1065 km in 5 days - 34 hours on the road We had to leave LP like thieves! We booked on Tuesday morning our ticket to Dien Bien Phu to leave the very next day. It was confirmed so it left us one more day to explore the region. We went to the waterfall Tad Phong. We came back in the afternoon we had a late lunch and then we were about to go for a rest before enjoying our conversation class and a BBQ! Once at the hotel, we were about to pay the room and have a nap! BUT the hotel manager told us that the agency called and we should go there as soon as possible. We left the hotel and rushed to the agency! There was a problem, the bus which was confirmed and supposed to leave on Wednesday was CANCELLED! It was not acceptable, what can we do???? We found the following solution leaving within the hour with a local bus. It meant give back the bikes, finish packing and getting ready for the bus ride and find a Tuk tuk to take us to the bus station. We were in such a hurry so we did not really realise that we were beginning a very long journey. We forgot about the celebration and all! - LP Oudomxai: (Tuesday 22nd) 207 km 8 hours – terrible journey - the road was in a bad state and it was raining even in the bus where we sat! We slept in a guest house right in front of the bus station. We did not get sick! A funny story happened with the key. We got the key 499 for the room 499 but we could not open the door, the night watcher helped us and half asleep someone opened the door. Everyone was surprised! A guy used the key 466 to open the room 499 we were assigned. At midnight it was a confusion that made everybody laughed - Oudomxai (Laos) - Dien Bien Phu (Vietnam) - (Wednesday 23rd) 230 km – 8 hours inclusive one Lunch break and one border crossing. A second day travelling, also with locals but in a mini bus. It was interesting to observe Lao people even from the tribe going abroad. Some of them travelled with animals, goods and lots with a small bags. We had the feeling that they were not used to travel especially when we crossed the border, it was a new experience for them. Some of them did not even had a passport. The officer gave them a A4 paper wrote down their names and glued a pictures. That was enough to go to Vietnam. At some point in the minibus, we were 24 people, two animals and one kid! We arrived exhausted but we enjoyed the sceneries! We drove through the mountains and tribes villages! Magnifique!!! DIEN BIEN PHU – ONE DAY REST – THURSDAY 24thWhat to say about DBP – We stayed one day just to rest before going to Sapa –North Vietnam. It was the first town after the border crossing but it is also a historic place where Vietnamese fought against the French in 1954. After 3 months, the French capitulated and Vietnamese won their independence. Museums and tourists attractions (A1 Hill and bunkers) open from 7 to 11:00 and 13:30 to 17:00. That day, we left the hotel quite late and when we just arrived at the museum it was closing and the same for everything! We went to the cemetery, after for a coffee and matcha tea and walked around. We also had some Vietnamese classes two evening in the row at the place where we had diner! We managed to fix our computer: it took 90 minutes and cost 7€! In Europe we would have had bought a new one! It would have been too expensive to fix the screen! - Dien Bien Phu – Sapa (Friday 25th): 272km – 10 hours. A very nice journey in Northern Vietnam. We met Edouard on the way. Once in Sapa, the magic was gone. Sapa looks like a circus where tribe people ask you every two seconds to go their place and do homestay. We were disappointed. We were expecting a place like Luang Prabang! It is not only very touristic but also an ugly town, expanding without structure! Prices for hotel and food are very expensive and not even good! Two reasons to leave Sapa within 16 hours: 1 it is said to be the Alp Tokenise as the French described it but also a place where you can trek, go to paddy fields and enjoy the nature but well we did not like it! Too many tourists!!! 2 we applied for a project to teach English at the Hope centre, located 5 km away from Sapa. We could have gone during our first trip but time was ticking for us (to get out of the country). We tried our luck a second time but we did not manage to go to the centre and the guy did not get back to us neither. We stayed at his backpackers hotel but it is a place to avoid. Sapa – Hanoi (Saturday 26th): 356 km – 8 hours : We were about to change from hotel when I suggested to leave today. A spontaneous action but a real one! We went to an agency and we booked two tickets and a taxi. We left within 5 minutes Sapa. At 8:30 we got in the bus and left Sapa, the rain and the circus behind! No regrets! What we appreciated it during the journey is the sceneries! Paddy fields, mountains and only green tones! THANKS MOTHER NATURE !
