(Part 3) The Heat and Holiness of Cambodia: The Temples I Missed and the Angkor National Museum

- April 17, 2019, Wednesday.

- The unforgiving sun of Cambodia in the mid-summer was the main reason why my pace was slow despite hiring a tuktuk driver to drive me everywhere, and why I decided to not visit some of the temples that were part of my tours in the past two days (click for  Part 1 here and Part 2 here). The two main temples I missed were Preah Khan from the Grand Circuit, and Banteay Kdei from the Little Circuit. As mentioned in earlier posts, the temples in Angkor are divided into groups of temples: the Grand Circuit, the Little Circuit, the Rolous Temples, and the Outlying Temples.

- In the morning, I first visited Preah Khan, which I was supposed to visit on my first day. I made it to the gate, but it was so hot that I gave up. However, this place should not be missed, and I'm glad I decided to go back and see it. Built in the 12th century, this enormous place was a Buddhist temple, university, and a city rolled into one. Its defining features include unending halls that were used for many reasons, and the two-story building whose purpose is still unknown today. This is the only preserved building in the whole of Angkor today that shows this kind of architecture.

My tuktuk passed by the Elephant Terrace.

It also passed by the Terrace of the Leper King.

Details of the Terrace of the Leper King.

Inside Preah Khan.

The stupa that aligns with the sunlight.

Endless halls.

The most distinct feature of Preah Khan.

Dancer guarded by two lions.

The ruins of Preah Khan.

- From Preah Khan, my driver whisked me away to Banteay Kdei, a 13th-century Buddhist temple that can be seen as a smaller version of Ta Prohm (see Ta Prohm here) and Preah Khan. This temple is also recognizable for the trees that have grown over the temple's weak sandstone. Just like Ta Prohm and other related temples, this temple was also abandoned after the people of Angkor left due to attacks from ancient Thailand. These temples were rediscovered in the 1900s, during the French colonial era, and it was the French that started efforts in restoring these almost-forgotten temples.

Entrance to Banteay Kdei.

Devotees.

Lotus on the ground.

Temple.

Giant tree growing over the temple.

You can tell how much I LOVE the color orange.

Serene.

This garuda (man-bird creature) is around 7 feet tall.

- Just to make things a bit different, after visiting Banteay Kdei, I visited two museums. I paid a visit to a lesser-known museum, a bit away from the row of tourist sites, called the MGC Asian Textiles Museum. A young museum, being open to the public in 2014, this aid-conditioned museum celebrates the cultures of the countries that are part of the MGC (Mekong-Ganga Cooperation), a diplomatic initiative which was named after the two mighty and revered rivers flowing through the region. These countries are Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and India. No photography was allowed inside the halls, but I can tell you that the exhibition galleries were filled with fine silk, textiles, and costumes from all these countries. The museum did a great job in linking the narratives of these two places, showing the strong relations between the Gangetic cultures and Mekong cultures.

The map of the MGC countries.

Indian fabric from around a hundred years ago (was able to take a photo of this as this was located outside the halls.) 

From Thailand.

Who knew that a humble structure like this would be home to colorful galleries of textiles!!

- After visiting the MGC Asian Textiles Museum, I rolled off to the Angkor National Museum, which I think most visitors should visit first before temple-hopping all over Siem Reap. Opened in 2007, this museum gives visitors a crash course on the history of Cambodia and the influences and reasons behind the way the temples were constructed. By the way, it is also air-conditioned, and no photography is allowed inside the main galleries.

This is a photo of me, walking the streets of Siem Reap. Hahahaha. Just joking!!

I'm here!!

It kind of looks like a hotel or a mall.

A painting from India.

An Angkorian lion, as can be seen in almost all temples I've been to in Siem Reap.

- I finally made it back to my hostel in the early afternoon, had lunch across my hostel, and once again hid from the extreme afternoon heat. I came out of hibernation just as the sun was about to set. I had dinner and had paid a visit to all the night markets near me as bright colorful things and places inspire me and make me happy.

Do not judge. Both are mine. I had Vietnamese rice rolls (top) and beef amok, (down.) "Amok" by the way is a kind of curry/sew. I also had a glass of dragon fruit shake, and look, they gave me a star for surviving the heat. HAHAHAHA.

For dinner I had roasted duck. I love duck so much.

- Although I more or less finished the temples that thought of visiting, my adventures in Siem Reap were far from over!! You see, there is too much to see and experience in Siem Reap, and I was more than ready to know more about Siem Reap's history and heritage. (Read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 4 here, Part 5 here, and Part 6 here!!)