At Sea enroute Colombo, Sri Lanka - March 28-29

Wednesday was a busy day.  The ship is sailing across the Bay of Bengal, in calm seas.  Lots of ship traffic along the way since this is a major shipping lane.  The daily schedule is filled with new guest speakers.

Margaret Gilmore, a BBC correspondent, talked to us about how the media process for covering major terrorism events.  She reported the July 7 bombings in London and discussed how critical citizen information capture and reporting (for example, via phone photos and videos) is in determining responsibility for such events.

Andrew Barber spoke about Penang under the East India Company (1786 – 1858).  A history we knew little about and learned much during this lecture.  The trading and business monopolies granted by the Crown, for a price of course, were certainly an important precursor to the colonization of this part of the world.

A presentation on Mumbai was helpful and humorous.  The presenter repeatedly and not-so-subtlety stressed how chaotic and economically challenged this port city is, that our tour buses may be a bit antiquated and not air conditioned, how we should not just strike out on our own but rather rely on ship tours, and that we should expect to be hassled by the denizens.  Remember this crowd has high expectations sometimes so he was managing those….someone, within earshot, is still sure to act surprised, complain and be unhappy.

Another formal night last night; 21 thus far and we haven’t missed one.  Living in casual-Florida, we had grown a bit rusty at glossing up.  Steve still struggles with his bow tie but is sure to be faster and more proficient at tying, and hopefully using less salty tying language, when we arrive home.

Since Singapore, the newest passengers have been different than those who boarded in the past.  We have around 100 Russians onboard who are quite distinctive and enjoy the ship in different ways – later to dinner, rowdier in the ballroom, partying in the casino late at night, and using the gym in the afternoon, when only the Blackledges used to be there!  Also, the gross receipts in the bars are sure to have substantially increased since our partying Russian friends have joined us.   Also, more Asians and Indians boarded in Singapore; they are milder mannered, gathering in jovial-but-quiet meerkat-like groups at various places around the ship.  By now the world cruisers have their evening routines as well….dinner, dance, show, bed.  The ship is really quiet after midnight, which is much different than the other cruise ships, and shorter cruises, we have been on before. 

Last night, the entertainment was a British comedian.  He really had some good jokes about people on the ship and had everyone laughing, mostly about themselves. His jokes about the frequent clock changes were especially pointed:  One night we turned the clock forward one hour, two nights later we went back the other way, last night we gained a half hour, and tonight we gain yet another hour.  I’m sure you can see the humor (and hear the grumbling) in this already!!  It certainly is a first for us to turn the clock back so many times, let alone 30 minutes!

It’s Thursday morning and we are looking forward to another day of lectures and activities onboard while sailing towards Sri Lanka.  A port presentation about Dubai, the geography professor Christine Drake will talk all about India, Andrew Barber tells us about Lai Teck, a classical concert and an acupuncture treatment for Steve’s wrist injury (doubtless a formal-night repetitive-stress injury caused by bow ties).

Off we go to our day of activities.  Tomorrow very early morning the ship will dock in Colombo, Sri Lanka.  The tour we selected is an all day excursion to an elephant orphanage.  Then on Saturday, we will be in another port – Cochin, India.  It will be a couple of days before we post again.  April just around the corner…..already?!

Langkawi, Malaysia March 27, 2012

Let’s start by saying that we are not in Phuket Thailand, the scheduled port, today.  Last night we were told by the Captain that the custom authorities in Phuket wanted 3 custom agents to perform a face-to-face passport check of the 2500 passengers and crew on the ship, before we could disembark!  This would require about 6 hours and we weren’t scheduled to arrive in Phuket until 8 am.  Guess what – the decision was made to not go to Phuket but rather to go to Langkawi, the residents of which were happy to see us. 

Costa arriving Upright at Langkawi

This morning we anchored off shore at 7 am and looked out to see the Costa Classica sailing in to port (UPRIGHT!).  Off the ship, there are tours being offered, but we decided there wasn’t anything that struck us as a must do.  Instead we disembark and take the shuttle bus to the local shopping area, which also has the Underworld Water Aquarium and is adjacent to a nice beach. 

