Photo Blog Index
Archive

My most current blog entry:

Entries by Dr. Jeff Harper (338)

Visitors From Abroad Day Trip: Pak Khlong Flower Market

Pak Khlong Talat is Bangkok's great flower market . . . and one of the largest flower markets in the world.

 

Literally millions of fresh lotus buds and flowers every day pass through this flower market.

 

The lotus bud is a powerful symbol in Buddhist thought.

 

Pak Khlong Talat is a huge flower market with large indoor spaces and narrow alleys all full of flowers . . . it is a wholesale market, so many buyers come every morning and send their purchases back to their shops by tuk-tuk.

 

Some buyers come to buy 'raw' flowers for arrangement elsewhere, and some come to buy ready-made arrangements, like these aromatic jasmine bud garlands (used in Buddhist blessings).  Imagine how wonderful these women smell after a days' work!!!

 

Fragrant jasmine buds being weighed.

 

Beautifully made jasmine garlands on ice, ready for sales.

 

Many kinds and styles of Buddhist votive flower arrangements were being made everywhere.

 

The market has more than flowers for sale . . . fruit for the hundreds, if not thousands of flower market workers.

 

But, of course, it is the flowers that amaze a visitor to the flower market.  Orchids everywhere!

 

 Thailand's hot and humid climate means that orchids grow outside all year long.  Just nail one on a tree and it grows!

 

Orchids come in every color of the rainbow . . .

 

Exquisite orchids.

 

 . . . including white orchids.

 

An orchid hawker tending her product.

 

The flower market is also a good place to get people photos.

 

The market opens at 3:00am when the growers begin to bring in their flowers . . . and buyers begin to purchase and ship.  This draymen looks tired!

 

Hoping for a big sale.

 

The kinds and varieties of flowers available for sale was staggering!  These sunflowers are from Thailand.

 

Roses, roses, roses . . . 

 

 . . . roses, roses, roses . . .

 

 . . . and more roses.  These wrapped roses were imported from Europe.

 

Some flowers were sold as already made arrangements, like this white lily ensemble.

 

Marigold flowers sold on nylon strings.

 

Such a beautiful and colorful array . . . 

 

Although the light in the market was not ideal for flower photography, every once in a while there was magic light!

 

Pretty little things!

 

Bunches and bunches of flowers.

 

And bundles and bundles of beautiful flowers.

 

And this extraordinary bouquet!

 

Individually hand-wrapped chrysanthemums.

 

Inside the flower market.  This was at around 9:30am and lots of the stalls were already closed . . . sold out.

 

A market draymen moving purchases out of the market to waiting tuk-tuk delivery.

 

The area around the flower is made up of many rows of old shop houses.

 

The flower market is in a very old part of Bangkok, not far from the Chao River and just north of the Chinatown district.

 

Remnants of Old Bangkok can be seen in and among the complexity of the streets.

 

Not only flowers . . . but everything a creative flower arranger might want to employ in a tropical flower arrangement!

 

Existentially beautiful tropical leaf.

 

Gorgeous.

 

And ribbons and bows for that special wedding or graduation event.

 

A complete flower arranger super store!

 

Need some green sprigs with little buds for your arrangement . . . sure, they have them.

 

And ribbons and bows . . . 

 

 . . . bunches and bunches of ribbons and bows.

 

The back side of the flower market blends into a traditional, and common, Bangkok "wet market" -- a fresh fruit and vegetable market.

A ginger hawker's display.

 

Beautiful ginger.  I love ginger . . . and many Thai dishes are made with ginger . . . especially Thai desserts, my favorite.

 

Purple net sacks full of potatoes.

 

A stack of spice root.

 

A stack of Thai squash ("fucktong" in Thai).

 

A lot of activity in the vegetable wholesale market.

 

Unique ingredients are what make Thai food so tasty.

 

A market chili sorter . . . she did not smell like flowers!!!

 

A small sale of fish . . . no doubt intended for the market workers to take home for dinner.

