Facing each other across the Chao Phraya River, in Ayuthaya, Thailand, two temples present a stark historical contrast. Wat Tha Ka Rong is a bustling modern complex, something between a strip mall and a church. A stone’s throw away is Wat Chaiwattanarm, a crumbling ruin dating from the early 17th century. (Top photo: what…
…There is a vertiginous weight about the structures. Passing through the gates into the temple enclosure, struggling up the endless steep stairways, I am acutely aware of the intention of Angkor’s architects: impress the bollocks off people – make them feel very small… Me and J-man get on the slow train out of Bangkok. Actually,…
…The highlight of the tour is the brothel, and the famous phallus stone. It’s not too clear what the stone’s purpose was, but it is leeringly suggested by the guide to be a sort of bench mounted dildo… It’s a typically hot and sunny, Moroccan autumn day. From the foot of the hill I can see…