Siem Reap Dày 3 Even more Temples

It's our last day and we feel that we have only touched the surface of this region. Our guide has decided that we should go further out today to see the temples of Pre Rup, Banteay Srey, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean and Preah Khan.

Pre Rup, 11th century, this place was huge and quite a climb. Had to come down one at a time!

Our boys

The main reason for coming out this far was to see Batreay Srey which was beautiful. Built by the Kings chief advisor it was small and personal, and on much more of a human level. You also felt that he was artistic and wanted to create something beautiful as well as a little less grand.

He looks like he will burst into life and come at you with an axe, like out of Tomb Raider.

Toi playing the fool.

East Mebon, 10th c in the middle of a vast plain.with a huge man made reservoir which is now completely dry. It was a man-made island as was built as a temple mountain.

Ta Som, smaller version of Ta Promh

 U

Neak Peanh, small island temple. Very picturesque.

Lastly Preah Khan. Very ruined. They think it was a temple and university. Next to a man made Baray, or lake.

We spent the rest of the day stopping at the smaller sites,scrambled up huge stone steps. The were going to make sure you didn't find it easy to ascend to heaven, especially when you have short legs.

In between templing we had drive through villages and farms,seen the countryside and waved all along the way.

Some humble abodes, then a few like this!

Go to work and school.

Making a living..

We did feel templed out by the end of today, our legs were grumbling and we had drunk about three litres of water each. But we felt that we had done the place justice. Yes we could have spent another two days looking at more temples, and going back to a few to have a another look. But time had run-out and we were happy to go back to the hotel, and sadly say goodbye to our companions.

Oh and the odd elephant!

On our walks into town we had seen a small local restaurant near our hotel called the Crab Shack and decided tonight to have a go. The menu was in Khymer but luckily the BBQ chef spoke some English. We had a large place of seafood rice, gorgeous, with a place small Crab in Chilli sauce and a place of grilled prawns. Two beers each and it cost the sum total of ten dollars. Wish we had discovered it earlier. After that we went back to the jazz bar and chilled out listening to a singer for a couple of hours.

Back early to pack as we are off to Thailand early tomorrw. And the last bit of the trip. It's all coming to end so quickly.