Next stop was Banteay Srei, the most ornate of all the Angkor region temples and the one with the most intricate pink sandstone carvings. As our guidebook noted, the detail is astounding and each doorway, each lintel and every wall is a masterpiece. And it's been here since 967AD!
By mid afternoon we were sagging in the humidity but squeezed in one more temple on our way back to Siem Reap. This was the towering Buddhist complex of Preah Khan built by King Jayavarman V11 in 1191 as a dedication to his father Dharanindravarman. A big temple for a man with a big name. Everything about this place is staggering – it covers an area of 56 hectares and the moss-covered stone blocks in the imposing entrances, walls and roofs are enormous. Like Ta Prohm, it's been invaded by huge trees giving the place an eerie lost world feeling. Back in the 12th century this place wasn’t merely a temple; with over 1,000 teachers it appears also to have been a Buddhist university and sizeable city.
We saw a lot of Cambodian countryside during the day with palm-fringed rice paddies punctuated by settlements in varying states of repair the most common view from our car windows. We made it back to Siem Reap just before sunset and I was happy to collapse on the bed in the cool of our hotel room to rest for awhile. But indefatigable Chris was soon on her way to the local market with Susan, returning with more goodies for people back home. Later we dined at the Kama Sutra Indian Restaurant in the festive atmosphere of Pub Street, Siem Reap's main tourist cafe strip that bursts into life each night. A simple red plastic chair placed at the end of the street turns it into a pedestrian mall for a few hours. You can't help but love a place that can do that.
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