Today marked the official first day of our photography tour. We weren't meeting until afternoon, so we took the opportunity to take a tuk tuk (motorcycles pulling trailers with bench seating) to one of the most iconic temples in Siem Reap, Ta Prohm. You might recognize this temple from the classic Angelina Jolie (yes at least one of her adopted children are from Cambodia) film, Laura Croft, Tomb Raider.
What makes this temple so special are the large trees that have grown over the walls and buildings giving it an abandoned look. Large stone blocks are strewn everywhere, more evidence that this has not been used in quite some time. While there is a lot of renovation work being done here, I doubt the charm of the trees will ever go away.
We headed back to our Cambodian home, the Shinta Mani Resort, for a bite of lunch before we met up with our group. This is a lovely resort that also gives back to Cambodia through a foundation that provides water wells and job training. I would highly recommend it if you visit Cambodia.
We fortunately already knew almost everyone participating in the workshop, so the introductions were brief at our group meeting. We then caught tuk tuks to make our first official temple visit. First we had to stop at their new visitor center to purchase our 3 day temple pass which will allow us to wonder freely through the vast network of temples that cover this lovely city.
Off we went to Angkor Wat for our sunset shoot. I'm sure you've seen pictures of this temple at some point in your life since it is really majestic and has been well preserved. You approach it down a long walkway with lakes on either side entering through a stone gate. The temple itself is an incredible site as you pass through the gate onto the long elevated ancient walkway. Climbing steps, you find yourself in the entrance of a series hallways, outdoor pavilions and big Buddha statutes. Monks walk the halls and also offer blessings to those who would like to donate. Tourist are there to be photographed against the backdrop of intricately carved reliefs. It's really an amazing place and something everyone should see in their lifetime.
We had our tradition group dinner tonight where everyone got to catch up since our last trips. It was really a lovely start to what I'm sure will be an exciting workshop.
Tomorrow: Off to the Circus
What makes this temple so special are the large trees that have grown over the walls and buildings giving it an abandoned look. Large stone blocks are strewn everywhere, more evidence that this has not been used in quite some time. While there is a lot of renovation work being done here, I doubt the charm of the trees will ever go away.
We headed back to our Cambodian home, the Shinta Mani Resort, for a bite of lunch before we met up with our group. This is a lovely resort that also gives back to Cambodia through a foundation that provides water wells and job training. I would highly recommend it if you visit Cambodia.
We fortunately already knew almost everyone participating in the workshop, so the introductions were brief at our group meeting. We then caught tuk tuks to make our first official temple visit. First we had to stop at their new visitor center to purchase our 3 day temple pass which will allow us to wonder freely through the vast network of temples that cover this lovely city.
Off we went to Angkor Wat for our sunset shoot. I'm sure you've seen pictures of this temple at some point in your life since it is really majestic and has been well preserved. You approach it down a long walkway with lakes on either side entering through a stone gate. The temple itself is an incredible site as you pass through the gate onto the long elevated ancient walkway. Climbing steps, you find yourself in the entrance of a series hallways, outdoor pavilions and big Buddha statutes. Monks walk the halls and also offer blessings to those who would like to donate. Tourist are there to be photographed against the backdrop of intricately carved reliefs. It's really an amazing place and something everyone should see in their lifetime.
We had our tradition group dinner tonight where everyone got to catch up since our last trips. It was really a lovely start to what I'm sure will be an exciting workshop.
Tomorrow: Off to the Circus
No comments:
Post a Comment