Gosh is it hot, over 100F....we drive 20 miles to visit "Banteay Srey"" ---Citadel of Woman. Cambodians, according to our guide, hold women in high esteem. Woman is represented by the Lotus flower and in the Hindu version of Adam and Eve; woman is created before man and gives birth to the human race. The Hindu Gods aided by the sea serpent "Naga" churn the earth's milk (oceans) and when land appears their is the lotus flower representing the human race and the elephant as the 1st animal on earth. The 1st picture shows a woman riding a 3 headed elephant...underneath is a god devouring the moon...3 stupa like towers represent the Hindu Trinity...
After "Banteay Srey" we visit the Cambodian Land Mine museum which is supported as a NGO by the Australia government. 10,000s of land mines of various sizes, shapes and destructive power are spread throughout Cambodia. The VN war, Khmer Rouge regime and invasion by Viet Nam to destroy Pol Pot in the 1980s seeded this country with these destructive mines. A former Pol Pot soldier, Aki Ra, took it upon himself to develop an organization of locals to begin the process of finding and destroying mines. His work gained strength and now his foundation works across all of Cambodia. As you visit Cambodia, you see many people in wheelchairs, missing limbs, blind, etc...most injuries caused by the mines….. it is not safe to walk the Cambodian country-side in many areas. Check the Internet site for further information … www.landmine-relief-fund.com.
Last Temple visit of the day, Pre Rup. The purpose of visit is to watch the sunset over the Angkor Wat complex. We arrive at 5:15 PM...it is very hot, over 90F, sticky and we are exhausted...we must of walked 8 miles today...the temple areas are very large, with rough paths and steep steps leading to the upper levels of many of the temples. The sunset was OK with a hole in a large cloud that allowed the sun to peer through. I purchased a book on Angkor Wat with many, many pictures. The walk back down the stairs was a treacherous exercise. As we were approaching our bus, a group of kids approached us selling whistles, Jewish harps, books and post cards. Since I already had my books, I purchased some whistles....there was this young girl, about 5years-old, who was selling postcards...when I purchased 10 postcards for $1, her face lit up like a Christmas tree...all for $1....
After the picture taking, it was back the hotel for a much needed shower, change of clothes and shave. The dinner tonight was special because Elizabeth, a member of group, was celebrating her birthday...our guide, Thou, ordered a nice birthday cake and a bottle of wine which we all shared in.
Called my lovely daughter, Theresa, to wish her a happy birthday since today, Feb 28, was her welcoming day into this world a few years ago.
Goodnight...we are scheduled to get up a at 5:;15 AM so we can watch sunrise over Angkor Wat...zzzzz...am I tired...
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