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Angkor Wat - A wonder of the world



 
 
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Old October 30th, 2008, 04:19 PM posted to rec.travel.budget.backpack
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Default Angkor Wat - A wonder of the world

The story of finding Angkor is a long sequence. With a retinue of
bearers, eccentric French naturalist Henri Mouhot hacked his way
through the Cambodian jungle in January 1860, in search of beetles and
butterflies. Though his interest lay more in insects than antiquities,
he spent three weeks exploring the ruins of Angkor. He arrive by way
of Lake Tonle Sap, where, he noted, fish were so abundant that they
impeded the progress of his boat. As a collector, Mouhot was entranced
by butterflies with the size of soup plates lazing on the stones. He
was also intrigued by the stones themselves. In his diaries he claimed
Angkor’s ruins were grander than those of ancient Greece or Rome. He
raved about a monument equal to the temple of Solomon, erected by some
ancient Michelangelo. The sight of the ruins, he wrote in his diary,
made the traveler “forget all the fatigues of the journey, filling him
with admiration and delight, such as would be experienced in finding a
verdant oasis in the sandy desert. Suddenly, and as if by enchantment,
he seems to be transported from barbarism to civilization, from
profound darkness into light.”

Mouhot was not the first European to visit Angkor. A long line of
traders, missionaries, and travelers had passed this way before him in
the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. In fact, Mouhot’s visit was
inspired by the travels of French missionary Charle - Emile
Bouillevaux, who visited in 1854. For some reasons, the reports of
others had gone unnoticed by the West. Mouhot, traveling under the
auspices of England’s Royal Geographical Society, was the most
publicity conscious of the visitors. He died in Laos in 1861 from a
malarial fever; his diaries and tale correspondence was published
posthumously 1863 in magazine called “Le tour du Mond”, triggering
European interest. More writings, focusing as much on natural wonders
as on archaeology, appeared in a book “Voyage in Siam” in 1868.
Englishman John Thomson took the first photographs of Angkor in 1886,
and the ruins exercised a powerful hold on the 19th century European
imagination. The image of ruined temples emerging from thick jungle
vegetation became part of colonial romanticism the lost city
rediscover.

It was not until after World War II, when archaeologist Bernard
Groslier made aerial surveys of the area, that the full extent of
Angkor was realized. Angkor comprises 70 monuments scattered over an
area of 200 square Km. The complex tombs, temple, palaces, moats
reservoirs, and causeway was built over a period of 400 years; only
Egypt’s Nile Valley can compare to this array of monuments.

There’s nothing like Angkor in Southeast Asia. Only two monument
complexes come close: 9th-century Borobodur in Indonesia, and 11th
century Pagan in Burma. The French could not imagine that the Khmer
kings were responsible for such monumental work. The theories as to
who constructed Angkor’s monument ranged from the ancient Romans to
Alexander the Great. Indeed, the structures echo styles from other
monumental ruins. Angkor Wat is built in classical Indian style, with
elements of the Java ziggurat of Borobodur, and yet the numerous bas-
reliefs have a strangely Egyptian character. The columns and arches at
Preach Khan Temple, evoke those of the Greeks and Romans, while the
Pyramid of Phimeanakas resembles those of the Maya at Tikal,
Guatemala.

The inspiration for Angkor architecture come from a unique mix of
Hinduism and Buddhism. The early rules of Angkor promoted various
Hindu sects, mainly dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. Shiva was initially
the most favored deity, but by the 12th century, Vishnu had replaced
him. At the same time the king encouraged Buddhist scholarship;
Jayavaman VII introduced Mahayana Buddhism as the court religion by
the end of the 12th century. Layered onto these concepts was the
tradition of deification of kings in sculptural form. This mix
resulted in Angkorian structures that have no parallel, such as the
fantastic South Gate of Angkor Thom and the bizarre Bayon.

ANGKORIAN ARCHITECTURE

How were the colossal works constructed? The caste system of the
Khmers was similar to the hierarchy extant in ancient Egypt and Mexico
when the Pharaohs and Maya erected their Pyramids. There was a line of
kings, a class of priests and merchants, and a caste of thousands of
slaves (captives of war), laborers, masons, sculptors, and decorators.
Artisans, including architects, belonged to the lower echelons of
society. They remain anonymous-nothing is know of the stone masons and
sculptors who worked for the Angkorian kings.

