More Temples!

My hair is down because we're just getting started - soon it will go up so I'll feel a little cooler!

Phnom Dei (the hill) in the background

We get to spend another day viewing ancient Cambodian temples.  Kimthet, our guide, starts us off with some scenic countryside photos.  As we pass through the village, he comments that the wires are for cellphone coverage - they're not for electricity.  The houses use car batteries to provide power.  That's how they watch tv - you can see the antennas on the roofs.  People aren't relaxing inside right now though; we see them working in the fields.

working in the field

The main doorway - with a line of people

Our first temple of the day is Banteay Srei.  It's over a thousand years old, and was rediscovered by the French in 1914.  It is made of red sandstone, which can be carved like wood, and doesn't seem to wear away as much as other stones.  It also ends up being the most crowded location we've been - quite a few tour buses have arrived.   There's a large line of people waiting to go in the main entrance so they can take their photos/selfies.  (It's kind of fun to watch the women preen once they reach the doorway, spending a couple of minutes fixing their hair while everyone waits in a line behind them.  Apparently if they arrange their hair before they make their pose it would be messed up.)  However, Kimthet leads us to a side entrance where there's no line.

It's a smaller temple than the other ones we've seen - it's tallest column is only 30 feet high.  But the pretty pink stone and intricate carvings make it a fascinating place to explore.

This is the only major temple that was not built by a monarch, instead it was a couple of courtiers who oversaw its construction.  It was originally dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva.

Some of the gorgeous carvings - see the birds?

Some of the statues have been been replaced by replicas.  Due to the popularity and beauty of the temple, it has been a victim of theft and vandalism.  Some items have been saved and are in museums.

replica statues

The temple's current name means "citadel of women" or "citadel of beauty," and probably came about because of the many dancing women carved into the stone or the smaller dimensions of the buildings.

the sanctuary

Of course, it's surrounded by a moat! We don't bike around this one.

I wonder if they purposely picked pink lotus flowers to plant in order to highlight the stone?

Our next stop isn't a religious location, but the Landmine Museum.  I wasn't sure what to expect, after some of the other museums we've visited during this trip.  But I ended up finding it very informative and interesting, though again, humans find way too many ways to be cruel and evil to each other.  It does help to educate us on how the landmines got here, who contributed to help clear them and how they are cleared according to international standards.  It also explains in detail how Aki Ra, a CNN Heroes Award recipient, has managed to disarm tens of thousands of the landmines in order to make his country safe again.

Coconut drink selfie!

We stop for lunch, which the tour company has prepared for us each day we're been in Siem Reap (there's not a lot of restaurants around the temple areas, and the food that is cooked nearby would probably not be appreciated by our stomachs).  We feast on lots of goodies like chicken stir fry, papaya salad, sweetened rice, and fruit.  Somehow we never manage to take a picture - it's too exciting to open our "lunch box" and see what we're having that day.  It's like being a kid again and finding out what your Mom packed for your meal at school.  I do have my favorite drink - a coconut!

Steve, helping to hold up the wall.

Then we go to Banteay Samre temple. The king built this one in the early 12th century in honor of farmers, since they provide food for the people.











There are elaborate carvings here, too. 

More quilting ideas...

Love the monkeys!

Carved over a doorway - this is kala, a mythical creature who represents time.  I wonder what room the doorway led into??

Where's the moat?

I think the moat around Banteay Samre has dried up!











Our last religious sanctuary for the day is Pre Rup.  It's modern meaning is "turn the body."  The story is that after the Buddha statue was stolen, the base left behind looked like the place where bodies were cremated.  During the service the ashes are rotated in different directions - the turning of the body (which is also when the spirit realizes he/she is dead).  However, no one was actually cremated here.  This building is also over a thousand years old.

Notice the stair height - they almost
reach Steve's knees!

We get to climb again!  Steve and I take pictures of each other while we're on the stairs, but I think it's really just an excuse to take a break and catch our breath.

Almost there!

The view from the top - the outer wall and lots of green!  Notice the edge of the platform in the bottom right of the picture - no wall or warnings signs about the 40 foot drop!

Ooh - my very own piece of ancient temple!

Steve considers taking home a souvenir, but decides he doesn't want to risk being caught and spending time in a Cambodian jail.  

Steve, with no temple pieces in his pockets.

Yippee!

Kimthet has a little picture fun of his own.  The guides have peach colored shirts to wear when they go to the official sights.  Whoever made the design decision was good with color - it's perfect at the temples because it blends in with the backgrounds.  When you have hundreds of guides in one location, you don't want to focus on them instead of the ruins.

We make one final stop, and I've been looking forward to it since I saw our itinerary.  We go to Les Artisans d'Angkor, to see local crafts being made and sold.  This is a Cambodian company created to help young people find work near their home village.  They currently employ 1300 people, including more than 900 artisans.  Kimthet tells us he worked for them for awhile, and currently two of his siblings are employed by Artisans Angkor.  

The demonstrations are well done, and it feels much more authentic than the ones we saw in Bali.  I enjoy the carving, especially the recreation of the apsara (dancing goddess).  I'm able to imagine what the temples must have looked like before time eroded them away....and pick up quilting ideas, of course.

apsara

close up of the apsara - look at all the details!

Artisan at work!

A few of the crafts even have stations so you can try it out (though Steve is disappointed they don't have one for the jewelry, where you work with blowtorches...).  Steve and I both see if we can carve the Buddha, and Kimthet directs us.  It doesn't go so well, though I pretend I finish one.

Really, it's just like quilting...not!

Ta da!

I have a lot of fun shopping afterwards, and we come back with several souvenirs...though I think my favorite is my very own 5-inch high soapstone Naga! 

My very own protector!