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We also enjoyed sitting around and observing people walking with UMBRELLAS in the street of Luang Prabang ... CONCLUDE ONE MONTH IN LAOS
We learn to live the Lao Style: very lay back and no stress. People are very friendly! Laos is a growing country but at such pace that it loses its traditions and is only consumption driven based mostly on credit! The Lao Economy is based on hydroelectricity mostly sold to its neighbours, tourism and mines. Visiting Wat Xieng Thong (1560 ) Climbing Mount Phousy and visiting old temples Avoiding the TAK BAT o The monks´ alms take place every morning at 6am. Why avoid it? Tourists don’t respect it and take pictures with flashes, disturbing the moment of prayer and donations! All over the town, we can read the following: Help us to respect the monks alms! I stayed two minutes and went back to the hotel! SHAME ON THEM! These are the three out of four pictures we took of monks in LP. Going to the other side of the Mekong o For a walk in the forest, visit some more temples and immersed with the locals It is even quieter than LP! Booking a half day tour to go to Tad Kouang Si Waterfall o Renting a motorbike or booking a half day tour was the question. Driving in Laos is very stressful so we went for the easiest way for once! We avoided the crowd and climbed up the mountain with a great view and nice pond to swim. The waterfall has more to offer than that as there is a spring and a cave 3 km away. If we had known that we would have planned a pick nick and one day!
Renting bikes to go for a bike tour to Tad Thong o We were up for that mentally but physically it is another story! We are not fit as we used to be. It was up up up !!!! We made it, though! We had a fantastic time in the mountain, in the village with the kids and in the waterfall! Driving back was so easy !! down down down! Going to a Storytelling theater
o Garavek is a small company concerned with preserving and promoting local and traditional stories: myths, legends and folktales accompanied with a handmade bamboo mouth organe calle Khene. It was time to leave Vientiane, Marianne´s family and Tukata. It was not as easy as it seemed! We were on our way to Luang Prabang – 8 hours drive from Vientiane. It was a terrible journey although the sceneries were alike Thakhek green and beautiful, unfortunately we got sick! During this trip (for the first time) lunch was included, we skipped it and had only few bananas instead of a delicious meal. Once in Luang Prabang we walked 1,5 km to come closer to the centre and found a very nice hotel at a very good price LUANG PRABANG 17th - 22nd A UNESCO Heritage town since 1995.
Luang Prabang (LP) is a charming and very quiet town and still very provincial! Locals are very nice and very friendly and helpful. We felt very good even LP is a very touristic place. We planned to stay three days and then go to Northern Laos but we really enjoyed the place, the food and the people that we stayed 5. We discovered LP in a different way as the first day we wanted to chill and go around with one goal: go the bakery: Le Banneton, on the other side of the town. We started by entering an empty street and we ended up in the middle of the morning market. One guy were selling some croissants and pains au chocolat. We had breakfast there! It was delicious and we loved the local atmosphere! We still had in mind to go to Le Banneton, just to see it! We just walked in empty streets and stopped now and then to go to a temple, admire the architecture and go to an exhibition. We even passed by an insignificant place which was actually a theatre (Gavarek) even better a storytelling theatre. Finally after three hours we managed to reach the place Le Banneton but it was in renovation! Lol! We took the right decision to have our breakfast at the morning market! After we visited the Xien temple and a meditation exhibition where Hans Georg Berger photographed monks in meditation! Great pictures in B/W. Click on the link below to see the pics online; http://www.hansgeorgberger.de/page/buddhist/buddhist_photo.html We had a great day and in the evening we were ready to listen to the story accompanied with the instrument Khene. On our way back like in the morning we walked through Luang Prabang and passed by the Big Brother Mouse. It rang the bell as it is a library worth it visiting, I read it somewhere! It was closed but the ads on the door were presenting a project where any English people could join to have English conversation with locals, volunteering based. We knew what we will do from 5 to 7 everyday! It was the