Girl with the red ruby ring

Beng Mealea is one of the temples that take some time to visit. It is an hours drive outside Siem Reap city on the way to Kulen Mountain.

The Lotus Pond Temple, Prasat Beng Mealea, was build around the same time as Angkor Wat, but nearly seventy kilometres away. It is near the sacred Kulen Mountain. It is a large temple, and the last few years it has been heavily renovated. The accessibility both to the temple itself and inside it has been upgraded as well.

Refreshing green season
We where a group of visitors seeking shelter for a sudden downpour. Visiting Cambodia in green season means some short downpours morning or afternoon. And this was morning mid-September.

A small bridge-like shelter over a small river leading into a small lake was suddenly filled up. By visitors in different levels of soaked. And their guides. And some locals from the stalls selling food and drinks nearby.

We were all under visual scrutiny by this local girl.

Whether it was the general appearance of slightly soaked foreigners, or the typical curiosity Khmer children often have, is a mystery. But she did a perfect pose for a portrait.

Potential World Heritage
The Lotus Pond Temple was added to the list of tentative World Heritage Sites in 2020.

To visit Beng Mealea you need a separate ticket if you do not have the Angkor main pass. A daytrip here will often include a visit to Phnom Kulen, the river, waterfall and the Reclining Buddha, and highly recommended the beautiful temple Banteay Srei.

And meeting some nice locals.


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Not to be judged by appearance

Khmer Classical Dance is intriguing and fascinating. From encountering it first time 15 years ago it really triggered my interest for the rich variety and historical longevity of the Khmer. Over 2000 year of cultural history, that is.

UNESCO added Khmer Classical Dance to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 2003, and reaffirmed the listing in 2008.

Informally the dance style is referred to as Apsara Dance. It is named after the female nymphs playing an absolute central role in the stories told in the dance. Apsara dance refers both to a specific dance piece performed by the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. But any dance developed and inspired by the dancing style including the costumes are referred to as Apsara dance.

The curious, clumsy monkey god
Hanuman is a monkey deity, or demigod, with roots in early Veda culture. His importance grow in the first millennia CE, and he is a central protecting spirit in Khmer history and culture from the Angkor era. Hanumans disfigured face is due to an accident as a young, curious child. He tried to eat the sun.

The symbolism of not judging anyone by their appearance, but by their actions, is not to be missed.

Reamker is the Cambodian national epic poem, based on the older classic Ramayana from Hinduism and Veda writings. But Reamker is adapted to Khmer cultural history and to Buddhism.

The story of Hanuman and the relations to the Apsara nymphs plays a much larger role in Reamker than in Ramayana. The Apsara structure and gracefulness needs a rougher contrast, Hanuman is perfect.


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Greetings from Granny Sampov

Somehow this elderly lady reminds me of some certain members of my family. Namely the ones who always wonders why younger family members haven’t called lately, and why they’re not married yet. With an added advice to settle down and start a proper family.

Met this not easily impressed lady macaque in the temple complex on top of Phnom Sampov, outside Battambang.

More than bat caves
These hills are well known for its bat cave and sunset departure of hundred of thousands of bats for the night hunt. But there is much more to the “ship mountain” Phnom Sampeau/Sampov than bats. There are several sites in the hills worth a visit.

Two larger monasteries with pagodas and stupas, monkeys and large caves are worth visiting both for cave fans and people of all parts of Cambodian history. The caves on this and the other small mountain hills in this cluster carry with it stories of tradition, happiness and deep tragedy.

It is worth spending some time walking these hills. For the well fit, there is an opportunity to trek the stairs and tracks up the hill. The fast alternative is to pay a driver to take you up to the sites by car.

Phnom Sampov is north-west of Battambang city in the west of Cambodia. It takes about 30-40 minutes by car to get there from the city.

Do not feed the monkeys
The monkeys are a part of the pagoda experience. These longtail Macaques are normally very friendly because they expect to get, or steal, food or items for play from the visitors.

Please, do not feed the monkeys. It reduces their ability to hunt and gather their own food. It may lead to malnutrition.

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Colourful food in colourful fields

Looking for bright colours is easy in a tropical area. But finding exciting colour contrasts are the real fun.

