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Travel Blog November 2005 Page 6
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In November 2005 we set off on a trip starting in Western Australia covering Brunei, Sabah in Malaysia, Thailand & a brief visit to Cambodia. Whilst away we maintained a Blog for the world to see. Following is a cleaned up version of that original Blog - spell checked and with some trip photos included!
Phanom Rung Prasat Hin, Buriram
Getting to Phanom Rung Prasat Hin in Buriram province is best done by car as it is not easily reached by public transport.
This 12th century Khmer era temple is situated on the peak of an inactive volcano and is regarded as the worlds best preserved site of its kind.
Its a long walk up the many steps to the site which is marvelously intact and offers views across the province for miles around.
The site site is in the distinctive Khmer style with 5 doorways within leading to a grassy compound surrounded by stone walls.
Apart from the flocks of Thai daytrippers the place is undisturbed and peaceful.
Entry is 10 baht for Thais and 40 baht for westerners, another example of absurd double pricing applied by the Thai government at such sites. It is disgraceful to observe quite wealthy groups of Thai tourists gracing thick gold chains and Prada handbags paying
a quarter of the price of western backpackers getting by on the smell of an oily rag.
Put a stop to this kind of nonsense please, Mr Taksin, this is the 21st century.
We stuck around for sunset at this fabulous site then descended the long steep stairs and walkway back to the car park. There is a long row of souvenir shops selling the same kind of souvenirs you will find anywhere in the region so there is no reason to linger here.
Phanom Rung Prasat Hin, Buriram
Gambling trip to Cambodia
We drove to the Thai - Cambodian border check point at Kap Cheong - there is an excellent sealed road on the Thai side all the way to the checkpoint. Westerners can leave and re enter Thailand here with no need to get a re entry visa - you get another 30 days automatically on arrival.
Thais theoretically need a passport to cross and the Thai members of our group were initially not allowed to leave. Eventually the Thai officials mellowed and we walked the 10 metres to Cambodian immigration. Here the fun started.
Half an hour and 1000 baht later we had 1 month Cambodian visas and walked over to the free "bus" which transports you to the gambling resorts of O Smach, Cambodia.
There are two plush resort - casinos here, just 500 metres across the border. Gambling is illegal in Thailand so Thais flock across the border here (and at other points like Poipet) to these Thai built and financed resorts.
The currency used is Thai baht and you can indulge in poker machines, baccarat, blackjack, roulette and poker. Free coffee and soft drinks are provided and the casinos
are overstaffed to the point where staff members hang around trying to influence you to increase your bets.
I'm not sure how honest the games are in the casino as its a long time since I've seen a Baccarat dealer manage to score 6 banker wins in a row and clear the table of chips each time. However Cambodian casinos aren't the only ones adept at emptying your wallet!
Leading away from the casino is a dirt road lined with stalls and beggars and a wander through here led to offers of all manner of vices. There is a nearby lake and towards the mountains is the town of O Smach itself. The town of course is not as opulent as the casino resorts, which appear to bar Cambodians from entering.
Departing Cambodia cost another 300 baht - this was clearly just "tea money" as the "exit tax" was initially 600 baht but gradually decreased the more we dithered and resisted paying.
Wat Larn Quart - built entirely from bottles
A temple built entirely from bottles!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
We drove to Si Saket province to visit the little known but bizarre Wat Luarn Quat (translates to "Million Bottle Temple") which is
a full sized, fully operational Buddhist temple complex built entirely from empty bottles.
Beer bottles, Red Bull Bottles and soft drink bottles. Why build a temple from bottles? I can't answer that one but Wat Luarn Quat is an interesting sight and well worth the drive through the back roads from nearby Khun Han town to get there.
The complex includes a temple with Buddha image built over a small lake, a crematorium, monks quarters and even a water tower and toilet block, all built from bottles. A number of novice monks were busy working on new bottle construction and several monks were wandering about sweeping the grounds.
Watch out for the temple dogs - one had a good go at biting my right ankle until i returned the sentiment with my left boot and sent it squealing, to the apparent merriment of a passing monk.
Wat Luarn Quat will never be known for its grace and beauty but it exudes a kind of green glow as the afternoon sun hits the bottles and its form and outline is very much in the Thai - Khmer style. Who knows how this strange temple will be viewed by future generations and whether indeed it will fall to bits!
Ideally you need a local guide to find this place, although you could visit on your own by getting to Khun Han then hiring a Songthaew (bus) for the return trip to the site.
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