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photographie-irie > Monks Taking Pictures, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chaing Mai, Thailand      Near the top of Doi Suthep west of town is a towering temple complex with commanding views of Chaing Mai and the beautiful and popular temple grounds themselves. While wandering the temple, these monks cordially cornered me to practice their English a bit, and then reverted back to tourist mode themselves, snapping pictures as was everyone else in this busy and worthwhile tourist attraction and actively functioning Buddhist Wat.
photographie-irie > Gracious Elderly Monk, Wat Xieng Mene, Laos Across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang by unscheduled hired boat is a tiny very low key hamlet named Wat Xieng Mene, with its namesake wat and three others nearby a short walk further up the hillside. There are nice views of Luang Prabang looking back across the Mekong, especially as you scale the hills above the shore. And the hiking in the hills and among the derelict wats can be prime, as even motorbikes dissappear on this side of the river. Wandering about in late afternoon, we encountered this old monk, who upon seeing our potential interest opened a locked wat for us to enter and explore. He seemed to expect nothing beyond our enjoyment in being there, which we quietly offered.
photographie-irie > Ta Prom Jungle Temple , Angkor, Cambodia Known as the 'Jungle Temple', Ta Prom's architecture and sculpture merges with the jungle growing around it in curious ways. Here a tower of roots climbs and engulfs a stone wall next to a stone tower. Less tourists visit here than the main structures, but it's ever more popular for that 'Tomb Raider' look, which movie was partially filmed here.
photographie-irie > Ta Prom Umbrella, Angkor, Cambodia It's often very hot and humid at Angkor, but the shade of these ruins offers cool mid-day retreat from the hot, hard work of sightseeing. Umbrellas and parasols are commonplace in SE Asia as much to protect from the sun as rain, since fair complexions are most highly treasured throughout the area. Mid-day relaxation is also in good local form, doing the early morning and late afternoon thing to beat the heat.
photographie-irie > Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Seua) 1, Thailand Atop the 1237 step climb at Tiger Cave Temple is a giant Buddha shrine with a series of smaller Buddhas like this. Just south of Krabi, beautiful sunsets highlight multiple shades of karst silhouettes receding into the horizon. Colorful monks share the area at the base of the climb with a troop of Macaques who also call this home. Wat Tham Seua is a peaceful retreat and good workout, with multiple waterfall and hot spring destinations a bit further down the road in this short ride out of Krabi. Great motorbike rides all.
photographie-irie > Stairway to Temple, Phnom Kulen, Cambodia      Life size Buddha and animal friends cavort atop the long stairway leading to the giant Buddha temple at mountaintop Phnom Kulen. The path is amazingly absent people now, and notably the beggars that normally line the stairway to take visitors' small change on their way to the big Buddha. I was told this fortuitous circumstance arose because it was lunch time - the beggars were all on lunch break!
photographie-irie > Pink Sandstone Temple Towers, Banteay Srei, Cambodia      Evening sunset and pink sandstone combine to highlight the intricate carvings of Banteay Srei. Unfortunately, for some reason the temple closes as the best light of sunset approaches, making small payments to guards potentially necessary to stay as others are rushed out of the complex. The smaller and more detailed nature of this temple makes it a popular trip away from the principal Angkor complex.
photographie-irie > Mountaintop Temple, Phnom Kulen, Cambodia      Merging harmoneously with the mountaintop jungle, and somewhat lost in it, lies this Buddhist wat (temple) atop Phnom Kulen.
photographie-irie > Giant Reclining Buddha, Phnom Kulen, Cambodia      This giant 900 year old reclining Buddha, carved out of solid sandstone rock, is housed in a small wat on the mountaintop Phnom Kulen. It is the largest Buddha in Kingdom. Phnom Kulen is Cambodia's most sacred place, as mythical birthplace of the country. This mountain is also home to the sandstone quarried for the building of Angkor monuments almost a millennia ago, floated down the Siem reap river on huge rafts.
Monks Taking Pictures, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chaing Mai, Thailand     

Near the top of Doi Suthep west of town is a towering temple complex with commanding views of Chaing Mai and the beautiful and popular temple grounds themselves. While wandering the temple, these monks cordially cornered me to practice their English a bit, and then reverted back to tourist mode themselves, snapping pictures as was everyone else in this busy and worthwhile tourist attraction and actively functioning Buddhist Wat.
photographie-irie > Monks Taking Pictures, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chaing Mai, Thailand      Near the top of Doi Suthep west of town is a towering temple complex with commanding views of Chaing Mai and the beautiful and popular temple grounds themselves. While wandering the temple, these monks cordially cornered me to practice their English a bit, and then reverted back to tourist mode themselves, snapping pictures as was everyone else in this busy and worthwhile tourist attraction and actively functioning Buddhist Wat.
Monks Taking Pictures, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chaing Mai, Thailand     

Near the top of Doi Suthep west of town is a towering temple complex with commanding views of Chaing Mai and the beautiful and popular temple grounds themselves. While wandering the temple, these monks cordially cornered me to practice their English a bit, and then reverted back to tourist mode themselves, snapping pictures as was everyone else in this busy and worthwhile tourist attraction and actively functioning Buddhist Wat.
See photo in original gallery.
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