Diwali Break Siem Reap 3

Today I went to Kabal Spean, Banteay Srei, Banteay Samre and the Land Mine Museum.

I had three tours as part of a package with the hotel.  I assumed today was more temple, which it was, but I was in for a surprise!  We drove an hour and half in the tuk-tuk along Cambodian Country roads.  It was gorgeous, but I wan't able to take a lot of pictures due to the speed and bumpiness of the tuk-tuk.

We got to Kabal Spean and it was so nice.  I hiked into the Cambodian jungle for 1.5 Km.  It was really rocky and sandy.  At the end there was a riverbed with carvings in it.   When I got back, I grabbed a Fanta and some Pringles and sat in front of fan.  I went to go find my rickshaw driver and he was sound asleep - they hang hammocks in the rickshaws - way more comfortable than the way drivers sleep in Indian rickshaws.

Carvings in the river bed

Banteay Srei  is called citadel of beauty or citadel of women and has very intricate carvings. 

The last temple I went to was Banteay Samre.  I gave my Pringles to the little girls selling stuff.  I am so glad that I have a job I like and that I don't have to go around following tourists all day yelling "$3 for you"  "special price for you"  "You think about it and come back later"  I try to not be too annoyed because I know they are just trying to make a living.  

The Cambodia Land Mine Museum  The Cambodian Landmine Museum was established in 1997 by Aki Ra who is an ex-child soldier.  Land mines and unexploded ordinances are still a big problem in Cambodia.  The Khmer Rouge left behind a lot of land mines and the US dropped loads of bombs during the Vietnam War and some of them didn't explode and are still causing damage to farmers, etc.