Aquatics Cambodia: Cambodia - the Kingdom of Wonder!

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Cambodia - the Kingdom of Wonder!

Cambodia – the Kingdom of Wonder!

Panorama of HM King Norodom Sihanouk Monument in Phnom Penh

His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk Monument in Phnom Penh

Independence Monument at night in Phnom Penh

Panorama of Independence Monument at night in Phnom Penh

Angkor Wat

Khmer Ballet: Apsara Dance

Khmer Ballet

Khmer Ballet: Apsara Dance

Apsaras in Angkor Wat: this how Apsaras looked in reality in ancient times

Khmer Shadow Theatre

Cambodian Traditional Musical Instruments

Angkor Wat at night...

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat: Sunset...

General plan of Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat

Buddhist Monks in Bayon Temple

Buddhist Monk in Cambodian Temple

Buddhist Monk in Ta Prohm Temple

Bayon Temple

Angkor Thom Temple

Ta Prohm Temple

Baphuon Temple, Siem Reap

This temple was built in the middle of 11th century during the reign of King Udayadityavarman II (1050 – 1066 A.D.) and was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It is a Temple Mountain, which represents Mount Meru, the home of the gods in Hinduism.

Neak Pean temple

The beauty of monsoonal season at the late 12th - early 13th century Neak Pean temple or Island temple.
Neak Pean temple ( ប្រាសាទនាគព័ន្ធ) is one of the 102 hospitals which were built and funded by the King Jayavarman VII and one of the 4 reservoirs in Angkor empire. It was a sacred island that built in the middle of a reservoir which is also the man-made lake and it represents an artificial island which has name Anavatapta in Sanskrit, measuring 350 meters in each side. Some of historians believe that the Neak Pean temple and sacred pond represents the Anavatapta which is the lake lying at the center of the world, according to Buddhist cosmological view and some of historians believe that it represents Himalaya Mountain which has 4 rivers, whose waters are thought to cure all the illness etc.

In Kulen Mountain, Siemreap Province: Steps to the One of the World Biggest Statues of the Lying Buddha

Rice Fields in Cambodia

Cambodia is an agricultural country and agriculture contributes to more than half of the country’s economy with rice being the leading agricultural product for export. There are 3 types of rice planted here in Cambodia: wet-season rice, dry-season rice, and deepwater rice (or floating rice).

Starts from Sep till late Dec is the harvest rice crops season in Cambodia

In Cambodian countryside

In Cambodian countryside

Fresh sugar palm-juice

Fresh sugar palm-juice in front of Angkor Wat temple, for a glass costs 50 сents only.

In Cambodian countryside during flooding

Heavy rains still can cause severe flooding in Phnom Penh

In Phnom Penh after heavy tropical rain

Irrawaddy dolphin in Mekong river, Cambodia

The freshwater dolphins that live along the Mekong River in Cambodia are Irrawaddy dolphins, named after the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar where most of these dolphins reside. They can be seen at Kampi Resort in Kratié province, where you can take a boat ride to the deep water and you can see them closely. They are most active in the early morning hours (around 6 a.m.) and the late afternoon and early evening hours.

Unfortunately, they are being threatened and classified as endangered species in Cambodia because there are only a few of them left due to waterway transportation, illegal fishing, water pollution, etc.