Mozzeenet

I was gradually recovering from the flu this week. It has taken ages to get over. I still have a bit of a cough but today, I have a little more energy which is a relief.

After a week in isolation last week, I decided to join Sonia and Ana on a trip to Oudong last Saturday. It was the old capital and is just north of Phnom Penh.

I found it really interesting and especially the scenery on the way – lots of rice fields filled with water which I hadn’t seen before, very green and people working in the fields, oxen and villages.

We had a great lunch of chicken and rice at a stall near the temples.

There was a lot of climbing at the temples but it is worth it for a great view of the countryside. However, I was feeling pretty listless and coughed the day away. Still enjoyed it though.

We spoke to two monks at one of the temples and got caught in the rain (great for my flu, I’m sure).

That pretty much did me in for the rest of the weekend so Sunday, I just stayed at home. I did go for a massage in the afternoon which was really nice. I had lots ofaches and pains with the flu and the massage relieved it.

Work has been a mixture of busy and boring this week. I started writing the material for the next lot of training in 2 weeks on Email. I wasn’t feeling very motivated at the beginning of the week, probably due to still feeling under par.

The election results will be announced today. I don’t think I have spoken about the election yet.

It was held on July 27 with a big build-up. The country had thousands of observers to ensure a free and fair election. There were still some political killings beforehand and lots of disputes with claims that there was cheating and bribe-taking.

We had to stock up on food and water in case of trouble – candles, batteries etc It was very quiet on the election day with most people staying at home. There was no major trouble on the day or the following days except two small grenades going off, one in front of the palace and one opposite the office of one of the political parties, Funcinpec. No one was hurt and apparently they were quite amateur contraptions.

There is some speculation about whether there will be any problems after the results are announced this afternoon.

Sometimes there are demonstrations so we have to be careful this afternoon and tonight. There is some talk of a coalition government or that elections may be held again in some areas due to cheating.

Tomorrow is going to be a shopping day. I am going to go and order a pair of shoes to be made which is fairly cheap here and also look at sports shoes at the market. I may also get some material to get some clothes made by the tailer.

Ruth e xx
Miss Phnomer in Cambodia

The long overdue Temple Tales!

It would have got here sooner except I’ve had a really bad flu this week so I’ve been home in bed since Monday! This is the first time I’ve been outdoors since then and stepping out the gate felt like I was venturing into a scary new world after having barely any social contact except with my flatmates, Han and the cat for the past 4 days.

Anyway, back to the topic. The temples.

Well, it was superb. I must admit I was a bit sceptical about how good they would be. Everyone says they’re amazing but I suspected that they might not live up to their reputation.

Wrong! They were amazing. I think it was the vast difference in character between all the temples (there are hundreds in the Siem Reap area alone – we saw about 15) that really stunned me.

We had an excellent guide – we arranged a tour through a travel agent in SR, for 2 days. It was $20 a day each and that included the guide, mini-van and lunch. We thought at first it was a little expensive.

But it turned out to be worth every cent. Posy, our guide, was brilliant -she had exceptional knowledge of the history of the temples and a wonderful manner of conveying it. She really tailored the trip to us which was fantastic.

The temples are spread out over a fairly wide area. They were built by different kings in the Angkor empire (which lasted from the 800s to 1400s). According to the beliefs at the time and the character of the king, they are built in various styles.

Many are constructed with a mixture of Buddhist and Hindu symbolism with references to Gods like Vishnu and Shiva and the Buddha.

On day 1, we started at Angor Thom which was the capital city and built by the King Jayavarman VII. He was the most prolific builder (though he wasn’t responsible for Angkor Wat). We started outside the South Gate of Angor Thom which is incredible in itself (there were 5 gates leading into the city – one was used only by the King, one was used by the ordinary people, one was to transport the dead from the city).

Leading up to the gate, on both sides are huge stone figures. On one side are Gods and the other demons. They are all holding a naga, the serpent which is key in the mythology of the time. The serpent is seen as a protector.

