02/02/09

Larry Welch  ON THE RUN...IN CAMBODIA

NANCY BRINKER’S TIPS FOR SUCCESS
YOU NEED VISION TO SEE AND ARTICULATE 
YOUR GOALS. AS HELEN KELLER SAID WHEN 
SOMEONE EXPRESSED SORROW AT HER BEING 
BLIND, THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN 
BEING ABLE TO SEE AND HAVE NO VISION.
YOU NEED TO BE A STRONG LEADER TO 
ENLIST THE SUPPORT OF OTHERS AND MAKE 
YOUR VISION A REALITY. YOU NEED TO 
KEEP YOUR FOCUS RAZOR SHARP. IF YOUR 
LENS BECOMES UNFOCUSED, CHAOS WILL
ENSUE. YOU NEED TO CREATE A TEAM TO 
REALIZE A DREAM. YOU MUST PERSUADE 
PEOPLE TO SHARE SUCCESSES AND THE 
DISAPPOINTMENTS—AND TO SUPPORT EACH 
OTHER. YOU NEED TO BE PERSISTENT. AS 
MY DAD TOLD ME, MOST PEOPLE FAIL 
BECAUSE THEY JUST GIVE UP. HE WAS 
RIGHT. IT TAKES COURAGE TO NOT ONLY 
HOLD TRUE TO YOUR UNIQUENESS, BUT TO 
EMBRACE IT, KNOWING THAT MANY WILL NOT 
GET IT. THAT’S OKAY. AS YOUR 
UNIQUENESS OPENS NEW DOORS FOR YOU
AND YOUR APPRECIATION OF WHO YOU REALLY
ARE EXPANDS, YOU’LL SEE THAT YOU’LL 
SEE THAT YOU HAVE A UNIQUE
WAY TO EXPRESS YOURSELF IN THIS 
WORLD...A WAY THAT NO ONE CAN
DUPLICATE. Cynthia Kersey, founder, 
Unstoppable Enterprises; author of
Unstoppable; motivational speaker; 
established the Unstoppable Foundation 
to raise funds and awareness for 
women’s issues worldwide REMEMBER, 
WHAT YOU GET BY REACHING YOUR 
DESTINATION ISN’T NEARLY AS IMPORTANT 
AS WHAT YOU BECOME BY REACHING YOUR 
GOALS – WHAT YOU WILL BECOME IS THE 
WINNER YOU WERE BORN TO BE! Zig 
Ziglar, author, salesman, motivational 
speaker, author of God’s Way is Still 
the Best Way MANY PERSONS HAVE A WRONG 
IDEA OF WHAT CONSTITUTES TRUE
HAPPINESS. IT IS NOT ATTAINED THROUGH 
SELF-GRATIFICATION BUT Nancy Brinker, 
breast cancer survivor; founder of The 
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 
foundation; women’s health
care advocate; US Ambassador to 
Hungary (2001-2003); Chief of 
Protocol, US State Department (2007-
09); Time  magazine List of the 100 
Most Influential People in the World,
2008; recipient of numerous awards for 
unstinting devotion to improving 
women’s health care as well as love and
admiration for her humanity;
political activist who promotes
public service; and philanthropist
THROUGH FIDELITY TO A WORTHY PURPOSE. 
Helen Keller (1880-1968), author,
political activist, lecturer, 
traveler, first deafblind person to 
earn a bachelor of arts degree; 
founder, The Helen Keller Foundation 
and co-founder, American Civil
Liberties Union Welcome to On the 
run..., it’s a personal e-news about 
positive thinking and travel
adventures written for people striving 
to be their best. If you received this 
publication in error please send 
response with the word unsubscribe in 
the subject line to lnwelch@aol.com. 
If you would like to extend On the 
run... to your friends ask them to
write the word subscribe in the 
subject line. On the run... is written 
by Larry Welch, an American living in 
Thailand. In his day-to-day routine, 
Larry is owner of the Full Moon
Rubber Plantation at Nakhon Phanom and 
teaches English at the Suankularb 
Wittayalai Rangsit School in a 
northern suburb of Bangkok.
