Case and Phearoom

Cambodian student, Neak Phearoom (see Earrings, Silk Scarf, and Maybe a Buddha), and my oldest son, Case (see Many Years Ago in Pontianak), descend the steps at the ruins of Angkor Wat in 2012. [NOTE: Phearoom took the current header image of "thus i have seen" during this trip (thx, Phearoom); we are waving to each other]. 

Inside Angkor

A surprisingly vacant interior walkway at the main temple complex of Angkor Wat (see Monks at Angkor). [NOTE: Can't remember how I got this photo, because there were tons of people at the ruins when I visited]. 

Bayon Postcard

Hard to believe that a little over three months ago I was standing in front of the temple of Bayon (see Bayon) with my son. Sigh. Sky is amazing. [NOTE: This image really does look like it came from a postcard].

Incense Offering

Scene in one of the interior rooms at the temple of Bayon (see Bayon) at Angkor Wat. Love the row of seated Buddhas carved at the top, the curl of incense smoke, and the little swatch of saffron cloth on the altar. [NOTE: Off to Hawaii tomorrow for two weeks. Yippeee!]

In A Window at Pre Rup

After climbing in the blazing sun to get to the third tier of ruins at Pre Rup (see Pre Rup), I entered one of the shady interior rooms and walked over to the window to check out the view. Discovered the lovely mound of stones shown above. Precarious, yet stable. Cool to the touch. Wonder how long these have been here?

Reclining Buddha at Baphoun

On the western side of the temple of Baphoun at Angkor Wat, there is a retaining wall fashioned into a 60 m long reclining Buddha. The project was undertaken in the 15th or 16th century, and its pretty hard to make it out. The shot below of the signage about the figure may help - somewhat.  It's hard to see even when you are standing right in front of it 

[NOTE: The guidebooks refer to Baphoun as the world's largest jigsaw puzzle. The temple was taken apart piece by piece to restore it and then the Cambodia civil war broke out. All the records were subsequently destroyed duing the Khmer Rouge years, leaving archaeologists with the task of figuring out where to put each of the 300,000 stones to reconstruct the temple.]  

Pre Rup

Impromptu soccer game in front of the ruins of Pre Rup in Angkor, Cambodia. Notice the slight breeze moving the leaves around on the tree at the end of the clip (0:19). Real hot the day we visited the ruins, and the little bit of shade was a welcome respite.

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei is considered by many to be the artistic jewel of Angkor Wat. It is a relatively small temple, but it contains some of the finest examples of stone carving anywhere on earth. Almost every surface is covered in elaborate decoration.

There are women with lotus flowers and flowing skirts, stern temple guards, toothy monsters, and complicated and delicate renditions of scenes from the Ramayana.

[NOTE: Banteay Srei means "Citadel of Women", probably owing to the many devatas carved into the red sandstone walls].

Monks at Angkor

Weather in Siem Reap was perfect.  We had a little shower the first day at Angkor Wat, but fortunately we had umbrellas. As did many of the other visitors to the ruin complex. [NOTE: Last post from Cambodia. We start the 17 hour trek home this afternoon]. 

Ta Prohm

Spent the first week of my 60th year climbing around the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia - with my oldest son Case (see Steal Yourself and Ganesha (with Coffee). Took many pictures of this incredible monument to human ingenuity and artistic expression, and will surely be posting some in the weeks to come. For now, the classic Angkor Wat image of the strangler figs (Ficus gibosa Blume) reclaiming Ta Prohm, the Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of Jayarvarman VII, is shown above. [NOTE: This place is amazing}.