Their 7th Anniversary.
Amore Restaurant on 244/15 Soi Pattayaland 3 is celebrating their 7th Anniversary with a Charity Dinner on April 2, 2001. This benefit is for HEARTT 2000 and the Naklua Drug Rehabilitation Center. This event is part of the Pattaya Gay Festival and it is sponsored by BJ Wine Cellars, BNK Pattaya Wine Gallery and Siam Foods.
The Charity Dinner will be in two seating, at 7:00pm and 9:30pm. The dinner will begin with Split Pea Soup then Perched Sole with Lime and Ginger Beurre Blanc, Followed by Champagne Sorbet. The main course is a choice of Roast Leg of Lamb or Roast Loin of Pork, Creamed Potatoes & Fresh Vegetables. For dessert Home Made Lemon Meringue Pie with a choice of coffee or tea. The meal will elegantly be finished off with Napoleon Brandy. Tickets are on sale now at Amor Restaurant at a price of 777 Baht per person. Please call (038) 710-680 or e-mail: richard@amorrestaurant.com. Be sure to visit their web site at www.amorrestaurant.com
THE FREE ANGKOR COMPLETE GUIDE
Angkor is not only a symbol for Cambodian people, it is more than the shape of a temple and its towers carved on the flag of the kingdom. In fact, Angkor ( coming from “nagara” meaning city or capital in Sanskrit) designs about fifty monuments stretched on a surface of 230 square kilometers. Angkor is made of a group of monuments different for their styles, origins and cults.
Time and nature invaded the temples, reducing some of them to ruins that specialists are struggling to renovate since 1907, date of the retrocession from Thailand to Cambodia of three provinces, among them Siem Reap where Angkor belongs to. Remains of what is commonly reffered to the Angkorian civilisation can be found in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. However it is around Angkor that archaeologists are mainly working because it acted almost continuously as a capital since the ninth century until its fall in 1431. Angkor with all its mysteries, unsolved questions, arouses one’s imagination. It has been abandoned by its inhabitants in the fifteenth century before it was “ rediscovered” one century later.
HISTORY OF ANGKOR
THE LEGEND
Who really built Angkor Wat? Cambodians like to let mysteries be, but perhaps they don’t know themselves what the reality is. Perhaps, it’s not a human work. According to the legend, Indra, the king living in the Mount Meru, gave life again too his son Ketomealea as a human being whose mission is “ to protect Buddhist religion and to take care of the Kingdom in glory, prosperity and peace”. One night, Indra sent to earth the god Meatolei on his divine chariot to go and get Ketomealea and bring him back at the “ Heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods”. During his short stay, Indra taught him the ten royal duties, bathed him seven times a day for seven days in the perfumed bath of his garden. Then he invited seven divine Brahmans to come and recite magical formulas and splash Ketomealea with some marvellous water for him to acquire a long life, worth more than a century. Then they took off on a divine chariot and flew over Indra’s palaces. Ketomealea had to chose one he would use as a model for the one he would build on earth.
THE STORY
1- God-Kings Dynasty
The reconstruction of royal succession in Angkor required more than thirty years of work by oritentalists. 27 kings are tode kknown for the period spanning from 802 to 1327. Beyond that date, no more writing could be found to follow up history. A few linguistic remarks might be useful. For example, the suffix “ Varman” often ending names for Kings means “armour” in Sanskrit. And “Jaya” could be translated as “ victory”. The first king to come and settle down in the Roluos area, about 15 kilometers from Siem Reap on the road to Phnom Penh, was Jayavarman II. The so-called “ Angkorian history” is commonly accepted to start in 802, the year he was sacred as “Universal Monarch” (or “ Chacravartin’ in Sanskrit), on the Phnom Kulen, the mount Mahendra. Although he declared himself as “ King of the Kings”, he only governed a kingdom among many others, all as independent as his own. However, it is Jayavarman II who introduced the concept of the “ God-King” cult, the “ Devaraja”, starting a tradition that was to last to the present day. The cult believed that the King was the earthly representative of one of the gods and ancient Khmer inscriptions mention “ The Lord of the Universe who is King”. Jayavarman II was said to have become the first Devaraja at a Phnom Kulen. This transition from man to God-King enabled him and successive rulers to unify the Khmer empire and establish themselves at its head, as well as bestowing on them the responsibility of having to ensure the security and welfare of the Khmer nation. The central symbol of the Devaraja is that of the linga, a phallus shaped object said to represent the creative energies of the powers of nature. Little is known about the reign of Jayavarman II, the first Devaraja, as no inscriptions written during this reign have been found. The prince had to re-conquer his kingdom before being able to proclaim himself God-King. His son Jayvarman III succeeded. The fact that we know very little of Jayavarman III’s reign is regarded by some scholars as an indication that this period was probably peaceful. Jayvarman III ( around 830 to 877 ) and his nephew, Indravarman ( 877 to around 886 ) remained in Hariharalaya. Indravarman is thought to have been a powerful king because he is credited with expanding the size and importance of the Roluos group, the first classical Angkorian city. He did this by constructing the Preah Ko temples and the temple-mountain of Bakong, which were build between 879 and 881.
