Monday, October 3, 2011

The Seven Summits of Angkor Thom

Friday, September 30, 2011


Our last full day in Cambodia starts early, as Long arrives with his cheerful smile and his daily printed agenda. It's longer than usual; we're going to crisscross the ancient Khmer capital with visits to five temples and a sacred mountain - actually two sacred mountains; our last temple of the day is Phnom Bak Eng, Angkor Thom's first temple-mountain, built by King Indravarman I in 881. But, first things first. We begin at Pre Rup, one of the early red-brick temples constructed eighty years later in 961. The gods are smiling on us this morning with the bluest skies of our visit.


Next is a rousing one-mile hike up to Kbal Spean, a waterfall and "River of 1,000 Lingas," where the river bottom features carvings made by King Rajendravarman II's subjects during several dry seasons. Our trail through the rain forest alternates between firm red clay and large rock formations. Sturdy stairs have been constructed for our benefit, and the cicadas hail us loudly as we pass by their own little empires. We reach the river to find an alternate feature - high water has obscured most of the carvings, but the falls are worth the hike. Our trail back down passes several stone carvings, many of them beautifully mossy and green.


East Mebon Temple, another 10th century triumph, is an ancestral temple that boasts stone elephants guarding each of its four corners, looking out over the outer courtyards and the rain forest beyond.


The courtyards themselves align as a sort of maze, with lush green lawns inviting exploration around every corner. Close up, the contrast between the red walls and green grass is a refreshing change from the different shades of gray found in other nearby temples.


Preah Khan, built two hundred years later as the Khmer Empire approached its pinnacle. It has two fascinating details. First, we get a chance to see first-hand the challenge for those restoring these structures. In its courtyard, the sawed-off lower trunk of one of the rain forest's invasive trees is frozen in mid-digestion of a lesser tower, its roots a cross section of wood and brick awaiting careful dismantling and reconstruction. 






Later, as we exit, Long points out a series of round columns, not seen elsewhere in Angkor Thom, that hints at some kind of European influence. Legend has it that a Roman coin was found nearby, raising the question of whether these two ancient empires ever met.






Our day ends with a final ascent, this one by elephant, as we reach Phnom Bahk Eng in time to watch a tropical thunderstorm pass just to our west. Its lightning and thunder are a dramatic background as we reflect on all we have done and seen in this most remarkable city. 



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