Some of the heads of the figures are missing while others are replicas. It is appalling that many of the treasures have been stolen over the years and sold overseas. Very sad.

The gate itself is amazing. At the top carved into stone, there are four huge faces, one facing in each direction – it is the face of the King Jayavarman VII, very famous in Cambodia.

The first temple within the walls which we saw was the Bayon. It is incredible – made up of hundreds of the huge faces of the King like on the gate. It is an amazing sight and that temple really grew on me. Each time we drove past it in the next few days, I was really struck by the mystery of it.

The other incredible thing about it was the bas-reliefs which Posy explained to us in great detail. They are the only reliefs in the temples which depict aspects of daily Khmer life at the time so were fascinating. They are so intricate and detailed.

We were continually marvelling over the three days at how the people managed to create the temples and the carvings, the manpower and effort which would have been required.

The stones were apparently transported by elephants and floated down the river. Once the temples were built, the stone carvers would get to work.

In Angor Thom on the first day, we also saw the Terrace of the Elephants, a long stone wall carved with life-size elephants, two huge pools where the king swam and some other temples within the complex.

The area is also surrounded by huge tress which gives it a beautiful feeling – very different to the sparseness of PP.

We had a welcome rest in the middle of the day, pretty exhausted. It was really hot out there – had to really conserve our energy.

The afternoon was the big one – Angkor Wat. It was amazing for its grandeur, size and engineering. It is huge with an incredible moat surrounding it, a long wide causeway leading up to it and 5 towers at the peak.

We spent 3 or 4 hours there checking out the detailed reliefs, the carvings of apsaras (the celestial angel-type beings) and exploring the different parts of the temple. Finally, Dad and I made the ascent up to the top. It is very scary – 70 degree stairs which are very narrow and precarious! I made it up without looking but was rather scared about coming down!

The down staircase had a metal handle though so it was ok – I just had to tell myself that I had no choice and tried not to look down.

Near the end of the day, we made our way back out as the sun was going down, very excited about our day.

The second day was also excellent – we saw lots of smaller temples – the one I liked best was Banteay Srey (the citadel of the women). It is very beautiful – intricate carvings and made in a lovely pink sandstone. It is 36km from SR so it was also really nice to go for a drive in the countryside.

Another fantastic one is Ta Prohm. It has not been restored but left as it was when rediscovered. It has been partly taken over by the jungle with huge trees and their roots growing over the temple’s stones. That is an amazing sight.

Some temples are built high up, imitating Mt Meru, key in Hindu mythology while others are more compact. Some are official temples, built for the king or his family while others were built to worship the Gods.

Some are built in the middle of pools (although they no longer have water).

On the 2nd day, we went to see the sunset on the top of Phnom Bakheng. It is a temple built on the top of a hill with a view of Angkor Wat and the jungle. It was gorgeous. It is reached by a huge, wide flight of stairs like an ascent into the clouds or alternatively, by a winding path, used by elephants to carry people up and down the hill!

With Mum’s back problem, we decided on the winding path, having to jump aside frequently to give way to the jumbos! I was a bit scared of them.

On the third day, we did a half day temple tour. On that day, we hired Posy again as our guide (not part of the other tour) and she organised transport. We went to see some older temples, the Roulos group which are built of brick.

We finished off by seeing a vocational centre where locals are trained in traditional Khmer arts like wood-carving, lacquer work, silk-weaving and stone carving.

There’s so much more I could write but it’s impossible to capture it all. I think it was the best historical site I’ve ever visited. It certainly left a deep impression on me.

Had lots of fun with Mum and Dad while they were here – ate very well. Lots of dining out. I was sorry to see them go.

Back to work last week and as I said, this week I was sick in bed. It’s funny here – any sign of illness and we think we’ve got cholera, typhoid or some other exotic disease. I thought I might have Dengue because I had a high temperature for a few days – up to 38.99 degrees but I think it was just a bad flu.

You’ll also be pleased to know that Cat has been de-fleaed!

Ruth e xx
Miss Phnomer in Cambodia