Angkor Wat, Khmer Stories in Stone
Most people would agree that the two 
most memorable experiences in Asia are 
to visit the Great Wall of China and 
Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Saving the 
Great Wall of China for another day, 
what follows is some of the Khmer 
Stories in Stone that I learned
from spending a highly enjoyable 
Christmas holiday surveying Angkor Wat 
at Siem Reap, Cambodia. By way of 
orientation, Angkor Wat (wat means 
temple in both Thai and Khmer, the
national language of Cambodia) was 
constructed in the early 12th century 
by King Suryavarman II. At the time it 
was dedicated to Vishnu, the ultimate 
Hindu god. The Khmer Empire, 
comparable in historical significance 
to Europe’s Roman Empire, was a
major Asian power from 802 to 1432. 
Initially a nation of Hindu 
worshippers, the kingdom also learned 
of Buddhism and the two religions 
often competed for prominence, 
sometimes peacefully, sometimes not.
Angkor Wat is one temple; however, the 
term Angkor refers to Cambodia and can 
be synonymous with the collection of 
wats that comprised the Khmer Empire. 
In Siem Reap Province (the equivalent 
of a county in the USA or UK), there 
are 292 ancient temples, 40 of which 
have been sufficiently restored to be 
safely visited by tourists. In
Cambodia, there are nearly a thousand 
ancient temples with the Angkor Empire
extending across Thailand, Myanmar 
(formerly Burma), Laos, and Vietnam. 
There are more ancient temples in each 
of those countries. But Angkor Wat 
remains the crown jewel and is the 
only wat that has been continuously 
occupied since being constructed.
It is also the largest monument 
dedicated to religion in the world.
The wats of Angkor are mostly
amidst heavy jungle with back
roads to transport tourists,
researchers, and the small army
of engineers and archeologists
that have been focused on
learning and preserving the
temples for 102 years. It is an
endless job given the ravages of
the tropical environment not to
mention the greed of art thieves
who continue to steal whenever
anyone turns their back. Since the 
Cambodian civil war (1970-75) and 
Khmer Rouge genocide regime (1975-79),
other temples continue to be mined 
with unexploded munitions that have 
not yet been cleared.
One of the main features of Angkor Wat 
is that it uses the symbolism of Mount 
Meru, which is part of both Hindu and 
Buddhist mythology. The legend goes 
that the world is divided into regions 
with heaven above and hell below. 
Sound familiar? The mythical Mount 
Meru separates earth from the heavens. 
There are five peaks at Mount Meru.
As a result, Angkor Wat has five 
towers; the main tower is 213 feet 
high. As noted, the The sunrise 
photograph above shows the moat with 
the Angkor Temple complex in the 
background.
The moat is 660 feet wide and was once 
filled with crocodiles to discourage 
invaders. On the left is the
causeway that allowed worshippers to 
enter the 500-acre grounds. Now the 
partially rebuilt causeway
transports a million tourists annually 
to see the ruins, reconstruction 
efforts, and feel the mood of such a
grand structure. There is one common 
goal in the heart of every Cambodian 
and that is to visit Angkor Wat once 
in their lifetime. Photograph below is 
an aerial view of Angkor Wat 
surrounded by jungle. The moat is 
credited with benefiting preservation 
of the temple because it kept 
encroaching jungle from invading the 
grounds. Photograph below is aerial 
view of the temple showing moat, west 
and east causeways. Angkor Wat at 
Sunrise complex is surrounded by a
moat; the waters in the moat represent 
the mythical oceans surrounding the
earth.
Angkor Wat is a majestic complex. The 
beauty and its impact on the human
spirit are astonishing. There are 
stone carvings that tell stories of 
everyday life, religious mythology, and
heroic battles defending the kingdom. 
The symmetry of the architectural 
layout provides mirrored images,
profiles and silhouettes that
keep observers in awe. What made 
construction of such impressive
structures possible was the 
relationship between the king and the 
gods. Upon taking office, the king 
would construct an impressive
temple to confirm his good
relationship with the gods. The theme 
of these temples was dedicated to 
whatever religion the king believed in.
It was also common for a king to 
dedicate a temple to his parents and 
other ancestors. So many of these 
temples were constructed over the 500
year history of the Khmer Empire 
because once a king died, they were 
not re-used by a succeeding ruler.
