A weird and wonderful Wat we found on our way upto to Phayao in Northern Thailand
A weird and wonderful Wat we found on our way upto to Phayao in Northern Thailand
In 2013 i was in Cambodia as part of my bigger Central and SEA tour for just over a year. In Battambang I took what is fondly referred to as “The Bamboo Train”, their proper name is a Norry or Nori and can get upto speeds of 50kmh. It certainly felt like it!!
Norries have low fares, and are frequent and relatively fast, so they are popular despite their rudimentary design, lack of brakes, the state of the rails (often broken or warped) and the lack of any formal operating system. Its simple construction and light weight means that a norry can be easily removed from the track – if two meet on the line, the one with the lighter load is removed from the rails and carried round the other. At the end of the line the vehicle is lifted and turned.
A beautiful collection of the sculptures within the grounds of the Wat and the itnterior of the Wat itself. I visited here whilst on my way back to Nong Khai via Looei in The North East of Thailand
Bokor Hill Station in Preah Monivong National Park, Cambodia was built in the 1920s by French colonists wanting to escape the heat and humidity of the capital Phnom Penh. The main feature of the resort was the Bokor Palace Hotel and Casino. Because of the remote mountain location, building the resort was labour intensive and nearly 900 people lost their lives during construction. Besides the Bokor Palace Hotel and Casino there was a post office, shops, church and royal apartments. At the time of its operation it was known for its luxury and grandeur and was one of the crown jewels of France’s South East Asian colonies.