Chapter 6: Siem Reap—Ta Prohm

 

Johnny (as he preferred being called) stood outside his taxi (as he preferred to call it), motioning for Maria to take the front seat, leaving Blake and Sutton the back.

“Oh no,” Sutton interrupted, “Maria, you sit in back with Blake. I need to sit up front so I can tell our good friend here where to take us.” A slight disappointment washed over Johnny’s face but Maria just laughed at Sutton, well aware of his real intentions.

A second later their guide was back on track, beginning his new assignment by pointing out that many of the ruins were being restored while others were still overgrown—just as André Malraux had found them in 1923. Although Malraux was expelled from Cambodia for looting Angkor Wat’s ancient sculptures, he would return years later as the French, Minister of Culture.

 

 

As their taxi began leaving Siem Reap, from his window Blake could see two girls playing in the river. “Look over there.”

Maria asked Johnny to stop for a second so that she could take their picture. Happy with her results, they continued on their way.

 

Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Siem Reap, Preah Khan, Preah Neak Pean, Pre Rup—by the end of their first week Jimmy had taken his new clients to view many of the major temples surrounding Angkor Wat—but after days of blank stares from the occasional monks they had stopped, Johnny drove them back to the Banyan Tree Restaurant for dinner—everyone a bit disappointed and definitely tired.

About two hours later, Sutton suggested that Blake and Maria take in the local sights while he planned to check out the bar and find something to read. And sure enough, it didn’t take long for Maria to pull out her camera again, this time taking a picture of a group of Khmer children who were playing near two large elephants.

 

 

 

“Sure I do, but wait. Do you think you can really remember it—squeezing her hand? That was a long time ago!” 

Laughing—“Of course I can remember it.”  With a big smile on her face and clearing her throat to mimic a serious poet, Maria then began to speak:

 

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
Though all of them were blind,
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind

*

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
“God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!

*

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!

*

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

*

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is might plain," quoth he;
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

*

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

*

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

*

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

*

So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

 

Giving a graceful bow as she finished, Blake gave her a big hand as they both laughed and laughed.  “Wow! Now that was really impressive.  I hope your teacher gave you an “A” for that—and my God, what a memory you have.” 

“Why thank you. I don’t know. It just comes natural for me. My mother said I got it from my father who was one in a million.”

“Oh, look at that.  Take another picture. Are you thirsty?”

 

 

“There you two are!  Did you have a nice walk.  I’ve just been sitting here reading up on history of Angkor Wat.”

________________________________________
 

 

Although they were unhappy with the results of their first week, one thing was clear—Angkor Wat was a massive complex of temples and relics, perfectly capable of hiding anything or anyone. They felt they had hardly scratched the surface—certainly no reason to give up but the sheer size of the place was a sobering reminder of how difficult it was going to be.

 

 

 

The next morning, breakfast was served at eight. Only a few tables were occupied. Their waitress was a Cambodian girl about nineteen years old with a friendly smile.  Without even asking, hot tea was set on the table. 

“How did everyone sleep?”

“Just fine, Major.  Thank you.” Maria nodded in agreement.

“Well, good. By the way, today we’re  going to check out the oldest monuments around here They’re called, The Rolous Group.  Here—let me read from this magazine.” Maria adjusted her seat, waiting for Major Sutton to continue.  “I probably won’t pronounce these names right, but here goes:  ‘The Rolous Group is a collection of monuments representing the remains of Hariharalaya, the first major capital of the Angkorian-era Khmer Empire. It has become known as the ‘Rolous Group’ due to its proximity to the modern town of Rolous. The ancient capital was named for Hari-Hara, a synthesis of the Hindu gods, Shiva and Vishnu.’”

Setting her cup on the table, Maria looked at Major Sutton and said,  “I just find it so interesting that Angkor Wat was built to honor a religion so far away.  I was reading last night that New Delhi is well over 2000 miles from here.  I guess I never knew the full scope of India’s influence around the world.”

Reaching for more tea, Blake said, “You’re absolutely right, Maria.  I think this place holds a lot more information about the past than any of us really know.”