 

After three hours (!!) we finally stepped outside the markets.  

 

Loading up the produce . . . outside the market.

 

Produce all loaded in the tuk-tuk bound for a restaurent or small market somewhere in the city.

 

Who was that masked man?  A flower market worker taking a break.

-------------------------------------------------

 

We walked a few blocks from the flower market to find a very good cup of coffee . . . and stumbled upon this shop selling "fake" plastic flowers:  incredibly realistic plastic flowers.  I guess some people get tired of having to buy fresh flowers over and over . . .

Visitors From Abroad . . . Another Hua Hin Area Ramble!

 All in a day . . . all within 20 miles . . .

It's always great to have visitors from abroad come to Thailand . . . I get to take day trips out and about . . . usually to places I have never been, so we can explore together.

 

This Buddhist temple (wat) up against steep cliffs is one of my favorites. I pass it often when I am down Hua Hin way . . . but decided to stop and take a look again.  Glad we did.

 

Such a lovely wat . . . looks like they are going to assemble a new giant Buddha image soon.

 

Beautiful workmanship . . . . 

 

Ah! Looks like a standing Buddha image going up.

 

This such an interesting wat . . . lots to see here . . . including a pack of very curious monkeys.

 

As is often the case at Thai wats,  the new buildings are built in front of the older, perhaps original temple structures.

 

The patina!

 

Lovely textures in the filtered afternoon light.

 

I was surprised to see this young monk!  There weren't any other monks at this wat. He kindly gave me permission for so photos.  I made sure he saw me put money in the donation box.

 

A large, old chedi on the temple grounds.  Perhaps a previous revered head monk's final resting place.

 

One last look at this fantastic cliff side wat.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Wat Huai Sai Tai Temple

On the way back from our hilltop chedi, I wanted to stop and show my friend the Colossus of Hua Hin at Wat Hui Sai Tai!


Such a lovely and strange place . . .

 

Yep . . . a cement elephant's butt.

 

The spaces and surfaces around the outside of the temple were beautifully decorated.

 

The exterior details were aesthetically very pleasing.

 

Of course, we had not come to just admire the exterior decor . . . it was what was inside that attracted us . . . 

 

What attracted us was the colossal statue of the venerated monk, Luong Phor Thongsuk!

 

The giant Luang Phor Thongsuk in all his revered glory.

 

The scale of this statue is incredible!

 

During our short visit here, many people came to pay their respects.

 

Our last look at the colossus!

 

A marvelous spirit house on the grounds of Wat Hui Sai Tai.

 

The inside of the wat spirit house . . . very well tended by the pilgrims.

 

Beauty everywhere we pointed our cameras . . .

 

-----------------------------------------------------

An Old Fishing Village

We headed up the road to our next destination, a beach about 20km away . . . but a quick glance on the GPS map showed a small village on an inlet . . . maybe a fishing village?  YES!

 

It was a very old fishing village . . . with a few very photogenic derelict old boats still dockside.

 

Did I say "old boat and old pier"? I meant to say "dilapidated pier and ghost ship"!

 

There were newer and older parts of this fishing village.

 

The village was very quiet this afternoon. These boats are rigged to catch squid . . . at night.

 

I love how the Thai fishermen decorate their boats . . . with these colorful votive blessings.

 

A village restaurateur.  The large pots catch and hold rainwater.

 

Such rich and complex images to capture here!

 

We saw this catch of the day in one of the fishermen's sheds.

 

We could have stayed all day here . . . just taking photos . . . but there were other adventures in store for us on that day.

 

-------------------------------------------------

A Mangrove Forest Swamp Park 

Our next stop was the beautifully developed, and very educational, Pran Buri Forest Park and Nature Reserve.

 

Mangrove forests are completely unique ecological environments.

 

Mangroves grow in salt water estuarial swamps.

 

A phantasmagoria of twisted and gnarled complexity.  Wonderful Nature.

