Road trip: Rubble in the Jungle: Banteay Chhmar (13-17 May 2009) Pt. 2

As a book about ancient Khmer cities (Claude Jacques, Angkor Cities and Temples, River Books Press, 2006) at the library taught me, eight smaller temples surround the temple. Of course I could not return home without having found these eight temples. So, map in hand I roamed the area around the main temple and found… nine ruins of temples! At first I thought the dimensions of the map were wrong. They weren’t, as I found out after rotating the map 90 degrees… Finding a ruin that was not on the map must have confused me. But I really should’ve known the sun rarely sets in the north.
Some of these ruins take a bit of effort to reach because of thorny bushes and rocks, so be careful. On the way to East Mebon, the island temple in the ancient baray (reservoir) I saw several “Danger! Mines!” signs, so be careful, and ask in town about the situation – there is a CMAC (Cambodian Mine Action Committee) office in town with a couple of big barking mine-sniffing dogs.
Unless you’re a temple freak, feel like Indiana Jones, or simply like to walk, only Ta Phrom is worth a visit. It’s only a ten-minute walk from the market, and it’s signposted. With its single moat, it’s a very peaceful place to relax.
(After visiting all these ruins I asked the locals for the names of all these temples. A big discussion started between the villagers, but no one was sure and no one agreed. Never mind…)
Count a whole day to see all of them.

Banteay Tuop
Another temple some 20 kilometers from Banteay Chhmar and built in the same period called Banteay Tuop (Army Fortress) is also worth a visit.
Nine kilometers before reaching Banteay Chhmar you’ll see a large stone gate and a sign with gold lettering) on your right. Follow this road, which soon becomes a reservoir dike road, for about 10 km until you see a sign “Banteay Tuop” on your right.
The right tower is especially impressive, the way it leans over. Spot the timber in place in some of the towers (supposedly original timber from the 12th century.
Ask at Banteay Chhmar market for someone to take you by moto. A return trip might take two hours.

Here’s photographic proof of their existence.

Here’s a map of the town and surrounding temples.

Adapted from: Claude Jacques, Angkor Cities and Temples, River Books Press, 2006)

RecyclArt Toy

Photo essay: Mondulkiri trees

Such a shame

Looks pretty right? I thought so too.

Look closer…

Look closer…

There were tons of garbage everywhere… What could have been a lovely little grove is now no more than a rubbish dump. (Sponsered by DANIDA, the Danish International Development Agency, according to the signs I followed, no less: this grove is near a protected area.)
Sadly this is the case all over Cambodia (and Thailand, and Vietnam, and…)
Waterfalls, forests, fields, roads, streets, this whole country is covered in garbage.
You would expect more respect for living things from people who claim to be Buddhist.

Road Trip: Mondulkiri (26 Jan – 1 Feb 2009)

A week’s holiday for Chinese New Year was a good time to go back to Mondulkiri province, more precisely the provincial capital Sen Monorom.
I stayed with Sheery and Sokha at the brilliant Nature Lodge again.
I had brought my girlie bike, but three visits to the local repair men proved it is not really suitable for country roads. (On one occasion I had to call a moto taxi to pick me up: the combination of a puncture, 4 pm, and a village 10 km from the nearest repair facilities made that necessary.) Nevertheless I did ride it a lot. Mondulkiri is a beautiful area to bike. There are plenty of hills, but they’re not too steep.
I also did an elephant trek.
Most of all I enjoyed wearing a woolen sweater in the evenings. And drinking gin & tonics and Jim Beam Black. And talking to a most diverse range of people: a really nice valium/weed/beer addicted would-be English teacher, a very liberal Israeli yoga teacher – whom I helped translate Tantric yoga quotes into Hebrew – an Italian who speaks good English, and many more. (I think I’m the only boring person in Cambodia. Although I have one good story: I’m married to a Cambodian who is living in the US.)

Here are some photos.

Wat the …?

Modern wat murals are often very colorful affairs.
And some of them contain some very strange details…
I would love to know the story behind this scene from Buddha’s life.
(Taken at Wat Koh.)

Detail:

One for You One for Me

Bert, one for you one for me?

Good marketing

99% No Virus
That’s a relief.

Stuffed sewer

It’s always been an unproven theory of mine that part of the reason for Phnom Penh’s terrible floods is rubbish.
Sure, development of the city happens rather haphazardly. Sure the current sewer system is inadequate (under renovation though). Sure the filling in of lakes without the addition of the necessary pumping systems is disastrous.
But if people would stop stuffing sewers with plastic and other rubbish, at least the existing sewers would be able to do their job better.

Renovation

Sadly enough this is the way many houses are “renovated”.

Before: pretty villa – After: shoebox.
Brick up the balconies – who needs natural ventilation anyway when there’s a/c. Cover the facade with aluminium compound panels and/or blue glass.

Horrible. Sad.
I hope that in ten years’ time people will realize that there are beautiful houses hidden behind all that glass and aluminium. At least it’ll be easy to remove.