Cambodia
The 3 days Larissa and
I spent in Cambodia as an extension of our trip to Thailand were phenomenal.
Angkor was the real reason we went on this trip, and it far exceeded our
expectations. Built from the 9th to the 14th centuries by a succession of Khmer
kings, some Hindu and some Buddhist, Angkor is a vast jungle area twice the size
of Manhattan. In its heyday, it had a population as high as 2 million. There are
a number of temple complexes, including the extensive Angkor Wat (where we
climbed a harrowingly steep, irregular and narrow stairway to reach the top– and
then had to get back down!); the Bayon with its famous “face” towers and
gateways; gem-like Banteay Srei with its exquisite relief decoration; and Ta
Prohm, left in its overgrown state with trees rising out of tumbled-down walls
and enormous root systems flowing down to the ground. (Lara Croft, Tomb Raider
was filmed here.) The temples feature wonderful reliefs depicting scenes from
religious epics and, in particular, a wide variety of lovely apsaras, or dancing
girls.
Near one temple, we
heard the strains of music. Upon investigation, we found ourselves at a village
wedding, where we were dragged in to join the dancing (to music sounding
surprisingly Cajun) and have our photo taken with the bride and groom. Another
unique experience was our visit to the village on Lake Tonle Sap, where
everything is afloat --houses, gardens, pigpens, churches, stores, the school,
and even a basketball court.
There is a deep sadness
in Cambodia not present it Thailand – the specter of the Khmer Rouge haunts
everyone and land-mine victims are to be seen everywhere. Truly heart-rending.
It is still very much a Third World Country and hasn’t quite geared up for
tourists yet.
Mimi Santini-Ritt
2006