Ta Phron

Tree Roots of Ta Phron

The ruins at Ta Phron is best known for the intersting way that tree roots have grown around the ruins. As a biologist, I thought that it was really cool! I think they filmed part of some Angelina Jolie movie there, but never saw her.





Proof that I was there!


I don't know who these people are, but they spent so long posing in front of this root that it felt like they were part of the family so I took their photo.











Peek a boo!




Cambodia still has a major problem with land mines left over from the civil war. There are many land mine victims. Most tourist places had bands made up of land mine victims playing local music.


I was just a bit too slow to get a good photo of a herd of water buffalo crossing the road.

Angkor Thom

The gate at Anchor Thom


The temple in Acgkor Thom is known as Bayon. Here is a photo of Bayon surrounded by a moat. I think that this is the best of all of my ruin photos. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometime.




Each of the towers have four heads carved on them.



It is possible to tour Anckor Thom on an elephant......



which means you need to watch your step.


"Hey Mister, want to buy some post cards? Ten for one dollar." If I received even one riel for each time someone tried to sell me something then I would be a wealthy man (who would have been able to afford to buy more things). I did buy a package of post cards from this girl.


A view of the countryside outside of the gate at Angkor Thom.

Temples of Ankor

Sorry I have been slow to post. My camera broke down in Cambodia so I am unable to download all of my photos. I was hoping to catch up all at once, but repairs on the camera are moving slower than I hoped.

The Khmer have a long history of civilization. From around the year 800 to the year 1300 various Khmer Kings built a number of temples in the Ankor region near the modern city of Siem Reap. Because the predominant religion of the Khmers changed over time some of the temples are Hindu and others are Bhudist. I have tried to learn the story of the Khmers well enough to tell it briefly, but I don't think that I can do it justice. Instead, I will post some photos of the cool ruins that remain. I will get all of the photos up as soon as I get my camera back from the repair center.

Water Festival in Siem Reap

I was lucky enough to show up in Siem Reap at the begining of the Water Festival, one of the most important holidays for the Khmers in Cambodia. I was even luckier because my hotel was located right across the street from the river, right in the middle of the action. In Siem Reap the Water Festival lasted only two days. In Phomn Phen it lasted three days and the tragedy struck on the final day.

Water Festival

In Cambodia, the Water Festival takes place in October or November during the full moon. The festival basically celebrates the end of the rainy season which runs from May to October. The high rainfall causes the water level in the Mekong River to rise so much that it is actually above the water level in the surrounding tributaries. Thus, water flows from the Mekong upstream to a large lake in the center of the country. At water levels in the Mekong drop, the direction of flow in the tributaries reverses. Who said "water always flows upstream"? The Water Festival celebrates the reversal of flow that signifies the rainy season is over.

The main Water Festival celebration is in the main city, Phnom Phen, but there is also a large water festival in Siem Reap. Many people come to Siem Reap from the surrounding countryside. It was fun to watch them travel with many, many people piled in to the crowded backs of trucks or flatbeds to get to the festival.

Street Fair

Booths along the side of the road.


The crowds arrive.






Fun for the kids.


Kid selling baloons.





Girl scouts.


3 kids enjoying their Saturday afternoon.



Bands

Singing Cambodian songs.


These Cambodian rockers were playing "Hotel California" which has to be the most covered song in the history of rock and roll.



Boat Races

One feature of Water Festivals around Cambodia are boat races. The boats are long canoes with teams of about 21 paddlers. The boats race, two at a time, along a 1000meter stretch of the river. Apparently, there are separate teams for men and women. I have no idea what the winners get, but the boat races drew a large crowd.

Saturday-practicing for the race




Kids racing


Sunday- race day







I watched the boat races with this little guy.


It doesn't look like these ladies won.


Monks enjoying the boat races from the front row. I read a report that said they wanted to ban monks from attending the Water Festival in Phnom Phen because they didn't want them exposed to things like scantily clad women and people kissing. I guess that memo didn't reach Siem Reap.

Siem Reap Markets

Because Siem Reap is such a popular tourist destination, there are lots of places to buy souveniers. The tourist market in Siem Reap is a maze of small shops and stalls selling a variety of Cambodian arts, crafts, clothes, and other assorted junk. A visit to the tourist market is even more intresting because it is connected to the "wet market" where the residents of Siem Reap sell fruits, vegetables, meat, etc.

Although Cambodia has its own currency, the riel, the U.S. dollar is commonly used. However, I don't think that they use American coins because every time you paid in US dollars you received change back in riel. The 4000 riels that I brought home with me are not quite worth 1 U.S. dollar.

Tourist Market

I spent a little time, and some money, in the tourist market (don't you wish that you were on my Christmas list?). I was lucky because I was there in the morning so I received the very special, low, "morning price". I hope that doesn't make my gifts any less meaningful.

Looking down the ailses.





Salespeople.






The sales lady's cute daughter.



Wet Market

I enjoyed spending time in the wet market because you get to experience the sights, and smells, of the real Cambodia.

Overview




Selling veggies.


Rice.


The vendors sit on the tables selling their goodies.


Cambodian sausage.


Butcher Shop. This was the first time that I have ever seen a butcher's shop just across the ailse from a shop selling jewelry.


Cutting open a jack fruit. Jack fruits are also found in Malaysia. They are extremely sweet and I find them to taste inviting and disturbing at the same time so I can only eat them in very small amounts.



Seamstress



Drug store stall.


You can even get your hair done.








At the end of a long day of shopping there is nothing more refreshing than a "big cola".