Ta Nei Temple and Bayon Temple, Siem Reap

Day 1 Click HERE

Day 2 Click HERE

Day 3 Click HERE

Day 4 Phrea Khan Temple Click HERE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Destination: Siem Reap, Cambodia

Duration: 5D4N, 14 Feb to 18 Feb 2019

Mode of Travel: Self-organised.  We had 3 private vans for transport and local guide (www.facebook.com/Jeepxplr) who's now a very dear friend to us
Flight: Jetstar

Hotel: Khmer Mansion Boutique Hotel (Apsara Double Pool View Suite - $379) and one night at Khmer Mansion Residence

www.khmermansionresidence.com

Weather: Warm and dry around 30°C

Currency: USD most of the time though Cambodian Riel can be use

Time difference: 1 hour behind Singapore

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

17.02.2019

The 2km forest tracking almost ended.  The final challenge was to cross this rusty bridge.

I guess the bridge was about 10m long, beneath was a shallow stream with a water dam.

I was a little scared, my guide walked in front of me to assure safety (and took cool photos for me).

The bridge creaks, was so afraid that it might gave way.  Wouldn't drown me but I would die of multiple broken bones lolxx..

Brave through it smiling wide to hide that fear lolxx...

The water dam probably lost it's purpose as water level was very low.  Or was it dry season, that I not sure.

After passing the water dam, a short walk for a min or 2, we reached Ta Nei Temple.

It's a baby temple of 55m X 47m built in 12th century.

Like Ta Prohm Temple, trees/figs were grown in the temple.

The little temple was surrounded by stone wall without an entrance.  I was too lazy (actually not confident) to climb over, so only took pics from the outside.

This temple is not as popular among tourists for it's size and also not convenient to access as proper roads for vehicles weren't constructed yet.

But if you are adventurous and curious, needed to get away from the crowd, this is a good spot.  It's quite ruined and crumbled, so just be extra careful when exploring around.

Hopped back to the our van for leg rest and next temple in less than 10mins - Bayon.

This pic was taken a few years ago, full view of Bayon Temple from far.  Since then I had always wanted to come back for a closer experience but some how didn't get the chance.

So I was on cloud 9 to be able to, finally, walked into Bayon.

Besides majestic Angkor Wat, this is another MUST VISIT temple.  It's the only temple with giant buddha faces on towers, distinctively different from other temples.

There were a total of  54 towers (some were already destroyed) which represents 54 provinces of Cambodia during that era.

I am a free thinker but when I looked up at the faces of the buddha, I felt calmness.  I embraced the peace while it last.....

Once we walked up to the towers, it's flooded with tourists, but the cat didn't care.

Like the cat, I tried to ignore the crowd to admire the beauty with respect.

Some buddha faces were more than 2m of height, you have to be here to see them and feel the atmosphere...

Probably this was how holy felt like....

None of the buddha faces were identical, all were unique.

Other intricate carvings on the tower.

What some tourists (including Chinese) did here were quite disgusting.

I gotten this pic online as an example.  I saw many people taking this kind of photos.  They think it's cute when it's ignorant, uncultured, uncivilized, disrespectful.  Just what's in these people's brains?!?  If you are a Buddhist, do you do that at home at your own altar or temple?  If you are not, do you do that to Jesus or Mother Mary??  Really sia.....

BUDDHAS ARE NOT FOR YOU TO KISS.

Getting down.

A stretch of wall carvings before exiting.

Last look of beautiful Bayon.

It's a blessing to be here, my life had been enriched.

After Bayon we were famished!  Had Cambodian lunch followed by Banteay Srei Temple, also called Lady Temple cos it's so dainty and pink!  Do another post for that, heehee...   I am breaking my Day 4 into so many posts, haahaa... shorter post less stressful de.  If you are heading to Siem Reap and needs help, let me know!  Thanks for reading!

Preah Khan Temple, Siem Reap

Day 1 Click HERE

Day 2 Click HERE

Day 3 Click HERE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Destination: Siem Reap, Cambodia

Duration: 5D4N, 14 Feb to 18 Feb 2019

Mode of Travel: Self-organised.  We had 3 private vans for transport and local guide (www.facebook.com/Jeepxplr) who's now a very dear friend to us
Flight: Jetstar

Hotel: Khmer Mansion Boutique Hotel (Apsara Double Pool View Suite - $379) and one night at Khmer Mansion Residence

www.khmermansionresidence.com

Weather: Warm and dry around 30°C

Currency: USD most of the time though Cambodian Riel can be use

Time difference: 1 hour behind Singapore

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

17.02.2019

Tuesday Report filming crews and some team members went Angkor Wat around 5pm to catch the sunrise.

