Siem Reap – Travels With Tricia

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.

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”

Learning the Fine Art of Sericulture & Weaving on a Cambodian Silk Farm

Bobbins of orange, cream, and fuchsia silk inside a drawer at a silk farm near Siem Reap, Cambodia

“With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.” Proverb Throughout Cambodia, marketplace stalls overflow with mounds of beautiful shimmering silk. There’s everything from scarves and chic purses, to fabric designed for tailor-making shirts, dresses, and jackets. As someone who is often tempted by handcrafted accessories, I was eager to learn more aboutContinue reading “Learning the Fine Art of Sericulture & Weaving on a Cambodian Silk Farm”

Photo du Jour: Smooth as Cambodian Silk

Green and white silk thread is guided onto a roll on a silk farm near Siem Reap, Cambodia.

For centuries, Cambodians have been making silk and creating woven masterpieces with it. Once the silk has been carefully extracted from the silk worm’s cocoon, it is washed, twirled on to bobbins, and boil-dyed either via a natural or artificial coloring technique. I’m not sure if the silk samples featured here were colored naturally orContinue reading “Photo du Jour: Smooth as Cambodian Silk”