A Trip To Jayavarman VII region

Flight from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur LCCT and from there to Siem Reap,Cambodia is a good idea I guess.Well I had a great time at LCCT terminal while waiting for my next flight to Siem Reap.So lively and sleepy I am, but excitement are there so all this are forgotten.

I had chosen this title for my blog because, Khmer King Jayavarman VII even though this ancient king leave many century in the past his name are still alive in Siem Reap till today.Cambodia peoples are worshipping him in many palaces.An impact from the past ancient Khmer kingdom which I can feel when I visit many of their ancient temple monuments.

My trip will not be fun without my buddies and their spouse.All of us with our wife really enjoy the trip even with extreme hot weather about 33 to 34d.The trip that really worth  and a place you must visit in your life time.Our tour guide Vinay from Happy Angkor Wat tour is really a nice guy and very dedicated person.A smile on his face really make us feel welcome.His narration of Khmer history and Hindu mythology is really awesome.

Me and buddies with our respective couples.

Vinay our tour guide.

Day one at Preah Khan and Neak Pean temple had bring me to the ancient Khmer door step.Such a magnificent temple building and arts that show how once this land must be a beautiful and prosperous place to leave under their warrior Kings expecially Jayavarman VII.All this temple are surrounded by massive vegetation.Preah Khan bears 72 garudas holding nagas at is outer wall.Preah Khan was built on the site of Jayavarman VII's victory over the invading Chams in 1191.Later a visit to Neak Pean temple which represents navatapta, a mythical lake in the Himalayas whose waters are thought to cure all illness. Neak Pean was originally designed for medical purposes, as it is one of the many hospitals that Jayavarman VII built. It is based on the ancient Hindu belief of balance. Four connected pools represent Water, Earth, Fire and Wind.The ancients believed that going into these pools would balance the elements in the bather, thus curing disease. In the middle of the four healing ponds is the central water source. There is a statue of Balaha (Bodhisattva Guanyin transformed into a horse), as a symbol of drowning prevention.

Preah Khan and Neak Pean.

 

 

 

 

 

Now with excitement as I had witness the magnificent ruins of this Hindu-Buddhist temple my heart still yearn for some more sight.It's like someone pulling me and want me to come and visit them.Visit them..?? Yes it is Banteay Srei a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings.The"jewel of Khmer art" as I will put it.Consecrated on 967 A.D. Banteay Srei was the only major temple at Angkor not built by a monarch.Its construction is credited to a courtier named Yajnavaraha served as a counsellor to king Rajendravarman II.It was carried the name Tribhuvanamaheswara the great lord of the threefold world and in reference to the Shaivite linga that served as its central religious image.The temple buildings appear to be divided along the central with South are devoted to Siva and North to Vishnu.The temple's modern name, Banteay Srei- citadel of the women, or citadel of beauty is probably related to the intricacy of the bas relief carvings found on the walls and the tiny dimensions of the buildings themselves.Some have speculated that it relates to the many Devatas carved into the walls of the buildings.Really awesome place to visit.

While at Banteay Srei.

Day one food are not that bad.I had settle with egg fried rice and young coconut water due to heat.Mohan had try their signature menu chicken curry but well...I don't wish to comment here.Overall the foods are not satisfying to all of us.

My accommodation at Royal Crown Hotel in Siem Reap is very comfortable and convenience especially it location which only a walking distance to the Old Market and PUB street.The most happening place in Siem Reap.That night although with tiredness felt after visiting temples I and Rajes my wife stroll around Old Market for some site seeing and shopping.Well I got no word to say and we had a great time spend together.

Our Hotels.

Day two bring all of us to one of the many gem of Cambodia,the magnificent Angkor Wat.Such a wonderful temple that dedicated to Lord Vishnu and its carving of Hindu epic Mahabarta and Ramayana.The largest religious monument in the world.The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: The temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early Dravidian Architecture, with key features such as the Jagati.It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the Devas in Hindu mythology.The challenge part is to climb the steps to the top of the temple or Meru.There are some restriction observe when entering Angkor Wat where short pants above knee are not allowed.Overall Angkor Wat it breath taking and magnificent temple to visit.A huge compound and beautiful carving of Hindu mythology.For the first time I saw Loard Muruga in one of its wall majestically riding his peacock.Our own Hindu religion from ancient far away land.

The Angkor Wat.

A good thirst cruncher.

By this time all of us are really tired with an excessive heat but we go on to the next temple call Prean Ko the first temple to be built in the ancient.The temple was built under the Khmer King Indravarman I in 879 to Honor members of the king's family,whom it places in relation with the Hindu deity Shiva.Its consists of six brick towers arranged in two rows of three towers each perched on a sandstone platform.The sanctuaries are dedicated to three divinized forefathers of Indravarman and their respective wives.The front central tower is dedicated to Jayavarman II, the founder of the Khmer empire.The tower to the left is dedicated to Prithivindreshvara, King Indravarman's father; the tower to the right to Rudreshvara, his grandfather. The three rear towers are dedicated to the wives of these three men.The central towers all bear images of the Hindu god Shiva.

The ancient Prean Ko temple.

And this kid selling post card 10pcs for usd 1 dollar and speak modarete english.