Wooden buildings in Angkor area have not survived. The use of brick or
stone was reserved for sacred temples and monuments. Architects must
have worked with priests on the design of such buildings: a number of
temple-mountains representing the paradise of Mount Meru, center of
the universe in Hindu-Buddhist commonly. Rigidly geometric and
symmetric pattern radiating in concentric circles compose the ground
of plans of a number of Angkor buildings. The effect is similar to a
mandala or sacred diagram of the cosmos, with Mount Meru at the
centre. To translate these concepts into three-dimensional form,
Angkor’s architects probably worked from wax models.

East Angkor buildings were made of large bricks, with mortar of
vegetable–based adhesive. From the 10th century on sandstone
foundations were laid, and laterite was used in walls. Laterite is a
red, porous material that is actually a kind of iron-bearing soil. It
is easily quarried up, cut into large blocks, then left to harden upon
exposure to the air. Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom rest on laterite
foundations; the temples were mostly fashioned from sandstone quarried
at Phnom Kulen, 45 km northeast of Angkor. The sandstone exhibits a
wide range of coloration, from gray to pinkish, yellowish buff to
greenish. The sandstone was floated down the Siem Reap river and
dragged to the building site using ropes, roller, and winches. A bas-
relief in the west inner gallery of the Bayon depicts the hauling and
polishing of sandstone. The roughly dressed blocks were perfectly
fitted, smoothed off, and the surfaces decorated with bas-reliefs.
Some stones were held in place with bronze clamps, others relied
entirely on gravity.

WHAT SURVIVED?
The name of “Angkor” surfaced in the 16th century - the place was
called Anjog, Onco, Anckoor, Ongcor, Angcor, and Vat Nokor by Western
explores. Angkor is believed to be a corruption of the Khmer Nokor
(nakhon in Thai, and nagara in Sanskrit), meaning the Royal City of
the Khmer Empire. It was built between the 9th and 14th centuries as
the administrative and religious center of the powerful Khmer Empire.
Bas-reliefs like those at the Bayon and Angkor Wat provide clues about
life at Angkor.

This capital of the Khmer Empire, was undoubtedly as splendid as many
European cities. But much is missing today. No wooden buildings have
survived, and all the residential compounds have disappeared. In 1431
the conquering Siamese killed, looted, and destroyed, carrying off
thousands of slaves, tripping the palaces and temples of their
statuary and ornaments encrusted with precious stones, and removing
the gold coatings from towers and rooftops. Gone are the wooden
palaces and dwellings with their terracotta roof tiles; gone are the
sumptuous carpets and furnishings, Chinese pottery and ceramics,
bronze weapons and cult objects, jewelry and utensils, silk beds and
parasols.

What remains are the huge sandstone blocks that could not be carted
away. Some artifacts-statuary, jewelry, ritual objects-are on display
at the National Museum in PhnomPenh. The rest-the vast kingdom peopled
by priests, celestial dancers, astronomers, ministers, and generals,
and the court of Angkor with its banquets, music, dancing, rich
tapestries and paintings, merchants coming and going-is left for you
to conjure. In the haunting contrast between past grandeur and present
decay lies the perverse pleasure of ruins.

ANGKOR HIGHLIGHTS
You could spend an entire week in Angkor, sunup to sundown, and still
not see it all. Siem Reap itself is slow-paced and relaxing, with
reasonable restaurants and lots of countryside. It’s a good place to
sit on the front porch, swap tales with other travelers, and watch the
geckos climb the walls.

Angkor and Siem Reap are the kind of places you have to tear yourself
away from. If your time is short, concentrate on the two main
complexes, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. Options vary on the rest;
everybody seems to have a personal favorite.

The soundest advice on touring Angkor is, in a word, variety. Avoid
concentrations on a series of temples in the same style, as your may
become blasé and won’t be able to remember one from the other later.
Angkor Wat is very different in style from Angkor Thom, and the jungle-
locked ruins of Ta Prohm and Preah Khan are worlds away again. For a
different perspective, hike up to a viewpoint, or visit an artificial
lake like Neak Pean. With more time you can spend a day at the ruins,
then take a day to visit the rural areas around Siem Reap.

Following are the star sites :

Angkor Wat : Large and classical, this awesome site is the world’s
largest temple, with the world’s longest bas-relief panels. On the
second terrace are friezes of celestial dancers. Expect to spend at
least half a day here, or make several visits.

Angkor Thom : This cluster of sites is another must-see, and will
again easily consume at least half a day. The spectacular South Gate
is the best-preserved entry to Angkor Thom. The central temple, the
Bayon, is small in scale, but bizarre, mysterious, and imaginative-the
favorite of many visitors. North of the Bayon are fine friezes at the
Leper King terrace.

Aerial Views : A hike up Phnom Bakheng affords fine sunset views of
Angkor Wat. North of the Bayon is a hike to a hilltop behind Baphuon
temple. Both hilltops give you a sense of jungle and forest
vegetation.