Also pouring some more tea, Major Sutton said, “I don’t know about you two, but as far as Angkor Wat is concerned, what I want to know is where did all the stone blocks come from? They’re everywhere—in every imaginable shape and size.  I even tried to lift one the other day and my God, it almost broke my back—and I didn’t even try to move a large one.”

Laughing, Blake then added, “And have you noticed how Angkor Wat seems to have been constructed on a flat, watery plain?  I just don’t see any natural rocks around here to have provided for all of this.  Maria, remember those pictures you took yesterday?  I mean, those were not just field-stones that the builders of Angkor Wat found lying around on the ground. No—I agree—Major Sutton is talking about stones that were purposefully cut into different shapes.  So I’m with Major Sutton.  Where did they come from and what kind of technology did these people have?”

Maria placed her  cup on the table and then said, “I guess the rocks came from the mountains and were brought here on boats—but the Major’s right—there seems to be millions of them. Even if the rocks came from the mountains by boat, that doesn’t explain how such an ancient civilization was able to cut them into all those different shapes.” 

Blake handed the magazine back to Major Sutton. “Well, we don’t want to underestimate ancient civilization.  I don’t know how they cut these blocks, either, but as we can see, they sure knew how.  In my last year at college I remember reading that in Bolivia they found a 130-ton block of stone in a place called Pumapunka. I mean, they found all kinds of these stones—large and small—cut out of the hardest rocks known to man.  Professor Miller said they were milled about 2500 years ago with such precise grooves and shapes that we don’t have the slightest clue. And not only were they somehow able to cut these stones, they also managed to transport them 10 miles up a very steep incline!

 

 

- Pumapunka, Bolivia -
Today, only a diamond-tipped rock saw
 could make this 2500 year-old cut
photo by:  Mattcorbit (wikipedia)

 

Extremely old - Extremely hard - Extremely Intricate
photo by: Brattarb (wikipedia)

 

- Pumapunka, Bolivia -

 

 

 

As everyone stood up to leave, Blake reached down for his pack. “Well, on that note let’s go look at some more rocks and hopefully find someone who can help us.” With everyone smiling at each other, Blake, Sutton and Maria went outside to find their guide. 

 

 

Waiting for Johnny to fill up with gas, Maria  looked at Major Sutton and asked, “Was there anything else interesting in that magazine?”

“Well, another article mentioned that besides the obvious connection between India and its famous story about churning an Ocean of Milk, other stories from India can be discovered here, too.  It’s an interesting article but I have no idea what these stories mean.”

“Well Major,  if we find an Ocean of Milk that picture will be worth a million dollars!”  Everyone began to laugh as Sutton continued.   

“Besides Angkor Wat and the Ocean of Milk, it also said that if you know where to look you can see an army of monkeys, led by their fearless leader, Hanuman.  His army helped Lord Ramachandra defeat the evil Ravana, who had kidnapped Rama’s wife, Sita. There is supposed to be some book called the Ramayana that tells the whole story.  Truly, what an amazing place we have found—no wonder Johnny told me that Rama is such a common name.  Seriously, I had no idea that any of this even existed.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maria put her hand on her camera. “Yes Major, we have a lot more to see.  We just have to keep asking—that’s all.”

Maria’s resolve was most welcome and both Blake and Sutton were pleased that her spirits were in good shape. Most of all they admired her attitude. She knew that the chances of finding her father alive were next to nil and if they didn’t find him, she was more than willing to accept that, too. Besides her level headedness, Maria’s beauty was just breathtaking. Looking at her, Sutton couldn’t but help but notice, again, what a handsome couple Blake and Maria made—both young and ready to take on the world.

The 90-minute drive to the Preah Khan Temple was their next stop. To get there they drove past many of the sights and sounds that mark this part of the world in the most unforgettable way—covered markets with their baskets of bananas; wooden houses resting elegantly on their timber stilts; rice paddies; women making palm sugar; two boys playing marbles next to one of the local taxis.  Again, Johnny was more than willing to slow down so that Maria could take a picture whenever she saw something she liked.