 

The park positioned bulletin boards (in Thai and English) along the way with informative graphics.

 

Mangrove roots grow in the transition between wet (at high tide) and exposed to the air (at low tide).  The mangrove grows in salt water but has the ability to filter out the salt and deposit it on the root 'knees' to be dissolved off when the tide comes in.  Amazing.  

 

The park managers built a tall tower so that the mangrove forest could be seen from above.

 

It was New Years' Eve, so there were quite a few day trippers from nearby Hua Hin.

 

We wandered on along the elevated walkway.  There seemed to be a change in the nature of the trees in the swamp.

 

"Autumn" colors in the swamp. A blue sky reflected in the brackish waters.  

 

Beautiful complicated light on the complicated forest . . . truly marvelous.

 

We walked on into a stand of densely packed trees . . . not mangrove, but growing in the salty water.

 

Ever-changing scenes . . . 

 

My friend enjoying the photographic opportunities.

 

I do not know how these particular trees shed the salt.

 

On we walked through a forest of thin trees growing in the saltwater marsh.

 

We came to a saltwater inlet.  There was a pier offering boat rides, but there was a line of people waiting. We walked on . . . more [visual] adventures in store.

 

We walked the rest of the 2km walkway loop to the car . . . 

 

 . . . and back through the tangled web of the mangrove knees.

 

We spent a wonderful couple of hours being amazed by this fantastic environment . .  and taking photographs to our hearts content.


-----------------------------------------------------

A Fishing Port Village

About a mile away from the mangrove forest park was another small fishing port.

 

A beautiful day with colorful boats . . . what's not to like?

 

Small squid boats and large 'company boats" . . .

 

A 'company boat' heading out early for night squidding . . . they must be going far out into the Gulf of Thailand.

 

A busy Thai commercial fishing port.

 

Yep . . . a tourist tour boat!  This is actually the tourist boat from the mangrove forest park nearby . . . we all waved at each other.

 

We walked along the road near the fishing port and came across a picturesque little slough.

 

Life along the slough.

 

Picturesque . . . indeed!

 

---------------------------------------------------------

 

Happy New Year 2020 From Hua Hin Thailand!!!

We went out to dinner at our usual favorite restaurant . . . . but we were not satisfied with the meal . . . it was a buffet, not the usual excellent food from the menu.  Afterward we went to a friend's beach house . . . then out on to the beach for the BIG fireworks display.

 

Down along the beach . . . fantastic fireworks display for 20-25 minutes.

 

Fireworks across the bay . . . 

 

Once I figured out my camera settings . . .

 

Right overhead!

 

I hope you all had a New Years' Eve as colorful and interesting as I did!

 

YES!  All in a day!  All within 20 miles!


Working From Home . . . Missing My River Commute

I work as a director and professor at a Thai public university.  On most days I take an express boat 40 minutes to and from my office on the Chao Phraya River . . . but due to the COVID-19 virus, I am now working from home as my university has closed the campus.

 

After a short public bus ride, I catch this Chao Phraya River Express Boat (green flag) for the 40 minute ride down the fascinating and picturesque river to my office.

 

These are the docks where I catch my commuter boat. Pakkret Pier.

 

I am not the only person out on my morning commute and rounds . . . .

 

Many long-tail river taxi boats lined up taking merchants back to their small businesses after visiting the morning wet market.

 

I join in a mass movement of people on their way to work along, on, and across the Chao Phraya River. Here a 3 baht ferry.

 

The journey down river begins by passing through a narrow 'cut' canal in the river that passes a beautiful, and sacred, tilted chedi on the point of Koh Kret (island) at Wat Poramai Yikawat.

 

Facing Koh Kret is the magnificent Wat Sanam Nuea and a ferry terminal . . . the main way to get to the island.

 

There is a continuous line of houses up on stilts along the Koh Kret cut. This is what my daily mundane life looks like . . . my supramundane.

 

I know these houses by heart . . . I 'study' them every morning in the calm serenity and languid humidity of the tropical morning.