In the case of Angkor Wat, it was 
initially dedicated as a Hindu place 
of worship, but later events changed 
the orientation to Buddhism. Although 
almost all statutes have been either 
stolen or removed for safekeeping, the 
thousands of bas (low relief) stone
carvings on the inner and outer walls 
is sufficient to give pilgrims the 
sense that they are The gopura or 
gateway entrance is the main 
architectural feature of the wall that
surrounds any Khmer temple. Photograph
above shows the gopura to Angkor Wat. 
It is 750 feet wide with five 
entranceways: three for pedestrians 
and two are large enough for vehicles 
and elephants. The southern pedestrian 
entrance on the right is dedicated to 
the Hindu god Vishnu (shown at left). 
The three principal Indian
gods at Angkor Wat are Shiva, Brahma, 
and Vishnu. Vishnu is known as the 
Protector and is shown in a typical 
position: standing with four arms and 
holding a conch shell for sounding 
victory over chaos; a ball
representing the Earth; a mace which 
is the symbol of his power; and a 
discus, an invincible weapon. A good 
god, whenever the world is threatened 
by evil, he assumes the role of savior 
and descends to Earth, usually 
reincarnated as a human or animal
and guides mankind through the
dissemination of his love, which 
ultimately triumphs over the forces of 
evil. Gopura, Angkor Wat walking 
through what was once a celestial 
paradise and that is precisely the 
mood that the architects and
artists intended to convey.
The area around Angkor Wat was the 
largest preindustrial city in the 
world with an estimated population of 
one million people. Many of the 
citizens were artisans and working 
class people who built and maintained 
the temple complexes in the area. At
Angkor Wat an estimated 97,000 people 
were involved with construction and 
the ongoing maintenance. Angkor Wat 
was constructed of two primary
materials: Laterite, which was cut 
from the ground, especially the moat 
area, dressed into building blocks
and left in the air to cure. 
Relatively soft mudstone, when exposed 
to the air and sun it became quite hard
and proved an excellent material for 
foundations and interior structures. 
Reddish in color, it is porous and
not suitable for outer decoration or 
carving. Sandstone is the other 
natural resource mined and moved to 
Angkor Wat. The sandstone was
quarried in the Kulen Hills, located 
about 30 miles northeast of Angkor 
Wat. It was first moved on the
Siem Reap River, then transferred to 
elephants, carts, and a roller-pulley 
mechanism for transportation to
the building site. The sandstone was 
used for all facing on the laterite 
and it is on the sandstone that
we see the beautiful carvings. The 
stones vary in color from grey to 
pinkish, yellowish to greenish.
Missing building materials are wood 
and paint, which have deteriorated to 
nonexistence. Further, Angkor Wat was 
sacked by invading Thais who not
only carted off tapestries, carpets, 
furniture and jewelry, but also took 
thousands of slaves back to Siam for 
temple construction of its own. As an 
aside to the capture of slaves, the 
king’s Apsaras (royal dancers) were 
also captured and became the genesis
for classical dance in Siam (now 
Thailand).
Historians suspect that this massive 
attack on the Khmer capital was one of 
the major factors in crumbling of the 
empire. Besides incursions by the 
Thais, the Chams from Vietnam were 
regular attackers. Even today
Apsaras There are many fine sculptured
features at Angkor Wat, but none is
more intriguing or beautiful than the
Apsaras, which adorn the inner and
outer walls. At Angkor Wat there are
2,000 of these celestial dancers who
entertained the gods and were the
sensual rewards of kings and heroes
who died bravely. In Khmer mythology 
they were elevated alone to special 
importance in temple decoration. All 
of the 2,000 Apsaras at Angkor Wat are 
shown with a smiling face, beautiful 
costumes, and jewelry. They are carved 
in low relief (bas) in sandstone and 
stand from 2-5 feet in height.
The human dimension that made such 
grandeur possible was a caste system 
similar to the hierarchy in ancient 
Egypt and Mexico where the Pharaohs 
and Maya erected their pyramids. There 
was a long line of kings, a class of 
priests, and merchants, and a pcaste 
of slaves (captives of war), laborers, 
masons, sculptors, and decorators.
Architects and the artisans at Angkor 
Wat were part of the lower level of 
society. The area around Angkor Wat 
was comparable in size to Greater 
London, held far more people, making 
it the largest population center in 
the pre-industrial world.
