Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Phra Si Kattana Satsadarm
Commonly known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, it is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Thailand.......and is located in the historical center of Bangkok and within the grounds of the Grand Palace.
There are many impressive buildings within the palace complex and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha houses the small, treasured Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. (Pictures of the actual Buddha image are forbidden.)
The palace complex is laid out very similarly to the palaces of Ayutthaya--the former capital of Siam which was raided by the Burmese.
Yakshas (a broad class of nature-spirts, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous) guard the gates at the Grand Palace. Mythical Monkey warrior figures.
Kingdom of Ayutthaya
1350 - 1767
UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a Buddhist temple in the City of Ayutthaya's Historical Park
It is one of Ayutthaya's most impressive and best known temples,
The Khmer style Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a Royal temple that was used by the King and other members of the Royal family.
Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, the main stupa of the temple, Phra Boro Chedi, was built by King Sri Dhammasokaraja in the early 13th century.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet 1350
King Ramathibodi 1
Temples at Ayutthaya have an astonishing display of Buddhas: there is a huge golden Buddha, a reclining Buddha, rows of Buddhas, Buddhas surrounding temples, a Buddha carved into a trunk of a Banyan tree, and Buddhas draped in saffron robes. All Buddhas are not intact but still the Buddhas are beautiful and still being worshipped today.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Mahathat are home to one of Thailand's most photographed relics - a lone Buddha head peeking out from the roots of a Banyan tree.
Monks at Wat Phra Si Sanphet
The temple took its name from the largest standing Buddha image erected there in 1503--the image stood 16 meters (53 feet) tall and was covered with more than 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of gold!
Wat Phra Si Sanphet built in 1448 (maybe) by King Boromatrailokanat
These three bell-shaped chedis have practically become the symbol of Ayutthaya. They stand almost in the center of the former palace grounds of the old capital.
Ayutthaya, founded in c. 1350, was the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. It was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century
The standing golden Buddha was smashed into pieces and the gold melted down by the Burmese victors during the Burmese-Siamese War of 1765-1767.
All of Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century.
Cocoons to Threads
Threads to beautiful silk goods!
Pak Ou Cave
Twenty-five km north of Luang Prabang we reach Pak Ou Cave, the history of which dates back thousands of years.
The cave is packed with more than 4,000 Buddha images, located high in a limestone cliff where the Mekong River joins the Nam Ou River.
There are actually two caves to visit: the lower cave called Tham Ting, and the upper cave called the Tham Theung.
Both are shrines to the river sprit and Lord Buddha. The Buddhas in the caves are found in various positions, from meditation to peace and nirvana,
and are believed to have been left by local people for hundreds of years.
Early Morning Alms
in Luang Prabang, Laos
Local people provide food for the monks every morning.
Capital of Laos, Vientiane (Vieng Chan)
Wat Sisaket, the oldest Buddhist monastery in Laos
We visit with a Buddhist monk who tells us about men in Southeast Asia becoming monks and about their daily routines. He shows us how he puts on his robes, which start out as a bolt of material!
It took him a week to learn how to roll and style it correctly.
The golden-domed Phra That Luang
(Great Sacred Stupa)
built in the 16th century
Shhhh, giant gold sleeping Buddha statue near Wat That Luang Temple
Wat That Khao
a small inclosed area
with this beautiful golden giant of a sleeping, lying or reclining Buddha. It is set in a very pretty little garden with a very peaceful feeling.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Killing Fields of Choeung Lk
During the years from 1975 to 1979
the Khmer Rouge regime (the Communist Party of Kampuchea) killed and buried more than a million people.
Tuol Sleng Prison Museum
This was a school before the regime came into Cambodia and the city was empty during this time. The stories are horrible to hear and the deaths are unthinkable.
Not a nice place to visit but is contains the the history of "The Killing Fields". The records of the people put to death and pictures of the awful abuse and torture that happened there.
Road Trip
Phnom Penh overland to Siem Reap
Kampong Kdei Bridge, an ancient structure.
The Kampong Kdei Bridge, also known as the Dragon Bridge, is the oldest bridge in Southeast Asia--built over 1,000 years ago. It used to be the longest corbeled (support for a structure such as an arch or balcony) stone-arch bridge in the world.
The National Flower of Laos (Doc Champa) but grows crazy wild in Cambodia!
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tonle Sap Lake floating village
Angkor Thom--Siem Reap, Cambodia
South Gate causeway crosses over the moat to enter into Angkor Thom--the great city in the late 12th century.
As we approach the south gate of Angkor Thom we have two greeting parties of huge heads, faces and the headless. Those with heads have many different expressions--
smiles, serene looks, very serious faces, angry frowns and some just down right scary.
The large faces at the entrance are the most photographed faces. One face reflects compassion, one sympathy, the third equanimity, and the last charity.