 

My express boat rattles some, and its old diesel engine chugs along in a rhythmic manner . . . but it's cadences are broken when a long-tail boat, a kind of hot rod river taxi,  roars past.  What a way to get to school or market!

 

When I moved to Thailand 23 years ago I spent a good deal of time for two years trying to find one of these river houses to rent . . . and never could find one.

 

Every morning I have been watching this new construction of a traditional Thai-style house going up on the island side of the canal. Beautiful.  I want to live here.

 

I can see myself sitting on one of these porches watching the boats go by . . . but this dream is not to be.

 

There is a charming mixture of houses along the canal: a traditional restaurent beside a stick and stucco modern house.

 

All along the canal small ferries offer a 'short cut' off the island.

 

On most mornings these small ferries are full of school children on their way to school.

 

The river is itself a busy part of the city in places. Here a collection of work boats busily raising the banks of the river.

 

The river, even here at 75 miles from the ocean (Gulf of Thailand), is estuarial.  As such, it is subject to the effects of climate change and sea level rise.  The city and national government are making a huge effort to raise the banks along many, many miles of the river.

 

One of the great sights on the river each morning are the coming and goings of the barge trains, always four barges long.  These barges are empty and sitting high in the water . . . easily managed by a single tug boat on the ebb tide.

 

Magnificent and powerful: a Chao Phraya River tug boat.

 

Many fabulous Buddhist wats can be seen on my morning journey.

 

A loaded barge train passes a giant Buddha statue.  I watched this colossal Buddha being built over the last three years from my seat on the express boat.  It is now finished.  I must make a pilgrimage to this wat soon to pay my respects and make a donation in thanks for the wonderful reminder it provides every morning to make something of my consciousness.

 

Traditional Thai architecture, old and new.

 

Another of my dream houses. I've been following its renovation from afar for quite some time.

 

I pass under four bridges on my way to work.

 

Further down the river and into fast growing Bangkok, a city of 14 million people . . . and the dusty, smoky air that it creates.

 

The river tug boats come in many sizes and colors.

 

These barges, known as rice barges, were made of teak wood in former days.  They are often now converted to self-propelled cabin boats for the tourist trade.


Whenever I see this particular Buddha image I wai and get up and walk to the disembarkation deck of the express boat; my stop is next.

 

This is where I would normally get off the express boat, at the Rama VII Bridge, and walk the remaining one kilometer to my university job . . . but I am travelling on into the city this morning with a friend to see the Pak Khlong Flower Market.

 

Down near the touristy part of the city are parked the large restaurant barges that specialize in night dining cruises through the lit city. I've done it.  

 

Many tourist boats on the lower river . . . but almost no tourists in Thailand today.  I worry for the Thai people who depend on tourist-related income.

 

We got off the green flag Chao Phraya Express boat near here.  The long-tail boat jockeys maneuvering for a fare.

 

I miss all of this.  This is my normal . . .

A New Years Eve Ramble Near Hua Hin, Thailand

It is always a treat to see old friends when they visit Thailand.  It is an opportunity to go out and explore . . . and take photographs!

My visiting friend (of 45 years) on the verge of a long climb!


A long way up to the chedi.  

A beautiful shrine with a reclining Buddha on the way up . . . 

This 'naive art' Buddha image was very heartwarming.

This Buddhist 'nun' followed us around for the afternoon.  She is a kind of security guard.  Good idea . . . there are some very beautiful and rare Buddha statues in the golden chedi (known as a 'stupa' in other Buddhist trditions and countries).

This is what I had taken my friend to see . . . and for me, to see again.

More fascinating, and individualistic, naive art Buddha images.  As interesting as the outside of the chedi was, it is the inside that brought me back!

Looking into the chedi interior from the front door.  WOW!

The light was so scrumptious, the images so serene . . .

The front of the entry altar.  The big interior in its marvelously bright colors.

My camera on a small tripod . . . so many superb images to capture.

