Angkor What?
First order of business: Angkor Wat refers to one specific temple in the Angkor complex. Angkor was once the capital of the Khmer empire in Cambodia. The entire complex consists of multiple temples and spans 400 square miles, which is larger than New York City. This complex was built in the 12th century with incredible feats of engineering such as artificial canals and reservoirs which allowed the population of 750,000 the ability to harness rainwater. The deterioration and collapse of this water system is also the reason why Angkor was eventually abandoned in the 15th Century for the new capital of Phnom Penh.
Up until the mid 19th century, the rest of the world did not know that Angkor existed. French explorers are a few of the first Westerners to explore and write about the massive temples in 1861. This was followed by more explorers, which led to looting and stealing of the ornate statues and precious jewels that adorned all the structures.
Today, Angkor Wat is a World Heritage Site, but I don’t believe it is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World (I demand a recount). Restoration and preservation of the temples have been going on for the last 100 years, and new archeological discoveries are constantly popping up.
Visiting Angkor Wat
Many tourists (including me) are unaware of the size of Angkor. This means that most visitors only end up seeing a few of the more famous temples. We buy a three-day pass ($62 USD) and hire a two-day tour guide that includes a van so we can cover the most ground.
The first morning, we wake up at 4:00 am to see the Angkor Wat sunrise. Not only is this a beautiful and serene experience, but starting early will help you avoid the scorching heat. Luckily, our ride is in an air-conditioned van that takes us between temples. Some of the further temples can be more than an hour’s drive from Angkor Wat.
You can also hire a tuk-tuk driver to take you between the temples of Angkor. I witness many people who are run down by the hot sun and are also experiencing a little temple fatigue. After a 10-hour tour of temples, you can get a little burnt out.
My favorite temples end up being the lesser known ones. Nobody is around except for a few Cambodian children playing hide and seek. We explore the maze of hallways and staircases thinking we will stumble across some long lost treasure. These structures are massive and have been standing for almost 1000 years.
Getting away from the main hustle and bustle, our guide starts to open up and tell us fascinating stories. He tells us that he lived at Angkor Wat as a child during the Khmer Rouge regime.
Termites are a Good Thing?
I have not found any supporting information to back this up, but our guide talks about termites and their significance in the culture of Cambodia. They are sacred and a sign of good luck. While we consider them a huge nuisance and immediately kill them once discovered, Cambodian people will leave termite mounds under or around their house. Sounds like that good luck will eventually turn bad.
Holiday in Cambodia
For Christmas, we decide to treat ourselves and stay at Tara Angkor Hotel. Keep in mind that treating ourselves means that we get a room at a four-star hotel for just $42 a night. We spend a couple of days by the pool reading our newly purchased books about the Khmer Rouge and the Cambodian genocide.
The hotel also has a Christmas event that we attend, and let’s just say it was very eventful and interesting. Decorations, drinks, appetizers, singers, dancers, a huge buffet, and of course Santa Claus.
Here is Santa in action. Keep in mind that 95% of the people in Cambodia are Buddhist. I give them an “A” for effort on portraying good ol’ Saint Nick.
My Cambodian Friend Kevin
We meet some interesting people along the way and now it’s time for a spotlight on Kevin.
Kevin is about seven years old and walks up to me in a cafe asking if I am a famous You-Tuber. He is not disappointed when I tell him I am just a regular white guy with a MacBook. He then proceeds to ask me about one thousand questions while offering up some of his fries and chocolate milkshake. Kevin wows me with his vocals by belting out some Maroon 5 and then immediately asks if we can be best friends. We hang out for a little while longer until his mom makes him leave. Shout out to Kevin my Cambodian best friend.
New Years
New Years celebration in Siem Reap is no joke. Everyone is out on the town. My favorite part is that even though I am 5′ 11″ I can see over the tops of everyone’s heads. By chance, we have a couple of friends in Siem Reap at the same time, Rosko and Amy. We met them in Chiang Mai a few weeks back.
We squeeze through the crowds on Pub Street and celebrate the start of 2019 with the city. There were only a few minor power outages along the way š
Let’s Talk About Rats
You may think that Angkor Wat is my favorite site to see in Siem Reap, but that is not true. The Apopo Visitor Center tops my list of Siem Reap’s must-sees.
At Apopo, they train African giant rats to detect landmines. Don’t worry. To date, there have been zero rat casualties and they have a 100% success rate of detecting landmines, meaning they don’t miss any.
One thing I did not know is that Cambodia is riddled with landmines from the many conflicts that have happened over the past decades. Kids playing in fields and farmers working their land have become victims of these landmines, sometimes taking limbs or even their lives. Ordinary citizens live in fear and cannot freely explore their own land.
Apopo is changing this. Their rats can search an area the size of a tennis court in 30 minutes. Humans with detection equipment can take up to 4 days to search that same area. Using HeroRATs significantly reduces the cost of detecting and clearing landmines.
These little guys only require some peanuts and a couple of bananas a day. They start training at six weeks old and retire before they turn six years old. Life expectancy for the rats is 8-9 years. So far APOPO/CMAC (Cambodian Mine Action Center) has unearthed over 45,000 landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), releasing over 15 million square meters of safe land back to the local communities.
New Year means new countries. Next stop: Philippines.