TRAVERSE 57
TRAVEL FEATURE - CAMBODIA LEIGH WILKINS
A GREAT CITY IN THE JUNGLE
A steaminess hangs thick in the air , everything feels damp , and yet this oppressiveness that consumes the energy of a traveller from a much drier clime provides a life that must be witnessed to be understood .
It ’ s hard not to be absorbed into a world of mystique , something that would seem more fitting to a fedora wearing archaeologist , as two bright orange figures graciously move from a dark corner into the opaque light of a dense jungle . The figures move without sound , seemingly gliding across giant stones that mark the entrance to a magical world of ancient temples , dark passageways , and a once great city now in the throws of struggle with the surrounding foliage .
A few people are here , adding to the mystery of the moment . The two Buddhist monks move lithely across the scene as if being a part it since the days of creation , their connection to the now and the real , a mobile phone , probably of the Apple variety . I watch on , mesmerised by what is occurring . Where did they come from ? And where are they going ?
In varying states of ruin , discovery , and repair , the monks have emerged from what can only be described as one of the great wonders of the World , yet it is often forgotten , overlooked by the neighbouring , similar construction of Angkor Wat .
A few hours earlier we ’ d walked across a foreboding bridge , lined with statues of gods and demons , no two alike and all menacing the unsuspecting traveller . This was the south gate to what is a wonder of antiquity , a city that was rivalled by none , then mysteriously fell to the jungle .
Angkor Thom , a convergence of names and languages , that essentially means “ Great City ” in a
TRAVERSE 57