Roaming the temples that originally began construction around 1180, you'll find yourself daydreaming of a life long ago. While words cannot quite describe the feelings that we experienced wandering through these majestic and heavenly creations, we were indeed humbled by what lay before our eyes. The amount of strength, vision, and power presented is absolutely breathtaking and invigorating.
I was so quickly reminded of my childhood days of playing Indiana Jones in the woods behind my house. Only this time, I wasn't playing like a child... I actually had these REAL and AMAZING temples to discover myself.
The truth is, there is a whole area much larger than the renown Angkor Wat, which is smaller in comparison to Bayon Temple, the residence of the royal family. All the same, the history and the awe is still there. The red stones that are more textured than others are volcanic rocks. They were lighter in weight compared to the sandstone used to build other parts of the structure. So, you'll see that the volcanic rock is used as the base while the sandstone is present amongst the outer layers of the temples. Here, you'll find the sculpted details along every rock face, with the only exception being the floor. There are also some large holes in the stones that are evident on the walkways which were made specifically so wet bamboo could be fit inside and left to dry. When the bamboo dried, it expanded. This bamboo contraption would be attached to a harness that was designed for the elephants to pull the stones to the temple site. Note, some of these stones weigh 7 tonnes alone. These temples were constructed solely from determination, perseverance, and the joint power of man and animal.
Angkor Wat itself was not a residence. It was a temple only used for prayer. We spent our second day here and chose a guided tour for better insight. If you are interested in learning more about the history of this UNESCO World Heritage site, please refer here. The water surrounding the outside of the temples were man-made and filled with crocodiles to keep trespassers out. Now, they are free of crocs and you will see adorable children swimming happily in the lakes just in front of the temple. It's truly a scene from the Jungle Book.
The center of the temple serves as the main entrance and, at the time, was only used by the King. The two other entrances, in the middle of both the left and right sides, were used for servants, soldiers, and civilians. The outer most entries were explicitly designed for the elephants and horses to enter. The pathway leading to all of these entrances is lined on each side by two long snakes. The snakes have a substantially larger sized head on each side that consists of seven smaller heads around it. These seven heads represent the colors of the rainbow, the seven days of the week and the seven chakras. The snakes represent power and were symbolic because they also served as a warning sign to intruders.
Parts of Angkor Wat were destroyed and damaged by historical events. Some pieces of the snake's stone structure collapsed into the mote during the war in the 1970s when American B-52's shot at rebels hiding in the temple. While walking along the bridged path over the protective motes, you'll find deep circular indentions in the rock. These are the remnants of the Vietnam War where fighter jets were attacking rebels who had chosen the fortress as a protectant; seeing this first hand also makes me wonder what other events had surrounded these temples, especially before man became so powerful with their bombs and heavy artillery. The beauty of this place brings great imagination as you wonder just how incredible it was in its prime. I could spend a day here from sun up to sun down gazing at the scenery. It is absolutely stunning. Angkor Wat is one of the most majestic places I've ever seen on this Earth.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ There are many places throughout the temples that are currently being reconstructed. You'll find that many of the temples look like time is winning its fight. I admire that many wealthy countries with technologically advanced tools are aiding the Cambodians in restoring these temples. Some areas resemble giant puzzle pieces; however, the pieces each weigh a few tons and have been weathered so much, its impossible to piece them together without computer technology. You'll find that life continues, as it does everywhere. Trees grow from the top of walk ways, leaving their roots hugging the sides of the structures. While beautiful, these trees cause a lot of harm to the temples. To learn more about the various temples surrounding Angkor Wat, you may visit angkortemples.org.