010107 Wat Chom Khao - 07 view

Singha on guard duty at the top of the stairs:



Before:



After:



They never knew what hit them.

One could literally roll all the way down the stairs from Wat Chom Khao & the slope past the Lao immigration & splash into the Mekong:



Thai immigration at Chiang Khong across the Mekong:



Yellow + red shelter marks the cross-river boat waiting point, vehicle ferry to the left. Watching boatloads of backpackers coming ashore at Huay Xai - with their huge numbers, bandannas, sunburnt skin from time spent baking on the islands & beaches of Thailand, & big fat 70++L backpacks, the scene pretty much resembles a roasted Ninja Turtle version of D-day at Normandy.

010107 Wat Chom Khao - 06 misc

To heaven & beyond - banner offering for deceased:




Education for monks - Buddha & his first 5 disciples:



Education for monks 2500++ years later - secondary school:



Office:

010107 Wat Chom Khao - 05 that + bell & drum tower

That (stupa):




3 years later in Muang Ngeun the cat learnt that laymen pay in the range of ~300 baht per 'angel' statue to raise funds for the temple - white writing on blue base of each is the name of the donor:



2-in-1 bell + drum tower - unlike Chinese & Japanese temples that usually have the bell & drum in separate towers:

010107 Wat Chom Khao - 04 roof & paintings

Click here for larger version






Stencilled paintings beneath the roof:



Bokeo - the name of this province - literally means gem (keo) mine (bo hae), & there are sapphire mines in the area:



Under the roof of the front 'porch' of the sim are paintings of famous landmarks in Laos. Hor Pha Keo (Vientiane, upper left), the main Buddha image in Wat Ong Teu (Vientiane, upper right), Plain of Jars (Xieng Khouang, bottom left) & the Khmer ruins of Wat Phou (Champasak, bottom right):



Phra Bang buddha statue (upper left), Wat Xieng Thong (upper right), Tham Ting cave at Pak Ou (bottom left) & the Royal Palace Museum (bottom right), all in Luang Prabang:



Pha In (Indra) & Pha Phom (Brahma, with four faces) invite Buddha to share his teachings with people on earth:



Sword & spear - both paintings were sponsored by donors from Ban Huay Xai Neua:

010107 Wat Chom Khao - 03 more sim

In most temples the rear wall of the sim is plainly decorated or simply left blank, but not in this case:



On the left, Mara on elephant back attacks Buddha:



Mae Thorani in action:



Lotus flowers instead of olive branch:



Owl that looks like a koala:




Pretty little stupa:

010107 Wat Chom Khao - 02 sim

Main door of sim:



Four-arms steps on three-heads:



Ticklish:






Pillar:



Bai sema - indicating the position of one of the nine buried stone spheres marking the sim as a consecrated place within which monk ordinations ceremonies may be held:

010107 Wat Chom Khao - 01

First (hazy) sunrise of 2007:




Way up to sunrise viewpoint:



Wat Chom Khao Manilath: