Angkor What?!

Siem Reap is like a breath of fresh air. Not literally...the air is still dusty, there are still indeterminable stenches in the air, but there's just a feeling here. The city is so alive, especially at night, which is contrary to anywhere else in Cambodia. In the evening, food vendors line the streets calling at you to come try their food. You'll pass by grilled meat, fruit smoothies, fried rice and noodles, all for cheap prices. Tuk-tuk drivers will call out trying to find more riders. Sellers at the market exhibit their most enticing products. You can get a full body massage for under $10. As a cherry on top, why not have fish suck the dead skin off your feet for just a couple bucks? At night, a street downtown livens as all the bars and pubs open up and blast their mixtapes of both western and Khmer pop music. No wonder they literally call this road Pub Street. I could walk around this area all night. I love it.

There's another side of Siem Reap, however, that's even better. Drive just a few miles outside of the city and you'll find yourself in the middle of dense jungle. But these jungles are filled not only with trees, but dotted with ancient temples dating nearly 1,000 years. The temples of Angkor are breathtaking, shrouded with mystery, and an absolute must-see when visiting Cambodia. I wish everyone could have a chance to see these temples. The most popular temple, Angkor Wat, or "The City Temple," is the largest religious monument in the world. Surrounded by a moat 3 miles in perimeter and topped with 5 towers, this temple symbolizes Mount Meru, the home of the gods in Hindu mythology, and the ocean surrounding the mountain. The towers are carved to look like the blossoms of a lotus flower, and the walls of the temple are covered in carvings telling the stories of Hindu legends, along with the history of the temple and events of the time period. The intricate carvings and detail are astounding, and while walking around, all I can do is try to imagine the true grandeur of this place had I been able to see it at its prime. That will probably be one of my first requests after I die, honestly. But the fun doesn't stop at Angkor Wat. There are scores of other temples around the area, including Bayon-- covered with many towers full of mystical smiling faces-- and Ta Prohm, a temple literally swallowed up by the forest as trees grow on and through the rock. I wish I could adequately describe these monuments, but words really don't do them justice. 

I love visiting the temples of Angkor because it says a lot about the Khmer people. People in developing countries often get overlooked or generalized as ignorant or dumb or helpless. This couldn't be more wrong. I cannot speak for those in other developing countries, but in the case of Cambodia, I have hardly come across more intelligent and capable people. Presently, they are incredible handymen; EVERYONE seems to be able to fix ANYTHING. They are good at bargaining, good at selling, good at so many other things. And clearly, this is a historical pattern. The temples at Angkor are considered some of the greatest architectural achievements in all of humankind, considered by some to be greater than the likes of ancient Greece and Rome. The Khmer people in their time of empire were incredible. They found innovative ways to transport bricks over 25 miles and then bond them together. They constructed canals and found a way to support the city of Angkor Wat, which is estimated at one point to have had over 1 million inhabitants--the largest city in the world before the Industrial Revolution. The Khmer people are CLEARLY not dumb. 

So why is their country so underdeveloped, one might ask. I think this is clear evidence that becoming developed is much more a matter of opportunity than of capability. If Khmers, or those in any other country, were given greater opportunities and resources, they would be perfectly capable of making the necessary improvements to their country. But war and corruption and lack of resources have all made this so difficult. The point of development work in this sense, then, is to help the people have more opportunities, through additional financial support, through educational opportunities, or through additional manpower to help them accomplish their goals. That's why HELP International is here. Not to come as white saviors to help ignorant or incapable people. Rather, to assist the Khmer people in achieving that of which they are already capable. 

Angkor Wat from the moat. It's actually a super long walk from the moat to the temple.

I love the ponds by the temple that reflect it on the water. It's like double awesomeness! 

Some of the faces on Bayon looking into the jungle. 

Bayon. You can't tell since this was taken on my phone, but all of those towers are covered in carvings of big faces. Breathtaking.

Big lips meets big lips.

You can see how intricate these carvings are, even after nearly 1,000 years!

Ta Prohm temple. This type of tree has a spongy trunk and has been able to grow on top of the walls. This temple also appeared in the movie Tomb Raider. Look it up!

The five towers (two can't be seen very well from this angle) are supposed to look like lotus buds. The detail in this temple is incredible.

The view from the top is pretty amazing. Also, fun fact, where I am standing is the third level. There are three levels to the temple. Before entering this final level, one would normally have to perform a washing ceremony to cleanse themselves. For those familiar with LDS doctrine, does this seem familiar at all?