A quick look around the shop resulted in a few must-have items, and our desire to pay with Thai and US$ required 4 helpful young woman to figure out the transaction.  Then we walk to the beach, walk the main street and head back to the ship.

 

Langkawi Beach



Langkawi, located in the Strait of Malacca of the west coast of Malaysia is comprised of 99 islands which look beautiful from the ship.  They are building and preparing for more tourism.  The people were warm and welcoming.  This area has been declared a bio-diversity protection area which means – eco-tourism of course!  We see signs indicating that you can do all kinds of green-touristy things already.  A few other observations:  the men seem to all be standing around, or riding motorcycles or driving taxis; the women all seem to be in Muslim garb and working in stores; the blending of cultures is even here on these islands – western, Chinese, Indian and Malay; the beaches are nice and seem fairly clean; some fishing boats are around and we see fish right at the dock but we don’t see any signs offering fishing trips; prices are fairly cheap for hotels – we are told $20 a night and a beer costs 50 cents.

Tourist Steve

Local Restaurant

Waving Good Bye Langkawi

Flowerpot type islands

Looking out to the other islands

Special treat today in this tender port:  The ship, over several hours, rotated around the anchor, giving all decks spectacular views of Langkawi and surrounds. Was the ship’s Master was just showing off Queen Elizabeth’s azipods and bow thrusters to the two other ships in port, or was this recompense to the passengers for missing Phuket?  

Oh – we haven’t mentioned shipboard entertainment.  Let us just say that last night we had our first singing juggler….need we say any more about him.  Yet, tonight was Pingxin Xu, a world famous dulcimer musician who played with his heart and soul this very complicated instrument – excellent!   :-D

   The next two days the ship will sail at sea crossing the Bay of Bengal towards Sri Lanka (aka Ceylon) to dock in Colombo.

Penang, Malaysia March 26, 2012

Arriving Penang

The ship arrived early this morning at the pier, ahead of two other ships.  We grab breakfast and board the bus for the Heritage Jewels tour of Georgetown, the capital city of the island state of Penang.  Penang is connected to mainland Malaysia by an eight-mile suspension bridge; they are building a thirteen-mile-long bridge further south on the island.  While the city is densely populated, forests, mangroves and coral reefs also remain to be explored.  The rich history of Georgetown has resulted in the older sections of the city, with over 5,000 old homes, being designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in July 2008.

Clock Tower in Georgetown

The tour takes us past some of the older sites being preserved – Fort Cornwallis, St. George’s Church, State Financial Office and mansions of the wealthy from the 1800’s.  Our first stop is on a street that has a Thai Buddhist temple on one side and a Burmese Buddhist temple on the other.

Thai Buddhist Temple

The Thai Buddhist temple is a more traditional Chinese Buddhist style.  This temple contains the 7^th largest reclining Buddha statue (called Wat Chaiya Mangalaram) in the world (the other recliners¸ Siddhartha Buddha’s seventh aspect, are all in China).  The temple is guarded by two fire dragons and two water dragons.  Inside there are seven small Buddha statues representing the 7 days of the week.  It is believed by the local people that this reclining Buddha statue represents Tuesday.  There are also urns in the temple for people who have died, similar to western columbariums.

Feet of the Buddha

Reclining Buddha

Buddha w/urns

The Burma Buddhist Temple has the Buddha statue at the vertical.  There is one large Buddha statue inside the temple surrounded by smaller Buddha statuary on the walls and ceilings.  This temple has elephants as its guards.  Behind the temple is a new golden pagoda, recently built by skilled workmen from Indonesia and Myanmar.  There is also housing for the monks who live onsite here.  Interestingly, they hang their saffron-colored robes outside their rooms to dry, just like everyone else who lives in here.

