Originally posted on sciy.org by Ron Anastasia on Mon 11 Dec 2006 02:27 PM PST
I received this email a couple of days ago, from a friend who's now traveling in SouthEast Asia. His writing is so vividly "on the spot" that I thought to share it here on SCIY. ~ ron
Siem Riep, Cambodia #1
Dear friends,
Here in Siem Riep (Angkor Wat) Cambodia, there is no shortage of entrepreneurial capitalism….just like in Thailand. Because of all the foreign dollars, euros and yen flowing into here because of Angkor´s famous temples, there´s a plethora of people catering to the foreigner´s needs.
There are restaurants galore serving up tasty native Khmer and European dishes for 1- 5 dollars washed down with 50 cent draft beers.
One can hardly walk a block without being invited to ease one´s journey with a ´moto´ (small motorcycle) driver or a ´tuk-tuk (the same small motorcycle plus attached carriage). Using one of these guys is the way most people go the 7 km. north to Angkor´s acclaimed temples. Hiring one for all day costs about 10 dollars. With temperatures consistently around 90 degrees, it´s better than renting a bicycle for 1 dollar.
Unlike other world-wide ruins, the Angkor complex covers an area of approx. 100 sq. km. although most of the famous temple complexes can be seen on a 26 km. loop…..and what a loop it is!
As the guide book proclaims….´Prepare for divine inspiration! The temples of Angkor, capital of Cambodia´s ancient Khmer empire, are the perfect fusion of creative ambition and spiritual devotion. The hundreds of temples surviving today are but the sacred skeleton of the vast political, religious and social center of an empire that stretched from Burma to Viet Nam, a city that, at it´s zenith boasted a population of one million when London was a scrany town of 50,000. This empire lasted from around 800 A.D. till it fell (as all empires are wont to do) around 1200 A.D. But it´s physical legacy is truly astounding.
This includes the most famous complex of Angkor Wat, surrounded by a giant moat measuring 1.5×1.3 km. Besides being really well preserved structurally, the bas-relief carvings in it´s sandstone walls are intricate, ever changing and everywhere. They´re breath taking. Because it´s so famous and popular, there are numerous bus-tour groups filling up the place. Because it´s also so big, one can simply walk to places where they´re not. Yes. Outside the temple walls, but within the vast moat is the green Cambodian jungle completely free of people…. a good place to quietly meditate on national hubris and it´s eventual passing and just listen to the birds.
Mark
f. mark turcotte <f_mark_turcotte@hotmail.com>
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