Bayon is the central temple within Angkor Thom (the walled city). It was erected under the reign of Jayavarman VII, towards the end of the 12th century.
The smiling face depicted on many of its towers is often called “enigmatic”. They sure make an impression. Only 37 towers are still standing among the 49 or 54.
Its exceptional bas-reliefs depict the daily life of the Khmers at the time of Angkor’s grandeur and mythological scenes. I will post those separately.
One of my favourite cycle moments… approaching the South Gate towards Bayon. It’s the first time you encounter those faces. Like most temple complexes, Angkor Thom is also surrounded by a moat. The bridge is lined with Asuras (demons) and Devas (deities) pulling the tail of Naga, the multi-headed cobra. This is part of the story “Churning of the Sea of Milk” and can be found everywhere in Angkor.
Rats? I hear you cry? Yes indeed, but only a specific type. The African Giant Pouch Rat. Why? Because they save human lives every day.
It is hard to visit Cambodia and not hear about the Killing Fields. As I am not up for negative news I decided to visit APOPO in Siem Reap, a non-profit charity, to find out about their vital work worldwide.
As most of us will have seen Pixar’s “Ratatouille” we know that rats have an extremely well developed sense of smell (and taste). Combined with light weight this makes rats perfect for sniffing out the chemical compounds of TNT (explosive) found in landmines and other explosive remnants of war. They ignore scrap metal making them much faster at detecting landmines than metal detectors. They search an area the size of a tennis court in 30 minutes!
Meet Valerie, one of 53 HeroRATs currently employed in Cambodia to sniff out landmines!I am usually not into rats but I got distracted by her squinted eyes (they are nocturnal), cute whiskers and tiny fluffy ears. I did not notice her tail wrapping around my arm at the time and shuddered belatedly when looking at the photos.
Over 60 countries are contaminated with hidden landmines and other explosive remnants of war, causing fatal accidents, crippling children, and hampering communities from developing their productive land. We were shown types of landmines and their uses. Our guide told us there is no such landmine as shown in movies. You step on it and boom. The ones with trip wire throw their shrapnel in the air for maximum devastation. Others are small and only supposed to severely injure, so your buddies help you and their forward progress is hampered. How disgusting is this? I was ashamed to be human.
Turned out to be a negative topic after all, sorry, but we now come to the positive informations!
Every HeroRAT has a personal handler. As one said “I used to eat rats, but now he is my family and I am proud to be his brother.”The area is measured precisely. The HeroRAT is guided along a measure tape. If it sniffs explosives, it scratches. The handler uses a clicker and this means “Treat”. Peanut or banana are the favourites. The location of landmine is noted down for the removal squad and the search continues. To ensure the HeroRATs are happy, healthy and not gaining weight, they have a gym! They also have regular health checks and get fed according to their morning weight. Training a HeroRAT costs 6,000 USD.
HeroRATs are also used to quickly and accurately detect tuberculosis, the world’s most deadly infectious disease. 10 million new people contract TB every year, 3 million go undiagnosed, and 1.8 million die from the disease. I lost an uncle in WWII to it.
These rats are heroes indeed. One actually received an award from the UK for its services!
Look at that cute little metal around its neck!
I was impressed and very moved. Just to make up for the cruelty of some humans I paid for having 100 m2 of land cleared, and also vowed not to eat rats, ever.
If you want to learn more or contribute towards this cause, see apopo.org for more information.
Rice porridge with chicken, bean sprouts, mushrooms, onions and roasted garlic on top. Add chilli paste if you dare. I did not.I’ve realised I am more a pancake & fresh fruit morning person. Yum
I was very lucky again in my choice of accommodation. This small resort was a collection of bungalows and traditional bamboo houses, set in a tropical garden with a perfect pool and a spa. I had a facial which included neck, head, and foot massage while my face was plastered with freshly cut cucumber strips. Pure bliss. Wish I had a picture of my face. One could also chose mango or papaya masks.
Located between Siem Reap and Angkor it is away from the noise and hustle, making it very quiet and peaceful, unless a neighbouring site has karaoke night on Saturdays and nobody can sing. The markets of Siem Reap and the nightlife of Pubstreet is only a short trip by tuk-tuk.
It is also only 15 minutes by bicycle to Angkor Wat via a not so busy side road which influenced my decision. I had initially planned 7 nights but extended to 13. The joy of no time restrictions.
The food is excellent too. Lots of Khmer dishes to try. And the fresh fruits and coconuts, omg… Photos to follow. The staff is very pleasant and helpful, often up for a chat. Highly recommend this resort.
Visiting Cambodia has been on my wish list for a long, long time. And now I am actually here! I still can’t believe it.
My first glimpse 😄
Then the clouds opened and revealed lots of flooded areas. I learned later that some areas are always flooded during monsoon season but dry out afterwards.
I landed at the recently opened new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport. The terminal building has temple-style roofs.
I had to get a visa upon arrival. You can get an eVisa online in advance but it is not necessarily recognised when crossing rural borders later by bus or boat. There were 6 officers sitting next to each other. I was expecting them all to serve directly but no, they were more like a production line. Officer number 1 took your passport, checked it and handed it to the next. Not sure what number 2 did. Number 3 took the payment. Number 4 printed visa label. Number 5 pulled off the back and stuck the label into passport. Number 6 put two stamps on the visa and handed them back. A well organised process. Guess which number was a women.
Anyway, my hotel had organised a pick-up and off I went on my first trip through Cambodian countryside. As the airport is new, so are the roads and therefore there is not much green yet but still mainly red soil. Not much traffic either until we got to Siem Real. Takes 45 minutes from airport.
First interesting things I’ve seen! Who doesn’t love transformers?
After checking in at the hotel and getting refreshed (the humidity hits you every time you leave air conditioned areas) I was off to get the 7-day-ticket for the Angkor Wat archeological park, the very reason for me being here. A short tuk-tuk ride away with a quick tour through Siem Reap.
