Monday, February 15, 2010

Lingering look at Phimai

Looking towards the main enclosure at Prasat Phimai, from the pond at the southwest corner
These are a last lingering look at Prasat Phimai in Isaan province in northeast Thailand, from my visit last October. Yes, it's taken me that long to post these pictures onto my blog. Next I will post some photos from the nearby Phimai museum, even though it was closed on the day of my visit. I was able to have a good look at the sculptures in the gardens but even with a lot of pleading, the museum manager refused point-blank to let me inside the main exhibition rooms. Instead she sat watching the television, eating some noodles. Gggrrr.
This is the public entrance to Prasat Phimai, cost of entry 100 Baht
A pediment on the main sanctuary showing a scene from the Battle of Lanka with Brahma riding his hamsa below a beautiful temple at the top
The immaculately tended lawns within the main sanctuary
A look at the central tower, or prang, from the west
The outer northern enclosure wall that is surrounded by the roads of the city of Phimai
The prang of Prasat Phimai as seen from the northern outer gopura

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posted by Andy Brouwer at 2:10 PM

2 Comments:

Blogger Andy Brouwer said...

In the photo of the ticket booth at the entrance to Prasat Phimai is a guy in a green top with a camera. As you arrive at the ticket booth he comes up to you and takes your picture without any explanation at all. Then as you leave the site after your visit, there is your face portrait, smack bang in the middle of a china plate, which you are encouraged to buy. A souvenir of your visit that many people buy. As i didn't allow him to take my picture, there wasn't a plate with my portrait waiting for me when I left the temple grounds!
Andy

February 16, 2010 2:00 PM  
Blogger Andy Brouwer said...

Also in the photo of the ticket booth, did you notice the ramp up to the pavement to enable access for wheelchair visitors. Visiting temples in a wheelchair is almost impossible in Cambodia but the authorities in Thailand have made efforts to allow access, though with all the steps you have to negotiate in large sites like Phimai and Phnom Rung, its still a really tough task for wheelchair-bound visitors. Though one of the ways in which the Thai authorities have helped the situation, is the well-maintained paths and manicured gardens that surround each temple.
I will look at Angkor from a different perspective next time I'm there, just to assess which temples, if any, allow access by wheelchair-bound tourists.
Andy

February 16, 2010 2:06 PM  

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