Bayon (Angkor)
Bayon (Angkor)
Cambodia is justifiably proud of its crown jewel masterpiece. Built between 800 to 1200 AD by the Khmer Empire, the empire encompassed parts of Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Given the religious use of Angkor, local guides liken it to the Vatican. Usage is the only similarity given the Vatican is a petite 0.2 square miles site as compared to the 96 sprawling miles of Angkor. Guinness World Records calls Angkor the world's largest religious structure, as any panting, exhausted tourist can attest.
To understand Angkor, a visit to Tonle Sap Lake or Great Fresh Water Lake, is in order. As Trip Advisor reviews confirm, Tonle Sap Lake is not a scenic site. With muddy rivulets leading to it, the lake waxes and wanes with the monsoon and dry seasons. During the dry season the water is the color of unappetizing milky tea, containing detritus of the humans who live and work about it. im1.shutterfly
But bear with me. For according to those who have studied Angkor, it is the water of this great lake that supported Angkor. At least the putt-putt tourist boat I'm aboard has life jackets.
On arrival a face popped up to take photos of us. Why? On return we learn why when she meets our group of 12 with our individual photos glued onto wooden plaques. "A dollar!" she smiles hopefully. Most of us buy, for who doesn't want to encourage her entrepreneurial gumption?
For a discerning (or lucky) tourist, the next stop is the Angkor National Museum in Siem Reap. Within its 7 world-class galleries unfolds the story of Angkor that brings it into focus. While ignoramuses of Isis destroy the past in a Mosul museum, the clever Cambodians have created a stunning museum to celebrate and educate tourists about Angkor.
Angkor National Museum, with pamphlets in 7 languages
Angkor National Museum, with pamphlets in 7 languages

In the morning as recommended by our local guide, we approach Angkor Wat from the less trafficked east. Where are the other tourists? After all, it has 3.1 million visitors annually. We soon seen them, merging with us and others like ants throughout the enormity, and confusing passageways of Angkor Wat. Four empty ponds are before us, representing earth, wind, fire and water, water that would have come from Tonle Sap Lake.
Magritte-like spindles are everywhere in open windows, always in odd numbers. It's easy to lose others through the winding hallways. Words cannot do the site sufficient justice, but Google can.
With our air-conditioned bus and constant sips at water bottles, we survive the heat of the sun. Devoid of all but a handful of tourists, Banteay Srei is a delight with exquisite sandstone carvings that look like embroidered needlework. The guard on duty is busy selling police IDs as a souvenir.
There is the not excavated, but jungle-encroached-upon Ta Prohm with a crush of polyglot tourists, pushing and shoving to get "The Photo". Felt like Times Square on the first sunny day in spring, making it distinctly one place that is better on the internet.
Briefly we see Bayon and Angkor Thom south gate, driving slowly by Terrace of the Leper King, Elephants Terrace and Baphuon.
Then and now came together when I saw a photo of Angkor Wat being cleared of landmines buried by the Khmer Rouge. Book end civilizations demonstrating the good and bad of humanity.