first day and we had fun discovering the town. The rest of the stay is shortly described below! Light, extra light, dry quickly and easy to wash were all the requirements we wanted when it came to buy our “world tour” equipment. It took time to find what we thought it will be suitable for a world tour. We also spent a fortune and as we thought it would be a long term investment. In December 2014 (3 months after our start) we already had some problems with the “Sea to summit” towel, the “five fingers” shoes and the “Silva” torch. The towel stank after one day use, we replaced with a simple one bought at Decathlon in Turkey. Since then, we can shower and dry without any smell! It was the same story with the shoes, smelly like bad French cheese or Durian! We were lucky to find some North Face ones not stinky but broke last one day ago! As far as the torches are concerned, the support broke, we could glued it but in September 2015 it broke forever. We changed the system and we use now the laces of my shoes. It was the start of a long story as in March 2015 our Icebreaker 150 clothes started to wear out, two months after we threw T-shirts away. After a back and forth with the Icebreaker customer service, we were asked to send the goods back so that they could analyse the problems and maybe exchange the clothes! In June, the travel liner which I cannot recall the brand, was just a big hole! As it was in silk, I could not sew it so I binned it and I bought a new one, a stronger one! It was also time to invest in mobiles. We opted first for Samsung but our micro cards were not compatible so we went for Huawey! So far so good! In August whereas we were about to go to bed, we noticed that one of the matrass (Thermarest) had a funny shape. Indeed the outer layer unstuck the inside of the matrass, we wrote to the customer service but a month after we still did not have an answer back! The pillow suffers from the same decease unlike the matrass I can still use it! In September while writing with the computer, I noticed a slight problem with the screen. It start to unstick, now it is a matter of time to have a real detachable screen! After the computer, the Keen shoes! The laces were not good and just tor. We did not even take the time to write the customer service. We saw some tourists with the new versions but without the laces! Flip flops would be fine but not good for the long run, so I bought new Keen shoes in sales! After a year of testing our equipment, we still have our Deuter pack back, Ray Ban sunglasses, Nikon cameras with Sigma lenses … Fingers crossed! What would be next ?????? wellWe just hope for the best! DECEMBER 2014 SMELLY Sea to summit towel and five fingers shoes MARCH - MAY 2015 Icebreaker 150 JUNE 2015 travel liner and 2 mobiles! AUGUST 2015 Therm a rest - mattrass and pilow Silva front light SEPTEMBER 2015
Keen shoes - bye bye ! Samsung computer and North Face shoes It was time to visit museums in our last two days in Vientiane. We went to the Lao National Museum which is more a Natural, Cultural and Political Science and History Museum. It depicts some of early history and also an insight to the 18th century (Thai invasion- French colonialism, American imperialism) and the customs of the day. The second museum was a centre: COPE. It tells the stories of the consequences of the "secret war". Hundreds of victims of cluster bombs and UXO (Unexploded Ordonance) died between 1964 and 1973. During Vietnam war, Laos was involved in a so called “secret” war. America, Thai, Philippines and South Vietnamese against North Vietnamese troops supported by Russian and Chinese communists. In 1946 it was agreed in Geneva that Laos would be independent and neutral… the American president Johnson had different point of view of the situation and installed a CIA base in Luang Prabang. In 9 years, Americans dropped - 2 million bombs - 260 million cluster bombs (with 680 bombs) against 97 million in Vietnam during the same period of time. - 580 000 air raids, one every 40 minutes night and day - more than 3 million tons of bombs that makes 500kg per inhabitant Today there are still - 80 million UXO in Lao - More than 12 000 victims (dead or injured) after the war – 50% of the victims are children It cost 17 million USD to bomb the country and 3 million to clear the bombs per year since then! Lao is the most bombed country in the world. It was worth visiting to know about it (unfortunately)… On our way to COPE, the morning market. We only had our mobile to snap daily scenes passing by the morning market selling bread, rice, herbal medicine even monkey skin (No picture of that!)
