Cambodia 2015

Friday13November

Still at the Jasmine family hotel but no longer in the same room as there are only three of us now, Christelle having left us to return to France, end of holidays oblige! ;-)

Outside, it's a deluge. We had planned to continue the visits by bike, but we fall back on the tuk-tuk, like the day before yesterday and yesterday...

Even here it's raining cats and dogs...  

The storm was short-lived. Here we are in front of Thommanon, a temple dedicated to Vishnu.
"Vishnu is often depicted as a blue man with royal attire and four arms, usually holding a wheel or chakra, a conch or shankha, a lotus (padma) and a mace (gada) in his hands. He wears a golden tiara on his head, called kirita-mukuta. He is also depicted resting on the serpent Shesha, a lotus then emerges from his navel...
© Wikipedia

Here, no blue man, but children among the old stones as a playground...

On this temple, the walls compete in refinement. In this finely carved bas-relief, these apsaras seem freshly restored.

In the dim light, at the dawn of the candle, the parasol protects Buddha's skull. Uhhh... Oh no, actually. But where was my head???    

Panorama of the entire Thommanon.

Across the road, the Chau Say Tevoda temple, from the 12th century just like its neighbor opposite. And it too has no reason to blush about its collection of Apsaras.

A tree with golden leaves embellishes one of the temple halls.

We continue the marathon. This time we will climb a little higher than in the other temples. Notably thanks to its imposing staircase with immense and imposing steps...

The objective to reach at the very top of the temple...

Celosias (Celosia argentea) at the foot of the steps.

View from below...

View from above...

Once at the top, the fragmented towers emerge with their own stone staircases.

A stone plaque engraved in Sanskrit?

And now, the descent of the big steps in videos!

Ta Prohm, one of the largest temples of Angkor. A forest leads to the temple, itself embedded in the photogenic roots of ficus and their kin...

Indeed, upon our arrival in front of the temple, we understand that here vegetation plays a major role; archaeologists control the whole, juggling between the preservation of old stones and the beauty of destructive trees...

Then a ficus tree appears, seeming to have taken on the role of guardian, gently checking that each tourist will be respectful of the site...

The same ficus on the other side of the building. Oh yes, it has taken root on the roof...

Next to it, a slender Tetrameles nudiflora.

On the lintel of this door, an apsara herself surrounded by a multitude of apsaras...

Another example of a seed germinating on the roof, forcing the tree to spread its roots along the wall and steps down to the nourishing soil...

A notable difference in Angkor compared to the rest of Cambodia is the number of visitors! The site's global reputation makes it a must-see and, in fact, the confluence of all tour operators...

This tetrameles is a bit dizzy. Realizing it was going the wrong way, it made its root take a right-angle turn...  

Ta Phrom hosted the filming of the movie Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie. One can guess why...

Angkor or the Apsara city...

The holes in the walls allowed precious stones or gold plates to be fixed to amplify the luminosity.

A root gully...  

To your good heart, ladies and gentlemen. A banana? a can? a bracelet? I've seen much quieter altars dedicated to Buddha...  

Is the sign small or is the tetrameles gigantic??? I don't know anymore...  

I swear, this lion is in no way responsible for the death of this pretty blue-banded sea krait (Laticauda laticaudata)!   This sea snake passed away, which is unfortunately for it but good for us because its venom is deadly...  

Excuse the understatement, this 800 by 400 meter basin was, in the 10th century, the King's swimming pool...

Today (perhaps every day...), it's cleaning day. Aquatic plants seem to proliferate endlessly. The old-fashioned method is currently preferred over machines.

Facing the royal basin, an alley leads to Banteay Kdey. One must pass through two large gates to reach the center of this 12th-century monastery.

On the second gate, a tower with four faces.

As usual, each face is unique.

The paved forecourt in front of the temple.

Detail of the lintel of the main entrance.

The interior of the temple houses a statue of Buddha surrounded by parasols and other pendants.

We'll have to get our hands dirty to get all this properly aligned again...  

The Apsaras also invited themselves onto the pillars.

Among the apsaras, a swordsman blends into the scenery...

A tetrameles or a ficus, we no longer know... cuts through the gray colors of the temple.

Spider versus centipede...

A melodious ceremony in front of Buddha.

A collection of webs at the temple exit.

Back to our tuk-tuk. A little trick of any self-respecting driver: having their hammock under the back seat to wait in the arms of Morpheus during the visiting hours of their beloved clients...  

Zebu tourists still outnumbered compared to human tourists...

A 5-tower temple built in 921 and dedicated to Vishnu. The bricks that make up this temple were manufactured on site.

A Yoni without its Lingam under the skylight...

Vishnu and his 4 arms. On the right, Vishnu "traversing the ocean".

Orants or worshippers.

Garuda with its wings.

The Garuda carries Vishnu.

Lakshmi, Vishnu's wife, and orants.

Another representation of Lakshmi and orants.

It's up to you to complete...  

Below, the 5 doors and their lintels.

Always a lot of greenery in Angkor, to the delight of the zebus...

That's all for today. We return to Siem Reap to the old market to end the day.

Tot Sey players, the shuttlecock played with the foot. They are impressively easy! Judge for yourselves in the videos!

Ah, something new. Along with insects, here's a whole snake skewer...

The lively "Pub street".

The lively local hamburger...