easily the better preserved among all the temples in the Angkor complex and many restoration teams are still working on it. Despite being built nearly a thousand years ago in the honour of Suryavarman 2 who ruled in the 12th century, the details on the bas-relief and statues are intricate and beautiful. These depict scenes from Hindu mythologies and episodes from the King’s reign. Some of the work is so detailed that even I could make out the various Gods in the Hindu pantheon.
As I made my way into the inner complex which housed the three main temples, with the middle temple symbolizing Mount Meru, an important temple in both Hindu and Buddhist literature, the apsaras and the learned sages carved in the walls became even more eye-catching. Most of the statues lining the inner corridor have been removed, hopefully to some museum, or at worst, some private collection with only a few headless ones remaining. Met a Korean engineer and we got along to see the remainder of the temples. Turned out to be a good decision as there was a knowledgeable Korean tour walking ahead of us, for a large part of that, and we could feed off them.
Preah Khan (in Angkor Thom) was the last stop on what was turning out to be a very beautiful day, weather-wise. A bit off the beaten track, and therefore not heavily populated, this turned out to be a good choice. I would say in terms of atmosphere, this is even better than Ta Phrom, even though the latter gets most of the visits. Wilder and quieter with the temple itself falling in ruin, save for a middle corridor that runs for nearly a kilometer, with chambers flying off in each direction. I spent a good couple of hours here before walking out of the West exit to a picturesque tiny balcony overlooking the Siem Reap river. Hours can be spent there, happily and dreamily.
For lunch, went to a place highly recommended in LP called Viroth’s which is a bit of a high end place by Siem Reap standards. Splurging a fair amount of money in a town where decent meals can be had for a dollar can have the effect of making you feel guilty.
The beauty of the place, though, is it’s located in the picturesque Wat Bo district across which the Stung Siem Reap flows. Beautiful wrought iron benches in some nicely landscaped gardens give it a European-esque feeling and before I nearly decided to take a nap on one of those benches, I met my Korean friend. We decided to go a nearly cultural center but avoided it after it gave vibes of being an expensive tourist trap. Plus, we had a long day and we were looking to catch up with some other folks in the evening.
As a concept, couch surfers is brilliant when I heard it first from Ankur and then Steven, and I became sold on that after meeting up with some assorted folks at Angkor What. A Mexican finishing his thesis in Barcelona, an American who has been on the road for the last ten months, a Kiwi girl backpacking, couple of banker movie folks. Very motley and very refreshing! The music got better as the night rolled on and the bar is the only action in town. The best Christmas I had and wound back home at 2 in the morning for some restful sleep.
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