Thursday, November 29, 2007

Day 3: On the Lake

Today we stopped looking at temples and went out to Tonle Sap lake instead. Tonle Sap lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Its size varies considerably, from about 2,500 sq km at the smallest to 12,000 sq km at its largest. Why the huge difference? The Siem Reap tourist guide says that in the dry season, the lake drains into the Tonle Sap river which then runs into the Mekong. But in the wet season, the Mekong becomes so large that it overflows, and fills Tonle Sap instead. So in the dry season, farmers get to cover the Tonle Sap valley with rice fields. In the wet season, they retreat to their tall houses and go fishing instead.


Our visit to Tonle Sap was really to look at the floating village at Chong Khneas. Our guide told us that the families on the lake included both ethnic Cambodians, as well as Vietnamese. These fishermen/farmers do not exactly lead the normal life of most Cambodians (most do not, after all, live in boats), but it is definitely more typical of Cambodia than the tourist-oriented world of Siem Reap. Although, there is a tourist stop in the village which allows the visitor to look at the sea life which used to populate the lake - various species of fish, eels, and crocodiles. Whilst there are still fish in the lake, many species have been fished out and there are only a few specimens left. As for the crocs, only the ones in the pen for visitor viewing are around. I don't think they are exactly missed.


There are various facilities on the lake- not just homes. I saw a school, a children's playing area and a Catholic church. And lake village life is active. Boats selling provisions or vegetables ply their way from boathouse to boathouse. We saw the fishermen clearing their nets of fish, to be sold in the market later in the day. Children swim in the water (nearest the tourist stop) or paddle around in gigantic basins.

It is a tough life, and a simple one.

Ironically, directly after this visit to Tonle Sap lake, we had a very nice Khmer lunch at a top restaurant (Chao Praya) in Siem Reap. One thing about visiting a rice-producing country - the rice here has always been very good! Large, fragrant grains. So good you can eat it on its own or with only a little bit of curry gravy. Fortunately for us, we had far more things to eat it with. But for the villagers living on the lakeside, this would probably not be anywhere near their normal fare.

Day 2: The Face of Buddha

Our second day in Siem Reap was all temple-viewing. We started off at 8.30am and met our tour guide, Dara. Somehow the majority of tour guides here in Siem Reap are men.

Our first stop of the day was at the South Gate of Angkor Thom, the city of the great King Jayavarman VII, the temple builder extraordinaire. Anything with a tower with four Buddha faces on it - likely it was built by good old J the VII. But the gate itself was very impressive. It is reached by a causeway over a moat with a row of demons lining the right of the bridge, and a row of gods lining the left, all holding the naga serpent. According to the guidebook, it is actually a representation of the churning of the sea of milk, from the Hindu mythologies. Some of the statues lost their heads over the years and through the war but most have been replaced. It is quite easy to tell the difference. But apparently the thieves will steal the new heads too.

Passing through the gate, we went to the Bayon temple. Frankly, if we are talking about the Hindu conception of the universe, with the holy Mount Meru surrounded by the mountain ranges, then Bayon is probably the most mountainous of them all (including Angkor Wat which is more restrained and refined). It is a truly imposing monument. Tower upon tower, each building up to the topmost tower at the peak. And all the towers have the four faces of the Buddha on them - so we are surrounded by these serene faces with smiles so inscrutable that they could have taught the Mona Lisa a thing or two. But the temple itself was full of visitors from all over the world, all making this the first stop of their temple-hopping day. Each group had their own guide, speaking to them in English, Chinese, Japanese and French. It was interesting to see that the French-speaking guides tended to be the older Cambodians. We had to take our turn to go and look at the bas-reliefs, and to move along the galleries, and to go up to the top of the temple where we have to take turns to take photographs at the most scenic spots.

We went next to explore the series of monuments by the Bayon temple. First, the Baphoun temple-mountain, which would have required us to climb up a lot of steps to the top of the base for the temple itself. The temple was being restored, with each of the stones removed, numbered and set aside for subsequent replacement. (That's the auld anastylosis technique). Its amazing to think that in the past it was human hands and backs which had to place each block in place whilst now the work is being done by cranes.

The Terrace of Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King and the old Royal Palace (plus their bathing pools) followed. Then we went back to town for lunch. It was at a Chinese restaurant! Alas, the typical Singapore tourist's penchant for Chinese food caught up with us. It was a fairly tasty meal nonetheless.

