SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA
It's our last day at Angkor, and there are still dozens of temples we haven't even seen! I guess it would take a week or more to visit every one of them, and much longer to fully explore them all. To be honest, I would have been perfectly happy returning to some of the temples we've already visited--Angkor Wat, the Bayon, and Ta Prohm, especially. But instead, Chris and I decided to go a little farther afield today to visit two sites some distance from Angkor: Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean.
Banteay Srei is a small temple about 20 kilometers north of Angkor. It's built on a much smaller scale than most of the temples there, so it didn't take long to walk around and see it all. But unlike the other temples we've seen, virtually every surface of the structures is covered with intricate bas-relief carvings and decorations, most of which are still in pretty good shape. Its small size and delicate ornamentation has led to the legend that the temple must have been designed and built by a woman (it wasn't). It was quite beautiful, though, regardless.
After walking around Banteay Srei for about a half-hour, we then braced ourselves for a jarring one-hour tuk-tuk ride over deeply rutted dirt roads north to Kbal Spean, the "River of a Thousand Lingas." What's a linga, you ask? Well, it's a stone... um... phallic symbol that was worshipped by some of the ancient Khmers. There are lots of them scattered around the temples at Angkor, but what makes this site unique is that there are scores of them carved into the riverbed itself. The idea was that the lingas would "bless" the water as it flowed over them in the mountain stream and into the river that leads to Angkor. The site, which wasn't even discovered until 1968(!) is a good 40-minute hike up a mountain trail. We made sure not to stray from the path, as there are still land mines in the area. Yikes.
In addition to the lingas, there are images of Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma carved into the river rocks, as well as figures of animals, including a frog and a crocodile. Many of the carvings were hard to see at first, as they blend into the color and shape of the boulders, and some are partially submerged in the river. Unfortunately, like many of the sculptures at Angkor, some of the figures at Kbal Spean have been defaced in recent years by "poachers" who have hacked off the heads (and sometimes the entire carvings) in order to sell them on the black market. It's a real travesty, because of course it totally ruins the sculptures. Still, despite some missing pieces, it remains a beautiful place in a peaceful natural setting. Adding to the scenery is a nice waterfall just below some of the carvings that's apparently become popular with the locals for swimming and picnicking.
It's our last day at Angkor, and there are still dozens of temples we haven't even seen! I guess it would take a week or more to visit every one of them, and much longer to fully explore them all. To be honest, I would have been perfectly happy returning to some of the temples we've already visited--Angkor Wat, the Bayon, and Ta Prohm, especially. But instead, Chris and I decided to go a little farther afield today to visit two sites some distance from Angkor: Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean.
Banteay Srei is a small temple about 20 kilometers north of Angkor. It's built on a much smaller scale than most of the temples there, so it didn't take long to walk around and see it all. But unlike the other temples we've seen, virtually every surface of the structures is covered with intricate bas-relief carvings and decorations, most of which are still in pretty good shape. Its small size and delicate ornamentation has led to the legend that the temple must have been designed and built by a woman (it wasn't). It was quite beautiful, though, regardless.
After walking around Banteay Srei for about a half-hour, we then braced ourselves for a jarring one-hour tuk-tuk ride over deeply rutted dirt roads north to Kbal Spean, the "River of a Thousand Lingas." What's a linga, you ask? Well, it's a stone... um... phallic symbol that was worshipped by some of the ancient Khmers. There are lots of them scattered around the temples at Angkor, but what makes this site unique is that there are scores of them carved into the riverbed itself. The idea was that the lingas would "bless" the water as it flowed over them in the mountain stream and into the river that leads to Angkor. The site, which wasn't even discovered until 1968(!) is a good 40-minute hike up a mountain trail. We made sure not to stray from the path, as there are still land mines in the area. Yikes.
In addition to the lingas, there are images of Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma carved into the river rocks, as well as figures of animals, including a frog and a crocodile. Many of the carvings were hard to see at first, as they blend into the color and shape of the boulders, and some are partially submerged in the river. Unfortunately, like many of the sculptures at Angkor, some of the figures at Kbal Spean have been defaced in recent years by "poachers" who have hacked off the heads (and sometimes the entire carvings) in order to sell them on the black market. It's a real travesty, because of course it totally ruins the sculptures. Still, despite some missing pieces, it remains a beautiful place in a peaceful natural setting. Adding to the scenery is a nice waterfall just below some of the carvings that's apparently become popular with the locals for swimming and picnicking.
posted by John Kuge at 9:48 PM
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