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.


#hariharalaya #roluosgroup #temple #Roluos #Group #Roluos #រលួស #2011CE #879CE #angkor #angkorpark #angkorwat #annoyedanimals #architecture #Cambodia #oldcapitalcity #Empire #entrepreneurship #frog #hariharalaya #hinduism #Kampuchea #khmer #khmerboy #lolei #portrait #roadtrip #rolousgroup #SiemReap #Province #trade #visitsiemreap #visitcambodia #cameratrade #Nikon #NikonD300 #Nikkor #Nikkor24mm #worldculturalheritage #cultural #heritage
Somewhere to run to

At least this one is eager to visit the Reclining Buddha and get the monks blessing.

The entrance stairs to one of the most sacred places on Cambodia’s sacred mountain is often filled with people entering and leaving.

In ancient Khmer, the mountains were named after Indra, the king of gods in the Hinduist realm of Kambuja, or Khmer Angkor Empire as we call it today.

The Kulen Mountains is the mythic origin of the Khmer and Angkor Imperial culture and visiting and view all the sights take several days, or several visits.

But the visits are worth it.

https://drzinasia.wordpress.com/2023/01/07/red-and-chek-y/

#siemreab #reclining #Buddha #buddhism #stairs #statue #angkor #khmer #hinduism #cambodia #nationalpark #worldheritage #cultural #architecture #2018CE #khmerboy #worship #classic #architecture #garuda #Phnom #Kulen #recliningBuddha #cultural #craddle #Kambuja #khmerempire
Red and chek-y

Hunting red bananas in the woods The red bananas from Kulen mountains are a treat and a sweet surprise. They are easily available visiting the sacred mountain and cradle of the Khmer civilization. …

AskDRZ in Asia
Mommy’s shy little helper
Running a street food restaurant is normally a family business.
But even if mom is proud to show off her skills, the children may disappear in the background.
Or shyly hide.

Weekend picnic food
A weekend trip out of Siem Reap City with family and friends must include food. These stalls along the road or at visiting sites sells the favourite Khmer go-to food: grilled fish and BBQ-chicken. Often with catch of the day or the chef-mommy’s special seasoning or sauce as a bonus.
Then eaten nearby on a picnic mat with rice and cold drinks.
After which the holy falls of Kulen Mountains is visited for a cool and refreshing dip.
This can be a day-off relaxing highlight of an off-the-beaten-track trip. But this is Phnom Kulen, and during weekends it is a very popular spot for Khmer families to visit.
https://www.cantravelwilltravel.com/kulen-mountain-day.../
Visitors and tourists from out of the province are advised to visit during weekdays if they want a less crowdy experience.

#phnomkulen #phnom #kulen #phnomkulennationalpark #cambodia #angkor #khmer #temple #sleepingbuddha #siemreap #2019CE #streetphotography #streetfood #streetphoto #weekendtrip #khmerfamily #khmerboy #Phnom #Kulen #RecliningBuddha #Buddhism #chicken #chickenfeet #fish #khmerfood #khmerboy #khmerfamilymeal #kulen #phnomkulen #nationalpark #pork #belly #roadtrip #streetfood #streetphoto #streetphotography #temple #visitsiemreap #weekendtrip
Kulen Mountain Day Trip - Cambodia

Thinking of taking a Kulen Mountain Day Trip from Siem Reap? Read on to find out all you need to know about visiting Phnom Kulen National Park.

Can Travel Will Travel