2- The foundation of Angkor
When, around 886 or 889, Indravarman died, the question of the succession aroused a few conflicts. The fighting between the pretenders to the throne occurred around Indravarman I ‘s palace. It is believed that during the fighting, the Bakong temple was profaned, it is why the court was moved once again. His son Yacovarman I was sacred in 889. The court was displaced at about 15 kilometers on the North- west of the Phnom Bakeng, creating the first city of Angkor. His primary work was to create another water reservoir ; the so-called “ oriental ” Baray now dried out. He also achieved the Lolei temple on the Roluos site, the temples of the two mounts ( Phnom) in the valley of Angkor: the Phnom Krom and the Phnom Bok. In 906, he erected the Bakheng which was then the center of the capital. He died in 910. The successor, his son Hashavarman I, reigned for decade. Among his achievements, lies the pyramid of Baksei Chamkrong, not far from the Bakeng, more than ten years later, his son Icavarman II succeeded to him before he died around 928. But in 921, Jayavarman IV, sacred himself as King of the Kings at Koh Ker, at about 70 kilometers to the north-east of Angkor. It is thought he moved the capital while the legitimate monarch stayed at Angkor until his death. For seven year ( until 928 ) there were two kings simultaneously, one at Angkor and the other one in Koh Ker. The son of the first king, Hashavarman II was sacred in 940, but he soon lost his throne to Rajendravarman, already king of the kingdom of Bhavapura with proclaimed himself as the supreme King of the Kings. He then established himself in the region of Angkor and perpetuated Yacovarman I’s work. We owe to Rajendravarman the Oriental Mebon temple in the middle of the island located in the center of the oriental Baray, as well as the Pre Rup and the Phimeanakas temple. During that period, other monuments were erected by important dignitaries, amongst them the jewel of jewels : Bantey Srei, built in 967 by and for one brahman. At the end of his reign, rajendravarman imposed a significant reform. He abolished all the ancient kingdoms and transformed them into provinces. The former kings remained kings but only in title. Of course, these measures were not easily accepted and a few revolts arose. At the death of the supreme monarch, it is one of his very young sons who succeeded in 968, under the name of Jayavarman V. until Jayavarman V’ death in 1001, the Kingdom was governed by Brahmans who were already influent at his father’s times.
FROM 1002 TO 1080
Jayavarman V did not leave any descent. Ten years of troubles and chaos followed his death. Two pretenders to the throne, Jayaviravarman and Suryavarman I, fought until 1010. The second won. But who was this Suryavarman I? Was he, as some recognise, a Buddhist warrior prince coming from Malay? He doesn’t seem to be more legitimate than his opponent, Jayaviravarman. Actually, none of them seemed to have any familial relationship with Jayavarman V and it seems that the hectic accession to the throne was caused by the tumults created by administrative reform led by Rajendravarman. Suryanarman had then his palace built in the compound of Angkor Thom and erected the Phimeanakas. He died at around 1050 after about fifty years of reign. He left behind him the construction of the occidental Baray, a water reservoir eight kilometers long and 2200 meters wide. He also initiated the creation of Preah Vihear, today accessible for tourists after being for a few years one of the Khmer Rouge’s strongholds. This spectacular temple is built on the top of the Dangrek mountains dominating Cambodia. We also owe to this king, the construction of the Preah Kan and the Phnom Chisor temple in the south of the kingdom. He died at around 1047. His successor,who might gave been his son, Udayadityavarman II, reigned for sixteen years and erected the occidental Mebon in the middle of the occidental Baray in the center of the city. He also built “ the ornament of the three worlds” which is the Baphuon temple. He died at around 1066 and was replaced by his youngest brother Hashavarman III who continued the struggle against internal rebellions and fought assaults from the Muslim Chams. In 1080, Jayavarman VI, an usurper without any royal connection and who owned a kingdom in some part of the actual Thailand created or contributed to the creation of a third dynasty which will last until 1160. Traces left by this king are scattered all around Cambodia, but none about him in Angkor. His brother took over the succession in 1107, but he was eliminated by his nephew Suryavarman II who killed him during a battle around the year 1112. During these forty years of reign, he warred against Muslims but also the inhabitants of the actual Vietnam while sending ambassadors to China whose emperor recognised him as his “ great vassal”. He undertook the realisation of the most prestigious mountain-temple, the complex of Angkor Vat, the sanctuary dedicated to Vishnu, covering 200 hectares of land. His reign was one of the most glorious of Angkor. Unfortunately, it was followed by thirty years of perils that endangered the kingdom. Yacovarman II, the successor of Suryavarman II, was killed at around 1160 by one of his servants, a mere Mandarin man. This last one reigned until the Cham occupation in 1177. The Cham fleet, directed by a Chinese man, went up the Tonle Sup and disembarked at Angkor and conquered the city in bloody battles. The king was killed and the city ransacked and looted. The occupation lasted for four years. Jayavarman VII ( 1181-1201), also called the Lepar King, affiliated to Jayavarman VI, chased away the Chams and gave back to the country some of its former glory. The last hostilities took place around 1190. Khmer forces took over the Cham capital. The Cham king was taken into captivity and his kingdom became, in 1203, a simple Khmer