Jungle-locked Ruins : Preah Khan and Ta Prohm are romantic and spooky
sites, covered by centuries of vegetation. The French left Ta Prohm
untouched to give an impression of how Angkor looked in the 19th
century, with tree roots and foliage winding through the stonework.

Artificial Lakes : To get an idea of the waterworks in the Angkor
region, visit the ceremonial bathing sites of Neak Pean and Sra Srang
or journey to the West Baray for boating or swimming.

Rural Living : Take a road in any direction from Siem Reap and you’re
in the countryside. Best excursions are 13 km east to Rolous, where
you can view village life, or 15 km south to Lake Tonle Sap to see
floating houses waving over fish-holding pens.

ANGKOR ROUTE STRATEGIESAngkor Archaeological Park consists of 70 ruins
in an area of 200 square km, although the key ruins are clustered in a
zone of some 60 square km. The French engineered routes of hard-packed
earth around the Angkor area in the 1920s to facilitate visits by car.
Several roads were later paved, and dubbed Le Petit Circuit (The
Little Circuit) and Le Grand Circuit (the Grand Circuit), but there
are really no set patterns. You can mix and match, or come up with
your own routes.

Start early. The heat of the day can get to you even by 09.00.
Fortunately there are well-shaded sections, especially around the
Bayon, and if you move along by bicycle or motorcycle you get some
breeze. It’s a good idea to take a siesta in a cool spot : find a food
stall selling noodles (the biggest collection of foodstalls is
opposite the main gates to Angkor) from 1100-1400, or just go back to
town and rest. Dawn and dusk add special magic to Angkor. Angkor Wat
at the break of dawn is awesome. A little later, at the Bayon, it’s
misty and mysterious, with the sun filtering through the forest
canopy, illuminating enigmatic smiling faces; the chirping of birds
breaks the silence. The last glows of the setting sun over Angkor Wat
are dramatic, viewed from either the causeway or the viewpoint of
Phnom Bakheng. Then sound the frogs and cicadas, the birds and the
bats.

Angkor Wat is overwhelming. The mind cannot take it in at one visit.
Neither will your camera-attempts to fit Angkor into a standard lens
viewfinder are frustrating. Angkor can monopolize your time, consuming
half a day or more. You’re better off making several visits to Angkor
Wat. Drop in and walk down the causeway to get acquainted, then take
off to smaller ruins up north like the Bayon, and maybe return to
Angkor Wat in the late afternoon to take in a bit more.

Limiting factors on routes are available time, hot spells,
transportation, and road conditions. The best road conditions are
found going north from Angkor Wat to Preah Khan an the northern axis,
and east from Baphuon to Ta Prohm on an eastern axis. Other roads are
in bad shape and potholed, slowing progress. Some ideas for routes
follow, but you can chop, change, or add destinations to suit.

In a car you can cover the Little Circuit in an hour of actual travel
time; by bicycle, you’ll need 2.5 hours for the same route. From the
Grand Hotel to the west entrance of Angkor Wat is seven km. For the
following routes, the start and finish point in Siem Reap is the Grand
Hotel.

Northern Axis : Siem Reap (Grand Hotel), Angkor Thom (South gate,
Bayon, Baphuon, Leper King Terrace), Preah Khan, back south to Angkor
Wat west entrance, Phnom Bakheng (sunset), Siem Reap. Distance : 29
km.

Little Circuit : Siem Reap, Angkor Wat west gate, Bayon, Victory Gate,
Takeo, Ta Prohm, Sra Srang, Angkor Wat east entrance, Siem Reap.
Distance : 30 km.

North and East Axis : Siem Reap, Angkor Wat west entrance, Bayon,
Preah Khan, back to Leper King Terrace, Victory Gate, Chau Say
Tevoda, Takeo, Ta Prohm, retrace route to Elephant Terrace, Angkor Wat
again, Siem Reap. This erratic route is designed to take advantage of
the best road conditions, especially if cycling. Distance : 38 km; if
Preah Khan is eliminated, 32 km.

Grand Circuit : Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom (South Gate, Bayon,
Baphuon, Leper King Terrace), Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Sra Srang,
Angkor Wat east entrance, Siem Reap. Distance : 40 km.Combination
Circuit : Siem Reap, Angkor Thom (South gate, Bayon, Leper King
Terrace), Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Sra Srang, Ta Prohm, Victory Gate,
Elephant Terrace, Angkor Wat west entrance, Siem Reap. Distance : 45
km.

Have a nice day!
Alex Pham

http://cashcrate.com/862877
http://www.laoairways.com
http://www.forextradingnet.com


 




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