More Angkor Temples: Banteay Srey, East Mebon and The Land Mine Museum
Banteay Srey is a late 10th century temple commonly known as the temple of the women. What made this temple outstanding and worthwhile seeing was the many different types of stone used to build it. Pink sandstone, limestone and laterite. These gave the temple a beautiful coloring. Banteay Srey is also small, and covered with the most delicate and intricate carvings of all the Angkorian temples. The colors are best before 10:00 am or after 2:00 pm when we were there. It's also less crowded. There was only one other group along with us...View image...
Norang Chap was our guide. Very personable and extremely knowledgeable. Norang is one of the over 1,000 guides in Siem Riep but if you are looking for an English-speaking guide, e-mail him at: chapnarong@yahoo.com, or telephone: (855) 12963492.
Banteay Srey was definitely a "keeper" among all the temples. Try to fit it into your Angkor Wat sightseeing. And, there was always time for shopping in front of every single temple...
Thank heavens our next stop was the Land Mine Museum...(not thank heavens for land mines but at least something different)...View image..., established by a former Pol Pot soldier who had helped lay the mines. He now devotes himself to removing the land mines in Cambodia. All purchases here would help fund the de-mining and you didn't have to ask our happy group of Explore shoppers twice. After we looked at all the exhibits, drawings and land mines, more stuff was added to backpacks and totes. I don't know... I deliberately bring old T-shirts to throw out and somehow come home with double the amount... but since it was for a good cause, how could I not buy...
Templed out by now, I was too pooped to find East Mebon, (late 10th century, a large temple-mountain) interesting...View image... with the exception of some stone elephants....
...and someone selling bundles of "sticky rice" wrapped in green bamboo... I happen to like sticky rice but Eak had said earlier, don't buy it along the road. Unless made fresh, this is guaranteed to make you ill.
Finally, dinner at "World Market Bar & Food" on Pub Street. Originally, went into Dead Fish Tower but didn't really care for the menu even though it is supposed to be a major hangout with music each night. Good food at World Market and a very sweet waiter. During dinner, the waiter bent over to Steve and asked, "Where are you from?" When ex-Marine (Steve) replied, America, the waiter bent over again and whispered in all seriousness...."I like Americans. They speak such good English..."
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