Burma Temple Buddha

Guardian Dragons

After leaving the temples, the bus takes us by an old hotel once occupied by the army – it is now a wreck – and by several other historic buildings before we arrive at the state museum.  We have about an hour inside the museum to look at artifacts of the early people and the colonial period for this settlement.  There are four rooms set-up to represent the history of the four major cultures in the area – Malay, Chinese, Indian and Sikh.  The British are discussed in terms of those that initially settled and ruled this area until WW2, when the Japanese invaded and occupied until 1945.  We sense respect for the British but little of the affection we saw at some of the earlier Asian ports.   Very interesting museum; worth a visit if you are in the area and have an hour or two!

Carvings at Khoo Kongsi

Khoo Kongsi Temple

Inside Khoo Kongsi

Next stop: A Chinese clan house called Khoo Kongsi in the Chinese neighborhood of Georgetown.  These clan areas were established for the Chinese who came to work and settle in Georgetown and basically became a place where they were cared for in many ways – health, welfare, spirit, etc.  The temple is very ornate and has many carvings, paintings and etchings, telling the various stories that impart the strong Chinese familial culture.  14K gold leaf and beautifully detailed murals still cover much of the temple.

 

Chinese Old Town Homes

Leaving “China”, we wander through the neighborhood back to the bus.  We drive through the Indian section of the city on our way to a Chinese family fishing village.  The name of this area is “Chew Jetty”; it is an old Chinese water front settlement, which is the largest and most lively jetty in Penang (according to the sign at the entrance).  We walk the planking through the rows of houses.  Always amazing to see them drive their motorcycles right up to the doors of the houses built on stilts jutting out of the water.  An interesting way of life.

Just outside the jetty area are several small restaurants with the food being cooked and eaten out in the open air – probably more traditional than we have seen elsewhere.  Coffee houses are also a big part of life here – and yet no Starbucks!  We didn’t go to the big shopping mall with all the western wares and restaurants this time so perhaps we missed Starbucks and the other jewels of America.
 Penang is a beautiful, diverse culturally rich place.  Fortunately for its citizens and commerce this city was not affected by the tsunami in 2004.    

The ship sails into a red sunset as we dine, headed, we think, for Phuket, Thailand.  Little did we know……..

Port Kelang, Malaysia - March 25, 2012

The ship docked early this morning. We actually slept in because we were not scheduled for tours.  Instead, we took the shuttle bus to the Bukit Tinggi Shopping Mall, a 20 minute drive from the port.  The port building looks like they are planning for significantly more cruise traffic, perhaps a product of the slowdown.  Driving to the mall, there is nothing to really describe to distinguish this part of Malaysia from any other with four-lane highways lined with power lines and grassy fields. There is a fairly new townhouse complex not too far from the port (with no clothes hanging to dry on the outside, ala Hong Kong/Singapore) and an older tall building (with many hanging clothes!  Zoning?) where the port workers must live.  This area must be more like a suburb of Kuala Lumpur.  Kuala Lumpur is the destination city from this port.  It is 90 minutes drive by bus.  This was one of the deterrents for taking a tour today.  We would be gone on an 8 hour trip with 3 hours just in travel on a bus to see the capital city of Malaysia.  Just not enough time.  We would have gone if the Petronas Twin Towers were still the tallest in the world but that building is now in Dubai and we’ll see it.  There is a History or Discovery Channel documentary about how the construction companies raced to be the first to complete their assigned Petronas tower, and how the winning group covertly topped out their tower under cover of darkness. 

The Bukit Tinggi shopping mall is 6 years old and has just about everything you might like to buy from American and European designer and brand stores.  It is interesting to explore these malls and we thought we’d share some observations – since again we didn’t take any pictures.

Restaurants:  Papa John’s Pizza, McDonalds, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, KFC along with several Japanese, Chinese and even a Barb-B-Q Mongolian style place, with lots of families inside eating.

Kid’s toys, stickers and clothing all have western style faces and clothing. One store had a Minnie Mouse Bedspread.

