Every once in a while we have a day or two where I'm reminded exactly why we came out into the World. When you've been travelling as long as we have, it's easy to fall into a routine of just 'living' on the road. You move from one town to another; find a decent guest house, suss out the markets, find out who sells the strong coffee and cold beer, see the sights. More often than not, the sights don't amount to much more than a town going about its daily life. Luckily, that can be plenty interesting.
If you're really lucky, those routine times get punctuated by experiences that stand in such dramatic contrast that you feel like you just stepped off the plane. Did I say strong coffee? Some places can make you feel like you just poked your head out of the womb or you're at your first day on campus. Preah Vihear - a temple/palace complex on the Thailand/Cambodia border is one of those places. We'd heard about it and had it on our list but, because it's difficult to access, we weren't sure when we'd be able to visit.
Fate had it that we recently had to cross over into the Isan peninsula of Thailand. This was as close as we needed to get. We aimed for Si Saket, the town that is the traditional jumping off point to visit Preah Vihear from the Thai side. Even though PV is in Cambodia, it takes a couple rough days of dirt-track travel to reach it from there.
From 950-1150 AD, a series a Khmer kings began and finished a temple on the peak of a sloping mountain 2000 ft. higher than the surrounding plains.
One the the first impressions you get as you climb into the ruins is how much power and wealth the Khmers must have had. Monuments like this certainly display a certain long-term vision. Ten centuries after it was built, people still come to marvel and draw inspiration. Makes me wonder what we'll leave for people living a thousand years from now.
If you're really lucky, those routine times get punctuated by experiences that stand in such dramatic contrast that you feel like you just stepped off the plane. Did I say strong coffee? Some places can make you feel like you just poked your head out of the womb or you're at your first day on campus. Preah Vihear - a temple/palace complex on the Thailand/Cambodia border is one of those places. We'd heard about it and had it on our list but, because it's difficult to access, we weren't sure when we'd be able to visit.
Fate had it that we recently had to cross over into the Isan peninsula of Thailand. This was as close as we needed to get. We aimed for Si Saket, the town that is the traditional jumping off point to visit Preah Vihear from the Thai side. Even though PV is in Cambodia, it takes a couple rough days of dirt-track travel to reach it from there.
From 950-1150 AD, a series a Khmer kings began and finished a temple on the peak of a sloping mountain 2000 ft. higher than the surrounding plains.
Looking Southeast
Looking Southwest
One the the first impressions you get as you climb into the ruins is how much power and wealth the Khmers must have had. Monuments like this certainly display a certain long-term vision. Ten centuries after it was built, people still come to marvel and draw inspiration. Makes me wonder what we'll leave for people living a thousand years from now.
Ruins are fun for planying on....even for kids.
Thousand year-old portico
Monk Invasion
You also can't help but see that the builders appreciated a good view. You'd have a hard time finding a better place. It's like looking out over an ocean but it's all jungle.
Fine and lasting craft.
These kids brought great life to the ruins.
Girl and heavenly door
Proud Cambodian
