{"id":2315,"date":"2014-01-08T06:15:09","date_gmt":"2014-01-08T11:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/?page_id=2315"},"modified":"2014-10-25T11:52:03","modified_gmt":"2014-10-25T15:52:03","slug":"southeast-asia-with-peter-2013-page-13","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/southeast-asia-with-peter-2013-page-13\/","title":{"rendered":"Southeast Asia with Peter – Page 13"},"content":{"rendered":"

Southeast Asia with Peter \u2013 Day 16<\/strong><\/h1>\n

(Continued)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After lunch we returned \u00a0to the temple area and visited Angkor Wat:<\/strong>\"IMG_5590\"<\/a>Here is an aerial view (from a post card) of the Angkor Wat temple complex.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Angkor Wat or Angkor Temple is the famous tourist<\/span><\/a> site in Cambodia. It was originally built as a Hindu temple but later served the Buddhist religion. Angkor Wat was built as the state temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The size, scope, and the architectural and sculptural details are too numerous for this website so I’ll refer you to \u00a0the Cambodian Tourist website\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0http:\/\/www.tourismcambodia.com\/attractions\/angkor\/angkor-wat.htm for all the details.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, within the outer walls are\u00a0more than 200 acres of land.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5592\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Here is a selection of the pics I took:<\/strong>\"IMG_5593\"<\/a> \u00a0You cross the moat on a wide stone causeway to reach the outer wall, which itself is over\u00a018,000 feet\u00a0long. Once you pass through the main gate in this wall, another causeway over 1200 feet long, leads \u00a0pass two Libraries, two pools, and our first look at the actual Temple:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\"IMG_5603\"<\/a>\u00a0\"IMG_5599\"<\/a>\u00a0This is the main temple at \u00a0Angkor Wat. \u00a0It is the Cambodian National symbol. \u00a0It is on their flag and currency.\u00a0The temple complex stands on a raised field and it is made up of a three galleries, each one higher than the last one.\u00a0The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century. \u00a0One of the first Western visitors to the temple was a Portuguese<\/span><\/a> monk who visited in 1586 and said that it “is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of.”<\/sup><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Angkor Wat required considerable restoration in the 20th century, mainly the removal of accumulated earth and vegetation.\u00a0Work was interrupted by the civil war and Khmer Rouge<\/span><\/a> control of the country during the 1970s and 1980s, but relatively little damage was done during this period other than the theft and destruction of mostly post-Angkorian statues.<\/sup><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Angkor Wat\u00a0is a unique combination of the temple mountain<\/span><\/a>, the standard design for the empire’s state temples and the later plan of concentric galleries<\/span><\/a>. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru<\/span><\/a>, the mythical home of the Hindu gods: the central \u00a0towers symbolizes the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean.\u00a0\u00a0Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here is a statue of \u00a0Vishnu in the temple. He is all decked out in a gold robe.<\/strong>\"IMG_5597\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Not to be outdone, we also have Buddha, similarly bedecked:<\/strong><\/strong>\"IMG_5607\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here ia a pic taken on the second level. Those stairs lead to the 3rd level.<\/strong>\"IMG_5610\"<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>I don’t know how the priests got up those stairs. The are at\u00a070-degree angle!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5611\"<\/a><\/strong>Those of us who chose to go to the third level used these scary stairs. They were still \u00a0at a \u00a0\u00a070-degree angle, but there were sturdy treads and a shaky handrail.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5613\"<\/a><\/strong>I could look down on the faint-hearted including Ole, Gloria, and Pete!<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the view of the highest tower from level 3.<\/strong>\"IMG_5616\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Will took my picture up there to prove I did it. \u00a0Because we were in a holy place, hats were forbidden. \u00a0Thankfully we could wear shoes.<\/strong>\"IMG_5617\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_5598\"<\/a>\u00a0After descending back to the unholy world, I got a couple more pics:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5629\"<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>Here is a tired little temple monkey.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5631\"<\/a><\/strong>I mentioned earlier that the temple had a red laterite inner structure and a white sand stone outer shell. \u00a0Here is an exposed corner showing that.\u00a0The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime have been suggested.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We regrouped in an inner courtyard to have Rath explain what we’d see next.\u00a0<\/strong>\"IMG_5634\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5600\"<\/a>In the lower in the southwest gallery\u00a0there were fantastic bas-relief carvings of scenes from the\u00a0Battle of Kurukshetra, from the Hindu epic the Mahabharata. The scene depicts the mutual annihilation of the Kaurava and the Pandava clans, as they meet in battle over the throne of Hastinapura. Sounds like Gettysburg…<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5601\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A 50-yard long bas-relief in the southeastern gallery, the Churning Sea of Milk represents a standard Vishnu myth. The scene depicts gods and demons pulling in a rhythmic tug-of-war on a great serpent (Naga?), under the direction of the god Vishnu. Vishnu is in the center of the depiction, hovering above his avatar in this particular story, the turtle Kurma. As the serpent is wound about a great mountain in a sea of milk, the tugging causes the mountain to turn and the sea to churn. The churning produces an elixir of immortality, over which the gods and demons are in dispute. I couldn’t photograph the details so I grabbed this\u00a0picture off the\u00a0<\/strong> internet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That’s enough of carvings, you get the idea. \u00a0We left the Wat through the East gate and walked around the outside to the front. Here is the South gate. Note the colonnaded\u00a0gallery. \u00a0These are where the bas-relief carvings are located.<\/strong>\"IMG_5595\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5652\"<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Nearby there were some monks driving a “koo yon”. It’s a strange type of farm tractor. It’s got an engine on the front that looks like a roto-tiller with wheels pulling a hay wagon. \u00a0I saw them on the back roads we traveled, but never go a picture until this last day.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"IMG_5656\"<\/a> \"IMG_5657\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We also saw a sugar palm being “tapped”. Note the bamboo buckets and the skinny bamboo ladder. Those cigar-looking things are what’s tapped.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our final view of Angkor Wat was from the other side of the canal<\/strong>\u00a0. It’s not the temple, it’s the main gate! Pretty impressive in it’s own right!<\/strong>\"IMG_5661\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We sat on the wall next to the Canal and had a toast with this brandy called\u00a0\u00a0“Wrestler”. It\u00a0distinguishes itself from the rest of the Cambodian \u00a0muscle man brandies (“Hercules” and “Great Strength”. Not to be outdone, “Weightlifter” has a female body builder on its bottle)\u00a0<\/strong>by printing it contains “real red grape extract”\u00a0on the label next to its body builder. \u00a0It was kind of nasty! \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