Marianne accepted us on Helpx to work at Tukata. We received the news when we were in Thakhek. It was great to have a new mission after 10 days sightseeings. What is Tukata? This is a kindergarden or a daycare for international children who live in Vientiane. Marianne founded the daycare 3 years ago. Children can have access to different activities, learn languages and enjoy their time playing outside (when it is not rainy!) We started at the right time when the new term haS just begun! The first week was an adaptation for everyone and particularly the new kids who had never been so long away from home and their family. We stayed less than three weeks and we enjoyed our time with the team, the kids and Marianne and their friends especially Kelly, Tom and Sofia (their daughter); by the way on a travel to Europe. It was more than just a mission as we were part of their family! THANKS for hosting us and sharing great moments together! TUKATA - a paradise for kids! EARLY IN THE MORNING THE FIRST ACTIVITIES: painting and beeing creative! HAVING FUN PLAYING TOGETHER MASCOTS PORTRAITS of cute kids SINGING - DANCING - READING - A DAILY PROGRAM AT TUKATA COOKING TIME AND EATING TIME FOR EVERYBODY TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
The first week end we spent it with the family (Marianne, To and their children) and some of their friends. We went about 30 km away from the city. We were in the jungle where a Belgium guy opened a guesthouse (dream time). It is a unique world where you can listen to birds and the nature breathing (unlike Vientiane). Back into “old age”, the guesthouse does not have electricity and of course no internet but lots of butterflies flying around and a cat! It was such a relaxing day and we had a very nice meal (curry and fried rice)! On Sunday we went to the cinema to watch the MINIONS! We would say: BANANA! The second week end was a bit different as I got a cold! On Friday night we had a concert, Kelly (Marianne´s friend) had a concert. Unfortunately I was sick but Önder and To had the chance to assist. On Saturday we babystitted Marianne´s kids (Tookta and Toni) and we went to Common Grounds, a Western café with a playground. In the afternoon, we had a rest as I had cold during the week and I did not feel like going to museum! In the evening we were up to go to the local sauna but it was closed. That day was a bank holiday dedicated to Buddha. On Sunday we rented a motorbike to go in the countryside to visit a salt mine (Khoch Sa´At or Khoch Saad). I felt better and we decided to have a break from the city! I read about it and it was the suggestion of the day! OUR STORY AND PICTURES Our first stop was at Wat That Luang. It was lunchtime so we could not visit it! The story behind it is quite turbulent. - 3rd century: Hindu temple (none of it was found) - 13th century: Khmer temple - Mid 16th: when the king Setthathirat relocated the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane- he ordered the construction of the temple. - 17th century: plundered by the Burmese, Siamese and Chinese - 1828 destroyed by the Thai - 1900: The French restaured it and again destructed and after WW2 reconstructed KHOCH SA´At - salt mine We could not find it neither on the Google map nor on our App (triposo). It was just a suggestion on one of our guide! It would have been easier if we could have speak better Lao. We got there after 90 minutes driving. It was only 25 km away from the city centre. The information we had when asking were sometimes confusing and even paradox or not understandable. It was Sunday, it seemed to be closed but some people told us to enter and we visited the place. We tried to know how the salt mine works but we were quite lost. We took nice pictures and in the evening watched a French documentary about Khoch Sa´At . https://vimeo.com/74394840 - extraction about 250 m deep. - Repartition of the salt regarding the size of the family - In rainy season workers first heat the salt and then after water evaporation they take the salt to put it a hut before being packed. BUDDHA PARK We finished visiting Khoch Sa´At at 3pm. We still had three hours before giving the two wheelers back. We drove to Wat Xieng Khuan or Buddha Park. We were not really keen on going there– prejudices! We thought it will look like a Buddhaland! We were positively surprised and enjoyed the site! We arrived at the right time: the sunlight was just great. - 200 statues made of reinforced concrete - in 1958 Bounlea Soulilat a monk had the idea and after he went to the other side of the Mekong (Thailand) to do a similar park! The last but not the least. When we rented the motorbike, we had it with an empty tank. The guy from the shop told us to tank for 20000 kip, it was for a full tank. When we gave the motorbike back half full, we asked to have some money back 10000 kip or to have the bike for a couple of hours. None of the propositions were accepted and the guy and the lady from the shop were upset!!!! They reproached us to have put more petrol than we should have! The only way to have the petrol back is to decant it. Meanwhile we were also stressed so we went for it! The guy lent us a pipe and a rubbish bag! After few minutes we had the petrol back and we gave it to our host! To was delighted!
