Favorite Photos

Favorite Photos
Aqueduct of Segovia

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Temples of Angkor; Angkor Wat

The main reason people go to Siem Riep is to see the temples of Angkor, of which there are around 1,000. With only a 4 nights, 5 days stay (with a day spent going to "child friendly sites"), we had to be judicious in our choice of temples to visit. We chose to visit 3 of these, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom with its main temple, Bayon and Ta Phrom or as some local boys called it, Angelina Jolie's temple. On the way, we could not help but stop at some of the smaller temples, lying in ruins waiting for its turn to be restored,



There were also more nondescript temples, little more than a pile of rubble, dramatic nonetheless, overgrown by the trees of the forest.



And then there is Angkor Wat! Having seen pictures, video clips and a documentary on Angkor Wat, I was unprepared for my reaction upon catching my first glimpse of it, "in the flesh" so to speak. It was truly awesome! The sheer size of it, the 5 magnificent towers, rising like elaborate candles on a birthday cake, the surrounding moat from which one caught glimpses of Angkor Wat's reflected image, shimmering in the waters, left me speechless and in awe: of the king who envisioned this, and the artisans, engineers, and slaves who labored to bring it to life.




Even if the Khmers neglected or "forgot" some of their temples, Angkor Wat is and always has been a functioning temple. Built as a state temple by King Suryavarman II in the 12th century to honor Vishnu, Angkor Wat is believed to be the largest religious building in the world. It is supposedly a representation of Mt. Meru,  home of the pantheon of Hindu Gods, much like Mt. Olympus was home to The Greek gods of old. But unlike cathedrals and churches like Notre Dame in Paris and St. Peter's in Rome, which were built as places of worship, places where people can go to commune with their God, Angkor Wat is literally a home for the gods, a castle that dwarfs even the most imposing of European castles and surounded by a moat of staggering proportions.


190m wide, 1.5 by 1.3 km moat
A knowledgeable guide informed us that like the other mountain temples, Angkor Wat is meant to be a miniature representation of the universe, with the highest tower representing Mt. Meru, surrounded by lower peaks represented by the other towers, in turn surrounded by the continents, which are the courtyards and the oceans which is the moat. And how does man get to this abode of the gods? Through the "rainbow bridge" represented by the seven headed cobra called naga.



Angkor Wat has four entrances. The western and eastern entrance have causeways that cross the 190 meter wide moat.
Eastern causeway
We entered through the western entrance, the main entrance, a very wide, very long avenue, in effect a "rainbow bridge" guarded by a naga  on each side. This main entrance, like the eastern entrance is paved with sandstone which, according to our guide was quarried from Phnom Kulen, a mountain 50 kms away and brought to Angkor Wat via the Siem Riep River on rafts. Seeing the size of these blocks of sandstone makes you realize just how awesome an accomplishment this temple really is!


sandstone paved western entrance
Before entering the main temple, one passes two buildings, (libraries in ancient times), on either side of this walkway.



The gallery in the main entrance is richly decorated with carvings, in fact carvings and bas relief sculputures can be found along most of the galleries. The carved area is immense around 600 meters in length and 2 meters high.





These bas reliefs may be the most famous creations in Khmer art and is a major attraction for scholars and photographers. 

 a guide explaining the wall carvings
Some of these depict legendary battles, most however depict scenes from Vishnu myths and the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics.



There are also carvings on the tops of doorways . The lintel carvings I saw are rich in detail, intricate and deeply carved.




More interesting than these are the carvings of the Apsaras or "heavenly nymphs", of which there are reportedly over 3,000 of them each of them unique with identifying characteristics to set them apart, including some 37 differing hairstyles.



The main temple complex has three stories. The first level is basically a square, surrounded by interlinked galleries, accessed by doorways on top of wooden steps.



On this level, we came upon the Gallery of a Thousand Buddhas, Preah Poan (Angkor Wat moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use in the late 13th century). Unfortunately today there are only a handful of buddhas, many having been removed or stolen, and most of those left have had their heads or other body parts chopped off.



The size of this complex can be seen when one gets into the area divided into what must have been gigantic pools.


We walked around this level, passing through  labyrinthian galleries.



Walking up to the second level, we emerged into an area where Buddha's statue was prominently displayed and  where a buddhist monk urged us to have red thread tied around our wrists as a means to ensure our "good luck".



Continuing onto the third level can be difficult especially because of the heat and very high humidity. Once up there, however, there is a nice welcoming breeze and lots of ledges to rest and recover.  There are towers on the four corners of this level.



And in the center rising 31 meters is the central tower. The upper level of Angkor Wat known as Bakan, can only be reached via very steep steps. Not for the faint of heart or for anyone who suffers from vertigo, climbing is done carefully, slowly and without looking down.  



Beautiful views, surrounding cool breezes and a "yes I did it" moment is what awaits one at the top of this summit.




