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<strong>The</strong> ruins <strong>of</strong> the ancient city <strong>of</strong><br />
Angkor, capital <strong>of</strong> the Khmer kingdom<br />
from a.d. 802 until a.d. 1295, are one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
world’s greatest marvels. <strong>The</strong> “City <strong>of</strong> God-<br />
Kings,” Angkor boasts some <strong>of</strong> the largest<br />
religious monuments ever constructed. Angkor<br />
Wat itself, the largest religious building<br />
in the world, represents Mount Meru. In<br />
Hindu mythology this was the home <strong>of</strong> the<br />
gods and the kings <strong>of</strong> Angkor were gods.<br />
Angkor was created from a fusion <strong>of</strong> feudalism,<br />
animism, and Hinduism that impelled<br />
the god-kings to create celestial glory on<br />
earth to honor their own divinity.<br />
Angkor is a vast and mysterious complex<br />
<strong>of</strong> soaring towers, mysterious faces,<br />
and exquisite sculptures. <strong>The</strong> location was<br />
unknown to the outside world until<br />
French naturalist Henri Mouhot literally<br />
stumbled onto it in 1861. <strong>The</strong> half knowledge<br />
and half rumor <strong>of</strong> Angkor existed for<br />
centuries only as a myth. Although Angkor<br />
was abandoned for 600 years, the<br />
Khmers knew exactly where it was and had<br />
no wish to disturb the power <strong>of</strong> slumbering<br />
spirits. After Mahout made his discovery,<br />
archaeologists flocked here. With war<br />
and conflict after 1970, Angkor was once<br />
again <strong>of</strong>ten lost and more <strong>of</strong>ten damaged.<br />
Many temples were pillaged. Once the<br />
wars subsided tourists became the invaders.<br />
Today the sight is totally mobbed, but<br />
you might still find those quiet moments<br />
to contemplate the awesome eeriness <strong>of</strong><br />
this amazing man-made wonder.<br />
<strong>The</strong> temple complex covers some 97 sq.<br />
km (60 sq. miles) and carries the remains<br />
<strong>of</strong> passageways, moats, temples, and palaces<br />
that represent centuries <strong>of</strong> building.<br />
Originally the stone would have been<br />
interspersed with wooden buildings and<br />
all the bustle <strong>of</strong> a living city. A millennium<br />
Siem Reap<br />
later what there was is gone, eaten by the<br />
fierce, humid jungle, and what remains is<br />
a magnificent stone skeleton.<br />
<strong>The</strong> temples are served by the nearby<br />
town <strong>of</strong> Siem Reap, some 6km (3 1 ⁄2 miles)<br />
to the south. Siem Reap means “Siam<br />
Defeated” and refers to the 16th-century<br />
victory that solidified the Khmer kingdom,<br />
even though the Thais were to triumph<br />
once again as empires ebbed and<br />
flowed. Animosity between the two neighbors<br />
remains to this day. All <strong>of</strong> western<br />
<strong>Cambodia</strong> was once under Thai control,<br />
and Khmer people are very proud <strong>of</strong> their<br />
survival in the face <strong>of</strong> so many invaders,<br />
the very reason that an image <strong>of</strong> Angkor<br />
Wat graces the national flag.<br />
Siem Reap, not long ago a quiet, dusty<br />
town <strong>of</strong> rutted roads and dark nights, now<br />
supports a host <strong>of</strong> large five-star hotels and<br />
resorts, numerous restaurants, and the<br />
kind <strong>of</strong> goods, services, shops, galleries,<br />
and spas that make the little city a new<br />
island <strong>of</strong> luxury in parched western <strong>Cambodia</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> town’s markets have become a<br />
great stop for souvenir purchases as well as<br />
more traditional fare such as pig’s heads<br />
and car parts, and the nearby downtown<br />
area is throbbing.<br />
A 3- or 4-day visit will suffice (though<br />
many do it in less time) to come away with<br />
a newfound love for mystery, religion, and<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the most spectacular sunrises<br />
known to man. <strong>The</strong> sunrise over Angkor<br />
Wat itself is <strong>of</strong>ten stunning and justifiably<br />
famous—a blaze <strong>of</strong> red and orange silhouetting<br />
the central towers. It is a photographer’s<br />
dream, although these days you will<br />
have an awful lot <strong>of</strong> other photographers<br />
in the frame. <strong>The</strong>re are good options for<br />
visiting more far-flung temple ruins, and<br />
the Bayon always remains sublime.<br />
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