Back to memories of Siem Reap, I have some pictures of Bokor, the pre-Ankorian temples closest to my friend Kong's house. (This reminds me that he called last night and that I owe him a call.) Jayavarman 1 built Bakong as the second set of temples honoring the Hindu god Shiva. There are six temples in total with the central and most important being the temple to Shiva. Because this temple is 22 kilometers (12 miles) from Siem Reap, not too many people come out here. That doesn't prevent a gang of five, six and seven year olds who speak just enough English to sell postcards from ganging up on anyone who comes by.


Each of the temples in the Ankor Wat complex has one amazing feature. Each of them has a library attached to it. In this particular case, pre-1000 c.e. the builders of these great works also built a place for monks and others to study and keep the history of these kingdoms.

That books were as important a feature as the temples to these builders tells us one thing. Reading matters to civilization.





Leading to the temple itself there are richly decorated steps. Each of them is a lotus flower, much like those sold every day in every market in Cambodia. The lotus connects today's Cambodians to the Ankor kingdom.









As you leave the temples, you meet these oxen statues patiently waiting for Shiva to come out. It is said that Shiva will come out to meet his devotees and that he will ride these oxen. The oxen will become what the anthropologists call Shiva-vehicles. I can just imagine Shiva walking down the steps these days, petting the oxen, and waving down a motodup, a modern Shiva-vehicle.