The ultimate jungle temple Banteay Chmar, is another Khmer masterpiece brought to you by the maker of Angkor Wat, Jayavarman II. It's just on the verge of getting UNESCO designation so I decided to beat the crowds.
Just to be clear the site and surrounding satellite temples have been swept clear of landmines...although we did pass a mine clearing base camp on the way to Siem Reap...
Had a little break in the tiny village of Kralanh en route. As always, stop and wait a bit and something interesting will happen in Cambodia.
Discovered here that the racks of glass coca-cola bottles on the road side are petrol and not local moonshine as I had previously thought.
After a long bumpy ride and a simple tasty veg/rice/soup lunch at the visitor's centre, we drove a short distance, parked the land cruiser and headed down the a farm track into the jungle to find, a small satellite temple. We reached an impassable portion of the surrounding moat cover in luminescent duckweed then circled back to find the remains of the causeway. Initially these moats were symbolic, then were a water supply and accidental, were defensive. Causeway was overgrown. Kong tested the waters and placed some strategic stones and branches for us to cross. With some hacking at the undergrowth and scrambling on mossy fallen stones we were rewarded with a view of a crumbling tower with the remains of a smiling Bodhisattva face.
We made our way through the tower and around to the west side of the moat only to find if empty save for water buffalo track. If we had continued 50 meters more along the track we would have gotten there much more easily!
Headed to the west side of the main Banteay Chmar temple for the afternoon light and to see the multi armed Bodhisattva relief carvings - exquisite!
The sun sets early here as we are close to the equator - 6p and it's dark. Checked into our home stay, a modest little two storey building. It had gaps in the floor boards and was a little shaky but was may of solid teak. The two deck chairs. solid rosewood. Dinner was tasty veg and rice with a noteworthy fish dish with fresh ginger sauce. The lady of the house proudly set down a platter of her best exotic fruit for desert: peeled and quartered apples. Funny.
As I mentioned before, November is wedding month and this village was celebrating one. It was loud. Louder than the barnyard animals. It was boom-boom club music supreme...in the middle of no where. I went to bed around 9p after looking at some of Dave's terrific Vietnam pics. The boom boom continued...until the generator ran out and, I suspect, after a few coke bottles of petrol topped off the generator. At 3:15a a tinny speaker came on. Came on loud. Came on playing loud tinny music. Chinese music that sound vaguely 1940's Hollywood WWII. The a voice came on. Did I mention that this started at 3:15a? The voice sounded like it was broadcasting chinese communist propaganda. In spite of the noise I did get a good night's sleep. I all stopped around 5:45a when the workers were heading out to the rice fields so there was no need for noise. Turns out it was a "celebration" of a monk graduating after 3 months of silent meditation.
Up a 5:30 for some sunrise pics. Breakfast was a tasty fried noodles with egg then it was a scramble around the east side of Banteay Chmar. Great trees. Great relief carvings.
Dave lent me his 8mm-16mm lens for some super wide angle fun.
Lunch veg/rice/soup then again, one last temple stop, Prasat Ta Prohm. Best part of this one were all the kids who jumped in the moat for a swim as we were leaving.
Kong made a short detour en route to Siem Reap to show me the remains of an old Angkorian bridge. People here are so considerate if you make an effort to connect with them.
Checked into Le Tigre Hotel - felt a bit anonymous after the Cashew Nut but the owner, Guillaume, came over and chatted with me a bit on the way out so now feels a bit more homey.
Another first - got a ride back into town on the back of a scooter. Who needs thrill rides?
Just to be clear the site and surrounding satellite temples have been swept clear of landmines...although we did pass a mine clearing base camp on the way to Siem Reap...
Had a little break in the tiny village of Kralanh en route. As always, stop and wait a bit and something interesting will happen in Cambodia.
Discovered here that the racks of glass coca-cola bottles on the road side are petrol and not local moonshine as I had previously thought.
After a long bumpy ride and a simple tasty veg/rice/soup lunch at the visitor's centre, we drove a short distance, parked the land cruiser and headed down the a farm track into the jungle to find, a small satellite temple. We reached an impassable portion of the surrounding moat cover in luminescent duckweed then circled back to find the remains of the causeway. Initially these moats were symbolic, then were a water supply and accidental, were defensive. Causeway was overgrown. Kong tested the waters and placed some strategic stones and branches for us to cross. With some hacking at the undergrowth and scrambling on mossy fallen stones we were rewarded with a view of a crumbling tower with the remains of a smiling Bodhisattva face.
We made our way through the tower and around to the west side of the moat only to find if empty save for water buffalo track. If we had continued 50 meters more along the track we would have gotten there much more easily!
Headed to the west side of the main Banteay Chmar temple for the afternoon light and to see the multi armed Bodhisattva relief carvings - exquisite!
The sun sets early here as we are close to the equator - 6p and it's dark. Checked into our home stay, a modest little two storey building. It had gaps in the floor boards and was a little shaky but was may of solid teak. The two deck chairs. solid rosewood. Dinner was tasty veg and rice with a noteworthy fish dish with fresh ginger sauce. The lady of the house proudly set down a platter of her best exotic fruit for desert: peeled and quartered apples. Funny.
As I mentioned before, November is wedding month and this village was celebrating one. It was loud. Louder than the barnyard animals. It was boom-boom club music supreme...in the middle of no where. I went to bed around 9p after looking at some of Dave's terrific Vietnam pics. The boom boom continued...until the generator ran out and, I suspect, after a few coke bottles of petrol topped off the generator. At 3:15a a tinny speaker came on. Came on loud. Came on playing loud tinny music. Chinese music that sound vaguely 1940's Hollywood WWII. The a voice came on. Did I mention that this started at 3:15a? The voice sounded like it was broadcasting chinese communist propaganda. In spite of the noise I did get a good night's sleep. I all stopped around 5:45a when the workers were heading out to the rice fields so there was no need for noise. Turns out it was a "celebration" of a monk graduating after 3 months of silent meditation.
Up a 5:30 for some sunrise pics. Breakfast was a tasty fried noodles with egg then it was a scramble around the east side of Banteay Chmar. Great trees. Great relief carvings.
Dave lent me his 8mm-16mm lens for some super wide angle fun.
Time for another jungle scramble to the west satellite temple, Prasat Pranag Ta Sok. Not quite as hard as yesterday but but still lovely faces. Had to crush more than one red ant who piggy backed on my knapsack.
Lunch veg/rice/soup then again, one last temple stop, Prasat Ta Prohm. Best part of this one were all the kids who jumped in the moat for a swim as we were leaving.
Kong made a short detour en route to Siem Reap to show me the remains of an old Angkorian bridge. People here are so considerate if you make an effort to connect with them.
Checked into Le Tigre Hotel - felt a bit anonymous after the Cashew Nut but the owner, Guillaume, came over and chatted with me a bit on the way out so now feels a bit more homey.
Another first - got a ride back into town on the back of a scooter. Who needs thrill rides?
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