It was a fun day out! Vientiane Capital of Laos. Small city with about 1 million inhabitants and so many pickups! About 30 000 brand new pickups are sold every year since a couple of years. Driving here is terrible as drivers do not look neither right nor left. Vientiane has the highest rate accident in South East Asia. It is just a chaos and traffic jam all the time. What we were told is that the capital changed and grew so rapidly the last 5 years: roads were build, new shops and coffee shops opened and consumption is in every mind. What was introduced in the new Lao life style is Western food and junk food such as burgers, pizza, bubble teas and pastries. Actually it does not do well at all and we could see ads for “new slim concept”. We stayed 19 days at Marianne and To ´s place and we helped them at the day-care 6 hours a day from Monday to Friday (see part 3 – Vientiane). The rest of the day we had time to have a rest, catch with the blog, read books and discover the city. The city has few things to offer such as a walk at the Mekong river bank and the sunset. INSPIRING COLOURS - around 4:30 pm SUNSET MEKONG We enjoyed observing people and their new habits especially sport. Here it is a question of fashion and people go for a jog with converse and even flip flops. You can also take part for 4000 Kip to aerobic classes, the 90´s style one. At least over 50 people join the course every day! In a same area you have two different courses! It is really relaxing while watching the sunset! 2nd September - at the banneton vientiane - to celebrate my name´s day! Thanks Önder for the surprise!
Thakhet few hours away north from Savannakhet. The town has nothing to offer, it is only the start of motorbike loop to go to Konglor cave. We rent a 125cm³ and started our 250km tour - one way. DAY 1 THAKHET - TALANG - 105 km It was a sunny day when we started the loop! We stopped at the Buddha cave (Tam Pa Fa) discovered by Mr Nong. He followed a group of bats and unexpectedly he found 229 Buddha in the cave. During a week he did not say a word to anybody as he could not believe what he saw. He went back with a friend and the people village watched the cave. Subsequently, the cave became a sacred place for local and neighboring peoples. DAY 2 TALANG - KONGLOR 150 km After a good breakfast we hit the road again! The last 45 km were hard ! The road was very muddy as it rained the night before and we did fall a couple of time! It was fun! IN THE CAVE 7 km long, one of the biggest in the South! Amazing! DAY 3 KONGLOR - TALANG 7 am : we left Konglor, the weather was cloudy and rainy and made the drive more difficult. We managed the tour to Talang in 7 hours. DAY 4 TALANG - THAKHET On our way back, 40 km before arriving we had a flat tyre ... FOOD and TEMPLE
Charming town with its tiny colonial centre, it was quite easy to go around especially Sunday noon! Everything was closed only two coffee shops were opened (the Western ones!!!). In the evening, despite a power cut, the city was lively!