Most clothing stores display the clothes on western-looking mannequins and most pictorial advertisements feature western models; until we show up at the mall, they must think all of our women are blondes and all of our men lost their razors.  The clothes have price tags with all the Asia country currency amounts listed (HK, SG, AUS, THAI – no US$) while the clothing sizes are U.S., and the clothes all say Made in China.  There are really no great deals.  Woman (mostly Brits and Germans) on the cruise come to these malls and are all excited about finding something on sale – but really we did not see any deals. 

The young people all dress just like young people anywhere else in the world, unless they are Muslim, and then the woman and girls wear their stylish head coverings, long tailored western slacks, and nice shoes with socks¸ all  while carrying trendy colored purses. What legions of western soldiers and governments cannot accomplish in centuries, a few designers in New York and Paris accomplish in a generation.

Our thought is that there really are fewer ‘local’ markets because with the younger generation, this is the marketplace they want shop – air conditioned and marketing Western clothing and Asian technology.

Not sure I ever mentioned the woman’s bathrooms have the special toilets – a porcelain lined hole in the floor that you stand over.  And don’t forget the TP before going in to the stall; it’s on the wall over near the sinks, silly girl! I wonder why this Asian-style toilet facility is still the core design, even in a fairly new shopping mall selling mostly Western-style goods?  And in Vietnam and Cambodia they called this the “Happy Room” which also let them describe to us westerners when ‘this is a not so happy room!’

Tomorrow the ship docks in Penang, Malaysia, where there are many World Heritage sites we will be visiting.  Pictures will be worth taking tomorrow; think I’ll sleep tonight with the camera attached to my wrist so I won’t forget it!

(Congratulations to Tom & Kristy on their new daughter Caitlin Anne!)

At Sea & Singapore - March 23-24, 2012

Red Sun in Singapore

Cranes loading/unloading containers

The ship left Koh Samui and headed south leaving the South China Sea, entering the Natuna Sea then just in to the shipping channel of the Singapore Strait.  All day we saw fishing boats and natural gas fields along the coast of Thailand and then Malaysia before we arrived in Singapore today.

  

New Car anyone?

As the ship entered the shipping traffic separation schemes, we picked up a pilot to help with the final approach to the berth.  It was early morning and what a sight!  Huge container port cranes with the red sun rising in the distance.  Across the way from our ship are oil refineries.  Singapore sits at the base of the Strait of Malacca.  This is the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean via the South China Sea.  Over 50,000 vessels pass through this strait a year carrying about one-quarter of the world’s traded goods.  About a quarter of all oil carried by sea passes through the Strait, mainly from Persian Gulf suppliers to Asian markets. 



Our Camera Taking Photos

This container port is unreal and the ship traffic could mesmerize you all day.  We enjoy watching from our balcony until it is time to take our Tour of Singapore.  And guess what?  Our camera stays on our balcony.  So no true pictures of the city of Singapore - we've include pictures from postcards!

Chinatown 'must see'

Downtown River Front

The tour included a trip to an incredible Orchid Botanical Garden, scenic view of the downtown river front where the city’s iconic statue the Merlion sits across from the hotel with the swimming pool and restaurant on top and finally to Chinatown.  Yes, Singapore is a very clean city because of all of their laws which are noted on various signs around the city.  However, we have to report that these laws have made the difference – this IS the cleanest city we have ever been in – especially in Southeast Asia.  We are told there are no slums.  This is because the city has plans and every area has been redeveloped.  Also, there is continually newer housing being built to accommodate the growing economy.  Thus, the skyline continues to change.

City Attractions

Raffles Hotel built in 1880’s is still in its grandeur and still known for the invention of the Singapore Sling.  The tour just drove by the hotel.  People on the ship this evening gave us a more detailed update on their experience at Raffles.  The long bar is still there and the hotel is as grand as ever on the inside.  However, this translated in to a US$23 poorly made, too sweet, Singapore Sling – not too pleasant an experience; maybe high tea was better……

Our ship has just left Singapore and we are heading to Port Kelang, Malaysia tomorrow.

