SDARL Class X toured the famous Ankgor archeological sites today. Steeped in history more than a thousand years old, these UNESCO world heritage sites located just north of Siem Reap, Cambodia, did not disappoint.
Lead by our local guides Sam and Van, what we visited are marked by stars on the map - Angkor Thom and the Bayon Temple, Prasat Ta Prohm and Angie Wat.
Visiting these sites first-hand to see the history and culture of this region inspires us to want to know more. By viewing their past it helps as we consider the impacts it makes in today's economy and politics. For example, one temple was built to show that Hindu and Buddhist faiths could be recognized in the same structure. Unfortunately for King Jayavarman VII, the next king did not have the same beliefs and the symbols of Buddhism were destroyed so that Hinduism was more prominent.
Bayon Temple was once the largest city on earth at 750,000 people.
The class at Bayon Temple
The recognition of wars fought between the Khmer empire and the Cham (located in what is now central Vietnam) are eternally etched in the stone at Angkor Wat. So too are the stories of everyday life for a citizen of this ancient city, including their view of heaven and hell. One of the walls depicted the eternal battle between good and evil. It did this based on the calendar using one character for each day, starting with the evil then switching back and forth between good and evil at the equinoxes, when daylight is equal to darkness, and at the solstices when days start getting shorter or longer. During the year this was was constructed, there were two more days to the equinoxes when evil characters were used resulting in two more characters than good. Other note worthy takeaways include things like when one side of a temple was built, they built the other side identical and that all areas where water was used had a water drain running true north. This attention to detail make these sites much more than old ruins.
Angkor Wat was built in 37 years
Many of the steps had very narrow ledges and were very steep. It was a deterrent to attack and some required crawling while climbing in a way that resembled bowing to the gods.
To read more about these sites, we recommend the United Nations website: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668
A specific part of our tour today included a stop at the local tree farm which grows several varieties of hardwoods including mahogany to be replaced inside the Angkor National Park. There's a specific authority assigned to undertake this important work called APSARA National Authority (Authority for the protection of the site and the management of the Angkor Region) which specifically created the tree farms nearly ten years ago. The trees need replenished as a viable Ag resource for Cambodia. The stands have been severely depleted by unsustainable logging. We viewed trees at various growth stages. At twelve months, the trees are transplanted to their new permanent location. This farm is one of four to service the park and it produces 40,000 trees annually.
Mahogany seedlings
Sam interprets from the tree nursery manager
Tree seeds in the pod
Workers prepare seeds for planting
Learning about the softwoods and hardwoods came in handy when we visited Ta Prohm as the growth of the trees has a significant effect on the structure of the temple. The trees grew into the temple because it was abandoned for many years.
This temple was also site of filming Tomb Raiders of the Lost Ark
A collection of water, seeds and time allowed these trees to take hold
No trip to Angkor Wat is complete without some monkeying around. These wildlife didn't seem interrupted by our laughing at them! When we arrived the motor bike had 6 monkeys crawling on it and the Monkeys had found the souvenir
Our final stop today was the Artisans of Angkor training program. Young people between the ages of 18-25 are selected from a wide area to learn trades taught in this school. The 48 training workshops offered included skills such as woodcarving, sandstone carving, lacquer painting and ceramics.
Tomorrow we make the trip by bus to Phnom Penh, our final city on this incredible international seminar. As the Class X International tour winds down we realize that opportunities such as these help mold thoughts and shape our view of how we fit in the the world. Leadership comes from all levels. It is learning a thought process of not what to think, but how to think. Understanding helps us recognize that we have seen, experienced and learned much that can help us be better leaders for ourselves; our families; our communities; our state and beyond.
Reporter: Elli Haerter, Sam Olson, Matt Lundgren, Chris Kassube
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