The Art of Angkor

Angkor Wat is just as amazing the second time around, but as I have shown you lots of photos of the ruins before, in this blog entry I will let you enjoy the incredible carvings and sculptures that you see everywhere. Just a reminder - they are about 900 years old.

Back to Cambodia

One of the highlights of my travels since going to Thailand was my trip Cambodia, which was the first country I visited after moving to Bangkok, back in October 2009. Without a doubt, the temples of Angkor are one of the wonders of the world and as they are only a cheap train and taxi ride away I took the opportunity for another look.

The town of Siem Reap had changed quite a lot, with new stores and an upgrade to the river bank. The photo below shows the view from the hotel of the waiting Tuk Tuk drivers, the Siem Reap River and a fairly green and leafy town.

The river was lower than last time as it was the dry season but they have tidied up the banks and built a new bridge.

The town is just as charming as ever and the restaurants are fantastic, mainly in the little alley shown below. Khmer food is very good, subtly different to Thai food.

Last time , I did not have a chance to visit the largest lake in South-East Asia, Tonle Sap, so we took a boat trip to see the unique floating village. The photo below shows me on the boat in a comfortable chair you would expect to find in a house!

The first thing that hits you when you arrive at Tonle Sap is the size of the floating village. Everything a normal town would have is there, except that you can't easily go for a walk!

We passed this family out fishing on the river that feeds the lake.

Rural life in Cambodia is still very simple although tourism and using the US Dollar is helping some of the more fortunate have a better life. One thing you do notice everywhere are the signs for the Cambodia Peoples Party and that most people are still riding bicycles.

Ayutthaya II

The ruins of Ayutthaya have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. One of the highlights of a visit to the city is Wat Phra Si Samphet, the largest of the temples in Ayutthaya with its row of tall chedis.

It was built in the 14th Century and served as the royal temple in the palace grounds.

Ayutthaya was a world recognised city and saw the reign of 33 different kings. It was an important trading port for international merchants and by 1700 it had a cosmopolitan population of over one million people.

The style of the chedi of Wat Phra Si Samphet has become the familiar Thai version of the Buddhist temple.

Most of the foreign visitors to Ayutthaya during its time as the capital of Siam were amazed by its grandeur and beauty, proclaiming it as the finest city in the world.

In the mid-eighteenth century, internal disputes and poor decision making saw Ayutthaya become vulnerable and an appealing target for its neighbours. After a one year war, the city of Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in 1767. The city was burnt to the ground and the ruins of today are what remain.

The next capital of Thailand would become Bangkok.

Ayutthaya I

On the death of King Ramkhamhaeng in 1298, the first capital of Siam, Sukhothai, went into decline. In 1350, the city of Ayutthaya was started, on a small island of the Chao Phraya River. A year later the Kingdom of Siam was founded under the rule of U-Thong or King Ramathibodi I. The first photo below shows the Chao Phraya today, on it's journey to Bangkok, about 70 km downstream.

Ayutthaya became a great city, and was the capital of Thailand for 417 years. During this time, the kingdom extended across Thailand and modern day Laos, Cambodia and Burma.

The city contains some spectacular ruins that give you a sense of what an amazing city it must have been in its heyday.

The photos below show Wat Ratchaburana

The city is a good day trip from Bangkok, although on this particular occasion it was one of the hottest days in an otherwise unseasonably cool April.

This Wat was built in 1424 and it has undergone a lot of restoration. The large towers are a combination of the Khmer style prang (shaped like a corn cob) that you see in Angkor and Sukhothai style chedi (bell shaped).

Opposite Wat Ratchaburana is Wat Phra Mahathat.

The small size of the island makes it easy to get around, either on foot or by Tuk Tuk or maybe in true Thai style - on the back of an elephant.

More history and photos next time....