Roluos is where the story of Angkor begins. About thirteen kilometres south-east of Siem Reap, along the road toward Phnom Penh, a cluster of brick and sandstone temples marks Hariharalaya, the capital of the Khmer kings in the late ninth century. Before the great monuments of Angkor Wat and the Bayon were built, the rulers lived and built here, and the three main temples show the first mature forms of Khmer architecture. Preah Ko was dedicated in 879 by Indravarman I, and Bakong, a few years later, was the first great temple mountain, a stepped pyramid with elephants in stone at the corners, representing Mount Meru, the home of the gods.
Lolei, the third, stands on an island in what was once a huge reservoir, the Indratataka, and it was built by Indravarman's son, Yasovarman I, who later moved the capital to Angkor. The brickwork, the lintels and the carved figures at the doors are among the finest of the early period, and the buildings are much quieter than those of Angkor, since many tour groups skip them. In some places, monks still live in a modern monastery beside the old towers, and children play in the courtyards.
The countryside around is gentle and flat, with rice fields, sugar palms, ponds with lotus flowers and wooden houses on stilts. The light in the early morning and late afternoon turns the red brick glowing and the green fields bright. The heat is intense in the middle of the day, so a morning visit is wise. During the rainy season, from May to October, afternoon storms are frequent, and the dirt tracks between the temples turn to mud.
The road from Siem Reap is a busy national highway, with trucks, buses, tuk-tuks and motorbikes weaving among one another, so it is wise to stay alert and keep a safe distance. Once you turn off toward the temples, traffic becomes much calmer. Fuel is easy to find in Siem Reap, with stations on the highway, and simple drinks stalls near the temples sell cold coconuts and fruit. Stay a while, watch the sun sink over the palms, and think of the long Khmer story that began here, a few kilometres from the place where the biggest monument was later raised.