Temples, temples, mines and grenades, temples, rain, temples etc.

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Our guidebook had told us that to only spend one day at the temples of Angkor was 'sacrilege'. Despite fears that we would be all 'templed-out' after just one day of touring, we put our faith in LP and decided to spend a second day around the sights. Touring with a guide and a driver certainly wasn't cheap; perhaps for a family, but not for two. We'd booked to spend a full day of touring, but decided that we would rather spend a half-day touring as this was more cost-effective. Ultimately, this turned out to be a good decision, however an extra hour or so would have given us a little time to see Preah Khan, another Angkorian temple which Elana had particularly wanted to see.

Our guide (the same guy as yesterday, called Sam) met us at the far more earthly hour of 1pm and we were on our way in no time to visit a few more temples. The highlight was to be the Pink Temple (AKA: Banteay Srei), so called because it is cut from stone of a pinkish hue. Feminists among you will be pleased to read that Banteay Srei translates as 'Citadel of the Women' apparently because the carvings there are so elaborate, that they cannot possibly have been completed by the hand of a man! We also wanted to see Pre Rup, Banteay Samre, and Preah Khan (see above).

En route to the Pink Temple, we first stopped at Pre Rup, a hindu temple which some think used to function as an early royal crematorium. Later, I encouraged Elana to join me in visiting the Cambodia Landmine Museum. Established by a chap called Aki Ra, he used to lay mines as a child soldier fighting for the Khmer Rouge but now devotes his time clearing mines himself, he claims to have personally deactivated over 50,000 mines, previously using only a penknife and stick, a method we saw demonstrated in a lengthy video at the museum. His story is uplifting and inspiring as his museum also functions as a 'community' for 29 children who were found either on the streets or missing limbs from ordnance. The museum was interesting as it brought home the problem that Cambodia faces in demining the country, as it is one of the most mined areas in the world. It is said that every 5 minutes, one child dies and another is seriously wounded by a mine somewhere in Cambodia, some of which have lain undiscovered since the time of the KR.

Banteay Srei finally came into view. Well, its car park did. This temple complex was the first major one to be restored and had the most modern facilities, such as a car park! LP described it as 'wonderfully well preserved', and that certainly seemed to be the case, although "lovingly restored" is perhaps more appropriate for the cynic among you. The most impressive feature of the temple was the 3 main towers, which were decorated with the most intricate of carvings telling religious Hindu stories. This was impressive, but no different to the rest of the temple, as almost every inch was covered in the most precise carvings. Most amusing was the story of a gentleman called Andre Malraux, a struggling author, who in 1923 was arrested in Phnom Penh for trying to steal several statues from the Pink Temple. In ironic fashion, he was later appointed by Charles de Gaulle as Minister of Culture!

Having left Banteay Srei, we moved on to another Banteay. This time to Banteay Samre, which dates from the same period as the stunning Angkor Wat. As soon as we had stepped out of the car, we were accosted by 4 young Khmer girls, no older than 10, who tried to flog us scarves and other useless items. They were extremely talkative and friendly, asking where we came from and our names, enjoying the opportunity to practise their english whilst trying to cajole us into purchasing their wares. I managed to get them to pose for a photograph, which I'll try to upload, but will otherwise show when I return. It was here that we experienced our first real rain shower (we had been caught in a minor one earlier at Srei, but that didn't really count)- I have never felt rain like that in the UK (so I'll put up and shut up next time it drizzles). It didn't stop for at least an hour and but for umbrellas provided by Sam, we'd have been completely drenched.

The return to the car was perhaps the one negative point of the day. As soon as they saw our umbrellas, the young girls from earlier ran toward us yelling, "Elana, Michael, you promised you would buy something from us!", before fighting over which girl we'd 'promised' to buy from (I'd only said maybe earlier as I felt guilty). Possibly because it was raining, possibly because I felt guilty, and probably just to halt their bickering, I produced a dollar or two and purchased their items. Looking back, I wish that I had bought them something tangible, as the girls are likely never to see the money again.

Upon our return to the hotel, we bade goodbye to Sam, with whom we had spent the afternoon asking all sorts of questions about Khmer life- even discussing what noises Khmer dogs, cows, and chickens make, which we all found amusing (although Elana was most likely laughing at my ridiculous impersonations). I felt sad to part ways with the guide; I'd made an acquaintance, had a laugh, and been given a glimpse into the lives of ordinary Khmers.

As I head into the final night of my time here in Siem Reap, I can write that my experience has been so much better than I had initially expected. I had been warned largely of malaria and scams. Instead, those locals who we did come into contact with were friendly toward us and nothing other than charming. Children, especially, often waved and smiled and my impression, at least of Siem Reap, is a positive and hopefully long-lasting one of a city teeming with history and life.

Michael

P.S. Apologies for the lack of photos. We are yet to find a PC with an SD Card reader, but will keep on searching (at this rate, in vain).

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