Cambodia – Travels With Tricia

Celebrating International Women’s Day

A blue bucket filled with yellow mimosa flowers sits at a fresh market in Croatia. The flower is associated with International Women's Day celebrations.

Today is International Women’s Day, a commemorative day that’s celebrated in different ways throughout the world. In some countries, the focus is on women’s accomplishments, whereas in others, it is a day to merely show gratitude towards women.

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

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

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.

Khmer Architecture in the Shadows of Angkor Wat

In Angkor Wat’s shadows, this pagoda is likely overshadowed by her formidable neighbor. But the pagoda’s stupas, Khmer painting, and intricate facial details are lovely – situated on a compound just outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Vignettes From Phnom Penh’s Riverside

A pile of lotus buds in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Carrying salmon and ivory-colored lotus blossom offerings, the Buddhist worshippers entered the crowded courtyard in front of a small temple along Phnom Penh’s riverside. Once inside, they left their spiritual contributions. The green, pink and white pile of offerings inside was apparently growing so vast that officials periodically tossed the decorated green coconuts and budsContinue reading “Vignettes From Phnom Penh’s Riverside”

A Return to Angkor: The Tree-Adorned Temple of Ta Prohm

A couple, standing in front of the Ta Prohm Temple in Cambodia, which is overgrown by trees.

Regarded as one of Angkor’s most atmospheric temples, Ta Prohm is perhaps best known as the location in which the movie Tomb Raider was filmed (admittedly, I have not seen it). The circa 12th century temple’s gnarly, towering trees are at times indistinguishable from the stone walls, pillars, and foundations that they are devouring. And the settingContinue reading “A Return to Angkor: The Tree-Adorned Temple of Ta Prohm”

A Return to Angkor: Exploring Breathtaking Bayon Temple

The remnants of two smiling faces adorn the Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom, Cambodia.

As you wander through Bayon Temple’s wedding cake-like levels, it’s likely you’ll feel as though you’re being watched — and indeed you are — by the 216 immense faces that adorn the 54 towers of this Angkorian jewel. Built in the late 12th century, Bayon was established as the temple for King Jayavarman VII. It isContinue reading “A Return to Angkor: Exploring Breathtaking Bayon Temple”

An Afternoon at Angkor Wat

Tourists walk toward Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

During my maiden (and solo) visit to Angkor Wat, I glimpsed the majestic Cambodian structure at sunrise. Seeing the inky sky gradually awaken over the site and then illuminate it with a shrimp-colored hue was a magical experience. But in the years since, I’d read that the sunrise experience had lost some of its luster,Continue reading “An Afternoon at Angkor Wat”

The Devatas and Apsaras of Angkor Wat in Black & White

Two pairs of devatas (goddesses) are shown carved into Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

The 1,796 female figures rendered in sandstone on Angkor Wat’s pillars and walls have weathered war and a harsh tropical environment for more than 800 years. During my first visit to Angkor Wat in 2009, I was struck by the beauty and individuality of these devatas, which decorate the largest religious building in the world. WhenContinue reading “The Devatas and Apsaras of Angkor Wat in Black & White”