Cambodia 2015

Monday9November

We leave Kampong Thom and cross the countryside to reach the ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk, which includes several 7th-century temples.

Before entering the site, you must buy your ticket.

Temple N18 Prasat Chrey... Yes, yes, remove the tree and you'll see the temple...

Each edifice is named by a letter and a number to locate it within the different sanctuaries. N for the North group, S for the South group, and C for the Central group.

Centuries of encroachment close in on the old stones from the pre-Angkorian era...

For a few riels, we enlist the services of a guide to explore the site.

This tree, spreading with all its roots, is a ficus.

A Yoni emerging from the wall. This "chute" represents the "entrance" of the female sex in the Hindu religion...

The interior of the temple with its skylight, bordered by a long, investigative root...

We now move on to the northern group of the site.

Tower N7 and its very damaged bas-reliefs. It has the particularity of being an octagon.

Giant ficus! Look at its base, you feel so tiny!

Now for the central group Prasat Tor. Only the Temple of the Lions remains standing.

Two stone lions, guardians of the temple.

Below, a small Buddha watches over in its golden setting. Above, the plant roof begins to form...

Here it is again! The Nephila, one of the largest spiders in the world. Look closely at the photo, you have 2 spiders: the male and the female... Oh yes, the male is orange and disproportionately tiny compared to his sweetheart!

Group Z with the Prasat Trapeang Ropeak temple.

The bas-relief to the right of the entrance.

Inscriptions illustrating the Ramayanas.

The Râmâyana, meaning 'Râma's journey', is the shorter of the two Sanskrit mythological epics composed between the 3rd century BC and the 3rd century AD. Consisting of seven chapters and 24,000 couplets, the Râmâyana is, like the Mahâbhârata, one of the fundamental texts of Hinduism and Hindu mythology. © Wikipedia

360° in the South group, Prasat Yeah Puon.

The 'Yoni' of the Prasat Yeah Poen temple.

The arranged altar and its parasol.

Tower S2 of the South group, held up by anachronistic steel bars...

That's it, Sambor Prei Kuk is over, we leave the wooded site to join our motorized tuk-tuk!

Rest assured, these power tillers, common in the country, do not tow any tuk-tuks!

A collection of typical Cambodian stilt houses encountered on the road.

Rice paddies and palm trees as scenery.

Here we are back in Kampong Thom to visit the Entri Sam Voreak pagoda located north of the Stung Sen river along road N6.

The small goddesses supporting the temple's balconies. It seems to be under renovation, so we won't be able to enter.

Stupas and statues line the surroundings of the temple.

The deceased are given to vultures, their bodies no longer being of any use...

Realistic statue of a monk.

A large stupa. The stupa traditionally contains relics or objects that belonged to the Buddha.

The entrance to the pagoda and details of the doors.

The usual display of colors from floor to ceiling, from tiles to columns.

The frescoes depicting the life of Buddha.

It's not just the faithful who come to meditate here. Cockroaches too...  

It's snack time for the young monks living here.

There are at least three pagodas on the site.

The covered market of Kampong Thom. Turning a corner at a vegetable stall, don't be surprised to inadvertently pass right through a hair salon...

The jackfruit tree and its fruits.

Very, very sweet donuts...

And succulent waffles!!! Cooked over embers, they were absolutely to die for!

Lotus flowers.

Everything in the lotus is edible, including the stem.

The market is done by scooter and also with an IV drip!  

The former residence of the French governor, now abandoned, except for the bats that squat in the large trees on the property!...

Along the river, locals come out to get some fresh air or do some sports. Especially to play Tot Sey, a kind of large badminton shuttlecock but played only with the feet.

The players invite us to make a few passes... There's still work to be done...

A little further on, it's dance aerobics to the rhythm of mobile loudspeakers!

Then a remnant of the French protectorate? Petanque! There too, we are invited to 'titillate the cochonnet' (play pétanque)... Well, we'll have to come back, we lack practice...  

End of evening at Prum Bayon, the cheap local restaurant.

Return to the hotel via the bridge lit with its blue lights.