We went next to Ta Prom. This was truly exciting, because it gave a good sense of how nature slowly took over the old temples over the years. Ta Prom was built by King J VII and thus has many architectural similarities to Banteay Kdei and the Bayon. But huge strangler figs and silk-cotton trees (as shown in the photo) have slowly been growing around and on top of the buildings. The massive roots of these gigantic trees had pierced through the roofs and walls of the ancient temples such that they had become part of the fabric of the building. Tree and building now require each other to exist - when one falls, so could the other. Apparently this was the temple where a famous scene from "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" was filmed. So we went to the spot and yes, there were people queuing up there to get their photo taken as well (I did!).

Finally, we went to Angkor Wat. Now some people think of just the five towers when they go to Angkor Wat and that picture postcard view of the towers reflected in the lake. In reality, Angkor Wat is a much larger complex. To get to the innermost shrine (the 5 towers), we crossed the causeway over the moat, through a first set of city walls, down another road and past two pools (these were people to bathe in and wash away their sins before going further into the temple). Then we came to the main temple itself. Now as mentioned before, think of this as a wedding cake of about three tiers. As you move further up and further in (through the galleries of bas-reliefs, past more pools, past galleries of Buddha statues, past libraries) the closer you get closer to the holiest of holies, the innermost tall towers of Angkor Wat. This innermost shrine is again like a temple-mountain in itself - the pilgrim must climb these very steep and narrow stairs to reach his final destination - the shrine at the top of the stairs.

Yesterday's pilgrim, today's tourist. We were (more than anything) relieved to find that the topmost shrine was temporarily closed for maintenance and to build a new staircase (with a less steep incline) over one set of the old staircases to the shrine.

After leaving Angkor Wat, we were pretty exhausted. But there was still one more temple mountain to see, this one perched on a true mountain (or rather, a hill). We clambered slowly and painfully up the hill. There is an elephant ride available for the less active but at US$15 per pax, it was just a bit too expensive. Finally we reached the temple on the top only to realise that we needed to climb up yet another set of steps to reach the shrine on top of the temple base. Let me just say we finally managed it. But unfortunately, the cool of the evening meant that there were slight mists in the air. The view of Angkor Wat was not clear, and there was to be no glorious sunset that evening. So we clambered down again.

We ended off the day with a foot massage - wonderful - and dinner. Totally exhausted, we got back and had an early night.
Here's the Flickr link again for those who want to look at photos.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

An interlude: in memorium

During our plane journey to Siem Reap, the Cambodian gentleman sitting next to us asked if we would be also going to Phnom Penh, for the water festival there. We said we were not and thought no more about it. During our second day in Cambodia, we visited the Bayon Temple where there is a massive frieze depicting great battle between the Khmers and the foreign invaders, the Chams. The Khmers won this battle on the Tonle Sap lake. Since then, they have been commemorating the event during this water festival, including a race on the Tonle Sap River near Phnom Penh, with a minor celebration in Siem Reap itself.

Little did I know, when I was composing yesterday's posting on Day 1 of our visit, that the Singapore Dragon Race team, competing in the water festival races, had met with a tragic accident earlier in the day. This accident took place after the race as the team was returning to shore. An unexpected current caused their boat to capsize, and 5 of the 22 member team drowned in the Tonle Sap River. So this post is in their memory - a virtual minute of silence, if you will. May they rest in peace.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Day 1: Apsaras in Stone and in Flesh

We arrived in Siem Reap airport at around 9.50am, Cambodia time. The airport is not large, but it is immaculate and well laid-out. We were to learn that in Siem Reap, everything is tourist-oriented. The immigration process was very smooth (especially since we did not have to queue for the visa) and high-tech with the little digital camera on hand to take our photos. Our driver was waiting just outside to whisk us away to our hotel. The hotel itself was most pleasant - we could have wished for a room with a better view, but the room itself was fine.

After lunch (a really enjoyable dish of amok fish, which is rather similar to otak), we proceeded to our first round of temples. I had been told by someone that Banteay Srei was worth visiting, so we decided to go there first especially since we knew it was a little out of the way. We got our tourist passes first and again, this process was smooth and efficient. No one gets their passes in the middle of the afternoon and so there was no queue. The little camera was again in evidence, this time to take our photo for our pass. Apparently, the ticketing system has been tendered out to one of the nearby hotels to manage. Payment was in US Dollars. We were to learn also that this is the standard currency in use in the area, at least by tourists. Which made prices of everything pretty expensive. We are talking US$1 for a single postcard in the hotel! (You can get 10 for US$1 from the little children selling postcards outside the temples). We drove on to Banteay Srei - everything is well sign-posted and there are many other tourists on the roads, including a few cyclists. We passed them quickly in our Toyota. I wondered whether Cambodia is a recipient of second-hand cars from Singapore. Whilst Cambodians drive on the right side of the road, the driver's seat seems to be on the right just as often as it is on the left.