province. Jayavarman VII was certainly the greatest king in Cambodian history, controlling a vast domain spreading up to Vientiane in the north and as far as South Vietnam further down. He was also a frenetic builder. He erected Ta Phrom, the monastery temple in 1186, then the Preah Khan ( 1191) and the Neak Pan. He built the Bayon in the center of the capital, today referred to as Angkor Thom, which he encircled with a wall and moats. He reorganized completely the road system, built many shelters for travelers and hospitals. The date of his death is not precisely known. His successor Jayavarman VIII lived through a long reign marked by the appearance of the Mongols. One of their troops attacked Cambodia, in 1283. At about the same time, Thailand decided to violate Cambodian territories with their incursions. Jayavarman VIII abdicated in 1295 and handed the power to his brother-in-low, Crindravarman. He is the one who under Siam influence, introduced into Cambodia, the Theravada Buddhism which came from Ceylon. Mahayana Buddhism was abandoned. This dynasty subsided slowly until 1327. Nothing is known about the following period, the inscriptions remain silent, a blank page is thrown over Khmer history, For the period following 1327, the Royal Chronicles do not mention any reliable name for a king. The legend says the last king was a gardener who by accident killed the king who came to pick up and eat sweet cucumber he loved so much. The later, Khmer and Siamese Princes struggled for the throne in Cambodia. They succeeded one another. In 1431 or 1432, the capital was abandoned to the jungle. More than a century later, in 1550, King Ang Chan found Angkor by chance while hunting. He was so stunned by its beauty he decided to move his court over there. For years, Angkor was brought to life again even though the real capital remained Lovek until it was taken over by the Thai, in 1594. Once again, Angkor is left to herself in her dark mysteries.
SIEM REAP TOWN
Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor, lies at 7 km from the airport. But at the height of the rainy season, it lies at 12 km from the other main arrival point, the Tonle Sap. During the dry season, the lake shrinks, so the journey becomes slightly longer. There are taxis and motorbikes which will take you into town for a few dollars. Some may take you for free if they are touting for business for a particular hotel or guest house. Otherwise, it should cost you five dollars to get in town by car, about two dollars by motorbike and two dollars at the back of a pick-up. In fact, if you are lucky enough you may meet a trustworthy motorbike driver who speaks good English and can act as a guide during your stay. to hire a motorbike and driver for a day should cost 6 to 7 dollars. Aside from Siem Reap being a jumping-off point for trips to explore the Angkor complex, it can be used as a base for a trip to the Tonle Sap. At the lake you can hire a boat and explore a “ floating” village built on stilts. Residents are very friendly and there are some great photo opportunities to be taken. Houses are built in rows with a central “ street ” down the middle. Many houses have adjoining fish farms from which residents derive their income. One floating village has own police station. The road from Siem Reap to the lake is in pretty poor condition and is very muddy in the wet season and very bumpy in the dry. The dry season is the right time to try trip, but make sure you have some headgear to protect you from the sun.
The inconvenience of the monsooms ( June to November) obviously is the rain, sometims abundant. It is quite a problem for people taking the road to Siem Reap from Thailand, the road is appalling. However, it’s no problem for people coming from Phnom Penh. It is perhaps in bad condition but at least it’s not inundated.
There are plenty of hotels to choose from in town, with prices ranging from $ 2-3 per bed in a guest house to the $ 1900 you can spend on a night of luxury in the re-opened Grand Hotel. Most hotels are clustered in two areas, along the road from the airport and by the river banks. Many have their own restaurants, and some of these have dance floors as well. The main marker or “ Psar Leu “ on the road to Phnom Penh, is a very large affair and much of the manufactured goods on offer are imported from Thailand. There is another, newly-built market ( oddly referred as “ Psar Chas “ or old marker ) near the river which caters more for tourists and sells souvenirs, postcards, books, T-shirts, films, etc… Watch out for vendors trying to sell you gemstones the stones may well be fake or of inferior quality. You can buy print film in many shops and have your exposures developed in one of the many modern photo labs dotted around town, and this at quite competitive prices.
Since a few months, Siem Reap is becoming more and more lively at nighttime and there is a fair selection of restaurants which stay open until 10.30pm or 11pm. There are also several night clubs and restaurants to provide further entertainment. And, like the rest of Cambodia, the beer is cheap. But the music is pretty loud. Overall, the town is quite pleasant. The pace of life is very easy-going. The tree-lined avenues and the river running through the middle gives it a very relaxed feel in contrast to the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh.
Security generally is not a problem, isolated incidents aside, but don’t carry too much money with you and keep your luggage locked in your hotel room. Finally, if you are feeling home-sick you can make a phone call from the growing number of card-phones around town. For convenience, there’s one next to the tourist office, the tourist marker and the Grand Hotel, but not as yet at Angkor Wat. But you can always try to nick a mobile phone out of the hands of people showing off and calling from the causeway.
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