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The Way to Heaven is Via the Road from Hell
Mention "Angkor" and people would normally wonder, mention "Cambodia" and one might get the same curious response, but mention Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and immediately a positive reaction would be triggered. Like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music popularized the lively hills of Salzburg, Angelina Jolie in her body-tight suit did wonders for the promotion of a country that in reality needs no further promoting through her exploits and adventures in and around the jungles of Angkor in Cambodia. Angkor is a magical, mystical land. Once the center of an empire that occupied much of Indo-china, it reveled in its vast wealth and power. Abandoned sometime in the 15th century, Angkor today is but a ruin of its former imperial self. Situated in the northeast corner of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Angkor is now a magnet for tourists seeking adventure, the history of the past, and a quiet solitude in the centuries-old jungle that envelopes the ruins of this proud capital city. Now a historical park within the city of Siem Reap, itself a charming town with French colonial architecture and a laidback flavor and atmosphere, Angkor is a must-visit for anyone interested in history, nature, and mystery. For indeed, it is the mystery as to why this most majestic of cities was abandoned and how a once-tame jungle wrought vengeance upon this proud city that makes Angkor a sight to behold. Angkor could be reached in various ways, the more comfortable and expensive of which is by plane either from Bangkok, Saigon or Singapore. For those whose pockets are not that deep, a more grueling land trip is the only option. This writer unfortunately settled for the latter, and the experience of traveling in this manner is an adventure in itself. For how can one describe the way to heaven without traversing the road from hell? The trip that would start from the city of angels in the land of smiles with a pleasant, albeit uneventful, trip to the border town of Aranya Prathet was soon dashed upon entering Cambodia through the border town of Poipet. The trip from Poipet to Siem Reap, a distance of only 165 kilometers, generally would take at the most two and a half hours. Instead, an extension of roughly eight hours was added due to the horrendous condition of the road. The road, which was basically straight all the way, was traversed with expertise by our driver, who drove as if in a zigzagging mountainous trail. Littered with potholes the size of meteors the road, Route 5 and 6 which connects Angkor with Thailand, was the worst ever seen or driven by this motley group of travelers. Jumping up and down our minibus, the initial and humorous reaction of being tossed around like fresh leaves in a green salad was soon replaced with the agony and despair of bruised backs and almost damaged spinal cords. The trip was made even more eventful by our bus breaking down in the middle of nowhere in the darkness of the night. Arriving almost midnight at our destination, the thrill of finally seeing the ruins of Angkor, its enigmatic temple of Bayon, and the majestic temple of Angkor Wat was finally within our reach. The following day commenced with our expectations being realized. Passing through Angkor Wat, we headed to Angkor Thom, literally translated as the "City of Angkor," stopping first at the south gate of the fortified square city. The gate, its corbelled portal tall enough to allow a fully adorned elephant to pass through with ease, was approached through a long causeway flanked on each side with mythical angels and demons wrestling and churning the naga snake, a depiction of the Hindu legend of creation. The south gate itself was a sight to behold for it displayed, though in less majestic scale, what would be seen eventually with the cacophony of faces in the temple of Bayon. Topped with towers, prasat bearing the visage of the god King Jayavarman VII, the enigmatic smile of the faces seem to watch and follow you as you move and wander underfoot. This unnerving feeling would only be magnified with our next stop, the Temple of Bayon with its 37 towers, originally 54, each with the enigmatic smile of the God King. The feeling of uneasiness was made even more unsettling not by the fact that eyes appear to follow your every move but by the fact that even though this is a popularly visited site, it appears almost devoid of other human beings, providing each visitor his own peace and solitude in interpreting the meaning behind the faces. The Bayon is adjacent to other sites. The terrace of the Leper King, the Elephant Terrace, and the ruins of the Baphuon all give the viewer a glimpse of ancient Angkorian wonder and civilization. By mid-afternoon, after a heartening meal in Siem Reap, the group visited the much-anticipated Angkor Wat, the temple built by Angkor's most powerful ruler, Suryavarman II. Unlike other temples, which face east, Angkor Wat faces west, an orientation that suggests its purpose as a temple for the dead. Regardless of its original intent, the temple is made more magical by the filtered glow of the setting sun beaming lightly on its sandstone face. The temple like that of Angkor Thom is accessed through a causeway. Two terraces decorated with bass relief depicting the victories and battles of the God King line the walls, and towers crown each corner of the terrace. At the center of the temple complex lies the central tower that can be climbed only with much daring and bravery for the slope to the top is rather steep, an insinuation perhaps that reaching nirvana is never easy. Visitors brave enough to scamper up are rewarded with a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape, as well as a dizzying look below. The thought of peace enters one's soul as one indeed has communed with his God in his domain in the mountaintop. Reality only strikes back as one wonders how to get down from heaven into the comforting arms of those waiting or too scared to have climbed in the first place. As one wonders aimlessly throughout the complex, one starts to realize the power of architecture upon a lonely soul. To see and view these marvels makes one forget the agony of the trip, for it is through these touching experiences that one realizes that money alone cannot make one happy. It is through worthy trips such as a visit to Angkor that one realizes how happy and fortunate we really are. For after contemplating, experiencing, and communing with our soul within the ruins of Angkor does one realize that the trip to heaven is not that bad after all. The return trip via the same Route 5 and 6 seemed to have been much more pleasant; it appeared that in the minds of all those who joined this trip, the memory of those seen and the protection that the faces beamed upon us watched over us. I shall return to this magical city, embraced by the jungle and cared for by this proud and friendly people, to again experience the road from hell to reach the temple of heaven. |
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