Remember those paper dolls that you used to get, and you would design clothing for them by wrapping material around the card-board cut out?
This buddah in Kampang Phet, Thailand had been dressed up for a royal visitor.
This buddha found in Oudon (a formal capital of Cambodia situated just north of Phnom Penh) was made to honor a great soldier and commander. He was not king, he was not royalty but he was an excellent strategist. It is said that it is the only buddha to be made to a lay person. You can see the 5 stars on his chest there.
Also at Oudon is a room which aims to have 5000 buddhas donated to it... they are sitting on around 4000 and accept any further generous donations of buddhas.
Kampang Phet, Thailand. Need I say more?
This Buddha on Bokor Mountain, Cambodia is almost as preposterous as the large Casino which is being build 500 metres away. Bokor mountain was a HQ for Khmer Rouge and is held with some mystique by Cambodians that haven't been there. They think it is supposed to be like paradise. Advertised as an abandoned town to tourists, this unremarkable site is now going to become a slough pit if the 14 year plan to complete the casino and a small town of hotels goes ahead. The casino is targeted at the wealthy Thai's (and others) who are not allowed to gamble in their own country.
Some dude (in 1958) built a sculpture park of Buddha's in an attempt to depict a merger between Hinduism and Buddhism. A fascinating place with some great sculptures, but it almost felt like a space where everything had been crammed. It was though some one had looked in a 'sculpture-world' (a subsidiary of toy-world) bought everything in the shop and then plonked them on a patch of grass for everyone to play with. This is just outside of Vientiane, Loas.
15km north of Vang Vieng, Loas, they like to hide their Buddha's in caves. Who could blame them? the cave network here is pretty impressive!
This little fella was found in Wat Zieng Thong, Laung Prabang, Loas. Laung Prabangrabang seems to be a very famous area for monks to hang out... people come from all over the world to feed the monks in Laung Prabang.
These Buddhas seem to be a family...
Located in Prasat Kuh Nokor, just south of Kampong Thom city.
The story goes, that during a famine in Lampang there was some rich-lady-noble-person that gave a strangely shaped water melon to a monk one morning. The monk opened it and found a large green emerald, he then carved the emerald into the shape of a Buddha. The towns people thought he'd got the emerald by using his manly charms, ie. they thought he was a giggilo and she was a slut (famine will do that to ya apparently). They slaughtered them both, then in realizing their mistake (the noble woman was noble and not a dirty whore) they enshrined this buddha in one of the most glorious Wats Chang mai has to offer; Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.
This Buddha is found on top of Phnom Da, Takeo, Cambodia. They reckon it has lasted since the first millennium BC and survived a US bomb when the Viet Cong used it as a hide out. Phnom Da is just 8km from Vietnam and affords a wonderful view of the Mekong Delta.
Yes, I would be smug too if I was allowed to hang out at one of the worlds most beautiful Wats (Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chang Mai, Thailand). I'm sure this marble structure has been witness to alot in it's time.
DRIVE THRU BUDDHALocated conveniently on the side of the road, this Buddha is available for all your last minute buddha needs. It's almost as if it were a better place for a service station that a statue!
PEEK-A-BOO BUDDHAJust when you think you have Buddha hunting down-pat, they go and hide behind power poles when you press the button. Apparently Buddha's are best hunted from a stationary position and not whilst rolling past on bicycles!
The largest Buddha we found, it was in Thai Land on the road between Chang Mai and Lam Prabang. This Buddha happened to be a female! The largest and one of the most facinating Buddhas found; I almost think this might be my favorite.