Banteay Srei (the Citadel of Women) is a small, exquisite little temple - one of my favourite temples for this entire visit. Built of red sandstone, the shrine was covered with fine, highly detailed carvings telling stories of the Gods. It is one of the older temples, built around 968-1000. It was apparently not built by the king of the day, but by his high priest instead. With the shrines and carvings at eye level (without the need to climb!), it is easy to take photos of the shrine. Here, I first started really making use of the ND filter on my camera. That's why I managed to get these lovely blue skies. Here too, we learnt some essential phrases - "Gopura", or entrance pavillion; "Library" which really refers to a little shrine; lintels and pediments - often beautifully carved especially here at Banteay Srei.

Our next temple, Pre Rup, was an example of a temple-mountain. In other words, the temple itself was built on the top of an artificial mountain, rather like a tiered wedding cake with steep steps up each side. The true believer would undergo this arduous journey in order to worship the gods. We were not (alas) true believers. We decided that such climbs would take place the next day when we got to Angkor Wat and Phnom Bhakeang. The temple itself was not fully restored, with plants growing out from between the bricks of the building. Nonetheless, it was still most impressive.

Our third temple for the day was Banteay Kdei. It is a very different temple from the other two we saw. It is not a temple-mountain so there is nothing to climb (hooray) but it is also large in scale with large sandstone blocks. It seems to be in worse condition than the other two, with props supporting stones here and there, and the blocks of the main towers tied together. Needless to say, this added to the interest and excitement of walking through the temple... Here we saw for the first time the towers, with the face of Buddha on all sides, and halls with Apsara dancers on each of the columns. Now Apsaras (celestial dancers) are from Hinduism and Buddha (obviously) from Buddhism. So the mingling of the two denotes the practical nature of the builder, King Jayavarman VII, who was a Buddhist but who nonetheless incorporated Hindu symbols into his buildings so that his people (still largely Hindu) would feel some connection to the buildings.

We went by also Prasat Kravan. It would have been good to go in but we were concerned that we needed a little rest before our evening appointment (we were also a little tired by this time considering our early start to the day) so we just stopped outside and took a look. Prasat Kravan was restored through the process of anastylosis, which means that the restorers numbered all the stones, took down everything, and built it up again with reinforcement done for the weaker areas and replacement stones where stones were missing (done in a different colour, or marked in some way so people would know the difference).

We ended the day with a cultural performance- Apsara dances, and folk dances. After seeing the Apsara dancers carved in stone all day, I was eagerly anticipating what they would look like in the flesh. I had also been reading a book, "Dancing in Cambodia, At Large in Burma" by Amitav Ghosh, prior to coming to Cambodia. He had written of a visit that the Cambodian King Sisowath had made to Paris in 1906. He had brought with him the famed Royal Dancers, who performed to great acclaim. Rodin made several sketches of the dancers and (so enraptured was he) apparently followed them to Marseille from where they were to take ship back to Cambodia. I can only say, these graceful dancers were indeed like the Apsaras in stone - with the curved hands and feet.

And that was the end of Day 1 in Siem Reap! More photos can be seen on my Flickr page but I'm uploading them in batches so more will appear over time.

My Visit to Angkor



I have just returned from a short (essentially 3 day) trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to view the ancient temples of the Khmer Empire and the fabled towers of Angkor Wat. In recalling this visit, three main images spring to mind:
  • the spanking new airport building
  • the Apsara dancer
  • the face of Buddha
These images tell a lot of the story of the Khmer monuments at Angkor. The story of how these buildings came about, the different religious beliefs of the Kings who built them, the times they lived through. Also, the story of how these historical monuments were re-discovered and restored for the world to become major tourist attraction for Cambodia, and the impact of the tourist industry on Siem Reap. But all this is against the backdrop of the history of modern Cambodia, in particular, of the human tragedies which took place during the Pol Pot regime.

The story I want to tell is just of my own short visit here. Over the past few days, we have visited towering temples and smaller shrines. We have sailed on the Tonle Sap lake, driven around the Cambodian countryside and bargained in its old market. I knew that there was more to see in Siem Reap than just Angkor Wat. But it was a real revelation to find out just how many temples there actually were! It was also amazing to find out that they had been preserved for so long (for some, more than 1000 years) and in such (relatively speaking) good condition. To start off, here is the list of temples seen/visited (in order of visit) (and remember this is just a subset of all the temples there are):

Day 1
Banteay Srei (built around 967 - 1000)
Pre Rup (944-968)
Banteay Kdei
Prasat Kravan