In many ways, I prefer these deeply rural wats . . . there is a lack of expensive opulence, but a spiritual intensity in its place.

Holding Back The River of samsaric temptation.

Beautiful spiritual space of Buddhanature.

A Reclining Buddha . . . this posture represents the mahāparinabbāna: the Buddha's final state of enlightenment before his death!

The last time I was in this chedi I did not have a lens wide enough to take this photo.  I'm very glad I came back, and would have come back even without a camera.  This chedi has become a favorite spiritual pilgrimage site for me.

Each side of the central interior chedi presents a different compositional arrangement.  Notice our nun and another pilgrim on the right.

Move a few feet and see another striking composition . . .

Not all of the statuary represents the Buddha.  Some, like this one, are of bikkus, followers of the Buddha captured in a moment of listening to the dharma.

A bikku.

A bikku.  The cardboard box is for the paper fold left over after a visitor has laid a piece of gold leaf on the statue in reverence.

There is something so compelling about these dressed statues.

Every few feet . . . another image to never forget . . .

The walls themselves were a thing of wonder.

I am very nearly moved to tears by these walls . . . the color, the play of light, the human touch, the honesty.

An altar facing an opposite door and sunlight.

This Buddha statue in the Fearlessness (Abhāya mudrā) pose.

The chedi within the larger chedi.

In some locations the light on the figures and on the wall came together in fantastic ways!

Phenomenal light and color and shapes . . . .

Although the Buddha figures seem sparse in this photo it seemed FULL of them.

I did not know when to stop taking photos.  I took a break and made merit at each Buddha image with gold leaf and reverent wais.

I became aware that as the sun outside brightened and dimmed, so did the lighting effects in the interior.  Fantastic!

We spent several hours inside this remarkable chedi.  So captivated by everything . . . standing staring at the walls in absolute wonder.

We had to leave . . . reluctantly.  We had a whole day ahead of us and many adventures to have.

We at last left the chedi to the nun to have on her own in solitude.

The chedi sits high on a hilltop with a wide view.  This is a very rural location west of Hua Hin.

Phenomenal Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat has to be one of the most amazing places I have ever been, and I have been to a lot of amazing places in my life.

First light at Angkor Wat main complex.

6:00am and already there were thousands of tourists to catch the temples in the magic light.  Most of the tourists were either French or Chinese, although I doubt there are many Chinese now that the COVD-9 virus has almost completely halted Chinese tourism.

Built 1000 years ago . . . still amazing.

The sheer expanse of temple ruins at Angkor, and the great variety of temple materials and decoration make it well worth spending many days there, as I did in January 2020.


There is so much to see in the Angkor Wat complex - many ancient sites. spread out around many square miles. Here is a small slide show sampling of the sights before we begin.

 
There is a main Angkor Wat temple with a grand entry across a beautiful pond.

Just inside the "entry" gate.

The interior and exterior surfaces are all nearly completely carved in panels of patterns and figures.

One of the great joys of a visit to Angkor Wat is exploring the carved stone passages . . . .

The many temple complexes are surrounded by high walls and often moats.  All have four gates; one each facing north, south, east, and west.

Inside the the main temple grounds, tourists stop to pose among the ruins.  Thank you.

Curious vendors here and there.  Yes, I bought the t-shirt. Of course I did


Through and into a temple gatehouse structure.

Inside the temples there are inviting and mysterious passages everywhere.

Although headless, many of the ancient Buddha relics are still tended by local followers.

A fascinating hall of revered Buddha relics.

Interior courtyard within the temple structures.

Ruins of Angkor Wat chedis.  Incredible and unique architectural style.

Interior halls and colonnades everywhere invite exploration.

Stone spires carved with elaborate patterns of adornment.

Reclaimed from the jungle that reclaimed the temple centuries ago.

A temple spire. Fascinating.

Angkor Wat was the location for much of the filming of Tomb Raider . . . this is one of the famous landmarks.
Endless passages, rooms, doors, and b locked exits.  It was incredibly interesting to just wander around in this ancient place.