We also enjoyed snacks of \u00a0barbecued frogs legs, cobra and water buffalo jerky, sticky rice, and peanuts. \u00a0“It don’t get no better’n that!”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_5660\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This feller was our patient snack “clean up committee” In northern Vietnam, he’d <\/span>be the snack.<\/strong>\"IMG_5662\"<\/a><\/p>\n

That’s it for Angkor Wat. \u00a0A beautiful and imperssive place. This is definitely one of the world’s great UNESCO sites. <\/strong><\/p>\n

We returned to Siem Reap for another OAT “dinner-on-your-own”. \u00a0Abunch of us took Tuk Tuks to the night market. \u00a0The women went one way nad Pete, will, and I went another,<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5667\"<\/a> \"IMG_5666\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We wandered around for a while and chatted with the massage ladies offering their services. \u00a0Many advertised “happy endings”. \u00a0Pete and Will settled for a fish massage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What, you may wonder, is a fish massage? \u00a0in a couple of street side joints on Pub Street there were fish tanks. \u00a0You take off your shoes and socks and put your feet in the water. \u00a0Hundreds of little fish swarm all over your feet nibbling off the dead (?) skin. \u00a0Will enjoyed it, Pete couldn’t do it because it tickled too much. \u00a0I skipped it because I experienced foot nibbling at the Kwang Si waterfalls\u00a0and a nice pedicure in\u00a0in Laos.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5670\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We ate dinner at the Red Piano restaurant on Pub Street. \u00a0 We didn’t have the fish plate.<\/strong>\"IMG_5604\"<\/a> \"IMG_5671\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Red Piano’s claim to fame was having Angelina Jolie initiate the “Tomb Raiders” cocktail on her filming visit in 2000. \u00a0We didn’t have one. Pete and I had a beer. \u00a0Will had a “Long Islander” (with ice). \u00a0His stomach was a little queasy the next day. \u00a0Stay away from ice in \u00a0foreign countries. \u00a0You don’t know where the water came from!<\/strong><\/p>\n

After all that excitment, we went back to the hotel, ended Day 16 and went to bed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Southeast Asia with Peter \u2013 Day 17<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Today we leave Cambodia and return to Bangkok. Before we left Siem Reap, we stopped at \u00a0the Angkor Artisans workshop. \u00a0This was a combination handicraft school, museum, and retail store. \u00a0Local people are trained to produce local artwork. \u00a0This can lead to income producing jobs for them. \u00a0Here are a few of their products:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5695\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A sandstone Ganesha.\u00a0Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha’s elephant<\/span><\/a> head makes him easy to identify.[6]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles,[7]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> the patron of arts and sciences and the deva<\/span><\/a> of intellect and wisdom.[8]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5688\"<\/a><\/p>\n

They do tin work. \u00a0This tin hammering is later plated with silver and made into jewelry and trinkets. I bought a little pill box for Mary Ann. Peter bought one, too, as a Christmas present (containing a the surprise(?) sapphire\u00a0ring for his wife Margo).<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5710\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This young lady is gold leafing a Buddha statue. \u00a0She’s working in a locked room! This is a special order project.<\/strong>T\"IMG_5687\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Artistic lacquering is also done. \u00a0This is the durian I never tasted.<\/strong>\"IMG_5684\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Wood carving, painting, and gold gilding is also taught.<\/strong>\"IMG_5682\"<\/a><\/p>\n

That’s it. \u00a0We’re outta here! \u00a0We returned to the Pantip Suites Bangkok in late afternoon. and got ready for our farewell river dinner cruise<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5707\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Ole hailed down our ship. \u00a0It was a rice barge converted into a cruise boat.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5708\"<\/a>We never managed to get a group picture. \u00a0This was as close as we came.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5718\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One Final pic of Fred and I on the dinner cruise. I still have my travel vest on!<\/strong><\/p>\n

That’s it. \u00a0We had an early evening because many of us had early morning flights back to the US: \u00a0Pete and I wer up at 1 AM and on the van to the airport with Ole at 2:30 AM and on our plane at 5 AM. \u00a0After 26 hours of traveling, I was home in Florida at \u00a08:30 PM Florida time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was pooped when I got home. \u00a0It took a week to get over the Jet lag and the 12 hour time difference. \u00a0Was it worth it? \u00a0 YOU BET!!!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The end<\/strong><\/p>\n

Go to Home Page 00<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Southeast Asia with Peter \u2013 Day 16 (Continued) After lunch we returned \u00a0to the temple area and visited Angkor Wat:Here is an aerial view (from a post card) of the Angkor Wat temple complex. Angkor Wat or Angkor Temple is … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2315","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2315"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2413,"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2315\/revisions\/2413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prstevens.stonehippo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}