Going back down, we were too tired and hot to attempt the long trek back to our mini bus, so we lingered on the grounds, and were glad for it, coming across such scenes as this:


And this:








Monday, March 11, 2013

Musings: On Turning 60

I have always been an active person, into sports, exercise and not afraid to try most types of "sporty" activity. I played tennis and pelota for many, many years. Swimming and going to gym continues to be a weekly activity for me. Learned to play softball in my mid 40s and joined an all womans team playing in an all woman's league. Took scuba diving with my son and passed the licensing dive.  Went mountain climbing every week in Korea (which by the way is a national past time for Koreans). Took up golf about 5 years ago because my husband gave me a golf set and am now learning to play badminton, which is my husband's game of choice.
 
Injuries? a lot of those! Bumps and bruises, blisters, black eye, blood in the knee which had to be extracted by a giant needle, and a torn ACL ligament. But no matter the injury, I always bounced back!
 
But now I'm 60 and bouncing back is not as easy as it used to be. Recovering from intense exercise, can take a day or two of sedentary activities. Aches and pains in the joints, the knees are regular companions. Yoga and meditation have become the exercise of choice. And although I always said golf was too slow, the walk around the golf course has become more appealing than the running around a tennis court. This transition did not happen overnight, I guess it slowly creeped up on me.
 
This transition did not only happen in my sport life but also in most aspects of my life. I am no longer so driven, I can take it easy and not feel guilty about taking it easy. I enjoy my own company, I look for solitude. Friends are treasures, family, my fortune.
 
Physically, I look at myself and see the worry lines on my forehead, the laughter lines around my eyes, the chicken neck, the drooping eyelids. But I also see a serenity in my eyes, a knowing smile on my lips.
 
Yes I am 60 and on the day I turned 60, I became a senior citizen! And whenever I bring my senior citizen card out, I do so with pride! I have earned this! 
 
(For those who are interested, PsychConsult is sponsoring a talk on the life of and challenges facing seniors. Will post the date when it is finalized)
 
 

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Balesin Island

My next post was supposed to be about the temples of Angkor, but because we were invited by a friend to visit Balesin Island on the weekend I got side tracked.



Balesin Island is off the coast of Quezon and can be accessed by boat,  a trip of about 4 hours or by a 25 minute plane ride from the Alphaland hangar near the domestic airport. With 9 others, we rode on a Cessna. I must admit to some trepidation as this was the smallest plane I had ever been on. But flying under a brilliant cerulean blue sky, with the water and land below clearly visible, helped diminish my anxiety.

We landed on the Tordesillas airstrip on the Island, where we were met and driven to our cottage in the Balesin Village in a golf cart.

Now for some background on the Island. Balesin Island is a concept, along the theme park model. It is divided into villages, each representing a  well known beach resort in different parts of the world. Balesin village for the Philippines, Bali in Indonesia, Phuket in Thailand, St. Tropez in France, Mykonos in Greece, Puerta del Sol in Spain and Toscana in Italy. At this time all the villages are operating, only Puerta del Sol and Toscana remain under construction.

Our cottage was in the village of Balesin. Very well appointed, with all the convenience of a 5 star hotel room, including an outdoor jacuzzi and shower on the veranda.
 





What was most impressive in Balesin? The beach!

The sand...

 The water...



Bali

The next day we had breakfast in Bali. In keeping with the Indonesian theme, breakfast offerings included nasi goreng, and curry laksa among others.


The surroundings were mostly authentic balinese, with some of the furniture being of the Balinese style but done by local artisans.


Bali has a bar built on the water:


And a clubhouse with restaurant....



The most attractive cottage was the one on stilts jutting out into the water.


Phuket

Phuket village's beach was not as nice as Balisin but walking to the edge of it brings one to the spot where one can view the South China Sea on one's right side and the Pacific Ocean on one's left.


Cottages in Phuket were charming


And when one enters the restaurant, the furniture, the decor, and the ambiance is typically Thai.

St. Tropez

After the Asian beach villages, we took a jeepney to the "European" side of the Island. First on our itenerary was the village of St. Tropez.


A touch of Provence in the breakfast area


In the rooms


And sitting areas



Mykonos

For dinner that night we went on golf carts, the islands main means of transportation, to the village of Mykonos. With it's white washed cubic shaped, flat roof architecture, Mykonos in Balesin is very definitely Mama Mia..ish!


The flat roof over each cottage served as veranda and party space, making Mykonos in Balisin the village of choice for the partying crowd, be they young and not so young.



It also boasts a first class greek restaurant


The bread and couscous were delicious as was the lamb ribs and chops.


And as swimming in the sea can be hazardous at night, there are the swimming pools for those night swimmers out there.



Other Places to Eat

For the foodies, Balesin offers a variety of food, identified with each of their villages. But the best one for me and my friends was Sakura, the Japanese restaurant in Balesin, owned and ran by a pure Japanese, Ilonggo speaking chef,
Chef Edo.

The lunch we had in his restaurant was not only delicious but elegantly presented, with Chef Edo wearing a baseball cap, intimately involved in the ordering, preparing and serving process.

A most elegant of starters, popped rice on their stalks...


His own sushi concoction, aptly named Edo-san Maki....


A delicious steamed sea bass and mushrooms wrapped in foil, and an elegantly presented tempura.....


All in all it was a wonderful weekend, made so much more because of the presence of friends and family, spending time together taking in the beauty of the sea, of nature and then scorning the flat screen TV in favor of chatting and sharing drinks under the light of the moon. What will remain forever in my memory of Balesin....


And one more....