A Quiet Moment

Copyright Tan and Trev 2005

Wat Nokor was an interesting place, with a strange mix of new and old.

Outside, the complex was surrounded by spire shaped stupas, most of them used for the actually interment of human remains. Our guide pointed to one and said it was filled with the bones of doctors and teachers killed by the Khmer Rouge.

The interiors of the temple were also interesting, with the walls and ceilings covered with brightly coloured paintings of scenes from the Buddha's life. The rich colours making a vivid contrast to the greys of sandstone and laterite outside.

These are working places of worship - not just jazzed up haunts for tourists. Even in our hour exploring the temple, we could see several villages shuffling in and out of the temple for worship (not just to chase the tourists, as was the case at Ta Phrom).