Siem Reap, Cambodia: Visiting Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is not one temple, but a complex of many temples at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city.

Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east. This has led many to conclude that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple.

Afternoon reflections

The outer wall, 1024 by 802 m and 4.5 m high, is surrounded by a 30 m apron of open ground and a moat 190 m wide. Access to the temple is by an earth bank to the east and a sandstone causeway to the west; the latter, the main entrance, is a later addition, possibly replacing a wooden bridge.

A view from the top of the main temple

Bayon Temple

The Bayon Temple was the last state temple to be built at Angkor, and the only Angkorian state temple to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist shrine dedicated to the Buddha, though a great number of minor and local deities were also encompassed as representatives of the various districts and cities of the realm.

The Faces of Bayon Temple

The similarity of the 216 gigantic faces on the temple's towers to other statues of the king has led many scholars to the conclusion that the faces are representations of Jayavarman VII himself. Look for the smiling face at sunrise. It a truly amazing view that will make you smile for years after your visit.

All smiles...

Siem Reap, Cambodia: The History

Siem Reap is a small colonial town just north of Southeast Asia’s largest lake, Tonle Sap. The town itself is charming and delightful to explore, and offers some lovely examples of French colonial architecture though modern developments, mostly in the form of hotels.

It has been a relatively slow demise of the Khmer Rouge, but now that the town is safe again, visitors have used it as a base for visits to Angkor Wat.

Ruins of Angkor

A Bit of History...

From the 9th to the 14th centuries, as Europe was still struggling out of the Dark Ages, the Cambodian Empire of Angkor encompassed most of present-day Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

Reliefs in Angkor

The heart of this empire during its peak in the 12th century was the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (near present day Siem Reap), the site of the world’s largest temple complexes that was only rediscovered in 1861, overgrown by jungle.

Overgrown trees of Angkor

This spectacular city was built over 30 years under the reign of Suryavarman II (1113-1150). The whole area covers 400 sqare kilometers and is brimming with the finest examples of Khmer art and architecture. Within the Angkor Wat compound alone, are over 100 stone monuments and temple edifices, each of which contains countless statues, sculptures and bas reliefs that have weathered extremely well over the last 800 years.

Stone lion statue

Exploring...
To see the whole thing can take several days, as you get delightfully lost in its labyrinthine corridors. The most important temples to visit in the area are Angkor Wat – especially at sunrise and sunset; Angkor Thom, the remains of the capital; Ta Prohm, a palace overgrown by jungle; and Preah Khan, which is also overgrown and in the process of restoration.

Labyrinthine

I spent much time exploring and lost, walking along winding paths, confused by aware. All the while I was lost, I was not scared, but was enveloped in the moment and appreciating my surroundings. I allowed myself to see things that not every traveler would, and to venture off the beaten path.

Relief in Angkor

Take your time. Explore. Get lost. And find yourself. A visit to this city would never be regretted. Enjoy!

A little lost...

and loving life!

Vietnam: The History of Ho Chi Minh City

I believe that you can develop a better appreciation of the present with a proper understanding of the past. Therefore, I have set out a brief history of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) to help you better appreciate the amazing city that is today.

HCMC has certainly come a long way, in both name and culture, from its original beginning as a small fishing village, to the bustling metropolitan city that it is today. Originally inhabited by the Khmer people for centuries, ruled by the Vietnamese, and then conquered by the French in 1859, HCMC has a many cultural influences. HCMC was originally named Prey Nokor, which roughly means “god” or “heavenly” in Khmer. After Prey Nokor was settled by Vietnamese refugees from the north, the name was changed to Saigon.

Port of Saigon circa 1862

From 1859 to 1954, the French ruled HCMC. In 1954, the French were defeated by the Communist Viet Minh in the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, and withdrew from Vietnam. Rather than recognizing the Communists as the new government, they gave their backing to a government established by Emperor Bảo Đại. Bảo Đại had set up Saigon as his capital in 1950.

At the conclusion of the American/Vietnam War on April 30, 1975, the city of Saigon came under control of the Vietnam People’s Army. American’s typically know this as the “Fall of Saigon.”

President Ho Chi Minh

In 1976, upon the establishment of the unified communist Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the city of Saigon, the province of Gia Ðịnh, and 2 suburban districts of two other nearby provinces were combined to create Hồ Chí Minh City in honour of the late communist leader Hồ Chí Minh. The former name Saigon is still widely used by many Vietnamese, especially in informal contexts.