Angkor Wat

Here in northwest Cambodia in the (relatively) small town of Siem Reap we’re only a 20 minute tuk-tuk ride from the World Heritage Site, Ankgor Wat. Today I oozed out ten pounds of sweat as I climbed the steep steps of these temples in 100 degree weather.

Angkor Wat generally refers to the a region that includes a great deal of temples. In truth, there is one Angkor Wat and the rest are part of an imperial city first started in the early 12th century. Today the elegant and massive limestone structures stand as an incredible testament to the power of a determined ruler and his unquestionable authority over his subjects.

Ironically, the part of the site that most amazed me wasn’t one of the temples. It was the man-made moat that surrounded the primary site of Angkor Wat. The term moat often conjures up images of short medieval speed bump inversions that surround castles in Europe. Angkor Wat’s moat is perhaps hundreds of meters across and surrounds the complex which is half a kilometer or more in diameter. It is an incredible man-made lake. And it was dug out to protect the site in the 1100s. Slaves must have been involved and certainly many, many people died.

Angkor Wat could be a wonder of the world. Not having seen the pyramids at Giza, I find it unlikely that the scale of their construction much exceeds what I saw today. But, unlike most treasures of our world, Angkor Wat is served up Cambodian style: with very little consideration to the next generation’s ability to enjoy the site. You can climb all over any part of these temples.

There’s more to see in Siem Reap but I won’t stick around to find out what. This afternoon I booked a plane flight to Vientianne, Laos where I’ll spend the Lao New Year and maybe a few more days. After that I’m untethered by sync points (new years has been one since before I arrived) but will most likely spend most of my time in Vietnam.