In preserving Angkor Wat, the ravages 
of nature are one thing to contend 
with in the encroachment of jungle and 
harsh tropical climate, the other is 
encroachment by all of us. There are 
now a million visitors annually to 
Siem Reap where we find luxury hotels,
golf courses, swimming pools, 
restaurants, and transportation. In 
our human wake we leave pollution, the 
Siem Reap River is now terribly dirty, 
but worse is the lowering water table. 
As the groundwater lowers beneath the 
temple complex, buildings sink, tilt
and ultimately collapse.
In closing, I thank my guide, Meng 
Chhieng Yin (nickname Tiger), for his
explanations and patiently answering 
all my curious questions about not 
only the temples at Angkor Wat, but 
also life in Cambodia. Professional 
guides are expected to go the extra 
mile with their clients, but Tiger put 
his heart into being more than what one
would expect. Thank you also to 
Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques for 
the education I received in reading 
their book, Ancient Angkor (River 
Books, 2008); and to Dawn Rooney for 
all the knowledge she shared in her 
book, Angkor (Airphoto, 2005).
Where would we be without books and 
teachers who give light on our journey 
of discovery?
I hope you will continue your stroll 
along the following pages for more 
photographs and captions of the 
interesting world at Angkor Wat.
King Suryavarman II and his Entourage
In an area nearly 300 feet long on 
what is referred to as the South 
Gallery, there is a continuous 
sculpture of a military procession,
which has an historical basis. It 
shows King Suryavarman II, the 
temple’s builder, and his army. This 
small section shows the king seated
and in keeping with his rank, larger 
than any other figure. The entire 
procession features war elephants, 
priests, soldiers, musicians,
servants, standard bearers, Siamese
mercenaries, princesses, ladies of the 
court, ministers and army commanders. 
The detail is sufficiently rich that 
educated observers can easily identify 
ranks and nationalities, and the
royal symbolism intended by the 
artists. These bas reliefs have a 
total extent of 1,800 feet by
6-feet high and are one of the most 
famous creations in Khmer art. Besides 
the military procession shown above, 
most of the themes are from Hindu 
sources and feature the gods with all 
their bravery, challenges and ultimate
triumphs.
Weather Worn Angkor Wat This view of 
east side of Angkor Wat shows years of 
tropical weathering. What isn’t shown
because it was closed for restoration 
is one of the greatest scenes ever 
sculpted into stone, Churning of the 
Ocean of Milk. In Hindu mythology, 
Churning of the Ocean of Milk is a 
famous event in which the gods and
demons churn the ocean in a tug
of war that lasts 1,000 years. In
the end, an elixir is produced
giving the gods immortality and
incorruptibility. More than
immortality the gods are rewarded by a 
three-headed elephant named Airavata, 
the goddess Laksmi, a milk-white
horse, Chanda the moon god, and a cow 
of plenty among other prizes. Out-of-
sight in this photograph is 
scaffolding being used by workers 
sponsored by India who are making an 
effort to preserve the building and
important sculptures. Central Tower
There was nothing built at Angkor Wat 
without design, purpose and 
calculation. At left is the temple’s 
central tower. It is surrounded by 
four lesser towers. The collection of 
five is shaped in the form of a lotus 
bud. The central tower rises from the 
center of the temple 213 feet 
representing the mythical Mount Meru, 
which according to Buddhist and
Hindu legend is situated at the center 
of the universe and is home of the 
gods. The towers are symbolic mountain
peaks, the outer wall of the temple 
are mountains at the edge of the 
world, and the surrounding moat is the 
oceans beyond. The stairs take 
climbers up 40 steps (131 feet) at a 
70 degree angle. The climb isn’t easy 
and is characteristic of many Buddhist 
temples. The trek up is intended to be 
a formidable experience representing 
the climb up a real mountain.
These two Apsaras (heavenly dancers) 
are upper left are part of the 
collection of 2,000 that adorn the
walls at Angkor Wat. At first glance 
they appear repetitive, and then you 
realize that each is different in
personality. Although all have an 
adorable smile, faces are different as 
well as costumes, hairstyles,
headdresses, and jewels that are 
uniquely their own. Some are dark, 
others light and that reflects
cleaning for preservation. Left to 
nature’s way, the entire temple 
complex would be covered in black
mildew and mold. In the photographs at 
upper right are two real life Apsaras 
from a dance troupe at Siem Reap. The 
graciousness of their movements and 
physical beauty are qualities that 
never tire the eye. There are stories 
in stone a thousand years old and 
stories that are told in their dance 
equally distant from our day and age.
