If you saw the movie Tomb Raider or if you otherwise love Indian Jones type craziness, than you’ll love this. For centuries, the area around Angkor was left to the jungle, its giant ficus trees climbing into the ruins of the old city and temples and taking over. Some of them look like they’ve swallowed a whole wall. Which inspired us to look up the word for something that eats stone: Lithophagous.
The temple of Bayon in Angkor is recognizable for its many heads, some 200 of them all with the same face that smiles or grimaces or calmly observes you. The face is supposedly that of King Jayavarman VII, who commissioned the temple and apparently liked the sight of his own face quite a bit. More information of a technical nature here. It was one of the most photogenic parts of Angkor:
Siem Reap and Angkor Wat are so well preserved and well presented, so full of tourist interest, tourists and the tourist industry that it was hard to see any of Cambodia itself. We got a few glimpses of people working, kids playing, farming and weather amidst the ruins that swallowed all of our attention.
We had the privilege of traveling to Siem Reap, a town in Cambodia close to the Thai border (and whose name means “Siams– i.e.–Thais– Defeated”) that is the access point to the ruins of Angkor. These are some favorite shots of ours from that trip. I hope they can better express how magical Cambodia and its crown jewel of Angkor are.
A peek under the stone walkway that leads across the moat that surrounds Angkor Wat.
A view of the jungle that lives with Angkor Wat on its own little island. (there be monkeys)
There be monkeys. (That chase slightly panicked tourist ladies)
One of the pleasures of Angkor Wat is the dashes of color amid the stone. A modern Buddha statue sits sheltered by ornate umbrella from the sun in the ruins of Bayon.
Stillness: a buddha statue sits in a shaft of light among the ruined tunnels of one of the Angkor temples.
Whizzing by headless and re-headed statues grapple with the now-gone bits of a giant snake in carvings along the bridge leading into Angkor Thom
When we climbed into the royal temple complex by Phimeanakas, a downpour of warm rain came down suddenly for about 20 minutes. the glossy stones and falling drops added even more beauty to the place.
A carving from the Banteay Srei temple.
A view from the inner complex of Angkor Wat out towards the main wall.
A Buddha receives an offering of incense at Ta Prohm.
Two restored statues at Banteay Srei.
The steps down from the Golden Mount at night. Bangkok.
L: Buddha head statue engulfed by tree roots and devotional necklace of flowers. Ayutthaya; R: Buddha head with gold leaf. Inside doorway at the top of a Chedi in Ayutthaya.
Gold leaf clothing shoulder of a Buddha statue. Bangkok.
L: Two small Buddhas, ruins amongst the ruins of Ayutthaya.; R: Chedi and temple. Grand Palace Bangkok.
The old city of Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 on an island in the middle of the Chao Phraya river when King U Thong fled a smallpox outbreak in his capital. The city hit its prime around 1700 AD when it was a trading and political center for the very substantial Kingdom of Siam, which stretched across modern day Thailand and into the territory of Thailand’s modern day neighbors in Cambodia. The Kingdom and city were brought down in 1767 by a Burmese army, which razed the city and forced its rulers to setup shop further south by what today is Bangkok. The city, with its numerous ruined temples all placed on a river island, is a UNESCO heritage site with much charm. Also, much heat – when we visited we nearly fainted from the humidity and heat of it all.
Jasmine flowers floating in an outdoor vase during a rainstorm: at the Jim Thompson House Museum
Pink Lotus flour floating in an indoor vase – Bhutorn Hotel atrium.
Kiwi and red dragon fruit on breakfast plate
Rambutan for breakfast. Bhutorn hotel.
Half-mangosteen – breakfast at Bhutorn hotel.