The monumental landscape of Angkor Thom
There are 216 faces on the Bayon temple in the city of Angkor Thom
Sculpture of Apsara (in Hindu mythology, a celestial nymph) stone carving, ancient bas-relief at Bayon temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Hindu Goddess
Angkor Wat
Khmer architecture built between 1113 and 1150--
surrounded by the great moat which is 570 feet wide.
The Eighth Wonder of the World 1992
The mystical Angkor Wat complex, once lost in the jungle, is comprised of more than 1,000 archaeological sites and covers an area of 170 square miles.
Originally built as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu, it was converted into a Buddhist temple in the 14th century. At that point Buddha statues were added to its already rich artwork.
There are about 4,000 monks in Cambodia at the present time but many more live in Thailand The numbers were much higher at one time, but most of the Buddhist monks were murdered between 1975 and 1979 by the Pol Pot regime. It was estimated in 1969, before the genocide, that there were 53,000 monks and 49,000 novice monks serving in more than 3,000 temples.
Such a beautiful sight to see: the orange and saffron robes against
the ancient color of the ruins and relics of sandstone blocks and bas-relief stones, along with the moat, towers, spiral structure and hidden paintings!
Angkor Wat was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. Early on visitors to Angkor Wat numbered only a few thousand at a time but now it welcomes some 500,000 visitors each year. Despite this increase Angkor Wat is still a very magical and peaceful place.
(a second visit 2019 and the first visit in 2005)
The temple proper has three galleries (a passageway running along the length of the temple) with a central sanctuary.
Ta Prohm Temple
(the jungle temple)
If Ta Prohm had been maintained from its construction in 1186 to today it would be incidental to the overwhelming Angkor Wat temple. Forgotten and uncared for by man the temple was allowed to be devoured by the Cambodian jungle .
The temple was built without mortar so the stones have been loosened by the roots of the silk-cotton and strangler fig trees.
The roots of the trees have wound through the structure which has merged nature and architecture together amazingly!
Even though Ta Prohm may appear to be uncontrolled and runaway the maintenance is very well attended to so no further deterioration happens to the structure and so it isn't dangerous to its visitors.
(no neglect here)
The older Angkor temples were built as Hindu temples, but Ta Prohm was built as Buddhist temple.
Banteay Srei--967 A.D.-- Siem Reap, Cambodia
Originally called Tribhuvanmahesvara, wow (really)?
The Pink Temple--much easier!
Lady Temple - in pink!
It gets the nicknames because of the rose-colored sandstone.
These statues keep watch over the interior of Banteay Srei citadel.
This was the only temple not built by or for a king--in fact only women could enter its inner sanctum.
Its real name is Banteay Srei, the Women's Citadel, although some have translated it as Citadel of Beauty. The temple was for women and housed libraries.
A story book fairytale,
the temple was built to honor the Hindu god of destruction, Shiva.
With all the Hindu mythology on its pink walls--it is the most beautiful!
Gods called devatas (can mean deva--there are male and female devatas) pose in niches, guarded by animal-headed warriors.
Most of the Pink Lady's walls are covered with complex carved ornamentation.
1350 - 1767
Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a Buddhist temple in the City of Ayutthaya's Historical Park
It is one of Ayutthaya's most impressive and best known temples,
The Khmer style Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a Royal temple that was used by the King and other members of the Royal family.
King Ramathibodi 1
Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Mahathat are home to one of Thailand's most photographed relics - a lone Buddha head peeking out from the roots of a Banyan tree.
Monks at Wat Phra Si Sanphet
The temple took its name from the largest standing Buddha image erected there in 1503--the image stood 16 meters (53 feet) tall and was covered with more than 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of gold!
Wat Phra Si Sanphet built in 1448 (maybe) by King Boromatrailokanat
These three bell-shaped chedis have practically become the symbol of Ayutthaya. They stand almost in the center of the former palace grounds of the old capital.
Ayutthaya, founded in c. 1350, was the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. It was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century
The standing golden Buddha was smashed into pieces and the gold melted down by the Burmese victors during the Burmese-Siamese War of 1765-1767.
All of Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century.
Cocoons to Threads
Threads to beautiful silk goods!
Luang Prabang, Laos
We take a traditional wooden boat and cruise one of the longest rivers in the world, the Mekong.
Twenty-five km north of Luang Prabang we reach Pak Ou Cave, the history of which dates back thousands of years.
The cave is packed with more than 4,000 Buddha images, located high in a limestone cliff where the Mekong River joins the Nam Ou River.
There are actually two caves to visit: the lower cave called Tham Ting, and the upper cave called the Tham Theung.
Both are shrines to the river sprit and Lord Buddha. The Buddhas in the caves are found in various positions, from meditation to peace and nirvana,
and are believed to have been left by local people for hundreds of years.
in Luang Prabang, Laos
Local people provide food for the monks every morning.
We visit with a Buddhist monk who tells us about men in Southeast Asia becoming monks and about their daily routines. He shows us how he puts on his robes, which start out as a bolt of material!
