Archive for Cambodia and Pictures
Prahoc
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Chopping up fish in the Prahoc sheds in Battambang Cambodia.
The Prahoc or fish paste was made in this long shed. There were hundreds of huge round clay jars, large wooden and hooped tubs and big cement tanks.
The chopped fish were pressed into the jars, tubs or tanks and salted. The fish paste was then covered with plastic sheets to keep out the flies, pressed down using big stones, then left to mature for six to twelve months.
Market traders bought kilogram quantities of Prahoc to sell on their market stalls. Some was exported to Thailand.
Angkor Temples Cambodia
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We were completely knocked out by the ancient Angkor temples. Angkor Wat is the centre piece of over fifty huge temples in this general area. It was built in the mid 12th Century by King Suryavarman II as a ‘temple mountain’ dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu. This huge stone monument has sides over 1 kilometre long and these are surrounded by a water filled moat and external wall which is 1.3km by 1.5 km. It really is most impressive. The whole temple complex is a UN Wold Heritage site.
The 1000 year old carvings of apsara dancers at Angkor Wat are the inspiration for traditional Kymer dancing and these probably also influenced Thai traditional dance. Margaret wanted all her life to visit Angkor Wat and eventually her wish came true!
Probably the most visually striking temple is Bayon. Here hundreds of huge smiling enigmatic faces have been carved into the huge blocks of the temple.
Banteay Srey is a beautiful 10th century red stone temple with lovely crisp carving. Occasionally something different cathches the eye, like this local girl with her puppy sitting by the lotus filled moat around Banteay Srey temple
Time has taken its toll on many of these ancient temples. East Mabon is a massive temple which can be seen from a great distance.
Not only has subsidence led to structural collapse but the roots of tropical trees have grown between and dislodged the stone blocks. At Preah Khan a huge tree grows out of temple wall spanning the temple from one side to the other. Despite the temple being in ruins the devoted Buddhists living nearby still come here to pray.
At Ta Prohm there is a spectacular invasion of the temple by tree roots, creepers and branches.
At Ta Som temple a tree has grown around the entrance arch and in beween the massive blocks of the temple. Note the Bayon style faces carved into the blocks above the entrance arch.
We spend a really interesting and rewarding three days at Siem Reap exploring many of these remarkable ancient structures, some of the over 1000 years old and still standing. This is really worth a visit if you are in Cambodia or one of the neighbouring countries.
Elephants
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Logging elephant coming out of the tropical forest. Elephants being washed by their mahouts.
Elephant coming down a steep slope. Margaret and Allan on elephant crossing a small stream. Rattah is the mahout.
Elephant striding out on open level ground. Rattah the mahout.
This was the first sight we had of Rattah and the elephant, as they rode into the Pnong village early in the morning. Andy and Trish live in the village of San Moneran in Mondulkiri. We stayed with them for a week.
Margaret and Trish marching along the dusty Mondulkiri roads. Margaret walking up the seventh hill. The battered old bus could not get up the dusty hills with a full load of passangers. This was the seventh time everyone had to get out and walk.
