No matter how many books or research papers you read, can you truly get an understanding of the real local culture and beliefs that surround this ancient wonderland? It should also be said that much of what’s written looks at the Khmer Empire almost purely through French eyes via an Indian lens upon what became labeled an “Indianised” culture. Looking through a local lens instead and seeing the Khmerisation of transmitted cultures provides a living and breathing view of a fascinating and deep culture.
Sure, it’s not hard to find the temples and visit them, even remote ones, I see many groups on social media with foreigners (and locals) posting photos of temples, yet, they have little or no idea of what it was that they saw or shared. They missed the knowledge of how the locals in that area relate and interact with that site and what it means to them. They didn’t get to know the history of who and why.
They missed the local insight and knowledge, they missed the human story that has evolved around these sites over hundreds of years. They missed all that and, saw some stones!
And, I’m the first to put my hand and say “guilty”.
Sure, while I do not own one book, I do read a lot, and praise to all the researchers that have fleshed out the ancient history for us all, but, I am also acutely aware that there is much much more to the story. It can only come from the local transmission, be that from the monk, the locals who live at a site, local researchers, or from one of the many amazing guides who transverse all those spheres.
That’s why, at least the first time, take a local guide. The registered local temple guides are highly trained, studied in all facets of the temple history and Khmer History, along with indispensable local knowledge that they share in multiple languages that they have learned. That’s if you can still find one.
As you’d probably guess, It’s been a very hard year for anybody in the tourism sector, for local guides there has been nothing. It’s not like a western country that has all kinds of stimulus cheques going out in the mail, or employers that are subsidised by the government to keep employers on, or government welfare for those who have lost their jobs. There is nothing, more than one year of nothing.
At this time, I know many guides that have simply given up, I meet them nearly every day out on the roads around the province. They always come to say hi and after some time talking I get to understand how they are fighting to keep their families and life afloat. One guy for example that was once an official guide, was driving hundreds of miles on an old beater motorbike towing a trailer to get bananas that he’d return with and sell in the market stall. Another the same, he was picking up slops from restaurants to sell to farmers in the local village. Multi-lingual, professionally trained, local experts, and they have now almost completely given up hope of returning to their past careers. That’s a huge loss. Not only are they guides, but outside of the Buddhist sangha, they are also the living storage vessels of vital elements of cultural knowledge.
Others, are struggling just the same, but I have watched them reach the point of being without daily staples, watched them dropping weight over the months, but there is never a day that they would not be at the temples sites. It’s such a very deep part of their existence. Do they cry about how hungry and how much they are struggling? Rarely. They just want nothing more than to show their heritage and true culture.
I will point to a couple of examples here.
Yun Sowanna is out there every day, online and offline, sharing real-world local culture, remote temple sites, and the Khmer heritage. You can follow him on Youtube where he has over 600 videos on ancient sites and Khmer culture, and Facebook where he posts daily. You cant get what he knows from any book.
Another is Robin Hout, here is a guy that talks about temples in his sleep! He lives and breathes every facet of the rich Khmer heritage from the crafts to the martial arts, to the history of the ancient sites, and to spiritual worship. You can follow Robin on Facebook here.
My hat goes off to those guys and many others, even without income, they never walked away from their heartfelt duty to their heritage and their belief of how important it is to share that knowledge.
And there are many more out there and you can also be introduced to local guides via KATGA (Khmer Angkor Tour guide Association)
You can spot them around Angkor, but not like before. So, when you do see a guy or girl in the light-beige shirt at Angkor asking if you’d like a guide, please don’t blow them off. Be kind, consider the opportunity. You will learn more in that short time than you will ever get from hours of reading any book.
If you want to go to the ancient remote sites, get there safely, and truly understand the history and the local village culture that surrounds the site, consider a registered local temple guide, at least for the first time you go.
Not only are you having a way better experience with much more to share, but you are also likely helping to keep a family afloat, and you are also keeping the real-world cultural transmission alive.