A new nautical term:  Eight Bells.  The measure of time originated in the days when a half-hour glass was used to tell off the four-hour watches.  Each time the sand ran out, the ship’s boy, whose job it was to reverse the glass, struck a bell to show he was attending to his duty.  Thus, eight times he turned the glass, and eight times truck the bell.   

Koh Samui, Thailand - March 22, 2012



Ship Tenders at Koh Samui

Koh Samui is Thailand’s third largest island located in the Gulf of Thailand with white sandy beaches, coral reefs, coconut trees and jungles on mountains.  The island has beautiful resorts on the beaches, Big Buddha Temple and a temple with a mummified monk, coconut plantations where monkeys climb trees to gather the fruit and the rest of the island is covered in mountainous jungles.  This is an upcoming Southeast Asia vacation paradise.  We took the day off and just stayed home on the ship watching the people going ashore looking fresh and coming back looking like wilted flowers.  And we updated this blog! 

Bangkok, Thailand - March 21, 2012

View of River from Restaurant

 Early in the morning, we depart our hotel in Cambodia and fly to Bangkok, Thailand.  A tour guide, “Matthew”, meets us at the airport and whisks us off for the hour drive to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, right on the river, for a buffet lunch.  This place is luxurious and the buffet tables are loaded with amazing Thai food and desserts with amazing flavors and interesting textures.  There is a cooking school associated with the restaurant – might be worth coming to visit!


Cooking on the street

Foreground are the slum areas

Tuk Tuk Taxi

Various Buildings at Grand Palace

Emerald Buddha Palace

We next bus around the city with Matthew explaining different sights.  First, there are numerous slums located between modern buildings.  It turns out the government can’t make the people move because of land rights – families who have been on the land forever.  It’s a city with lots of history, smells, sights and sounds.

Old Guard at Palace

New Guard at Palace

Our main stop is the Grand Palace.  This is an amazing array of temples erected by various Kings of Siam (including the Yul Brenner “King & I” king, Matthew repeatedly assures us).  There is also a temple here that houses the famous Emerald Buddha (which is really made of jade but is still priceless).  There is so much gold, colorful tile and mirror here it is almost too much to take in.  Unfortunately, with the heat and the crowds and limited time, we are not able to explore as much as we would have liked.  It is a huge complex. 



Wise Guy

Back on the bus for the two-hour drive to the Queen.  We see lots of trucks heading to Laem Chabang (which has interestingly designated itself as “the Detroit of the East”) – the port where our home, our room on the Queen Elizabeth, is waiting for us!

I'm loving it!

Siem Reap, Cambodia - March 20, 2012

Greeting us at Hotel

A family on their motorcyle

Buddhist at local shop

We arrive at the beautiful Sokha (“happiness”) Angkor Hotel; our hotel room has a bathroom the size of our room on the ship, a welcome change.  Our dinner is a delightful mix of local and western food.  After a great night’s sleep and a good breakfast, “Sam” the tour guide arrives and off we go to visit our first temple on the day’s itinerary – Banteay Srei.  “Banteay Srei” loosely translates to “Citadel of Women” or “Citadel of Beauty”, most likely refers to the temple’s relative small size and abundant level of adornment. 

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei entrancce

Banteay Srei library inside temple

This temple is the furthest away from Siem Reap of those we visit, about 30 kilometers or an hour’s drive.  The sights along the country road are not easy to describe succinctly.  Wooden houses on stilts; women and children outside cooking, bathing, selling food and goods along the road; cows and water buffalo roaming in dry grassy fields that we are told will become lush rice paddies in the upcoming wet season. The fields look like burnt grass over reddish dirt in some areas and just sand-colored dust in others.  There are a few rice paddies, which must be irrigated because they are a verdant green.  There are also clumps trees, mostly clustered along the roadside, along waterways and around the houses.  The fruits of palm, cashew and mango trees are traditional food sources for the Cambodians in this area.