Day 2
Angkor Thom (1181-1243 - same time as Bayon)

Bayon (1181-1243)
Bapuon (1050-1080)
The Royal Palace (968-1010)
Elephant Terrace (1181-1243 - same time as Bayon)
Terrace of the Leper King (1243-onwards)
Khleangs (968-1010)
Ta Prohm (1181-1243 - same time as Bayon)
Angkor Wat (1080-1175)
Phnom Bhakeng (889-923)

I should explain that we were on a guided tour from the second day, so we spent the first afternoon in Angkor seeing the less "popular" temples. It was a good way to see how temple architecture changed over time. The older temples we saw (Phnom Bhakeng, Banteay Srei, up to Angkor Wat) were influenced by Hindu beliefs. They displayed Hindu gods and goddesses, and told the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Then, in the days of King Jayavarman VII, Mahayana Buddhism became the official religion of the kingdom. Whilst the structure of the temples (tiered towers upon towers) remained the same, the images on the temple walls changed and reflected instead the face of Buddha. After his reign, the country turned Hindu again and much of the Buddhist imagery was destroyed. Today, the country is again Buddhist (Theravada Buddhism) and Buddhist statues have re-emerged in the temples and are venerated by the locals to this day.
The Khmer empire which built these great monuments of stone has long since passed away. The reasons appear to be a little obscure. But these magnificent structures certainly testify to their advanced engineering knowledge, which they amply combined with artistry and imagination.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

The wounded warrior

For some time, Winky had been going round with a stinky paw. At first, we noticed only that he was carrying around a rather unpleasant odour. Then I noticed that there was something smelly on his claw. It was hard to spot, because it was noticeable only when his claw was extended. I concluded some faeces which had got in there (on his nightly rambles) and managed to remove some of it. But the odour didn't go away and the claw continued to smell and look bad.

After some time it became obvious that the smell wouldn't go away on its own. Winky's claw stopped retracting and it was dark in colour. We took him to the vet who advised that it was infected (as we thought) and she would have to clip off his claw. Poor Winky! That was only the beginning of his woes. For he had to wear a bandage, marked "Keep Dry", which made his paw heavy and clumsy. He also had an Elizabethan collar on when he got back. Cost me $6.89 and he hated it. He was tense, restless, trying to get the collar off the second we let him out of his carrier. Eventually we stopped trying to put it on him again.

Worst of all, was the medication he had to take. Anti-inflammatory tablet, once a day. Antibiotics, twice a day. And the antibiotic tablet had to be the huge 62mg tablet. We have been trying every which way to get it in him. Easiest is to pound it up, add milk and honey, and syringe it into him. Painful - and I have the scratches to prove it. Light scratches, fortunately - the vet clipped all his claws in the process of removing the infected one.

Yesterday (5 days after his little surgery) we took him to the vet to remove his bandage and clean up the wound. It was looking quite good! But the vet's assistant replaced the bandage. This evening, we saw a suspicious white sausage on the floor. The clever chap had managed to remove it. I tried, quite successfully if I may say so myself, to replace it. And it even lasted the night! But this morning I spotted it on the floor again. You've got to know when to give up and this is it.




Saturday, November 03, 2007

The Sleeping Smee


The Sleeping Smee
Originally uploaded by Taking5

I said some time back that I would have to think of a new milestone for my photos on Flickr. Now, at last, I can confidently say that I actually have reached one.

As I've mentioned before, my photos are not exactly the hottest on Flickr. In my mind they are of course simply wonderful, but I don't promote them that much so they don't get that many views or comments.

The photo which, however, seems to have gained somewhat more interest is that of little Smee. As of today, "The Sleeping Smee" has garnered some 42 comments and 26 faves, plus 396 views. He has won the Silly Sleepers photo competition on "LOL Cats" and been selected as the subject for another competition, "What have you done to your cat?" In this competition, participants photoshop the cat so that he is put in all sorts of strange little positions. Smee became in turn an action figure in its box, a cat baby in a cradle and a meditating kitten, amongst other things. He has indeed set a high benchmark for all my other photos to reach.

For those who are interested, I've added the links to the transformed Smee photos. Some of the Flickr-ites don't allow downloading, so it's just the links. Here he is.... in all his guises ... the Sleeping Smee!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dogcatcare/1430007866/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dogcatcare/1427997615/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gx9/1419987011/

http://www.flickr.com//photos/4kleuren/1428444774/

http://www.flickr.com//photos/4kleuren/1427255202/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46744538@N00/1362146337/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/doeth/1372473108/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elwynsattic/1425681155/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepix/1426669830/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepix/1426667492/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepix/1426665882/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepix/1425784239/


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