While in Siem Reap we joined a tour company called Beyond tours for a trip out to some of the more remote temples of th angkor wat complex. Our driver was Saree and our guide was Ratana, a delightful man with a great sense of humour.
We travelled about 60 Kim's to near Hari Hali, the old city. He told us that the temples were often built near lakes as the Hindu Gods like water, and on hills as the Hindu gods like to be close to the heavens.
We learned that before 800 was there Angkor period, 800 to 1500 was the Angkor period, and after 1500 was the post Angkor period.
The lake that these temples are near is the amazing Tonle Sap lake. Prior to 1970 the fisherman would catch one ton of fish in every square kilometer. The lake covers 2000 kilometers in May but spreads to12000 in September after the monsoons. The rains have been late this year and the locals complain that there is now too much water. We certainly saw a lot of flooding later in the week as we travelled to Battambong.
The first temple we visited was Pre Rup at Bantreay Samre
There were dark caverns.
And well preserved courtyards
And tumbled down areas
Where nature has taken hold
Extensive carvings
Quite exquisite
And some very big bugs.
It was a memorable day, we saw and learnt so much and the friendliness of the Khymer people was reinforced. On our way home we stopped at the Mine museum. It is hard to comprehend the extent of the mines laid in this country and the damage that they have done. That and the fact that under the Khymer Rouge between 1975 -1979 1.7 million people died, a quarter of the population. Estimates suggest that there are still between 4 and 6 million unexplored ordinance. Such a sobering statistic in such a gentle land.
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