Siem Reap - Day 2

Day 2 was a long day of sightseeing. It was the only day we were not able to go back to the hotel after lunch for a rest (and E's nap). The temples we visited on this day were clustered a bit out of the main city area. We were able to see: Pre Rup/ East Mebon, Banteay Srei, Ta Som, and Preah Khan.

First we went to Pre Rup and East Mebon, both identical in style. Pre Rup is a mountain temple built in 961 and dedicated to Shiva, the Destroyer. However, the name Pre Rup means to "change the body." This reflects the common belief that funerals were conducted at the temple. It was believed the vase in front was used as crematorium.

 

Next we went to Banteay Srei - a unique temple because it is made from pink sandstone. It was founded in 976 by two Hindu priests dedicated to The Trinity Gods “Brahma, Siva and Vishnu.” Banteay Srei is called "lady temple" and literally means "Citadel of Women." It is said that the details on this temple are so delicate that they could only have been carved by the hand of a woman. This is a temple where the exquisite and abundant detail is more impressive than the mass.

We stopped for lunch and had some amazing Cambodian curry and stir-fry dishes. I loved these cute coconut planters.





3 down, 2 to go for the day.

Ta Som was built at the end of the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII. The temple consists of a single shrine located on one level and surrounded by enclosed laterite walls. It has been left largely unrestored, with numerous trees growing among the ruins. Many of the carvings are still in relatively good condition.

The last temple we visited was Preah Khan. Although, it was 2pm at this point and E was beyond exhausted. She fell asleep in the backpack, so we took a quick peek then headed back to the hotel. Preah Khan means "the sacred sword," and was built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII who then dedicated it to his father. Like the temple above, it has been left largely unrestored. It was huge, so our quick peek really didn't give us the opportunity to see all that the temple had to offer.

Our poor, sweet girl was such a trooper this trip. But I'm relieved to tell you that when she woke up she was rewarded with a relaxing and fun evening. After some pool time with Daddy, we had a nice quiet, traditional Khmer dinner.

We ate a lot of curries and stir-fried dishes in Cambodia. It's hard to explain the taste, because even though many of the dishes looked Thai, Indian, or even Chinese... those weren't the flavors at all. Each dish had it's own unique flavor, and surprisingly none of it was spicy. The staple is rice, so almost all dishes are served with this. Our favorite Cambodia dish was fish amok - a fish, coconut curry steamed gently in banana leaves. It almost tasted like Thai green curry, but slightly different and not spicy at all.