Built to Last
Through the hotel reception desk, we arrange for a taxi to take us 40km out of Phnom Penh to Ta Phrom temple.
For a 12th century structure, it is maintained well amid its setting of flowers and trees.
Copyright Tan and Trev 2005
The guidebook says it was built by the King Jayavarman VII on the place of a sanctuary of the 7th century and near Tonle Bati lake.
Our pictures certainly do no justice to the superb sculptures of Apsaras and low reliefs from angkorian period.
Copyright Tan and Trev 2005
A horde of children descends on us the minute we alight from the taxi. They ask for pens “for school”. We ask why “why are you not at school now?” They ask for “candy”. We honestly tell them that we have none. They offer us flowers and fruit – which we decline as we suspect these generous “gifts” will involve financial compensation.
It is a slow day at Tonle Bati – and we are obviously the only tourists choosing to make the journey. So the children then decide to assign themselves as our guides and proceed to escort us throughout the temple, along the riverbank, to a the village Wat, and then back to the taxi – all the time chatting to practice their English.
It was a pleasant, low-key way to chat with the locals for about 90 minutes. As we head back to the taxi, Tan scrapes together a few odd pens from her bag and distributes a few Reil we depart.
Copyright Tan and Trev 2005
Copyright Tan and Trev 2005
It is only the next day, when we meet our Intrepid guide for the first time, that we discover how responsible our behaviour had been. Don’t foster a culture of begging by giving sweets to kids.
For a 12th century structure, it is maintained well amid its setting of flowers and trees.
Copyright Tan and Trev 2005
The guidebook says it was built by the King Jayavarman VII on the place of a sanctuary of the 7th century and near Tonle Bati lake.
Our pictures certainly do no justice to the superb sculptures of Apsaras and low reliefs from angkorian period.
Copyright Tan and Trev 2005
A horde of children descends on us the minute we alight from the taxi. They ask for pens “for school”. We ask why “why are you not at school now?” They ask for “candy”. We honestly tell them that we have none. They offer us flowers and fruit – which we decline as we suspect these generous “gifts” will involve financial compensation.
It is a slow day at Tonle Bati – and we are obviously the only tourists choosing to make the journey. So the children then decide to assign themselves as our guides and proceed to escort us throughout the temple, along the riverbank, to a the village Wat, and then back to the taxi – all the time chatting to practice their English.
It was a pleasant, low-key way to chat with the locals for about 90 minutes. As we head back to the taxi, Tan scrapes together a few odd pens from her bag and distributes a few Reil we depart.
Copyright Tan and Trev 2005
Copyright Tan and Trev 2005
It is only the next day, when we meet our Intrepid guide for the first time, that we discover how responsible our behaviour had been. Don’t foster a culture of begging by giving sweets to kids.
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