Statues at Banteay Srei

Carvings in Pink Granite

Carvings at Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei Temple

Banteay Srei temple was consecrated in 967 AD as an earthly home for the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu.  It also serves as the site of two libraries.  This temple is notable because it is constructed from very hard, pink sandstone that is difficult to carve, yet in this instance is intricately and richly adorned, a tribute to the tenacity and artisanship of the temple’s builders.  In addition, Banteay Srei is relatively small compared to most other Angkor temples, making it interesting to visit since many the early Khmer architectural concepts and innovations are easily and simultaneously visible, almost as if this temple was a model for the grandeur that was to come thereafter.

As with many of the other sites in and around Angkor, the primary art and artifacts of Banteay Srei were, over time, carted off to Phnom Penh, Britain and/or France.  To the more-recent credit of the West however, much of the basic structure of this and the other temples we visit have been and continue to be restored by France, Switzerland, Japan, Germany and the USA.

Angkor Wat Causeway

After walking and photographing the temple grounds and bussing back to Siem Reap, the next site we visit is Angkor Wat, one of the best known monuments in Asia and probably the best representation of Khmer architecture.  Consecrated in the early 1100’s, Angkor Wat is what is known as a “temple-mountain” and was originally dedicated to Vishnu, one of the three primary Hindu gods.  It is thought to have been built to invite Vishnu to inhabit an earthly sanctuary modeled after his heavenly home.  As the religious preferences changed over time, the temple’s dedication was subsequently changed from Hinduism to Buddhism.  Angkor Wat is known for its classic temple-mountain-pyramidal layout, arranged as four concentric structures, and for encompassing some of the largest bas-reliefs in the world – 520 meters long and 2 meters high – pictorially retelling epic and mystical lore.  Unfortunately much of this temple was permanently disfigured by the communist Khmer Rouge during the middle-to-late 20^th century.  Regardless, it is understandable why this is a World Heritage Site and also considered the world’s largest religious monument

Most of the area temples were built over many years, using materials that had to be transported over great distances using elephants and boats.  Angkor Wat is one of those, thought to have required 30 years and as many as 40 thousand working elephants to complete. It has a main causeway up to it, a moat around it and various other buildings nearby.  There are five towers, with the centermost and tallest designated as Vishnu’s earthly residence.  Today, we find that Vishnu has moved out and Buddha has moved in.

Temple Wall

5 Towers of Angkor Wat

Carvings on Wall

Carvings on wall

As we walk through the gate and enter the temple, we see the carvings etched on the walls.  Once through the temple, we walk along a path to a pond, which as intended by the builders beautifully reflects the inner temple structure in front of us.

Statue inside

A look inside

We are permitted to climb stairs to the top of the innermost temple-pyramid. The topside view provides a good idea of how massive this temple structure is and how the jungle is just waiting on the edges to recapture it.  Of course, tourism is the main financial support for the temple.  There is even a balloon ride that takes people up in the air so they can gain aerial views of the complex.  This was set up to prevent people from hiring helicopters to fly over.  This after all is a spiritual site to revere.

Steps to God Vishnu

Throughout the temple are structures that collect and store water during rainy season.  They are all dry now…..we’d love to return and see how it looks after the rain has filled the pools.  Of course, we would definitely bring our malaria pills since the mosquitoes must be ferocious during that time of year.



Water Pool in Temple

Angkor Wat last pix

Shopping for Tourists

After we explore Angkor Wat, the tour takes us to another lovely hotel in Siem Reap for a luncheon buffet.  Everyone reflects on the incredible experiences of the morning.



