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  1. #1
    I am in Jail
    Mr Earl's Avatar
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    Earl visits Prasat Preah Vihear

    For those who don't know this is a very large temple complex in northern Cambodia on the border with Thailand, this where the fighting took place and why Thailand wanted to steal it.
    It is a complex of five temples stretching along 800m. They were built over a period of about 260 years between 889AD and 1150AD.


    I was up early and arrived on the site for the morning light and before any tourists showed up.

    The trusty little Daelim scooter at sunrise.




























    That was just the first temple of five!

    Thai border off in the distance, I plugged in my Thai sim card and made some calls.

  2. #2
    In transit to Valhalla

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    Go Earl, these threads are great, thanks.

  3. #3
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    Great stuff.

    I really have to do a bike tour of Cambodia.

    What's the story with you being there? Just a short hop over from the border in Surin, or a longer trip?

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
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    Didn't know the border with the Cambodia complex was open yet. For years its been closed. I was there ~7 years ago before they closed it and it was impressive. Impressive in that Pol Pot did so much destruction. What an asshole.

  5. #5
    I am in Jail
    Mr Earl's Avatar
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    I motored up there from Siam Reap with the Ride for Cambodia scooter charity.

    I gather that the Thai border crossing was just reopened some days ago.

    Yea Pol Pot destroyed much here, a real POS. Some of the guys I was with stopped by his cremation site in Ahlong Veng and pissed on his grave. The locals find this appropriate homage.

    Anyway back to the pics.

    I was lucky to be the only tourist up there that morning.





    the reservoir


























    And continuing up to the next temple

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
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    Didn't see a shot of that 150mm canon that Pol Pot used to have up at the top? Still there?

  7. #7
    I am in Jail
    Mr Earl's Avatar
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    Graffiti..























    Pol Pot rubble, foking scum










































    My guide was really good, he was always ducking out of the pictures. But some I thought good to have the human contrast. He suggested some of the good shots too.


















    At the top




    Still more....wheew!

  8. #8
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    Phuketrichard's Avatar
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    shot when i was there in July, looking towards thailand on left and Cambodia on right


  9. #9
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    Another spectacular thread, Earl.

  10. #10
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    pescator's Avatar
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    Awesome pictorial, mr. Earl. Thank you for doing the effort.

  11. #11
    I am in Jail
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    It was all downhill from there!




































    Another shot of the Thai frontier, very close.






































    there were once large columns.




















    and that concludes the tour, the road going up was worthy of some pics. next time I reckon....

  12. #12
    loob lor geezer
    Bangyai's Avatar
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    Great pics Earl. Thanks for taking the time to share.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee
    Didn't see a shot of that 150mm canon that Pol Pot used to have up at the top? Still there?
    Yes. Well it was in 2008


  14. #14
    I am in Jail
    Mr Earl's Avatar
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    ^That gun isn't there now. It was pointed right at Thailand I see. Probably the excuse they used to invade.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Earl View Post
    ^That gun isn't there now. It was pointed right at Thailand I see. Probably the excuse they used to invade.
    Lol yes you are probably right there. I visited in 2008, as the wife is from nearby Si Sa Ket. Great pictures by the way.

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat Bobcock's Avatar
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    Some lovely early morning light.

    Never been that way myself. How was the approach from the Cambodian side?

    I always thought the problem was that it was almost unapproachable from the Cambodian side and that was why the Thai's wanted control....

  17. #17
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    Mr Lick's Avatar
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    Some great pics there Earl, many thanks for the contribution.

  18. #18
    I am in Jail
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bobcock View Post
    Some lovely early morning light.

    Never been that way myself. How was the approach from the Cambodian side?

    I always thought the problem was that it was almost unapproachable from the Cambodian side and that was why the Thai's wanted control....
    There is a nice paved road now. But still not easy access. Most make a day trip out of Siam Reap arriving midday. I heard a car cost $70 each way. The road is easy. You can stop in Ahlong tong and piss on Pol Pot's grave! We stayed the night in Sra Em. Couple of nice tels, they had a quite good Khymer rest. Most of. my group elected to stay at a brand new place still reeking of fresh paint.
    It is 27kms north from Sra Em to the temple site. The last 5kms are very steep. I took a ride up the last bit with a local kid with a massaged scooter for the grade. I got there a 0700 before the ticket office openned and they just waved my on up. I was the only visitor until about 0915 when 8 met some intrepid frogs marching up in the increasing heat.

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    Thailand Expat Bobcock's Avatar
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    Impressive effort for a man of your advanced years......

  20. #20
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    Tickiteboo's Avatar
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    Fascinating thread Earl. Top effort. I went in October last year from the Thai side and could only get as far as Pha Mo I Daeng. So frustrating because I could see tourists up there through the viewing telescopes, but couldn't actually go any nearer myself.

    I'm back in April, so maybe I'll have another try, if as someone said it is now accessible from the Thai side.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee
    Impressive in that Pol Pot did so much destruction. What an asshole.
    Bit of an understatement boonmee, Great thread earl enjoyed the angkor wat one to, cant green ya mate out of ammo

  22. #22
    Newbie jobsworth's Avatar
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    removed

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Earl View Post
    ^That gun isn't there now. It was pointed right at Thailand I see. Probably the excuse they used to invade.
    Like so many interesting things in Cambodia they get removed
    for being politically incorrect.

  23. #23
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    Great Photographs,
    Thank you for taking the time to share.

  24. #24
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    I never knew Preah Vihear was such a decent temple. Thanks.

  25. #25
    Pronce. PH said so AGAIN!
    slackula's Avatar
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    Amazing stuff. Considering it was completed ~800 years ago and is still quite beautiful it's mind boggling to think how impressive it was in its heyday.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bobcock
    Impressive effort for a man of your advanced years......
    Earl's got about 20 years on me but his endurance thoroughly puts me to shame -- who else on here can post a travelogue of riding a bike from Alaska to friggin Ushuia and halfway back?

    Many may not agree with his stated politics, myself included on most counts, but having had the pleasure to meet him several times I can vouch that his travel tales are absolutely fucking fascinating.

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