Cambodia Tapestries

A temple in silhouette in Cambodia

It was late in the day as we arrived at the Royal Palace in Phenom Penh; it wouldn't be long before the Sunset. Our timing did give us the advantage of having the place almost to ourselves. To help us around, we hired a guide to show us the highlights. This is an image of the Throne Hall, a pavilion-like structure used for coronations and other royal events. What an incredible building, so ornate and all trimmed with yellow and gold. The roofline is remarkable with tiered gable ends and spires. I really loved the snake-like points on the gables. The lateness in the day created an almost halo-like effect around the building, with the deepest blues approaching the zenith. It was quite the scene.

This image is of some lily pads and sundry other water plant growing in a pond. Where was a pond that contained such a multitude of plant life; well at Angkor Wat?

Bayon Temple in the Angkor Wat complex - One of the most famous ruins on the planet. Tell everyone you have been there :)

Buddha surrounded by lotus

Romantic nature scene of stilt houses in a coastal/wetland region

An Indonesian traditional blouse-dress combination.

An Indonesian traditional blouse-dress combination.

Indonesia consists of more than seventeen thousand islands.

This image is of the Baphuon Temple, which is in Angkor Thom, near Siem Reap, Cambodia. The temple was originally built in the mid-11th century to honour the Hindu god Shiva, but later was converted into a Buddhist temple. By the time of the 20th century, the temple had largely collapsed. What remained was dismantled, About 300,000 pieces were labelled and numbered. However, the records were lost during the time of the Khmer Rouge, so when the project restarted, it then took 16 years to unravel the 3D jigsaw puzzle and rebuild the temple. Today, it is a marvel to behold, being about 100 metres square and about 30 metres tall.

Bayon is one of the most visited temples in the vast Angkor Wat complex. The temple was part of Angkor Thom, itself the capital city of the Khmer kingdom, but was abandoned for centuries. Today only the most durable of the structures remain, but even they show the passage of time. That said, the ruins are remarkable and are a testament to the incredible architectural merit of the time. This image is of what appears to be a formerly covered passageway. A lintel remains over the portal, but otherwise, just the vertical stonework seems to have survived. But even in its ruin, it speaks to the power this place must have once held.

So what is this? The image depicts just a small sampling of the incredible array of bas relief carvings that line the galleries in Angkor Wat. Apart from minor variations, each character in the carvings is the same. Although carved about 800–900 years ago, these carvings have been protected from the elements as they line the inner walls of the galleries that surround the tiers of the temple. Angkor Wat is an architectural triumph.

Created on my trips to Asia

I was surprised to see the paintings of natural colors that the stones of the temples of angor take on. Green mosses, oxidation of iron contained in construction materials.

You need to get there early to see Angkor Wat at its best. The early morning light brings tranquility to this remarkably peaceful place. Of course, you are not alone. Angkor Wat is the biggest tourist attraction in Cambodia, it even appears on the national flag. But the place is so enormous that finding a spot without tourists is not difficult. The temple was originally dedicated to the Indian god, Vishnu, but became a Buddhist temple within a hundred years of its construction, which started during the early 12th century. This image is a westerly view along the first inner gallery.

Created on my trips to Asia

Within the wider Angkor Wat complex is Angkor Thom, which was a city constructed for King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. As a city, it consists of many sites, only the most durable of which remain. This image is of an open gallery in the Bayon Temple. I was really drawn to the wonderful colours in the columns. I hope you enjoy it as well.

This is one of the "face towers" that adorn the Bayon temple in Angkor Thom. The huge faces, 216 of them, at the various sites in Angkor Thom are often grouped in fours around towers. Each of the faces is very similar to any other, Scholars are unsure of who they might represent, a bodhisattva, Brahma, or maybe King Jayavarman VII, who was responsible for the construction of Angkor Thom. All that aside, when capturing the image I was really drawn to the power of these faces as they adorn the towers. The faces seemed so peaceful with closed eyes and gentle smiles.

This is one of the "face towers" that adorn the Bayon temple in Angkor Thom. The huge faces, 216 of them, at the various sites in Angkor Thom are grouped in fours around towers. Each of the faces is very similar to any other, Scholars are unsure of who they might represent, a bodhisattva, Brahma, or maybe King Jayavarman VII, who was responsible for the construction of Angkor Thom. All that aside, when capturing the image I was really drawn to the power of the faces that adorn the towers. The faces seems so peaceful with closed eyes and gentle smiles.

