Tag Archives: Siem Reap

Yoga, Cats, and Meditation

Flashback March 2016 Pickup from Siem Reap by tuk-tuk. I meet Dianne from Malta, an ER doctor in Preston, UK. Upon arrival at the Angkor Zen Retreat Center, she reacts skittishly to the dog, insistent that Cambodian dogs are the worst. First impressions are tricky, and despite being skeptical about my accommodations I forge ahead.Continue reading “Yoga, Cats, and Meditation”

The Gateway to Angkor Wat

Flashback March 2016 Banteay Srei, the Citadel of Women, is a 10th-century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Built largely of a hard red sandstone that can be carved like wood, the structure features detailed reliefs and carvings. The complex feels like the Brooklyn Botanical Garden with landscaped walkways and pools of water.Continue reading “The Gateway to Angkor Wat”

Bodhisattva: Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm

The road to Angkor Thom passes over a causeway lined with devas (gods) on the left and asuras (demigod/ demons) on the right. The gates lead to the last Imperial city, where Bayon temple –most noted for the smiling faces of Buddha–sits at its center. The bodhisattva statues should be one of the seven wondersContinue reading “Bodhisattva: Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm”

Angkor Wat at Sunrise

Flashback March 2016 Day 3 begins at 4:45 am with a pickup from Sok Manea, a tuk-tuk driver referred by TripAdvisor and the web. We travel in the dusk to the Angkor Wat temples. The early morning air is crisp. The climate is duplicitous, I didn’t bring a shawl and should have. It’s cool inContinue reading “Angkor Wat at Sunrise”

Floating Sunset Boat Tour

Flashback March 2016 Tonight I booked a sunset tour of Tonle Sap and the floating village of Chong Khneas with its houses, markets, villages & schools. I am solo, with a tour guide and driver. As we begin our journey, we stop to admire a landscape vista of lotus flowers, a significant flower in BuddhismContinue reading “Floating Sunset Boat Tour”

Cambodia, The Kingdom of Wonder

Flashback to #soulstrengthspirit tour, March 2016 Tuk-tuk to the hotel. The streets of Siem Reap are filled with color and dust. Orange cloaked monks ride sidesaddle on the back of motorbikes. A cart filled with natural weave baskets, golden yellow bicycles. We pass the city center, the royal gardens, a foot bridge with a 7-headedContinue reading “Cambodia, The Kingdom of Wonder”