We stayed two days just to have a rest and plan the next destinations! 21st August one day before our visa ran out, we had to leave the farm. It was not easy for everyone to say good bye. From Hoa Sa we went to HCM to take the bus to Laos. It was more difficult than we thought as there was no direct bus, only over Cambodia. The problem we could not go back to Cambodia as we had to wait one month, we only left the country 2 weeks ago. By bus to Laos would have taken 24 hours with 2 stops. We did not have the choice but to fly to Da Nang and on 22nd take a bus to Laos. Thanks to the agency who was very helpful ! On our way to the airport At the airport we had fun eating burgers and toblerone, just a nice treat after a stressful afternoon! We had one hour delay and we arrived at midnight at the hostel. After 4 hours sleep, we went to one travel agency around 5:30, obviously it was closed! Around 6am someone helped us and went to wake up a couple of people who worked in these agencies. We were lucky as buses were leaving at 6:30! We bought two tickets to be in a sleeping bus to Savannakhet (middle of Laos) and had a coffee with the guy of the agency. Then it was time to go! Let´s the journey begin! - With 2 hours delays - Two many stops to load and unload goods, it was not a bus but a truck! At some point, we started being worried as we had to get out of the country the very same day and the border was closing about 6pm. We finally arrived at the border at 4pm. The officer looked at us and at the calendar back and forth and smiled! We were ready to leave but the bus left at 7:30 for unknown reasons!!! At midnight the driver woke us up and literally threw us out of the bus. He gave us 30000 kip each and said that we were in Savannakhet. We were lost in the middle of nowhere and the taxi driver refused to take us for 60000 kip but 100000. We were lucky as a local drove by and gave us a ride as Savannakhet was on his way. Savannakhet was 30 km away from where we were! We stopped at the bus station but it was closed and the tuk tuk driver who was sleepling was not willing to take us anywhere. Our driver searched a hotel next the bus station. Again we were lucky as one was still opened and had only single room left! After such a long journey we had a hot shower and went straight to bed! On the way we met Elisabeth from California and Yuki from Tokyo! We had 10 fantastic days at Sunny Farm and we were like part of the family. Sam and his mother commuted between the farm and HCM so we stayed with Ti, Hoa, Ithien and Dat. Immersing in Vietnamese family life was a challenge as the family did not speak English and we did not speak any Vietnamese. We learned to communicate with a dictionary and we had fun teaching English and learning Vietnamese. In the end we managed it well, we worked, cooked together and we laughed a lot with the children and the family! Thank you for this unforgettable experience! BOAT TOUR SUNNY FARM ANIMALS SUNNY FARM FLOWERS SPIRALS AND SHADOWS IN THE GARDEN - 6AM SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT
ASSISTING WHILE COOKING NICE MOMENTS WITH THE FAMILY IN THE FIELD CYCLING WITH ITHIEN AND DAT and VISITING THE PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND NEIGHBOURS ENGLISH CLASSES PAINTING, CHANGING A TYRE, FISHING and etc
About 45 km away from the busy Ho Chi Minh City there is a paradise on earth, Sunny Farm in Hoa Sa. Sam (Huan), Han Hu (his mother) and the farmer family (Ti and Hoa the parents, Ithien and Dat : their sons) welcomed us 10 days. We helped them in their daily tasks we also improved the living conditions of the animals. (part I) Our mission detailled in pictures! BUYING FISH IN THE COUNTRYSIDE BOAT TOUR AND PLUCKING NATURAL FERTILIZER FOR THE PONDS SETTING THE MONKEY (COCO) FREE PUTTING THE DUCKS IN A POND AND BUILDING A BUILDING A BIGGER ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PORCUPINE IMPROVING THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT OF THE PIGS AND THE TURTLES FIRST TRIMMING THE TREES AND THEN REMOVING HEAVY STONES
It was 10 cool days! We loved visiting the temples and having one day break was a good idea. We stayed outside the city centre around 3 km away where locals and chickens live! It also was nearer to Angkor Wat! 6 km less to ride per day! We stayed in a hotel for 3,50 USD per head and per day. The room was spacious and the bed comfortable and very clean. It was a fine place to stay. The food we had was very local and at a local price as well. People in Siem Reap were friendlier and more open than in the south. Thanks to my parents who sponsored a part of our stay! We celebrated my birthday just one day before leaving. The day was great: Önder made me a gift: a jewellery set and invited me to a French restaurant (L´Annexe). We wanted to go a Japanese one but they were not serving Japanese food!!! I had a confit de canard, Önder a steak (180g) accompanied with gratin and red wine. For both of us, it felt strange to be in a posh restaurant again! Our trip to Cambodia (6 weeks) came to an end. We left the country to go to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh HCM). The journey started at 6am via Phom Penh where we stopped 1:30. It was not too bad as Önder went to the central market to buy our coconut cakes and some proper food as well. Meanwhile I stayed at the bus station. Here are the results few pictures! The journey went fine until one point, when it started pouring down during hours. We crossed the border around 7pm in a flood! We decided to take the visa upon arrival to avoid the paperwork because since July 2015, it is allowed to stay two weeks. We arrived in HCM around 10pm at our couchsurfing host! Exhausted but fine!
