A lunch break on the backroads to Siem Reap

They say in the old Norse book of wisdom and cultural heritage, the Hávamál:

“He craves for water, who comes for refreshment, drying and friendly bidding, marks of good will, fair fame if ‘tis won, and welcome once and again.

“He hath need of his wits who wanders wide, aught simple will serve at home; but a gazing-stock is the fool who sits mid the wise, and nothing knows.”

Wisdom is to enjoy and remember delicious food, good friends and a restful view. Knowledge is know how to get there and enjoy it.

This harmonies quite well with the Khmer view of food, friendship and enjoying a chat. And of course enjoy new sights and a break from everyday with a nice view while travelling. And bird viewing, come to that.

Enjoy the greener alternative

This backroad was consider a shortcut back when we were travelling there, bypassing the crossroads and queues in Sisophon in Western Cambodia. During the pandemic, a huge upgrade was done to the highway between Battambang and Sisiphon and National Road 5 and NR 6. It reduces the travelling time between Siem Reap and Battambang, and between the border city Poipet and Battambang.

The reason to take this backroad even with a new road, is the splendid landscape, the lesser amount of tourists and other travellers, and good food and drinks with a view to peaceful, yet lively, wetland area.

It is so nice to have choices when travelling.

This place is near the Kro Bao Village Peam Pagoda for those who want to see a typical village pagoda in the countryside outside Siem Reap.


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I call it a dancing tree of life

It is a classic shot of one of the main entrances to Ta Prohm Temple, but sometimes cliché becomes iconic.

The Ta Prohm is somehow most known for its tall trees and solid root system entangled in the buildings structure.

But it is also one of the more challenging temples to explore, because the structure itself, the park around it and the entrance gates. The area is so filled with interesting details and unexpected turns and ideas. This is one of the temples worth spending some time studying.

Ta Prohm (Khmer: ប្រាសាទតាព្រហ្ម, "Ancestor Brahma") is the modern name of the structure. Originally it was called Rajavihara (Khmer: រាជវិហារ, "royal monastery"). It was built during the reign of Jayavarman VII, the great ruler who is known for Bayon, the final version of Angkor Thom city and other massive social public works like hospitals and safe guesthouses all over the realm.

It was a monastery and university, build to honour the kings mother, with the gates honouring his brother and his guru. At the peak of its operation, 12 500 people lived within Ta Phrom temple complex and appx 80 000 lived in villages around it, supporting the institution.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta_Prohm

#Angelina #moment" #dancing #tree #life #treeoflife #jolie #siem #reab #siemreap #cambodia #kampuchea #worldheritage #khmer #khmerempire #worldculturalheritage #mobilephotography #2018CE #architecture #angkor #goldenage #taprohm #Ta #Prohm #J7

Framing the temple to the tree

Ta Prohm temple is often refered to as the the trees of life temple.

It was only proper to find a way of making the temple frame oe of the famous tall trees.

Several of the Banyan trees in this temple served as background in the Tomb Raider movie, making them instant, yet woody, celebrities.

Ta Prohm (Khmer: ប្រាសាទតាព្រហ្ម, "Ancestor Brahma") is the modern name of the structure. Originally it was called Rajavihara (Khmer: រាជវិហារ, "royal monastery"). It was built during the reign of the great ruler Jajavarman VII. Originally a monastery and university, and built to honour the kings mother, with the gates each side honouring the kings brother and his guru.

#Angelina #moment" #dancing #tree #life #treeoflife #jolie #angkor #thom #angkorthom #siem #reab #siemreab #cambodia #kampuchea #worldheritage #khmer #khmerempire #testing #huawei #mate9 #pro #worldculturalheritage #mobilephotography #2019CE #architecture #angkor #goldenage #taprohm #Ta #Prohm

A drop of colour and a drop of water

A good thing with an assistant is to have someone to show the scale of things.

Like my friend here, showing the size of one of the water basins before entering the first of the temple buildings of Preah Vihear.

This fantastic mountain top temple complex is just another important part of khmer heritage to the world, forever for Cambodia to care for and protect.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1224/

#preahvihear #water #well #Cambodia #seventemples #worldculturalheritage #roadtrip #2019 #khmergirl #colorful #culturalheritageday #preahviheartemple #photoassistant #localgirl #khmer #Kampuchea #templevisit #buddhism #art #architecture #bluesky #isaan #sisaket #2019ce #ប្រាសាទព្រះវិហារ #Preah #Vihear #Temple