Ice cold towel session with a cold mineral water.

We found this along the way.Trees plated along the road side.

And not to forget candy in the making.

The fried water bugs.Yummy!!

At end of every temple visit we will walk eagerly back to our Van to get the cold ice towel.Yeahh!! I really mean it with the hot sun and your face cover with an ice cold towel.It's some kind of heaven feeling at that point of time.You need to experience yourself and no word to describe.Our driver smiling face and his hospitality really make us feel good.The next temple we went is call Tomb Riders temple because of the place where Tomb Riders movie were filmed with Angelina Jolie play Lara croft.Ta Promh is the name of this temple.Built in like Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara.Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found.The photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples.Remember the Temple Run Game? Famous among the android phone user some time back.I told both my kid back home that I had been there personally set my foot at this so call "Temple Run" temple which they feel amaze.

Tomb Riders

The temple run

The last temple of the day is non other that the famous Bayon temple.I did study Khmer empire subject during my secondary school.Saw this temple picture in my text book but now I am there witnessing the ancient ruins and suddenly I remembered my history teacher Puan Pushpa whom thought me the subject during my secondary school back in 1983.My thought went back to the past inside my class listening to the story of great Khmer king Jayavarman VII where Puan Pushpa use to narrate the story.What a recall that is.A well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.The temple is known also for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes.A must visit temple in Cambodia.

Our day two lunch will be a memorable one.A Khmer style dishes with their hot kick "sambal" or chili paste which is out of this world.Really hot that make some of us cry.I mean it really hot but yet we enjoyed it.Finally I got a chance to try their Amok one of the best known Cambodia cuisine.Mohan requested to pack this chili paste for him.They don't sell them but Cambodia people are really friendly and nice people.The restaurant waitress pack the chili paste specially for him.

The Khmer style lunch with Amok and chili paste with soothing music from me

We are back to hotel and I had a good swim with Gobi in the salt water swimming pool.What a relieve when you dip into the salt water pool.Not salty like sea water but just nice for our body to handle and you can dive with your eyes open.We enjoy the evening at the pool while Sumi and Rajes went for a Khmer style massage.Mohan and Sudesh really had a wonderful Honeymoon and wedding anniversary respectively.With a nice decorative room and a wine for their special occasion.That night all of us went for another shopping spire at Old Market and a romantic stroll along PUB Street.

The Bayon.

Day three eager to visit Kompong Phluk with USD10 per person to enter into the floating village.It's a 4km drive pass by rural area and another 7km drive on uneven dusty road with wonderful view of Paddy field along the way.Kompong Phluk is a set of villages based on the floodplain of the Tonle Sap Lake, near Siem Reap.There are about 3,000 villagers, most of who live in stilted houses.The people depend largely on fishing and tourism for their incomes.It’s fascinating seeing other people do the same things we’d do ourselves back home:doing laundry, dishes, etc but in a completely different setting,in this case, a watery setting.Instead of a car, each house had a wooden boat parked in front.Instead of a garden, they’d have floating potted plants.Doing laundry and dishes, and taking a shower involved climbing down a rickety set of ladders.There wasn’t much to see for the first 20 minutes except for other identical wooden boats motoring up and down the waterway, but then one stilted building came into view, followed by another, and another, until the whole village emerged. It was simply like nothing either of us had ever seen, and was absolutely phenomenal and definitely worth.Imagine, in the 21st century taking a rickety wooden boat through an entire village built on water harbouring a unique way of life, which up until recently had remained largely unaffected by globalisation and Western culture.Amazing! in did.

Out to Kompong Phluk

On our half day tour back to hotel we drop at Artisan D'Angkor the place that has developed from the ambitious belief to revive the ancient Khmer Arts & Crafts.The price is expensive but we had a glimpse of how the craft been made.Interesting to explore.Saw someone selling food similar to "Satay" but don't dare to buy it.Our only daring guy is Gobi where he had tasted the famous cuisine at Angkor Wat which is Water Bug delicacies.Well I don't dare but according to Gobi the taste is good.Try one if you visit Angkor Wat.

Art and Craft.

The rest of the day we continue our trip and arrive at PUB Street for a wonderful lunch and taste of Khmer before continue with our shopping at Old Market.That night all of us had a wonderful Mexican dinner and a short stroll around PUB Street before went into a unique restaurant to finish our day with coffee la...."apa lagi!! (Coffee what else in Malay language).This second floor compartment is surrounded with cosy sofas and four face kind of linga in the centre.

This is the famous transport in Siam Reap call Tut Tut.

The place call Old Market.

The famous PUB street

Last day free and easy

The BBM and VVS

It's a great fun and good quality time I had spend in Siem Reap.Cambodia.I treasure all the wonderful moment together.All of us is like a big family and we cherish and share this wonderful moment together and looking forward for more trip in near future.I personally must thanks to my buddies Sudesh,Mohan Gobi and their wife Shamini,Premala and Sumi and not to forget my lovely wife Rajes which I had spend a wonderful memorable time together in Siam Reap.It's consider like second kind of honeymoon for both of us.Slowly the longing of our kids appear again on mind and remind us of their lovely face waiting for us to come home.Farewell Siem Reap and if time permitted I shall visit you again in future.