Photograph at left shows history in
the making at Angkor Wat as I
sampled my first ever glass of
palm juice. Besides the refreshing
pick-me-up (high sugar content), I
met Sophan Pring, a 22-year old
palm juice maker and saleslady.
Business was slow, she smiled, I
smiled, and we got our picture
taken together. The grounds of
Angkor Wat are filled with the
Asian Palmyra Palm, producer of
this great tasting juice. Palm juice
can also be distilled into beer and
wine while the palm leaves are
used to weave baskets, fans, hats,
mats, and umbrellas. Asparas, Then and 
Now Palm Juice and a Pretty Girl
~ In Closing ~ Thanks for being the 
good readers that you are and hanging 
onto every last detail.
As I reflect on Siem Reap and the 
temples at Angkor, it is seems that I 
had the perfect holiday for meeting 
people, seeing sights, and learning 
more about the world.
Now living in the reality of being a 
school teacher I reflect and write 
while finding myself caught in the joy 
of being amidst 3,300 smiling 
youngsters. I’ve decided that it is
all but impossible to have a bad day 
in such circumstances; the personality 
power behind those smiles just won’t 
let it happen. I know that some of 
them think I am the best thing since 
the invention of fried rice, but from 
my sense of being it is the reverse
that is true.
Living in Pathumthini Province just 
north of Bangkok, we’ve just come off 
of a cold snap, the chilliest in 10 
years. Kids came to school wrapped in 
scarves, sweaters and jackets. Their 
teeth chattered, they had goosebumps, 
and there was a rash of runny noses. 
The temperature had dropped to 59F 
degrees. I also put on a jacket, but 
it was a little out of sympathy for my 
family and friends in Michigan who are 
under Jack Frost’s thumb with subzero 
temperatures along with snow and wind. 
It is now in the 70-90F temperature 
range in the Bangkok region and I am 
not exactly chomping at the bit for a
family reunion in Michigan.
Hello! Very nice to meet you. Thank 
you for coming to see Angkor Wat. I 
give you flower for souvenir. I wish
you good luck with your job and all 
your family. Nice to speak with you. 
I’m very happy to meet you. I hope you
coming again. I hope to see you again. 
I like your smile. 
I hope you coming to see Angkor Wat 
again. I hope you like my flower. I 
hope you don’t forget me. From Sary,
good bye! Good bye! Drawn on the 
handwritten note was a bouquet of
flowers and each small merchant: Sach, 
Sary, and Sreyoun, (photograph at 
right) gave me a note with identical 
handwritten wording. This excellent 
public relations maneuver on the 
grounds near Angkor Wat almost swayed 
me into buying something, instead I 
gave the girls a monetary donation, 
and they in turn gave me samples of 
what they were selling. They also made 
me promise that if I saw them again I 
would buy substantial quantities of 
merchandise. Sadly the local police
shakedown many children like these for 
$1 a day for them to stay in business. 
If it doesn’t show in the
photograph, please know that these are 
among the most adorable kids in the 
world.
Sach, Sary, and Sreyoun Two weeks ago, 
I had a rare opportunity to visit with 
two of my former workmates from 
Singapore. This was the first time I 
had met with any of the old gang since 
retiring 18 months ago. Frank Boyd and 
Jack Stanley were passing through 
Bangkok on a Navy assignment at the 
nearby beach resort of Pattaya. Frank 
in particular makes a
specialty of being selected for these 
locations! We had a great lunch and 
chit-chat at Finnegan’s Pub and it was 
yet another experience proving that 
old friends are the best friends. We 
talked about old times and new times. 
Returning home by taxi I decided
that I am glad that the old times are 
in the past and that I am now having 
new times in the sunny radiance of 
Thai kids.
You may be pleased to know that in the 
next issue of On the run... I’ll 
continue to explain more about the 
wonderment at Angkor. I want to show 
you where Angelina Jolie and Harrison 
Ford filmed parts of their now classic 
movies, Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones, 
Raider’s of the Lost Ark, 
respectively, plus so much more.
Keep being your best!

12/19/02

 EXOTIC MARATHONS
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