Angkor Part II

For my visit to Angkor I had a three day pass. It's really a high tech production. As you go to the ticket window a camera takes your photo and in less than 5 minutes you are issued a photo I.D.that admits you to the park for the length of time you've paid for. At the entrance to each temple site they check your ticket.Tuesday I did the "short circuit" visit of the temples. Wednesday I did the "grand circuit".

That day I had a guide, a friend of the man at the front desk at the guesthouse where I was staying, Mr. Boonsith, who is an official English speaking guide. He gave me a thorough explanation of Buddhist and Hindu mythology portrayed in the art in these temples. They were built from the 7th through about the 12th century A.D.--the same period that many of the great European cathedrals were being built. It seems that a succession of Buddhist and Hindu kings tried to obliterate the representations of whichever belief system they didn't adhere to, so much of the damage to the artwork happened while this complex was being built. Add to that the looters through the centuries, particularly the 20th century, and a lot of the artwork is just no longer there.

The next to last temple we visited was the most famous, known as the "Jungle Temple" because the roots of the gigantic trees that surrond the temples have taken over that one. The film, "Tomb Raiders", staring Angelina Jolie, that was filmed here, so lots of people in the western world have seen this place as an eerie kind of setting. Evidently at some point in history most of these temples were reclaimed by the jungle that surrounds them. (I'll spare you the object lessons about not letting things get out of control and keeping things weeded along the way.) Part of their restoration is getting rid of the phenomenal growth that overtook them. They are working on this temple, too, courtesy of the government of India, who is financing this one, so the trees, roots and all, will eventually be taken away. (But all that atmosphere!!!)

At each temple site there are hawkers, people selling everything from books to T-shirts to postcards. The most persistent are the children, some of whom can sell things in multiple languages. At one temple a little boy, who insisted on following me around, counted to ten in at least seven or eight languages. He has a chance of getting out of the cycle of poverty if he can develop his linguistic gifts. Actually many of these people are victims (and families of victims) of land mines, which abound here, both the mines and the victims. At several sites groups of them play musical instruments and sell CDs of their music. To support the family, all family members sell their wares at the various temples. I waited until we reached the last temple site before buying anything. I bought postcards from one urchin and suddenly five or six more appeared, "Buy my postcards, too." They followed me through the temple area, where I was met by adults also selling things. I bought wares from the first person and was immediately surrounded by others, offering an even better price on the same wares. Extricating one's self can be a difficult task.

In my devotions the next day I came to Isaiah 41, which was so appropriate to read in this setting. It speaks of the the care and protection of the Holy One of Israel for His people and the folly of trusting in idols. I'd say that the God who created the trees with the giant root systems is definitely more powerful than the idols who occupy the temples.