A space of wonder.

Rounding a corner inside the temple I came across Buddhist monks blessing devotees: Ankor Wat is still a living spiritual center.

After the blessing monks . . . back into the labyrinth of passages . . .

On and on . . . imagining the people who occupied these spaces when it was an active and populated city.

The jungle is still trying to interpose itself on the ancient temple structures.

The iconic image of Angkor Wat is the giant tree roots embracing the temple stones.

A mutual embrace . . . this tower looks as if it would fall without the support of the tree.


A wall with cascading roots.  Truly awesome.

Like a limb from a giant alien animal . . . these roots are massive!

The temple in the grip of its alien overlord!


The aging walls supported.  Most of the restoration work on Angkor Wat has been carries out by French and Cambodian archaeologists.

Much of the various sites remain unreconstructed.

The state of deterioration is surprisingly less than one would have thought after 1000 years . . . but they build out of stone!

My friend and I wandered for many hours through these narrow mysterious passages, always surprised with some amazing scene around every corner . . .

 . . . always another scene of doors and passages . . . gorgeous . . .

 . . . on and on we walked, our mouths open in amazement all the while!

Our long walks through the interior passages would occasionally lead us back outdoors.

And back outside we were greeted with more amazing ancient monumental temple structures.

Always tempted to explore in another courtyard . . . endless curiosity.

We had a car and driver each day who knew all the temples and would drive us between them.  A new temple.

There were signs of vandalism and pilfering of stone figure heads.

A sweet temple sala.

In deep shade or in bright sun, the temples are a marvel of detail . . . 

One of the many extraordinary gates.

These gates were carved in exquisite detail.  Cambodia is a tropical country with a considerable wet season each year, as evidenced by the moss and mold that often covered the monuments.

The harsh, almost clinical, light actually helps in these photos of the tropical encrusting of the ruins.

Such beautifully carved figures and patterns everywhere.

I loved these gates . . . 
After walking through the gates, it was sometimes a kilometer or more until you arrived at the temple complex.  Sometimes there would be traditional Khmer musicians along the walk.


We spent two full days, starting before sunrise and ending after sunset, among the Angkor ruin.

The late, angled light made for some fantastic conditions for photography.

Late light and shadow on the Angkor Wat ruins.

Sharp shadow in the Angkor Wat colonnades.

Ah! The light!


Shadows framed.

Smoky ruins in the late light.

These interiors were full of an almost magical spiritual moodiness.

Long shadows accentuated the fine detail.  Almost every surface of the temples was carved.

As you might imagine, I was in photographers' heaven walking the halls and passages of Angkor Wat . . . something amazing to shoot at every turn.

A new image at each turn, at each new chamber, at each door.


A surprise ahead!

Gorgeous light along the galleries.

The aesthetics of these stone passages with their relics evokes a calm amazement.

I have always been drawn to these kinds of scenes for photography . . . there seems to be some elemental symbolics involved here . . . 

Endless stone doors and windows, light and shadow . . .

Interior doors. The Light! The shadows!

Astonishing chedi in the intersection of two long halls! The many holes in the stone walls indicate they were covered with carvings in stone or wood.

Endless curiosity . . .

Wandering the halls and passages and finding an outlet into the honey light . . . what's out there?

 . . . and THIS is what was on the outside of these long stone passages!

The classic 'Jungle Reclaiming the Lost Temple' photo.  Still wonderful!

Our driver brought us to another temple site, this one had an entrance guarded by a bridge guarded by stone cobras!

Frightening to peoples of that time, I would imaging.

The body of the giant stone cobra was held by a row stone statues that made up the bridge guardrail.

The heads on all of the stone bridge statues have been stolen over the years . . . they end up in museums, private collections, and "art" shops in Bangkok.  Despicable.

Many of the temple complexes still have their moats.

We found only one bridge with the full compliment of guarding figures . . . and they were wonderful!

