Add Cambodia To My Places of Wonder

Add Cambodia To My Places of Wonder

Cambodia is a name that has always connoted mystery, intrigue and the unknown to me. As a child, I remember listening to a radio program called, “Adventures by Morse”. Morse was a detective or adventurer, who in a series of episodes was involved in searching for some mysterious treasure in a place I had never heard of called Angkor Wat, which I learned was in Cambodia. 

For some unexplainable reason, I was always drawn to photographs that showed the bizarre temple complex, with its many towers. The place screamed exotic and exciting. Today, I arrived in Cambodia and we are set to explore some of the many temples in the Angkor Wat complex. Many authors describe Angkor Wat as the greatest religious monument every built. That is no small praise. 

Angkor Wat – built by Suryavarman II (r 1112–52) – is the earthly representation of Mt Meru, the Mt Olympus of the Hindu faith and the abode of ancient gods. The Cambodian god-kings of old each strove to better their ancestors’ structures in size, scale and symmetry, culminating in what is believed to be the world’s largest religious building.

The temple is the heart and soul of Cambodia and a source of fierce national pride. Unlike the other Angkor monuments, it was never abandoned to the elements and has been in virtually continuous use since it was built.

The sandstone blocks from which Angkor Wat was built were quarried from the holy mountain of Phnom Kulen, more than 50 km away, and floated down the Siem Reap River on rafts. The logistics of such an operation are mind blowing, consuming the labour of thousands. According to inscriptions, the construction of Angkor Wat involved 300,000 workers and 6000 elephants, yet it was still not fully completed.

Reading of the building of this religious complex reminded me in many ways of the Egyptian construction of the pyramids. Both projects were massive and involved thousands of workers constructing a tomb for the resident ruler. The pyramid’s project is well over 2000 years old; the Cambodian construction is almost a thousand years old. To have visited both of these UNESCO preserved sites has been an experience I have really enjoyed and now can treasure.

I will draw this boring entry to a close and leave you to wait for my reaction to the visit to Angkor Wat! If you can’t sleep because of the anticipation, take two aspirins and eight ounces of rye whiskey. Stay tuned!