A Trip to Cambodia

A Trip to Cambodia

Before you read this blog… (look below)

(Please take your shoes off)

Cambodia, home to fourteen million people. With a diverse culture, I was very lucky to be able to visit the country. The airplane we flew on started from Phuket, stopped in Bangkok, and ended in Siem Reap. Siem Reap in Khmer, the Cambodian language, means Thai defeat. There are about three hundred and ninety nine temples in Siem Reap, and one million people.

We are staying in Borei Angkor, a four star hotel. The Hotel has several restaurants, one pool, and a spa. The room I am in has three beds, one bathroom and a TV. It has been so long since I could watch Cartoon Network in English.

The next day after we arrived, we decided to take a tour, and see some of the temples here in Cambodia. After a a short drive with our guide, Piture, we arrived at the point where you get your tickets for admission to the temples. After we bought four tickets (James didn't need one), we headed to the first temple. On the way we talked to our guide, and learned that Cambodia's government is a multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy.

Bayon Temple

Naga

Singah

Dvelepoula (left), Absara (right)

The first temple that we visited was named Bayon. Bayon was built as a Buddhist temple, but was changed to a Hindu temple when the king at that time tried to change the country's religion to Hinduism. Now the temple serves as a Hindu and Buddhist temple, and a historical landmark. The temple had many singhas and nagas (lions and snakes) guarding it. There was also many dvelapoulas, to guard the doors, and Apsaras (celestial dancers) to keep the dvelapoulas company. In and on the temple, there were carvings. Carvings of the battles between the Khmer and the Chan, carvings of the way of life in Cambodia, carvings of hunting, fishing, eating, royalty and poor, the carvings were everywhere. Also in the temple were the faces of Buddha. Back when the temple was built, eight hundred years ago, there was more then two hundred of them, but now there is only about one hundred and forty eight.

Ta Phrom

After visiting Bayon we headed to the next temple, Ta Phrom. Ta Phrom, a Hindu temple, was built as a Buddhist temple by Jayafarman the seventh for his family. Since then, the temple has been overgrown by many plants and trees. The temple is famous for its showing in the film Tomb Raider. The temple is full of jungle sounds and has a greenish color from all of the moss and lichen growing on it. There are many tree roots growing around the temple and they sometimes made funny shapes or interesting designs around the temple. One of my favorite places in the temple is a room where you could beat your chest and it would echo around the room. The funny thing is that no other sound would echo in the room.

We were all getting a bit tired after visiting the two temples so we decided to eat some food or, as the Khmer say it, ngam bpai. Khmer food is not spicy, but is still tasty. After a lunch of Rice and curry we headed to the next temple.

Angkor Watt

Raining Outside

Angkor Watt, or City Temple, was built nine hundred years ago as a Hindu temple by King Suryavarman II. Later it was changed to a Buddhist temple. Angkor Watt is surrounded by a man made moat and a large naga. There is also over two thousand apsaras in Angkor watt. There are lot of carvings inside Angkor Watt, but most of them were about religious beliefs. There is scenes of heaven and hell, the churning of the sea, and more. Also in Angkor Watt, there
are many pools for people (from the past) to
swim into in the morning and pray to the sun god. One of the really cool things I got to do in Angkor Watt was to climb to the highest point on the temple and see the beautiful view.

The reclining Buddha

The next day of our adventure was very fun. We had decided to go to the mountains and see the reclining Buddha and the waterfall near it. After a hour and a half, we arrived at our destination, the reclining Buddha. This reclining Buddha was built over five hundred years ago. To make it easier for people to get to it, workers made a stairway up to the Buddha. Also, beneath the Buddha, is the the Buddha's footprint. People believed that if they put money on the Buddha's footprint they could make a wish.

The next thing that we visited was the waterfall. The waterfall was huge and was the most powerful waterfall I've ever visited. Fortunately we had brought our swimsuits so we were able to swim. The waterfall was so powerful, so that when you went really close to it, it would push you back. It was very hard to get under the waterfall and when you did, the waterfall would blind you with its spray, and crush you with its water. It was great!!!

Another thing we did that day was visit the land mine museum. I learned a lot about the problem of land mines in Cambodia, and in 53 other countries.

On the third day of our trip we had a break from all the traveling, so we only did one thing: a helicopter ride over Seam Reap. The helicopter we rode in had a capacity of six people and was red. Our helicopter also had several windows. The flight was amazing. It felt smooth, not anything like a plane. We were able to see several temples from up in the air, and they all looked like miniature models. Angkor watt from above was amazing. I was able to see where I had been on it. We also got to see the floating village from above.

Floating village

Mangrove Forest

The last day of our adventure was on a Sunday. We were able to go see the floating village on boat. We took a small boat on the way there and through the main part of the village. I could almost imagine living there, fishing all day, to come back and swim, eating fish and rice. The people of the village would fish, using nets or fish traps with two entrances, designed to let fish in, but not out. After fishing, the people would bring back their catch, and make it into fish paste to eat. While I was there, I was toured around the village in a local paddle boat. We went through the mangrove forests, and through the center of the village.

Thanks for Reading, Jacob

These are the carvings in Bayon Temple.
Playing Chess (top left)
Chan fighting Khmer (top middle)
Underwater (top right)
Training (left)
Building Bayon Temple (right)