It took him a week to learn how to roll and style it correctly.
The golden-domed Phra That Luang
(Great Sacred Stupa)
built in the 16th century
Shhhh, giant gold sleeping Buddha statue near Wat That Luang Temple
Wat That Khao
a small inclosed area
with this beautiful golden giant of a sleeping, lying or reclining Buddha. It is set in a very pretty little garden with a very peaceful feeling.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Killing Fields of Choeung Lk
During the years from 1975 to 1979
the Khmer Rouge regime (the Communist Party of Kampuchea) killed and buried more than a million people.
In 1979, Vietnam invaded Democratic Kampuchea and toppled Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime which was viewed as the ending of the genocide. Pol Pot escaped but has been described as "a genocidal tyrant."
This was a school before the regime came into Cambodia and the city was empty during this time. The stories are horrible to hear and the deaths are unthinkable.
Not a nice place to visit but is contains the the history of "The Killing Fields". The records of the people put to death and pictures of the awful abuse and torture that happened there.
Road Trip
Phnom Penh overland to Siem Reap
Kampong Kdei Bridge, an ancient structure.
The National Flower of Laos (Doc Champa) but grows crazy wild in Cambodia!
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tonle Sap Lake floating village
This "floating village" may or may not be floating: when the water levels are high the houses and gardens appear to be floating but during the dry season the village is high and dry with the stilted houses lining the lakeshore.
Angkor Thom--Siem Reap, Cambodia
South Gate causeway crosses over the moat to enter into Angkor Thom--the great city in the late 12th century.
As we approach the south gate of Angkor Thom we have two greeting parties of huge heads, faces and the headless. Those with heads have many different expressions--
smiles, serene looks, very serious faces, angry frowns and some just down right scary.
On the left side of the bridge there are 54 figures of devas (gods). The gods have peaceful and happy faces. On the right side there are 54 figures of assures (demands). The demands are grimacing.
These 108 mythical beings guard the city of Angkor Thom.
There are not many original faces left, as some have been removed and stored for safe-keeping by the Angkor National Museum, and are replaced by replicas.
The monumental landscape of Angkor Thom
There are 216 faces on the Bayon temple in the city of Angkor Thom
Sculpture of Apsara (in Hindu mythology, a celestial nymph) stone carving, ancient bas-relief at Bayon temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Hindu Goddess
Angkor Wat
Khmer architecture built between 1113 and 1150--
surrounded by the great moat which is 570 feet wide.
The Eighth Wonder of the World 1992
The mystical Angkor Wat complex, once lost in the jungle, is comprised of more than 1,000 archaeological sites and covers an area of 170 square miles.
There are about 4,000 monks in Cambodia at the present time but many more live in Thailand The numbers were much higher at one time, but most of the Buddhist monks were murdered between 1975 and 1979 by the Pol Pot regime. It was estimated in 1969, before the genocide, that there were 53,000 monks and 49,000 novice monks serving in more than 3,000 temples.
Such a beautiful sight to see: the orange and saffron robes against
the ancient color of the ruins and relics of sandstone blocks and bas-relief stones, along with the moat, towers, spiral structure and hidden paintings!
Angkor Wat was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. Early on visitors to Angkor Wat numbered only a few thousand at a time but now it welcomes some 500,000 visitors each year. Despite this increase Angkor Wat is still a very magical and peaceful place.
(a second visit 2019 and the first visit in 2005)
The temple proper has three galleries (a passageway running along the length of the temple) with a central sanctuary.
Ta Prohm Temple
(the jungle temple)
If Ta Prohm had been maintained from its construction in 1186 to today it would be incidental to the overwhelming Angkor Wat temple. Forgotten and uncared for by man the temple was allowed to be devoured by the Cambodian jungle .
The temple was built without mortar so the stones have been loosened by the roots of the silk-cotton and strangler fig trees.
The roots of the trees have wound through the structure which has merged nature and architecture together amazingly!
Even though Ta Prohm may appear to be uncontrolled and runaway the maintenance is very well attended to so no further deterioration happens to the structure and so it isn't dangerous to its visitors.
(no neglect here)
The older Angkor temples were built as Hindu temples, but Ta Prohm was built as Buddhist temple.
Banteay Srei--967 A.D.-- Siem Reap, Cambodia
Originally called Tribhuvanmahesvara, wow (really)?
The Pink Temple--much easier!
Lady Temple - in pink!
It gets the nicknames because of the rose-colored sandstone.
These statues keep watch over the interior of Banteay Srei citadel.
This was the only temple not built by or for a king--in fact only women could enter its inner sanctum.
Its real name is Banteay Srei, the Women's Citadel, although some have translated it as Citadel of Beauty. The temple was for women and housed libraries.
A story book fairytale,
the temple was built to honor the Hindu god of destruction, Shiva.
With all the Hindu mythology on its pink walls--it is the most beautiful!
Most of the Pink Lady's walls are covered with complex carved ornamentation.
