09 May, 2006

0715 Breakfast of "Saigon kick start" coffee, croissant and mango at the Soup Dragon.
0805 Meet tuk tuk driver at the hotel. Load camera gear and head to main gate.
0825 Pay $40. entrance fee for 3 day visit. Head to Ta Prohm.
0905 Arrive east gate Ta Prohm. Negotiate through the post card and book vendors and agree to meet my driver at the west gate. On the way in I notice some children chanting by the side of the path. I stop and take a few shots and they disappear into the jungle. A guy approaches me and asks if i want to see the Buddha’s face in the tree about 300 meters away. He explains that between gate to gate is 600 meters and we are near the middle. He seems knowledgeable so I agree.
0924 Arrive North gate. Take my shots. A monkee with a chain around his neck comes down the trail. He seems agitated with my guide and starts chasing him and biting him. I become a little concerned that he is going to come after me next. The monkey’s master arrives and the monkey flees to the top of the gate. After awhile he is coaxed down with some cucumber and captured. I learn later that my guide had previously been hitting the monkey with a stick and it was pay back time. I end up buying a local 2-string violin that is made of hard wood, bone and snake skin.
0948 I head off to the sanctuary.
1004 Arrive at the Ta Prohm sanctuary. An early 12th-mid 13th century Buddhist temple dedicated to King Jayavarman's VII mother in the Bayon style. This temple has been left largely intact with out restoration, though now some work is in progress. Shrouded in jungle with giant trees and roots growing over the ruins, it gives an idea of what he early explorers must have encountered. I stay about 3 hours photographing the temple in both digital and infrared film. I do the customary donations to the nuns and give a prayer and receive a blessing. One guide takes me around and shows me exactly where to stand and what shot to take. It seems that so many tourists have done this exact same thing and taken these exact same shots and many more will follow. It all seems automatic but there is no denying the sereneness of this place.
1339 Arrive Kravan temple (10th century, Hindu, Vishnu) and stay about 20 minutes photographing before heading back to the hotel. I have another massage then an early dinner at Le Gran Cafe. This was one of the best meals I've ever eaten. The first course was a green papaya salad with grapefruit pulp and shrimp, followed by Duck Marget (liver) with pasta and mushroom sauce and a cream brule for desert. Back to the room to get ready for a 0400 wake up.