HK Independent Traveller Blog

13 Feb 2014   We visited Preah Ko , Bakong and Lolei in the morning.   Our driver, James, took us through villages of red soil on the ground.  The slight rain protected us from the dirt as it minimised the splashed soil.  The journey was a bit long, around 40 minutes.  Then we stopped by a place for the tickets of touring Tonale Sap .  The offer was much off from that stated in our guidebook.   We bargained, refused, frustrated and almost wanted to give up.  We ended up paying around US$35 for both of us.  James did not help us to lower the price.  We suspected that the more we paid the more commission he would get. Our tuk tuk went further after the payment office.  We had our private boat and were taken to the river, passing the part where most of the people reside - floating village .  Sometimes we saw scattered houses and the other time houses clustered in the central area.  Houses ar...

Neak Pean is an unusually small monument, a cruciform arrangement of ponds with a sanctuary tower on a circular island in the middle.  Its position in the middle of Jayatataka boray (formerly an island) may represent the sacred Himalayan lake of Anavatapta . The cirrcular island in the middle is encircled at its base by two nage serpents .  They seem to represent the naga kings Nanda and Upananda , from which the monument name means 'entwined sepents'. On the east side of the island, a statue of a flying house rises from the water.  It represents Balaha who helped seafaring merchants from an island inhabited by an ogress. For me, the nicest of the visit is the path leading to the monument.   Wooden path over the lakes, winter tree branches dotted the way transcended a melancholic atmosphere.  The scenery is unique among all sites we visited at the Angkor Archaeological Park .    

12 Feb 2014 This is the first day of our visit to Angkor Archaeological Park .   What did we start with?   Certainly the purchase of the ‘ Angkor Pass ’.    Options are: 1 day ($20), 3 days ($40) and 7 days ($60).   We went for 7-day.   Then we were arranged to take a photo.   Just very quick, we’ve got our passes with the photo.   Efficient!  It came with a strap to wear round the neck.  It must be shown at all times. Our first site visit point: Prasat Kravan .   It is a temple with five brick sanctuaries built in 10 th century devoted to Vishnu .   They are unusually arranged in one N-S row, facing E and all on the same platform. Today only the central and S have a superstructure, consists of receding tiers, each diminishing in height and proportion to enhance the impression of scale. The temple was restored in the 1960s based on what remained at that time. The outlook of the sanctuaries is not impress...

13 Feb 2014 The morning was dedicated to temples at Roluos .  We started the tour with Preah Ko - the sacred bull.  It was build in late 9th century by King Indravarman I .  It is dedicated to Siva and is a funerary temple built for the king's parents, maternal grandparents, King Jayavarman II and his wife. The complex of Preah Ko is surrounded by four walls but in ruined state.  At the central part are six brick towers in two rows, standing on a low platform.  The three in the front row are for maternal ancestors with male guardian flanking the doorways.  The three on the back are for maternal ancestors and flanked by female divinities. The back row of towers is curiously unevenly spaced with the right-hand one closer to the center tower than left-hand one. It has been suggested the two closer towers signify two ancestors love each other during their life.   Beautiful lintels are pr...

13 Feb 2014 Bakong is located in Roluos .  We went there from Preah Ko . It was built in late ninth century by king Indravarman I dedicated to Siva in the art style of Preah Ko.  Bakong was the center of the town of Hariharalaya, a name derived from the god Hari-Hara which was a synthesis of Shiva and Visnu .   The temple represents  Mount Meru . Bakong was built in a shape of stepped pyramid or temple mountain.   It has 5 levels leading to the Central Sanctuary of mythical beings (Nagas, Garudas, Raksasas and Yaksas).  It was treated as the state temple for Angkor for only a few years.  Yasovarman I moved the capital to Angkor and a new temple mountain Bakheng was built. But Bakong was not abandoned as additions from the 12th and 13th century were made.  The splendid design such as large stone statues of elephants at the corners of the three lower levels of the pyramid and lion statues guarding the stairways su...