We have recovered from our culture shock and started to enjoy ourselves. Our friends leave tomorrow morning so we spent the day with them going to the temples. To be precise, we spent the day going to the world's biggest temple city complex. These people just did not know when to stop with the temples. I will finish this entry when I can get WIFI. Right now I am on the Kindle.Hurrah for free WiFi!
"Angkor" means "city", "Wat" means "temple", "Thom" means "big". The adjective comes after the noun. So, we went to Angkor Wat, (City Temple) and the Angkor Thom, (Big Temple). We also went to the Terrace of the Leper King, the Terrace of the Elephants and Bayon. (So far the tip of the iceberg.)
They mixed Hinduism and Buddhism together and came up with their own blend. The whole 40 square kilometre complex of temples is built to honour gods, animals, workers and more especially young, topless women performing a sexually arousing and elegant dance. (To my reckoning this is not terribly different to some aspects of western culture today, but only when the girls have had a few drinks). The apsara, (dancing girls) and all very nubile and fertile, they each have a slightly different pose or hairstyle, or posture. (They all have the same breasts though.) They are frozen in time, smiling for the king in bas relief carving. Some of them, but only the special ones, are showing their teeth. I tried to have a beauty pageant and pick my favourite but after walking about five steps I passed about a thousand of them and I could not concentrate any more. Now, I can't do the maths, but I want someone to calculate how many apsara there are here. In 5 steps I passed inestimable thousands x 40 square kilometres = Ta Prohm knows how many.
On top of this there are young Cambodian women wearing a few litres of makeup and half a kilo of fake eyelashes and hair extensions, and metres of highly beaded polyester. They spend their time standing around the temples asking for a dollar to have their photograph taken with a tourists. (These modern apsaras do not show their breasts.) Then, there are the bars with apsara shows in the evening. I might report on that later, but then again, I might not.
3 comments:
Hi Greta, I too hate those touristy places: can't stand them. Gee what a contrast.
The floods in Queensland have subsided but are now in Victoria. My friend Gayle has a house in a flood prone area in Echuca (just near the river) and I just heard on the news that the river is expected to burst today, so I will have to call her.
We are having a girl from Queensland stay with us from Monday to Friday for the syncronised swimming camp. She will go to the pool every day with Colette to train. There are girls coming from all over Australia.
I guess we will see you soon. Can't remember when you were coming back.
Michele
Hi Greta,
I am enjoying your blog. You are a rare and brave girl. There will be a special place for you in teacher heaven!
All the news here is floods, rain, rescue and rebuilding. What a crazy country we live in. Even so I bet you are looking forward to coming home to a meal with no rice.
We are thinking of you. See you soon
MissB and the boys
Fantastic blog, Greta, as always. Looking forward to seeing your photos as well. You've had an amazing trip.
Post a Comment