South Gate with Demons

South Gate

Refreshed, and after a short drive, we arrive at the south gate the next temple we visit, Angkor Thom.  Angkor Thom is considered the most important of all Angkor temple complexes.  It is composed of a surrounding moat, a twelve-kilometer surrounding wall with five impressive entrance gates, Bayon, the last Angkorian temple-mountain constructed, and what remains of the Royal Palace and its associated Elephant and Leper King Terraces.  Much of what remains of Angkor Thom was built in the late 1100’s but was superimposed on structures built much earlier in time.  This gate, as well as the other four entry gates, includes the large faces of a guardian king, looking forward and backward.  Leading up to the gates, lining the causeway crossing the moat, are rows of fifty-four large stone gods and fifty-four large stone demons, having a tug-of-war with a very large multi-headed snake welcoming you to the city. Some of the figures are under restoration.  It will be a fantastic sight to see, and we do hope that ultimately, the gods win the tug-of-war!

Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom Dieties

Angkor Thom Faces

Lynn Touching Noses

Bayon, the Angkor Thom temple, was dedicated to the Buddha, was also known as “The Hall of Proper Conduct” and was a hall for the Brahmanic deities to assemble to be instructed by the Buddha.  The faces of the deities adorn the four sides of forty-nine massive sanctuary towers on two levels of this temple-mountain.  The temple is also lined with bas-reliefs describing everyday Khmer life and events of the time, a godsend to modern anthropologists. The tour guide takes Lynn’s picture “touching noses” with one of the Brahmanic deities.

Elephant Terrace Wall

Elephants at front of steps

Next, tour-guide Sam walks us to the Elephant Terrace, near both the site of the Royal Palace and the Terrace of the Leper King.  Along the way, we see monkeys in the woods by the roadside.  No real elephants though at the Elephant Terrace, a three-hundred meter long four-meter high wall, covered with carved bas-relief elephants and used by the ruling class to review processions and festivals . 

Beyond the Elephant Terrace is the Terrace of the Leper King, famously misnamed due to lichens growing on it in ancient times.  This terrace consists of seven levels of carved mystical beings and minor divinities and was probably used for cremation ceremonies and funeral rites back in the day.  Across the street are twelve smaller temples (“Prasat Suor Prat”) known as the “Towers of the Cord Dancers”, which sheltered a series of images of the god Vishnu (we know, Hindu, not Buddhist; can’t explain it).  Now there is a busy road in between with people riding bicycles and motorcycles, and a few cars and buses.

Temple Ta Prohm

Trees growing into walls

Tomb Raiders standing in tree roots

From the movie

Tree near entrace to Ta Prohm

Tourists at the Temple

Finally we visit the Ta Prohm Temple.  Consecrated in 1186, an image of a Buddhist goddess, Prajnaparamita (there will be a quiz on this later), was worshipped in this temple.  Ta Prohm may have also served as the administrative center for the one-hundred-or-so hospitals founded or restored by the then reigning monarch. This temple is known for the large trees and their roots that grow on and among the temple walls, holding them up in some cases.  Also, tour-guide Sam repeatedly advised us this is where Angelina Jolie climbed among the walls and trees of a temple in a movie called “Laura Croft and the Tomb Raiders” (or something to that effect). Nonetheless, controlling the advance of the surrounding jungle and the onslaught of trees and their roots is still a daily battle for the caretakers of this and other Angkor temples.  The older tree roots are a mixed blessing:  they invade and distort the structure and its very fine stonework when they grow; they hold the structure together and in place as long as they survive.

Back from Seeing Vishnu Temple

After being at these temples and looking through our pictures, I have to say it is very hard to capture the interesting beauty we saw and the special spiritual sense we felt at these temples.  Enough remains that with a dash of imagination, a sprinkle of reading and a good guide like Sam, the past and its spectacles come alive.  A must see!!



Cambodian Dancers

The hotel dinner that evening is set up at poolside, bordered with candles.  A series of traditionally and brightly costumed dances are performed by talented young Thais, telling stories of rice harvest through dance.  Musicians play traditional instruments in the background near the stage at the back of the pool, with waterfalls flowing.  Ice sculptures decorate the buffet tables covered in Cambodian dishes and sweets.  We feel like royalty!