Cambodia 2007

In April 2007 we flew to Siem Reap, which is the provincial capital nearest the famed temples of Angkor. Angkor Wat was on the internet voting list for the "New 7 Wonders of the World", but did not win a place, probably because of the lack of internet in Cambodia. The Cambodian people were well aware of the vote, and there were signs hanging around town urging people to vote for Angkor. Like the Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat is even more stunning up close; every inch of the sandstone is engraved, carved, decorated, chiseled or otherwise embellished. Particularly stunning are the bas-reliefs which depict not only war and conquest but also such daily activities as fishing, cock-fighting and childbirth. One of the fascinating things about the Angkor temples is that they are largely inspired by Hinduism, not Theravada Buddhism, which is the dominant religion in Cambodia today.



At the main temple, Angkor Wat.


X with some apsara, or Hindu heavenly nymphs.

Our friendly tuk-tuk driver/guide.

X at the Terrace of the Leper King.

Ta Prohm temple was left more or less as it was found, slowly being reclaimed by the jungle.

The magnificent Bayon temple, with 216 faces of Avalokiteshvara. Both X and I liked this temple best.

Some of the many faces of the Bayon temple.

X and I are both gastronomes of sorts, so we were keen to sample the local cuisine, often called "Thai-Lite" for its relative lack of chili peppers and spices. Khmer cooking is heavily dependent on fish, and we had some wonderful fish curries, called amok. The local beer- Angkor Beer ("My Country, My Beer"), is just a notch or two more beer-like than water; it does not compare favorably with BeerLao from its northern neighbor, nor in my opinion does the cuisine match the almost unreachable standard set in Thailand. Still, all smiles at the local market.