Preah Khan and Preah Neak Poan
Banteay Kdei, Srah Srang, and Pre Rup. All are really sideshow sites in the context of the really big stuff at Angkor, which gives an idea of how stunning the place is.
Ta Prohm, slowly strangled by trees. All carefully state managed apparently, for maximal Indiana Jones effect. But what an effect.
The Roluos Group of temples: Preah Ko, Bakong, and Lolei. Some of the earliest of the Angkorian temples, they’re also rather wonderfully free of tourist crowds.
The temple of Banteay Srei and its delicately carved decorations.
The Jade Emperor Pagoda in HCMC is a weird little spot, especially compared with previous temples on our itinerary. It is very dark and the air is thick with incense, and most of the divinities, etc. are made of papier mâché. The Jade Emperor/King of Heaven is on the left-hand side of the top photo, but you can also drop in on the Chief of Hell (second photo). Bottom photo is some generic good bloke who defeated the Green Dragon. But he looks cool!
Within Daibutsu-den, the Hall of the Great Buddha, there is a large pillar with a relatively small hole, ostensibly the size of one of the Buddha’s nostrils. According to lore, if you can successfully crawl through the hole, you will achieve enlightenment. If today was anything to go by, this path to enlightenment is the preserve of hoards of schoolchildren, but I couldn’t resist having a go. Getting through successfully earned much admiration from the Japanese adults watching, and presumably the level of enlightenment common amongst Japanese schoolchildren.
We made the day trip from Kyoto to Nara to check out Tōdai-ji and its celebrated Great Buddha. It really is a bloody big Buddha, and it is housed in the largest wooden building in the world along with assorted scary statues, one of which is rather incongruously holding a calligraphy scroll and brush. We also couldn’t resist contributing ¥1000 to the temple restoration fund, seeing as we got to inscribe our own tile and, apparently, gain eternal happiness.
The Kiyomizu Temple is another place where they pack the tourists in by the bus load. But crowds notwithstanding, it’s beautifully situated in the eastern hills overlooking Kyoto, and thus a lovely place to watch the sunset.
Verdant moss, soaring bamboo, sparse desert shrubs, pine trees so ancient and pruned they have to be propped up, perfectly raked gravel studded with granite boulders: stunning gardens in temples at the Daitoku-Ji complex.