Photo album: "Angkor"
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We leave Phnom Penh, in bus, on April 6th to Siem Reap, town close to Angkor temples. We travel with Hans Peter, an Englishman we met in Chiang Mai. We already sighted him in Singapore and we met him again in Bangkok airport. In Siem Reap, André and me rent bicycles, Hans leaves us to go to the camping near Angkor Wat. In the evening, we come upon two of our comrades from the Antarctic: Jean Rousseau (Magne) and Jean-Claude Lancelot (Sismo). We last saw them in Hobart. If they had not missed their flight in the morning, we would not have seen them. We spend the evening with them. They will leave successfully the next day. We crisscross the neighbouring country with our bicycles. I resent acutely the theft of my colour films. I succeed in finding and buying only one Kodachrome II in a shop. I will use the three black and white films, I have saved, to photograph the particulars of the temples. We meet Hans from time to time. He will leave on April 9th. We depart from Siem Reap, still in bus, on April 15th to Phnom Penh.
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We arrived in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on Thursday April 4th, 1968. We leave it, in bus, to Siem Reap (310 km) on April 6th. In Siem Reap, we rent bicycles with which we ride the Angkor complex to visit the different temples. We leave to Phnom Penh on April 15th. On April 18th, we take a Boeing 727 of Air Vietnam on our way back to Bangkok. However we will not stop there because our visas are no longer valid. Therefore, as soon as we have landed, we embark in a Convair Coronado of Swiss Air directed to Calcutta (India). |
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The bus, made in China, which drives us from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. After the lunch stop, it has to be pushed onward to start the engine. The vehicle is in a very bad conditions. The accelerator pedal, amongst other things, is pulled back in the upper position by an elastic cord tied onto the steering wheel. Once started, the bus succeeded in reaching a speed of 100 km/h (I could estimate it between different milestones). Here, as in Thailand, we have to accommodate in three on a seat just wide enough for two persons in our countries. We are rather cramped, the three Europeans of us. Fortunately we managed to get a front seat which allows us, at least, to stretch our legs out. |
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An elephant in the moat, in front of Angkor Wat. This temple is situated 6 km north of Siem Reap, it is the most famous temple of the Angkor complex, the best known all over the world. |
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The causeway to Angkor Wat. It
spans the moat that surrounds the temple and leads to the first walls.
Those ramparts that protect the temple outline a rectangle of 1000 m by
815 m. Between the walls and the moat, a wide platform runs all around the
temple. The external bank of the moat has the pattern of a rectangle of
1.5 km by 1.3 km. Click to see particulars of Angkor Wat. (black and white photos) |
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Once crossed the first walls, an internal paved way leads, across the
large courtyard, to the first arcade of Angkor Wat. This arcade surrounds
a higher first terrace. A second arcade surrounds a still higher second
terrace. Finally, a third arcade encloses a third terrace, made of a
narrow courtyard surrounding the lower part of the third level of the
square-shaped pyramid, very steep, topped by a high central tower and four
lower ones (one at each angle of the square). We can see only three towers
because two of them are hidden by the other ones. Click to see other particulars of Angkor Wat. (black and white photos) |
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Angkor Thom's southern entrance
gate. The causeway spans the moat in front of the tower. It has a row of
Devas (gods) on the left and Asuras (demons) on the right, each row
holding a Naga (serpent) in the attitude of a tug-of-war. This ancient
royal town has the shape of a square whose sides are about 3 km long. Click to see particulars of Angkor Thom's southern entrance gate (black and white photos) |
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Bayon temple is situated at the
geometrical centre of Angkor Thom. This mountain-temple is a three-level
pyramid. The inner walls of the lower double arcade are covered with
numerous carvings very well lighted because they have no longer a ceiling. Click to see particulars of Bayon temple (black and white photos) |
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One of the several face-towers topping Bayon temple. Cick to see other particulars of Bayon temple (black and white photos) |
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The Terrace of the Elephants, also
inside Angkor Thom as well as the Terrace of the Leper King and a few
other temples. Click to see particulars of Elephants Terrace and surroundings (black and white photos) |
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Entrance of Preah Khan. This temple very large, with many arcades, is situated north-east of Angkor Thom and is in great part overrun with the forest. The causeway is similar to Angkor Thom's with the rows of Devas and Asuras holding each one a Naga. It spans the moat that surrounds the temple and leads to the first walls. These ramparts have the shape of a rectangle of 800 m by 700 m. |
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Trees that overrun Preah Khan
temple. Click to see particulars of Preah Khan temple (black and white photos) |
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Pré Rup is a three-level
mountain-temple. Its five towers are in bricks. It is situated 5 km east of Angkor Thom. |
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Bakong is a five-level
mountain-temple, it is covered with sandstone slabs. It is situated 24 km east of Siem Reap. |
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Banteay Srei, small Hindu temple made of pink sandstone, is situated in the jungle 20 km north-east of Angkor Thom. |
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Inside Banteay Srei temple. |
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