Here and there we saw small encampments of curios hawkers.

Our drive between temple sited took us through some beautiful and peaceful countryside. Some of the temples were 8-10 miles apart.

Nature here held some big surprises . . . like this complex tree bark.


Here and there, as we neared a new temple site, the road would be lined with these markers.

One of the last sites we visited had the temple structures made of a reddish stone with black volcanic rock accents.  All carved, of course.

The carved details were very detailed and refined.

Upon closer inspection, I could not tell if these were fired red clay ceramics or a red sandstone . . . .

Late afternoon deep shadows on the red temple.

Many of these images, especially this one, lend themselves to printing and framing.

This temple had nearly no evidence of vandalism.  Phenomenal beauty.

A magnificently carved stone door.

In the deep afternoon shadows, these statues in front of the carved temple presented an ancient, mystical image I will never forget.

Many small temple structures filled the walled enclosure surrounded by a moat.

After exploring the red temple, and taking 30-40 photographs of windows and doors, we headed down the road again.

While speeding along a rural road, we yelled to the driver to stop when we saw this small temple alongside the road . . . .

A remarkable temple in the late magic light.

Stunning bas reliefs on the columns.

One of the columns' bas relief of a dancer.

Almost every surface of this temple was incised with these marvelous patterns.


We wandered around this small temple for only 15 minutes before heading out with the driver again.  I must go back!!!

Another roadside temple . . . this photograph taken out of the window of the car.  No time to explore it.

Yet another photo taken from the car of a temple not explored . . . I MUST come back!

A highlight of the day was the 'discovery' of the halls of carved stone concubines at a place called the elephant race track.

Hundreds and hundreds of individuals represented in stone.

An incredible archeological find.

Great detail.

Another wall of concubines in the late sunlight.


This corner panel has stumped archaeologists for a hundred years.  See if you can spot the carved stegosaurus (3rd one up from the bottom on right). . . . they didn't know about the dinosaurs at that time!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Siem Reap
We stayed at the nearby town of Siem Reap. Although it was filling up with tourists (before the Covid-19 scare), it was a pleasant and vibrant little place with good restaurants and good shopping.

There was an extensive 'night market' stuffed with tourist curios . . . and some very nice things too.

Yes, everything an international tourist might want on a hot Cambodian night.

I bought some bracelets from this hard working guy.

We had a feeling we were not the first tourists to have visited Siem Reap.  Pub Street was a lively place.

This cart reminded me of the movie Groundhog Day . . . "Hey, who wants some flapjacks?"

Lots of small street eateries.  This was in the middle of the tourist season, mid-January, and it was not as crowded as I would have thought.

The modern tuk-tuk driver is hooked into the world and its events.

--------------------------------------------------------
Tonlé Sap.  The Great Lake of Cambodia

Our driver insisted that we all go out to the lake and take a boat on the water to see the sunset.  We were sure it was just a tourist trap, but we relented.  There were hundreds of small boats full of tourists.  We got one and headed out.

The ride out to the lake was spectacular.  We were very happy we had taken the trip.

We passed through a floating village along the way.  The boatman told us that this village moves with the rising and falling of the lake.

We stopped off at one of the floating shacks.


The boatman said these villagers were very poor.  He asked if we would like to make a donation of rice to the local floating school.  We were happy to help.  For a few dollars we bought four sacks of rice and delivered them to this school:

This is the floating school.  We stopped here to unload the rice.

There were several of these large sunset viewing rafts out a mile or so from the shore of the lake . . . full of tourists like us.

A beautiful trip out into the inland sea.


The villagers made their living fishing from their floating platforms.

Village shacks in the amber sunset light.

The view from our observation deck . . . boats in the setting sun.

And the sun set over our Angkor Wat vacation.  A wonderful four days.  If you go to see Angkor Wat, I highly recommend the sunset boat trip . . . .


Page 1 ... 4 5 6 7 8 ... 68 Next 5 Entries »