A few unusual images of Buddhist monks during a ceremony at the partially-ruined, but still active, shrine Wat Preah Ang Kok Thlok. Originally an Angkor-period temple the Wat is located just opposite the southwest corner of Bayon Temple at Angkor and we just stopped in as an afterthought on our way back to the car-park after our Bayon visit.
Large seated Buddha image A very Southeast Asian, very iconic scene comprising of the ruined temple, giant Buddha statue and all the saffron-clad monks and so a tempting scene for anyone with a photographic bent. We did feel somewhat intrusive though but having checked with the monks if it was ok to shoot a few photos we went ahead albeit at a respectful distance and with a zoom lens.
Young monk near Bayon One of the monks we asked (pictured above) – just a young lad really – then proceeded to spend the next 5 minutes posing around the temple for our group until he was called back into line by one of his older colleagues. Looking around it then did occur to us that he wasn’t the only monk who appeared easily distracted and we especially liked the, dare we say it, somewhat bored looking monk sneaking a quick puff behind his enormous drum. (They’re only human!)
Smoking monk 
Drum master He wasn’t the only one either and we snapped these 2 guys having a puff behind the pillars.
Furtive monk 
Preah Ang Kok Thlok was visited along with its better-known neighbour Bayon Temple on an All Points East Highlights of Cambodia tour, overland from Phnom Penh to Angkor Wat.,
Cheers!