This image was captured within Angkor Thom, which is a part of the overall Angkor Wat complex. Constructed during the 12th century, Angkor Thom was the Khmer capital city but was later abandoned. The image depicts a doorway within one of the remaining structures.

This image depicts one of the wonderful bas relief carvings on the walls of the Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom. Although time has taken its toll, the statue is essentially intact, as are the wonderful stone-carved ornamentations that surround it. I remember having to wait several minutes to capture this image because of the constant procession of visitors passing by.

The View from the Window Seat

The remarkable banyan trees that grow in, around, and through the ruins in the medieval temples in Angkor are spectacular to behold. The structures, dating back over 800 years were abandoned at the time of the collapse of Khmer empire, and so, over the centuries, the jungle has retaken possession. These trees, enormous in size, have the most amazing roots, which snake over the old sandstone structures. The tree in the image sits right against the wall of the Banteay Kdei temple, with part of the roots passing through a window in wall.

This is an image of one of the the open galleries that line the outer walls of the Angkor Wat temple. The temple is enormous. Although we were there with many hundreds of others, it wasn't difficult to find incredible views, such as this, without another person in sight. Built about 900 years ago, it is an architectural tour de force, a remarkable testament to its builders, and today remains as an incredible engineering masterpiece. To walk through the complex is an awe inspiring experience, one that I won't forget. What I love about this image is the incredible depth; the vanishing point at the far end. Think of the engineering required to build something so straight, so square, all those years ago.

A fun design for Asian Heritage Month.

This is an image of one of the open galleries that line the outer walls of the Angkor Wat temple. The temple is enormous. Although we were there with many hundreds of others, it wasn't difficult to find incredible views, such as this, without another person in sight. Built about 900 years ago, it is an architectural tour de force, a remarkable testament to its builders, and today remains an incredible engineering masterpiece. To walk through the complex is an awe-inspiring experience, one that I won't forget. What I love about this image is the incredible depth; the vanishing point at the far end. Think of the engineering required to build something so straight, so square, all those years ago.

You will need to get there early to see Angkor Wat at its best. The early morning light brings tranquillity to this remarkably peaceful place. Of course, you are not alone. Angkor Wat is the biggest tourist attraction in Cambodia, it even appears on the national flag. But the place is so enormous that finding a spot without tourists is not difficult. The temple was originally dedicated to the Indian god, Vishnu, but became a Buddhist temple within a hundred years of its construction, which started during the early 12th century. This image is a view along the first inner gallery.

Official NIGHTMARE A.D. design: D-Beat Thrashing Chaos - Phnom Penh". Artwork by Mia Priest. Bandcamp: http://nightmaread.bandcamp.com FB: http://www.facebook.com/nightmaread

Siamese fireback bird cartoon illustration

Travel posters inspired by the most beautiful places in our world and off it.

Deep in the jungles of Cambodia lies the majestic temple city of Angkor Wat.

Kampuchea word in Khmer

This is a Khmer Cambodian young girl Chibi character in traditional dress. Her cute little smile can melt hearts of parents everywhere.

This image was captured near the top of the Baphuon Temple. At 34 metres high, getting to the top of the temple is a bit of a challenge. It's not that the 34 metres are excessive, it's the incredibly steep, very wide, and very well worn stone staircases that causes the trepidation. You have nothing but your fingernails to hold you in place, Those stone steps had, no doubt, witnessed millions of feet and so were not as flat as they once had been. The descent was best navigated by going down backwards. Back to the image, which depicts the wonderful columns and arches that adorn the top of the 2nd tier of the temple. With the temple being roughly square, these columns went around each side, with the remains of an old tower in the middle...

You need to get there early to see Angkor Wat at its best. The early morning light brings tranquility to this remarkably peaceful place. Of course, you are not alone. Angkor Wat is the biggest tourist attraction in Cambodia, it even appears on the national flag. But the place is so enormous that finding a spot without tourists is not difficult. The temple was originally dedicated to the Indian god, Vishnu, but became a Buddhist temple within a hundred years of its construction, which started during the early 12th century. This image is a view along the first inner gallery.

Created on my trips to Asia