Bob and Ann in Cambodia 2006

Sunrise Over Angkor Wat

We woke up early and headed out by 5:20a.m. to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat, but we and the thousands of tourists who attempted this today were met with overcast skies. After walking to an appropriate vantage point and waiting for about half an hour, we all eventually realized the time for sunrise was long gone and it was time to head back to where we were supposed to meet Nan. He was not at the appointed place so we scoured the parking area crowded with hundreds of similar looking cars and people until we eventually spotted each other, jumped in the car and got back to the B&B for a welcome breakfast.

Lady Temple at Banteay Srie

Nan’s friend was waiting to take us and Keugh to the Lady Temple at Banteay Srie, a stunning and well preserved ruin. Keugh is eloquent describing the intricate, beautiful carving on this lovely site. The harder red and yellow lime stone used here seems to be the key to its longevity, though perhaps the native environment and smaller size makes this temple better preserved.

Ta Phrom

The next stop was a contrast - the enormous Ta Phrom site where huge ficus trees have invaded the walls hiding these ruins for centuries. It is really creepy and one can see how this was chosen as an eerie film site.

At Land Mine Museum

We saw more examples of ancient Hindu temples turned Buddhist and lost in the jungles until recently in Banteay Kdei before our unsettling visit to the small Land Mine Museum filled with devastating displays of maiming victims of the killing fields.

Our busy afternoon included a drive through rural Cambodia to the Tonle Sap Lake where we rode in a boat to visit the floating village and a Cambodian fish farm.

Sunset Over Rice Fields

To finish our touring day Keugh led us on a climb up Phnom Krom to see the the ruins and watch the sun set over miles of rice paddies. We were among a crowd of folks who had also climbed to the top to see the smog obscured sun, large and red, sink below the horizon.

Although we had a wonderful dinner at Madam Butterfly Asian restaurant tonight, it was no more delicious than Mom’s Fish Amok and the cashew chicken we had for lunch at Journeys Within.