Along the small inlets and in between the rice fields along Siem Reap river down to Phnom Krom and the Tonle Sap lake, some local restaurateurs build these small huts on stilts in the background. A family or travel party can order food and drinks, and relax in the shadows with a view to this tranquil landscape.

It really is a soothing experience with the hammocks provided.

Or maybe guests can have a small walk pre or post lunch, just to look for colours, shapes, flowers or plants, and birds or other animals.

Alive or not.


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Now, that is a ladybird beetle with an attitude

This large ladybird beetle was a visitor on the plant next to me enjoying morning coffee in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

I consider such visits as a forecast of a lucky day. Well, I was in Siem Reap, heading out to visit the Angkor Archaeological Park. That is always a happy experience.

Lucky biodiversity
There are 15 registered variants of Ladybug or Ladybird beetles in Cambodia. Probably there are many more. Neighbouring Viet Nam has 220 variations of Ladybugs registered so far. And the nature, flora and fauna of those two countries are equally rich and exciting.

When it comes to biodiversity, Cambodia is a well known hotspot in Southeast Asia. And there are still discoveries to be made.

Like in most of the world, these Ladybugs are considered to be a sign of good luck here too.

Natural pest control
Unless of course you are one of the insects lady bugs like to feed upon, as they are natural pest control animals. Aphids, scales, mealy bugs, white flies, mites and thrips which often is a threat to flora and micro fauna can be effectively controlled and kept at an acceptable level when lady bugs are taking action.

They are an amazingly effective natural way of handling and reducing the threats from pests.

The family Coccinellidae is a large family of lady beetles. Globally there are 6 000 variants divided into 360 under groups.

And this one was on the larger side.


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The Ponhea Yat stupa at Wat Phnom

Ponhea Yat was the last ruler of the Khmer empire and the first king ruling the kingdom of Kampuchea/Cambodia from Phnom Penh.

The old Khmer capital in Angkor Thom was abanded in 1431 CE. The smaller kingdom needed an easier defendable city, closer to trade routes and waterways. This new Cambodian Kingdom was a Buddhist kingdom and the Hindu god king status disappeared with the Empire.

City of many names
After Ponhea Yat had completed the new royal palace, he gave the new capital the short name Krong Chaktomuk Serei Mongkol, ‘City of the Brahma’s Faces’. It refers to the four rivers that meets and flows in the capital area.

The full name of the kings capital was “Krong Chaktomuk Mongkol Sakal Kampuchea Thipadei Serei Theakreak Bavar Intabat Borei Roat Reach Seima Moha Nokor”. That is translated loosely to “The place of four rivers that gives the happiness and success of Khmer Kingdom, the highest leader as well as impregnable city of the God Indra of the great kingdom”

Several stupas
The main large and lesser smaller stupas contains the remains of the king and members of his royal family. His remains are kept prominently in this stupa behind the main pagoda in Wat Phnom. This is the central, artificial sacred hill on the southwest riverside of Tonlé Sap being the namesake and origin of the capital city.

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A bad frog day: Trade my pet for your camera, sir?

This young gentleman follow me around while I was visiting Preah Ko in Roluos the first time. After figuring out I was friendly, and being fascinated by my camera, he was offering a trade.

I had much more need of my camera than a highly annoyed frog, so I declined. He wasn’t that pleased, but his mom come over, preventing a possible meltdown.

Sometimes the care and maintenance crew from the Apsara authority bring their kids to work at the Angkor sites. Earlier it was common to use this as an opportunity to learn some English for the children, but instances of begging and worse has reduced this kind of contact in several of the sites.

Maintenance of the first temple
Preah Ko was the first Royal temple in the first larger Angkor capital Hariharalaya, appx 20 kilometre south-east of the more famous Angkor Thom city and Angkor Wat temple. The “bull temple” was honouring the Hindu deity Shiva, and was consecrated in 879 CE.

Three kneeling bull statues are in front of the main five buildings, and Ko/Go is a Khmer word for bull. Funny enough, “Ko” is the Danish word for cow, in Norwegian the word is “ku”. Making it easy for northerners to remember the name of this six tower temple.

For anyone interesting in parallel historic timelines, 878 CE was the year of the first unification of the kingdom of Norway under one king. This was the first kingdom in what would become the three kingdoms of Scandinavia today. Denmark got unified in 935, and Sweden a couple hundred years later.


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