Angkor is a fragmented mess. I see both overlaps and remnants of Hindu myths, Buddha faces and Thai dancers. In the process of figuring out its long and complicated history, I was intrigued by how the turn of events have influenced and shaped the country. Don't bother to read the books, they're just too overwhelming and confusing. Watch Jewels in the Jungle or Digging for the Truth instead. They helped to untangle the mess with answers or clues to the questions I had in my mind when I was walking through the sites.

Preah Ko


Bakong


Banteay Srei and many other temples were dedicated to Indian deities. Indian traders had to wait 6 months for the wind to reverse direction before it blew their ships back home again. Meanwhile, they passed on their religion, art, dance and culture to the local population.


Angkor Wat was designed to represent Mt Meru. My first response was "Mt Meru? In Siem Reap? I wanna go climb it!" Shame on me, Mt Meru doesn't exist in real life lah!


Epic events and Hindu stories/myths are depicted as bas-reliefs. The most famous one being


gods and demons, now headless, competing in a tug of war using a serpent as a rope to generate the elixir of life. In the process of churning the sea of milk,


beautiful dancing goddesses were born.


 No one knows Cambodian classical dance originated from the Angkor period or the Siamese, after Cambodia fell to the Thais.


The intricacies of her headdress are stunning. Sorry male guardians, the women of Angkor have stolen the limelight with their varied clothings, elaborate accessories and big boobs.


Stopping to marvel at


King Jayavarman or Buddha? Kings subscribed to different religion during their reign, converting or reverting to Buddhism/Hinduism. Temples such as


Ta Prohm used to be a Buddhist monastery. It's now home to a gigantic grasshopper.


After going up and down Bakheng, I was struck by the sheer scale of construction in the absence of cranes or lifting equipment. How did they build several tiers in ancient times?


The Khmers knocked holes in every block to hold temporary pegs to help lift and manoeuvre blocks into place. Part 2 of Digging for the Truth explains the construction technique.


Anyway Bakheng was so crowded I don't quite know what I was supposed to see. Everyone was just idling around, fiddling with their electronic gadgets and waiting for...nothing!


No one really knows why the Khmers abandoned the city they painstakingly built and carved. The deities they once believed in could still be lingering around. No sunset at Bakheng but Shiva sent us a rainbow as consolation prize.