It was impressive the contrast between Cambodia and Vietnam particularly Ho Chi Minh City. It is like countryside vs bling bling city! We had a different stay in HCM as we were more in a chilling modus rather than visiting a city. We just met friends of friends and spent some time with our host. Hoa A business woman - works in the marketing dpt for a French company – first time having couchsurfers! We cooked and ate together and watched movies and Asia cooking channels! Phuong An art director – met in Germany 10 years ago in Essen (Germany), studied at Folfwang University – will go to NYC in 2016 Than A tourist guide – speaks French and leads tourists all over Vietnam – met my parents in March 2015. We learned how to eat a pork soup and how to enjoy the rythm of the river Mekong (slowly, slowly) THANKS FOR HOSTING US AND MEETING US!
BANTEAY KDEY Date: late 12th century to 13th century Style: Bayon Reign: Jayavarman VII enlarged by Indravarman II A smaller version of Ta Prohm and Preah Khan THE TERRACE OF THE LEPER KING
Date: 13th century Style: Bayon Reign: Jayavarman VII added by Jayavarman VIII TA PROHM Date: late 12th to 13th century Style: Bayon Reign: Jayavarman VII enlarged by Indravarman II One of the major temple of Jayavarman VII - Ta Prohm is a temple-monestery. It is dedicated to the king´s mother. The temple is damaged as the trees have grown intertwined among the ruins. Two types of trees: Silk-cotton tree: thick and pale brown roots with a knobbly texture strangler fig: smaller than the silk-cotton tree, thinner and smoother grey roots In both cases the plant takes hold in a crevice somewhere in the structure of a building usually where a bird had deposited the seeds and extends roots downwards to the soil. Eventually, trees are a support for the building but when it dies the loosened blocks collapse. This makes a special atmosphere at Ta Prohm. Enjoy the pictures! PREAH KHAN Date: late 12th century Style: Bayon Reign: Jayavarman VII alterations by Jayavarman VIII One of the largest projects of Jayavarman VII, it was much more than a temple with over 1000 teachers, it was a Buddhist university and a considerable city. It might have been built on a site of a major battle in the recapture of Angkor from the Chams. It was dedicated to the king´s father. When we visited the temple, we were tired and it was very busy. We enjoyed it but we were not up to pictures! NEAK PEAN Date: late 12th century Style: Bayon Reign: Jayavarman VII Small monuments: a cruciform arrangement of ponds with a sanctuary tower and a circular island in the middle. The lake was famous for its miraculous healing properties. It was a Hindu temple but later turned into a buddhist one. the visit was limited, we could not go around any more!!! TA SOM Date: late 12th to 13th century Style: Bayon (3rd Period) Reign: Jayavarman VII enlarged by Indravarman II Unlike Jayavarman VII larger construction, Ta Som is a small temple like a miniature of Ta Prohm or Banteay Kdei. ANGKOR TOM AND BAYON Date: late 12th century and later Style: Bayon Reign: Jayavarman VII and successors ANGKOR TOM This was the largest of all the Khmer cities founded by Jayavarman VII and probably remained the capital until the 17th century. Symbolism: it is believed that the purpose was to link the world of the men (outside the temple) and the gods (inside the temple) BAYON Date: late 12th century to late 13th centuries Style: Bayon Reign: Jayavarman VII to Jayavarman VIII The State Temple of Jayavarman VII. only 37 out of 54 headed towers still stand. The temple has passed through different religious phases from Pantheon of gods, Hindu worship and Buddhism. The city of Angkor Tom was so well fortified that the later kings found it simpler to re-model the Bayon temple rather than remove it. We went there twice as it was amazing ! |
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