Angkor Wat

by Kris Sat Aug 18, 2012 1:12 pm

I was going to post some of the pics my son took, but that won't do this place justice. Instead, check out the video below.
Would highly recommend it. We stopped in Bangkok for a couple of days and flew to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Apparently, there are direct flights from India now- delhi, bangalore, I think. Surprisingly, hardly saw any indians at AW, considering this is a Hindu monument and the largest religious structure on the planet. Guess the Indian tourists go to Thailand instead ("they like freedom' giggled our bangkok tour guide). The Mahabharatha and Ramayana have been carefully etched in supposedly largest bas relief ever created. The countryside is littered with Hindu and Buddhist temples.

One thing though, Cambodia is poor. Stay in a nice hotel, there are plenty at reasonable prices. Ours had a french indochine feel to it, capturing the best of the tropics, in terms of vegetation and sunlight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTsL1jjkqcM

by Guest Sat Aug 18, 2012 9:54 pm

I visited Phnom Penh and Siem Reap a few years ago - while the architecture and the magnificence of the royal palace in Phnom Penh, Ankor Wat and the other temples were astounding, the poverty all around was quite disturbing. Of course, the privileged (mainly expats) were at fancy hotels and socializing in Foreign Correspondents' Club and such. I
visited the country side as well.

Gut-wrenching sights:

- line of open trucks full of people, packed like sardines, commuting from the country side to the 'city'.

- the "one dollar photo" kids all around the temples

Angkor Wat Workers-truck

Highlight: "neer moru' at a South Indian restaurant that our guide took us to in PP.[/quote]

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Sat Aug 18, 2012 10:38 pm

blabberwock wrote:
Gut-wrenching sights:

- line of open trucks full of people, packed like sardines, commuting from the country side to the 'city'.

....compared to the luxury ride in this.... Razz

...

by Kris Sun Aug 19, 2012 12:35 am

blabberwock wrote:I visited Phnom Penh and Siem Reap a few years ago - while the architecture and the magnificence of the royal palace in Phnom Penh, Ankor Wat and the other temples were astounding, the poverty all around was quite disturbing. Of course, the privileged (mainly expats) were at fancy hotels and socializing in Foreign Correspondents' Club and such. I
visited the country side as well.

Gut-wrenching sights:

- line of open trucks full of people, packed like sardines, commuting from the country side to the 'city'.

- the "one dollar photo" kids all around the temples

Highlight: "neer moru' at a South Indian restaurant that our guide took us to in PP.

[/quote]

>>>>One other thing that stood out was also the number of orphaned children. One of the items on our itinerary was a water market or riever market or some such thing. We drove for awhile and then were on a boat in one of the mekong's backwaters. The conditions on these boathouses was abysmal. I couldn't help wonder how a civilization could have collapsed and receded so far. Our guide Narun was very dejected about the historic infighting and the recent atrocities. He was still proud of the temples. On Angkor Wat, I just couldn't get enough of it. On the day of our departure, I wanted to take a tuk-tuk to go and see it again before going to the airport, but was too pressed for time.

by Guest Sun Aug 19, 2012 1:54 am

Did you go up Bakheng Hill and watch the sun set? We managed to do that and it is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Bakheng

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Sun Aug 19, 2012 2:34 am

blabberwock wrote:Did you go up Bakheng Hill and watch the sun set? We managed to do that and it is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Bakheng

With all the "tamilian" name of the kings and builders of this temple, KV should consider the entire region as Tamil Naadu and demand its unified independence.

by Kris Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:30 am

blabberwock wrote:Did you go up Bakheng Hill and watch the sun set? We managed to do that and it is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life.

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Bakheng

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Bakheng[/quote[/url]]

>>>> Unfortunately, no. I also couldn't see AW at sunrise, another must see. Hopefuuly will spend more days there the next time around.

by Kris Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:58 am

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
blabberwock wrote:Did you go up Bakheng Hill and watch the sun set? We managed to do that and it is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Bakheng

With all the "tamilian" name of the kings and builders of this temple, KV should consider the entire region as Tamil Naadu and demand its unified independence.

>>>>Lots of dravidian influence. Some of the long, pillared corridors were identitical to temples I have seen in interior TN. I want to go back and see the tanjore temple now, which I saw when I was less than 10. I remember the nandi and pretty much that's it.

by Idéfix Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:31 pm

blabberwock wrote:Did you go up Bakheng Hill and watch the sun set? We managed to do that and it is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Bakheng

Yeah, I still remember that hill and the old temple on top of it after all these years.

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