A round look...

.... and a first experience. :)

 

 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

 

 



Baphuon

Baphuon - Angkor - Cambodia

The Baphuon is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. It is located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon. Built in the mid-11th century, it is a three-tiered temple mountain built as the state temple of Udayadityavarman II dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva but in the late 15th century, the Baphuon was converted to a Buddhist temple. The temple was built on land filled with sand, and due to its immense size the site was unstable throughout its history.

By the 20th century, much of the temple had largely collapsed, and restoration efforts have since proven problematic: a first effort begun in 1960 was interrupted by the coming to power of the Khmer Rouge, and records of the positions of the stones were lost. A second attempt started in 1995 by a team of French-led archeologists as of 2005 was still ongoing, restricting visitor access. As of November 2010, partial visitor access was once again allowed, though not to the central structure.

In April 2011, after 51 years, the archaeologists finished the restoration of the temple which was inaugurated on July 3, 2011.

Ta Prohm or Lara Croft Temple

Unlike most of the temples of Angkor, Ta Prohm has been largely left to the clutches of the living jungle.

With its dynamic interaction between nature and man-made art, this atmospheric temple is a favorite for many - who can't help but feel a little like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft (which was filmed here) as they pick through the rubble.

Construction on Ta Prohm began in 1186 AD. Originally known as Rajavihara (Monastery of the King), Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of King Jayavarman VII.

A rare inscription at Ta Prohm provides statistics on the temple's workers. Allowing for some exaggeration to honor the king, the inscription's report of around 80,000 workers, including 2700 officials and 615 dancers, is still astounding.

Sadly, Ta Prohm was looted quite heavily in recent years due to its relative isolation, and many of its ancient stone reliquaries have been lost.

Great trees tower above Ta Prohm, their leaves filtering the sunlight, providing welcome shade and casting a greenish light over the otherwordly site. Delicately carved reliefs on the walls sprout lichen, moss and creeping plants.

Some as wide as an oak tree, the vines at Ta Prohm cleave massive stones in two and spill over the top of temple ramparts. The effect is striking, especially at the strangulating root formation on the inside of the easternmost gopura (entrance pavilion). Another popular site is the "Tomb Raider tree" in the central sanctuary, where Angelina Jolie picked a jasmine flower and was sucked beneath the earth.

Ta Prohm is extensively ruined, but you can still explore numerous towers, close courtyards and narrow corridors, discovering hidden gems of stone reliefs beneath the encroaching foliage. Many of the corridors are impassible, thanks to the jumbled piles of carved stone blocks that clog their interiors.

There are 39 towers at Ta Prohm, which are connected by numerous galleries. Visitors are no longer permitted to climb onto the crumbling galleries, due to the potential damage to both temple and visitor.

Tak Bat - A venerable tradition

The practice of offering food to monks is most visible in Theravada buddhist countries like Laos and Thailand, where the practice sustains large monastic communities. They walk single file, oldest first, carrying their alms bowls in front of them. Laypeople wait for them, sometimes kneeling, and place food, flowers or incense sticks in the bowls.

Tak Bat - A Venerable Tradition in Luang Prabang

It's one of the most vivid images of Laos - from 5:30 in the morning onward, silent lines of saffron-clad monks walk down the streets of Luang Prabang to collect alms. The locals are there ahead of them, ready with bowls full of the Lao staple sticky rice; every monk gets a scoopful in their bowl. With almost eighty temples in Luang Prabang alone, this adds up to hundreds of monks, who take different routes depending on where in town their temple stands. The routes that walk through Th Sakkarin and Th Kamal are among the most viewed by tourists, although the ritual occurs all around Luang Prabang.

Each monk carries a large lidded bowl, which is attached to a strap hanging from the monk's shoulder. As monks file past the line of almsgivers - who are usually sitting or kneeling on the street - these containers are reverently filled with handfuls of sticky rice or bananas, incense and even money.

The best rice for the tak bat ritual is prepared by the almsgivers themselves. The locals wake up early to prepare a batch of sticky rice, which they then scoop generously into each monk's bowl as the line files past.

The ritual is done in silence; the almsgivers do not speak, nor do the monks. The monks walk in meditation, and the almsgivers reciprocate with respect by not disturbing the monk's meditative peace. For hundreds of years, the ritual has cemented the symbiotic relationship between the monks and the almsgivers who maintain them - by feeding the monks and helping the laypeople make merit, tak bat supports both the monks (who need the food) and the almsgivers (who need spiritual redemption).

