It is hard to put Bagan into words. Therefore, I will write what I can and hope that my photos can convey the essence of Bagan in place of seductive narrative! Bagan is home to 2,200 temples and stupas and is famous for its vista’s of these endless pagodas, particularly at sunrise and sunset.
What could possibly be so interesting about looking at a pile of jars on a plain? Well… they are made of stone, they are big, and there are hundreds of them! No one really has any idea why they are there and what they were used for.
“For what purpose, and by whom the jars were created remains, to this day, a mystery. There are, of course, many theories surrounding these ancient jars. Some theories are backed up by partial evidence including Madeleine Colani’s research in the 1930’s which concluded that the jars were associated with burial practices. Local theories include the jars being used to brew rice wine and, my favourite… that they were the cups of giants.”
Angkor Archaeological Park is an astonishing place full of ancient temples. The 400 square kilometre archaeological park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. The park is home to literally dozens of ancient temples in varied condition from complete ruin to well conserved. We visited many of them during our stay in Siem Reap. Four of the temples stood out, each in their own unique way. Angkor Wat is immense, Bayon is known for it’s carved faces, Ta Prohm is only semi cleared of the jungle that encroached it, and Banteay Srei is small, intricate and beautiful…