Travels with Tricia

A horse stands in front of Angkor Wat, in Cambodia.

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Photo du Jour: A Bejeweled Horse – Angkor Wat, Cambodia

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Tricia A. Mitchell

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The magic of Angkor Wat and magnificent Cambodian temples like Ta Prohm and  Bayon is all in the details: richly-carved female devata and apsara bas-relief figures, a visiting Buddhist monk clad in a tangerine-colored robe spotted amid the grey structures, a handsome horse wearing a bejeweled bridle in Angkor Wat’s fore.

I’ve been fortunate to have explored the awe-inspiring Angkorian temples twice — once in 2009, and again last winter. I captured the image of this horse in 2009, just after watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat, as it has for about one thousand years.

horse-at-angkor-wat-cambodia

Have you visited Cambodia’s Angkorian temples? What were some of your favorite details?

Where in the World?

Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.

Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar

About the author

Hi! My name is Tricia Mitchell. I delight in telling stories about my slow travels through more than 65 countries. Some of my highlights have included sharing meals with locals in Armenia, Cambodia, and Tunisia; sipping sparkling wine with French cousins in Alsace; milking goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village; and training with a Japanese mine-clearance team in Laos. My husband, Shawn, and I are based in France’s Loire Valley.

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14 responses to “Photo du Jour: A Bejeweled Horse – Angkor Wat, Cambodia”

  1. rigmover Avatar
    rigmover

    Oh it’s a horse, I thought it was this girl I use to know……….Just kidding, great shot Tricia, have a great weekend.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Mark, ever the jokester! Hope you’re enjoying your weekend too and staying out of mischief. :)

      Reply
    2. Artist Desiree East Avatar
      Artist Desiree East

      @rigmover, now, I have that song from Gotye in my head! I love this image, Tricia…so much beautiful detail in the headress…

      Reply
      1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
        Tricia A. Mitchell

        Desiree, thanks for helping me make that connection to Mark’s comment. :) Now it’s a playin’ in my head too.

  2. belocchio Avatar
    belocchio

    Now to quote a line from my favorite movie The Wizard of Oz – this is a horse of a different colour. V.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Such a classic it is! When I was in 2nd grade, my mother handmade me a Dorothy costume. I loved participating in the parade at school with our dog in a basket, wearing the shoes my mom crafted. She took her wedding shoes and adorned them with red sequins (and stuffed the backs so they’d fit me better). She still has them today, reminding us that “there’s no place like home…”

      I read that the horses in the film were tinted with colored gelatin to achieve their vibrant glow and that they had to be distracted from feasting upon the gelatin.

      Reply
      1. belocchio Avatar
        belocchio

        Love the story about your Mom making the shoes. I believe the movie is the reason I love red shoes so much. I started out with red Mary Janes when I was about eight years old, and now I have a row of shoes in my closet that are all red. Always a pleasure to hear from Tricia. V.

      2. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
        Tricia A. Mitchell

        What a charming anecdote, Virginia. A pop of red is always welcome, at home or in fashion. :)

  3. gallivance.net Avatar
    gallivance.net

    Hi Tricia, Absolutely awesome photo! You captured it beautifully. Going to Angkor Wat was the main catalyst for our second RTW. We were there last year, and although we went for Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm was our absolute favorite. The roots – those awesome roots flowing over structures blew my mind. All the best, Terri

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Terri, must admit that Ta Prohm was our favorite too. We found ourselves being torn that it was being restored so heavily. Of course, we want it to be there for future generations, but there’s something romantic about seeing it in its more natural state.

      By any chance, did you make it out to Bantaey Srei? I wish we would’ve headed there after all. Something to explore on a future excursion.

      Reply
      1. gallivance.net Avatar
        gallivance.net

        Hi Tricia, We ran out of time and were not able to make it out to Bantaey Srei, much to our disappointment. So we’ve already put it on the list for “next time.” The photos look so enticing. ~Terri

  4. In Search of Perfect Avatar
    In Search of Perfect

    Tricia, I am continuously amazed by your wealth of experiences!

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Indeed, I’ve been a lucky lady to have seen so much, Yulia. But, as you know, since you’re such a globetrotter too, when you’ve seen a bit of the world, you realize how much there’s left to explore!

      Reply
      1. In Search of Perfect Avatar
        In Search of Perfect

        I agree. The struggle for me has been to find a way to keep doing it – I am almost ready to make the leap internally, just have to figure out how to do it externally :)