Tales of Angkor

Hello readers,

            Thank you to those of you who have checked in to see if I’ve been posting.  It means a lot to me to have anyone checking in on my progress and I feel terrible that it has taken me so long to get up another post.  I promise that as soon as I get to a place where the internet is a bit more accessible the posts will become a little more frequent. 

 

Anyway, to stories from South-East Asia!

 

            This past weekend I took at trip to a world famous place called Siem Reap.  Many of you may not have actually heard it called that name, but I’m sure that you have heard of the ruins which can be found there…Angkor Wat.  Angkor Wat is actually only one of the many temples that are found on the grounds of the ancient city of Angkor.  It was the capital of the Khmer Empire until it was moved to the modern capital of Phnom Penh.  The ruins show examples of Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim religious influence as well as cultural influences from as far away as China, Japan, and the ancient Arab world.  Spanning many centuries it is considered to be an engineering marvel of the ancient world.  The knowledge the Khmer people demonstrated over water tables in constructing some of the most complex irrigations systems would have given the empire a clear advantage over its competing empires during times of drought.  Unfortunately this also made the capital of Angkor a particularly appealing piece of property for its enemies as well, leading to it constantly being under attack from outside forces.  Along with this, many of its kings neglected to keep up the work that had been completed by previous rulers.  Some even went as far as defacing the older temples that were dedicated to other religions.

 

            Even with all of the temples in different stages of decay the place is magnificent.  The beauty that the separate temples each have is truly inspiring, showing me a piece of our past that is a true triumph of human intellect and engineering.  To walk on stones that had been dragged over a hundred miles by elephants and placed by men who had lived a thousand years ago was quite surreal.  It is the second of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World I have been fortunate enough to witness and it has fueled my passion so see the remainders even further.  I can’t wait to get to China and add the Great Wall to the growing list of architectural marvels I have visited.

 

            Well, to my readers, I thank you and I will post again as soon as I have some new travels to brag about.

 

            “May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.” (Traditional Irish Blessing, for the Irish woman in my heart.)

 

            -Henry (Hank) Young