Ek Phnom

Back in November, Kevin, Rennie and I took a little bike journey to Ek Phnom. Ek (pronounced Ike) Phnom is a pre-Angkorean ruin just outside the main town of Battambang. I hear that it pales in comparison with Angkor Wat, which I have yet to set my eyes on, so I can say only this: Ek Phnom is freakin adorable. It's a mini-ruin, tucked back behind a modern temple and a huge statue of the Buddha, that most tourists never manage to see (a large part of the appeal). Parts of the temple are in the grip of the same trees with the gnarled roots that are so famous at Angkor Wat, only on a much smaller scale. The road to the ruin is charming, along the banks of what I assume is the Sangker River. Any visitors to Battambang should take the time to do this.

Here's a picture of the old temple in the foreground and a more modern temple in the background. The old temple is covered not only in trees but also in beautiful purple flowers.



Here are the trees, crafting their wily plans for stationary world domination...



Here are the boys, surely contemplating Shelley's sonnet (or else calculating exactly how many gallons of sweat we have shed this day).



And here is the largest Buddha I have ever seen.