The upsurge of tourism in Luang Prabang has endangered the tak bat ceremony, as many tourists approach the ritual not as a religious ceremony to be respected, but as a cultural show to enjoy.
Tourists often jostle the monks, breaking their meditation; they take flash pictures of the line; and they disrupt the ritual with their inapppropriate noise, actions and dress.

As a result, fewer local are inclined to take part, because they refuse to be part of a dog-and-pony show for tourists. Some Lao officials are considering stopping the tradition because of the deep offense caused by tourists'beastly behavior.(http://goseasia.about.com/od/laos/a/Tak-Bat-Luang-Prabang-Laos.htm)

Special moments

The heat was tremendous

so I had to go for a bath...! :)

Moments of complete happiness!

These are my moments, and.. sometimes (very few)... I'm on the other end of the camera.

Time spent with animals, beasts like this one, are absolutely unique.

They don't deceive or betray us, they do not know envy, jealousy or hate.

They are Special! :)



by: Jorge Vassalo

 


by : Jorge Vassalo





by  : Jorge Vassalo




by : Jorge Vassalo



by : Jorge Vassalo




by : Sérgio Rosa



(Luang Prabang - Laos)


Have a great WEEKEND!

People (II)

Siem Reap - Cambodia

Life is like a camera....focus only on what is important and you will capture it perfectly. :)

- Linda Poindexter

People (I)



Luang Prabang - Laos



Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty -

they merely move it from their faces into their hearts. 

~Martin Buxbaum

Arrepio no coração..

Siem Reap - Cambodia

"Para mim o amor tem que ter...

sensação de borboletas no estômago...

palpitação no coração...

rubor na face...

sorriso envergonhado...

arrepio no coração...

Aaaah... arrepio no coração...

esse amor é para sempre...

por muitas vidas..."

Autor Desconhecido

A vida no Lago Tonlé Sap, Camboja

No Camboja, perto de Siem Reap, encontra-se o maior lago de água doce do sudoeste asiático. O lago Tonlé Sap é um fenómeno natural que providencia peixe e água de irrigação a metade da população do país!

Este lago está ligado ao grande rio Mekong, em Phnom Penh, por um

canal de 100 Km, chamado rio Tonlé Sap. Na estação das chuvas o nível do Mekong sobe, fazendo recuar as suas águas pelo rio Tonlé Sap até ao lago. Neste período, os 2500 km2 de área do lago passam a 13000 km2 ou mais, e a sua profundidade passa de 2 a 10 metros. No início de Outubro, o nível da água no Mekong começa a descer e o rio assume corrente contrária, drenando as águas do lago de volta ao Mekong.

Este processo extraordinário faz do Tonlé Sap um dos mais ricos recursos de peixe de água doce do mundo e um habitat ideal para milhares de aves.

Ao contrário do que pensava, é na época das águas baixas que a azáfama da pesca é muito intensa. Com o nível das águas alto, simplesmente não há pesca, pois a dispersão do peixe impossibilita o trabalho; com menos água é fácil pescar. Assim, na época das chuvas não há trabalho (nem dinheiro), por isso nesta altura do ano (estamos no início da época seca) trabalha-se muito para tentar armazenar para os meses de escassez. A história da formiguinha é bem real!!

As aldeias e vilas em redor deste fabuloso recurso natural vivem literalmente dele. As casas são construídas sobre estacas ou simplesmente flutuam neste imenso lago. Toda a vida quotidiana decorre literalmente na água, com as canoas como único meio de transporte. Todos trabalham, até as crianças. O calor é muito e alguns descansam, deitados nas redes ou no chão de cana das suas casas. A arquitectura e "mobília" destas habitações faz-me pensar no nosso modo de vida, tão cheio de tudo.

A água serve para banhos e para lavar roupa e loiça. No meio do lago encontramos escolas flutuantes, cabeleireiros, mercearias e até uma igreja flutuante. Junto à escola, pais aguardam os filhos nas suas canoas; alguns alunos jogam à bola no ginásio, espaço preparado no topo da construção, protegido por uma rede.

O nosso barco "muito rápido" demorou 6 horas a percorrer o caminho entre Phnom Pehn e Siem Reap. Na parte mais larga do lago não era sequer possível avistar as suas margens.

Viajando no tejadilho, são 6 horas de puro prazer, não só pelo bronzeado mas também pela possibildiade de desfrutar de tamanha beleza.