Angkor Wat & The Power of Nature
Observing nature devouring the ruins of Angkor Wat, brings Ozymandias, a poem by Shelley to mind. Where remnants of a king’s empire and all his power was consumed by the desert, here, the jungle has for eons asserted its power. If you stand still long enough, you can almost feel it digesting the stone. Still, the smiles on dozens of carved dancers suggest that Angkor Wat was a happy place. Intriguing is that no one knew for certain, why the city was deserted. The lesson here – for a world experiencing climate change – is to understand how vulnerable our civilisation is to climatic forces. Researchers now believe that it was extreme weather that undermined Angkor Wat’s foundations leading to its collapse.
Many tour guides have their children spruik for business. The dear little five-year-old in one image – white blouse and blue skirt – instantly switched her spiel to French, German, Spanish, and more, when I didn’t immediately react to her English version. I was gobsmacked! You’ll also see other children of guards and tour guides, some of whom should probably be at school, and an image of where one family lives nearby. I found Angkok Wat too large to see in one day. On the second visit, I discovered the red temple – its rich iron-red colour making it my favourite. It’s guarded by well-preserved monkey-like sculptures.
Elephant rides are on offer – one ate my banana lunch – but business is slow as most visitors are aware of the pain caused these majestic animals adding our weight to where their seats are strapped on the most delicate section of their spine. Horse riding is offered nearby and I went for trot, but was conflicted about this, and so haven’t ridden an animal since. Angkor Wat is one of the many awe-inspiring places travellers can discover around the world that not only teach us humans humility, but also show us that we carry responsibilities as players in a shared world.
