In Cambodia - Part 2

Time for more UNESCO World Heritage sites.



Today our tuk tuk driver and our guide took us to the other-worldly Buddhist temple, Ta Prohm, the temple complex that is being reclaimed by the jungle. Enormous trees have grown from its roof and sent roots through the rocks into the earth, fracturing the moss-covered temples as they sought water. The trees are about 200 years old and this particular temple was built in 1186. If you saw Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider, this is the temple where she plucked a flower and fell through the earth.



We next took a 1 hour drive through the countryside to the Hindu temple Banteay Srei, also called the "Lady Temple." This ornately carved small temple, thought to be built in 967, is splendid in it's detailed ornamentation.















Cambodia is still recovering from it's disastrous history, not the least are the remaining land mines. We listened to this small traditional band made up of land mine survivors who were making delightful music in an attempt to earn a living. We also visited a French-supported artisans training school, which encourages handicapped young people to learn the traditional arts of stone and wood carving, laquerwork and silk painting. Their finished work we saw was museum quality.

In Cambodia

We left our Bangkok hotel at 7am and by 6pm we pulled, dusty, thirsty and tired, into Seam Reap Cambodia, the closest city to Angkor Wat and other UNESCO World Heritage site. Even though We arranged for an air conditioned bus and car, everything in between was hot, sticky and dusty. We were told that the last 150km from the border to Seam Reap would take 3 hours because a major airline from Thailand paid the Cambodian government not to improve the road and whatever they paid, they got their money's worth. Quite an adventure; here is one of our transports to the border.

After a refreshing sleep and breakfast this morning we hopped into a tuk tuk with an English speaking guide and toured Angkor Wat and Bayan. Angkor Wat was large and hard to get a grasp on. The highlight was the group of beautiful dancers. Here is a photo of me failing Cambodian dance class.




Bayan, on the other hand, had 52 towers, each with four beautiful beatific heads carved on each side. It was impressive, even though it was falling apart and being restored with French and Japanese assistance.















At both sites there were detailed historical bas relief carvings which had survived. Here is part of a battle scene with elephants and another with lovely dancers.





























On a fashion note, I observe that the current traditional dress for women here is basically colorful pjs, flip flops and some kind of hat, a look I didn't attempt to adopt. The hats can be as fanciful as possible and it is definitely comfortable.