Had to go separate ways cos I needed (seriously needed) to explore other temples other than Angkor Wat.  If you need to know more about this main temple, click HERE for my 2015 visit and click HERE for 2017.

Up at 8am was definitely less torturous lolxx...

Wearing the krama (cambodian scarf) Khmer Mansion Residence gave.

I ate half the sandwich and kept half in my bag in case I got hungry in the middle of the temple.

I was very very excited for this temples hopping.  I had waited so long (so many years) for this opportunity.

Chhay had arranged a guide specially for me, a young handsome one, heehee.... I happy ;P  We were on the road at 8.30am.

We stopped by in the middle of the road to get some lotus seeds.

It was USD1.

So much tourists walking towards Preah Khan Temple.

Preah Khan means "Holy Sword" was built as a Buddhist temple in 1191 by a King to honor his father.

This is the main entrance, easily identified with 3 towers.

Within the area is approx 56 hectares.  Found this map on the website.

Map from www.orientalarchitecture.com/sid/26/cambodia/angkor/preah-khan-temple

Like other temples, many status (Buddha or not) were being beheaded and destroyed by King of Jayavarman VIII between year 1245 - 1295. as he was a hindu.  It's such a sad history, also a complicating one...

I kept looking at the ceiling of the tower, the structure was amazing to me, I had no idea how they stacked up the stones to form a roof.

I decided to skip the Visitor Center and moved ahead.

Morning rays became rainbow through the lens.


I could imagine the scenario:
The worker was ordered to destroy all buddha sculptures.  The slave/servant actually wasn't able to identify between human and buddha sculptures but dare not ask, so he blur blur chiseled off the sculpture on the left.

The supervisor inspecting around saw what he was doing, gave a big slap on his head, scolded him for wasting time, pulled him away when he was half done with the sculpture on the right.  That's my imagine lah, what actually had happened nobody knows...

Artwork from 800 years ago.

The dark brown stones against pale sand stones caught my attention.


My guide told me they were called Laterite stones which was used as a strong structure of the temples and that there were more at the base which we couldn't see.

An entrance which couldn't be entered with fallen stones inside...

Not sure how long these intricate carvings can withstand weather and time.

There were many visitors in Preah Khan Temple, so when I found a cleared area, quickly request for a pic.

The guide told me the ropes were tied into these holes during transporting of these stone slabs.

The holes appeared in random, some areas with more, some area less.  I was told some holes were placed inwards against another stone so they were out of sight.

Some sand stones in shades of pink.

They called this the Stupa of Central Sanctuary, a place for meditate.

I took many photos of the ceilings cos I was puzzled and amazed.

I was told there used to be water here for prayers to cleanse their hands/faces.

Upon some research while doing this blog I think I had missed out or forgotten to take photos of a few important areas in Preah Khan Temple.  We spend about 1 and half hours in this temple but didn't manage to complete all sections of the temple.

I think I will have to make another trip here to fill up the missing parts.  It's so expensive though, my knees are going to cry T___T

While I had missed some areas, we walked through the South Gopura which I didn't see any other tourists.  Cos the exit was semi obstructed.

(My guide carried my red sling bag all the way, heehee... so nice of him right?)

South temple was very badly destroyed, which was also why nobody walked over here I guess.

Passing through the South Gopura was this breath taking sight.......  I was totally surprised!

Huge headless statue of an Asura and I couldn't find any photos of this online.

The man made canal was abandon but nature took care of it.

The water reflected like a mirror, very stunning.

After being stunned, a not so fun 2km trail ahead lolxx..

I was bored, so we took selfies.

The path was endless, my ankle hated me and I hated my ankle too, so I couldn't speed up.

The end of this path leaded to Ta Nei Temple which I will do another post.

After this, will take a couple of days off from my laptop.  Need to sell off some things to get some money back.  Even a church mouse is richer than me now.  My ex-nail salon is now my sons' hobby room.  I am trying to make it neater and more comfortable for the boys to stay in, got some DIY fixtures to do...  Very busy housewife I am lolxx...

Thanks for reading and being with me.