On Day 2 we found ourselves at the crown jewel of the Khmer civilization with a tour guide in tow (going rate: $25/day). We wanted to make sure we did not under-appreciate the magnitude of Angkor Wat’s magnificent architecture and tumultuous history, so we decided to shell out for the extra service even just for this temple.Our tour guide was Mr. Sam, a teacher forced to do hard labor during the Khmer Rouge’s regime. Like Mr. Hav (our tuk-tuk driver) he was very soft-spoken and gentle, but between the two of them Mr. Sam appeared to be the more *masculine* one.
Our tour guide Mr. Sam* * *
Angkor Wat’s architecture is said to represent the world.
The body of water surrounding it represents the oceans; its orientation, the sunrise and sunset that represent the earth’s rotation. The temple is about 900 years old and took about an estimated 32 years to build. (Mr. Sam emphasized that there are no written records for them to make sure how long it actually took to build the structure, and that this estimate is based on how long the king who commissioned it ruled.)
Although it took the whole duration of the king’s reign to build Angkor Wat, the temple is by no means finished. When the king died the construction ended with his reign, leaving the Eastern entrance in its half-completed state for all of eternity.
Most tourists, Mr. Sam said, would begin their tour of Angkor Wat through the Western Gate, so he took us first to the Eastern entrance to learn about how the temple was built. He said it was best to appreciate the basics before we actually proceeded inside to learn about the rest of the temple.
The Eastern Entrance
Without written accounts, the Eastern entrance actually provided valuable insights into how the Angkor Wat was built. Sandstone would be brought from down the river, with elephants carrying or dragging the stone slabs from there to the construction site. (Sorry, forgot the dimensions and weight, but pictures are provided below just to give you an idea.) Holes would then be drilled into the stones, where pieces of wood would then be driven, which were used as anchors for the ropes used to lift the slabs. It was only once the sandstones were in place that they were chiseled into size and carved with details, which meant any mistake in design would entail a repeat of the whole tedious process.
Unfinished work: sandstone slabs lying about
Workers did not finish boring holes into the stone. (Note the block's size.)
Mr. Sam explaining how the sandstone would fit into the puzzle on the floor.
It is quite interesting how the ancient Khmers did not use any type of cement to hold the structure together, at least according to our tour guide. (There is still some debate on this matter though, with some people saying vegetable paste was used to keep the stones in place.) Mr. Sam explained the no-cement theory by showing us the grooves carved into each piece of sandstone, alternately placed in the structure like puzzle pieces. The grooves serve a double purpose by letting the water that flows through the cracks stream through the structure, much like rain spouts, therefore preventing the stones from sliding. (Or some sort of explanation like that.)
Mr. Sam showing the grooves on the roof's stone
The most amazing thing about it is that after describing the amount of work that went into building the Angkor Wat, even the quality of the workmanship was so impeccable it was seamless. Mr. Sam was quick to point out to us that it was difficult to distinguish where one stone block ended and another one started; the alignment was so perfect, it was as if the whole structure was carved from just one massive stone.
Ah, just one of the many reasons we marvel at it.
