A big adventure often start small from near irrelevant beginnings. This adventure started with the suggestion of a cheap holiday in Thailand, in March 1998. It all got out of control, I started doing research on places other than Bangkok to visit, the north and south seemed the places that Australian tourists go, so I started looking east and came upon a photograph of Phimai, it reminded me of Angkor which I was familiar with by name and image, the dye was set and the odyssey began. Before I knew what I was doing the adventure turned into an expensive twenty eight day four country start on a project which has been going for over sixx years and shows no sign of finishing soon. I remember very well the day we started our trip, late December 1998, five of us in a minibus, off in search of temples. There where only a few books published at the time, the Michael Freeman’s being the most note worthy. The tourism authority and the web provided maps that were sketchy the guide books gave the majors, but I was interested in seeing the whole empire. Now you can find the resources easily for Thailand but each trip we would gather a new book and some more temples, on the first two trips I think it was around thirty sites each. The first trip was December 1998 to Thailand’s Issan for three nights, the west to Maung Sing then a flight to Siem Reap for Angkor. Tourism was just getting back on its feet after the coup of 1997 at that stage and everything was in quite quaint and nice. Local guides, local guesthouses and locals generally were making the money, now its more companies. My memories of that trip are wonderful.

(pic: dinner of frogs with Miss Sella)

Phimai was the forth site we visited and the first of the major restored temples. We arrived just before dawn; to our amazement there was staff near waiting for us. It was just light as I walked up to the naga bridge, which signifies the start of the temple. I could make out silhouettes, of the lion’s and the nagas I walked slowly, I passed though the first gropura (gatehouse) the light was coming up slowly I could make out details, on the outside as I walked though the next gropura, the inner wall to the prasat (main temple), the light got brighter, she reveled her self to me.

(pic: Tom as fashion model)

It’s not often on a trip that one is confronted with two moments that are so moving that it make one’s life meaningful. I had others, like, watching the sunrise over the mittens at Monument Valley, hearing the mournful singing in Hiroshima on the 6 August, then realizing that I was standing on the bridge that the American bombers aimed for, and I looked up to see paper lanterns floating down the river with the “A-bomb dome” behind them. Our guide for Angkor park was excellent, he showed us various temples but we only had glimpse of Angkor Wat as we drove around the park. On the first afternoon of a big day, he took us to the front gate and we passed though maybe fifteen minutes to sunset, walked into the paddock to the right of the naga bridge, I looked up and I was overwhelmed, the hairs on my back stood to attention, my eyes swelled with tears, as I stood infount of Angkor Wat, in all her massive beauty, in the goldern glow of last light. The sunset and we headed out the gate before the crowds reached us. The next morning our guide took us to the rear of the building where we had breakfast waiting for first light. We then were able to ascend to be close to the gods. The most beautiful morning and there was just our group of four plus one other European and his guide on the temple. I sat for a while at the portico and thought language that seamed appropriate in an other age, one of grand adventure, an age less cynical and blasé.

The second trip was two years later, December 2000 to January 2001, which I concentrated on Thailand, based sites, as well as revisiting Preah Vihear. The third trip in late 2002/early 2003 saw a return to Angkor as well as a start on the Cambodian based sites. On this trip I covered four of the five sites I know about in Laos (where there is something to photograph) as well as a high loop drive in Issan in Thailand up to Udon Thani. The third trip happened quite quickly as income was ok and the apartment purchase was settled, in late 2003/early 2004. This was the great adventure, 10 days on the back of a dirt bike getting within 10m of the Thai boarder, up the Mekong to the last Cambodian town before Laos, on slow boat, finding the southern cave (well we tried for three had time to find one) and came close to the Vietnam boarder by very cautious 4x4. There were the last minute negotiations to use the 4x5 inch Sinar in the park (so many professionals with ‘blads and high end 35mm far easier the authorities don’t bother with). After this trip there were about one hundred and eighty sites photographed out of a possible two to five thousand. As this book is put together the fifth and 6th trips are organized, again in December Jan as its the coolest time of year in Cambodia and fits in with the Australian summer holiday. The 6th trip is going to be in April its a sixth day trip to Angkor to do more park photos and have enough photos for a book on Angkor Wat and another on Bayon. I would still like to go back to Koh Ker and do another major adventure around Cambodia, before the roads get even more dangerous. We often get asked “isn’t it dangerous?” to which my standard reply is “not as dangerous as going to the wrong part of any major USA city. Though I have to admit the roads and driving is scary!



It’s also with great joy that I met up with Sydney university PhD students who are working on Cambodian based projects, to find that I had collected information that helps with their projects.

(pic: Paul and Mr Slim, my tour guides)

On a project as big as this it is collaboration. I would like to thank, Martin my partner of eight years and an enthusiastic backer of this project. Tom who has been my cultural adviser, translator and guide. Phu our first guide in Angkor, Andy Brouwer Naoki Hatano for their net reports of finding the sites as well as company over meals when we’ve both been in the same town. Thanks to Paul Sheila and Mr. Slim from Cambodian adventure dirt bike tours, for making an exception for me and taking me as pillion passenger for one of the highlights of my life. My thanks to Kee and the staff of the golden banana Siem Reap my home in Angkor, and the rose hotel Bangkok by base camp. My thanks to the boy on Bakong you are the hope for Cambodia. To all the drivers, hotel staff, locals, amused restaurants owners and others who made this project possible, in Thailand Cambodia and Laos, my heart felt thanks. This book is in your memory, even though you often did not understand my fascination, nor could you ever probably afford to buy the book if it gets published.


(pic: Andy Brouwer and me at FCC)

I am planning to expanding this section out into its own mini site