Kbal Spean &
River of 1,000 Lingams

Some of the carvings on the River of 1,000 Lingams

2016.11.15.0705 Victoria Angkor Resort and Spa, Siem Reap, Cambodia

After breakfast, we bussed to the Apsara ticket office to get our pass for all the temples in the Angkor Wat area. But before we would see any temples, we had a morning hike up Kbal Spean to the River of One Thousand Lingams. The path went up the mountainside at a manageable incline through the jungle. It was a popular hike and with the national holiday ongoing there were a fair number of other folks on the trail. The lingams, a phallic symbol, are the circular bas relief carvings that were either placed or fell into the river while others grace the boulders alongside the river. Yoni is the female counterpart. (The size of the river was similar to Donaldson Creek in Cadiz KY.) After hiking out and dodging the aggressive vendors who have set up shop at the trail head, we boarded the bus for a short drive to the open air restaurant for lunch.

From local signage:
KBAL SPEAN
“KBAL SPEAN” was taken its name after the local who pronounce a portion of natural stone which lies across the river and resembles to that of a bridge. This place had been established as a sacred site for more than a millennium and the evidnences could be substantiated by archeological vestiges such as inscriptions and relief, which are mostly date to the 11th — 13th centuries. With the belief in which the water flows from KBAL SPEAN as the source of development and prosperity, from just above the natural bridge to the North and down to the waterfall below, the KBAL SPEAN river bed is covered with sculptures of lingas, the symbol of the God Shiva’ supreme essence. A group of linga inside a yoni could also be seen.

Likewise, the river banks, along the basins carved deep into the river bed, are sculpted with a variety of symbols and scenes which are related to God Shiva as well as inscriptions. The other scenes include the reclining God Vishnu in the middle of the ocean in meditation and absorb the watery chaos below, and from the navel, a growing lotus flower bears the God Brahma, the god of recreator. Flowing past and over these reliefs, the water is being sacralized before creating into a Russei River, which is branching off to form the Siem Reap and Pouk rivers.

Click on the images for a larger view

The lobby in our building at the Victoria Angkor Resort and Spa.

A still shot of the old fashioned lift. We used it a couple times, but used the stairs more frequently.

The walk to the river was about 1 mile (1,609 m).

Jonathan on the trail.

There was some steep sections, but nothing like the jungle hike in Laos.

Wild flowers.

Hung and Jonathan.

Carvings along the river.

These round bumps are the lingams.

Lyn getting a snap of the carvings.

More wild flowers.

A riverside carving.

More carvings.

More carvings.

The square shape is 'yoni' - the female counterpart to the male lingam.

Another bas relief - this one under a boulder.

Julie at the falls.

There was a bit of a crowd at the base of the falls.

The trail led through a narrow gap between boulders - Savy (our Cambodia guide) on the left, Terry, and Tom.

Jonathan navigating the gap.

Our lunch spot - a short ride, not far from the trailhead.

In the tropics, open air dining is common. The abundance of fans make it quite comfortable.

At lunch - Barbara, Audra (obscured), Leah, Albert, and John.

On our way out, what looks like a home-made tractor hauling logs motored by.

River of 1,000 Lingams (8 MB video, 0:24)

Millipede on the trail - "It is what it is." (4 MB video, 0:14)