Day 4: Ruins, Rocks, and Rouge
Got a slightly later, more leisurely start this morning to take a relaxing ride out to Beng Mealea temple. Being Mealea is one of the only untouched temples left in Cambodia. It is situated in an area of uncultivated jungle that is still riddled with landmines left over from the second Indochina War (aka the Vietnam War). We came across a crew hard at work finding the mines that are still buried throughout the countryside. They remain a serious threat. In fact, our guide told us a hair-raising story of how he lost a friend and nearly his own life to a landmine when he was 12 years old.
Beng Mealea was a real treat. It was everything I imagined ruins should be. Mostly collapsed by the passage of centuries, the few standing walls that remain are surrounded by tumbling, towering piles of moss-covered rocks. So of course we climbed up the the highest vantage point. Climbing is not my favorite activity, and I managed to re-injure my knee when my right foot slipped into a crevice. Moments of terror aside, the view from atop the rocks was magnificent.
After leaving Beng Mealea, we headed back to town for lunch. Only 5 courses this time. Yeah. I don't know how these people stay so dang skinny if this us how they typically eat. Done with our scheduled activity for the day, we asked Lee for suggestions on how to spend the early afternoon. The evil man took us to a shop that sells some of the beautiful gemstones that Cambodia produces in abundance. There was a purchase. That's all I'll say about that.
We spent the rest of the day taking an impromptu walking tour around the area surrounding the Royal Palace in Siem Reap and along the Siem Reap river. Then we headed to the night market for some last minute shopping and dinner.
While Eacata got an after-dinner massage, I watched a movie about Pol Pot's decimation of the country in the late 70s. Much has been written about the Khmer Rouge, but nothing can really bring that sort of horror home to those who haven't lived it. All I will say is that the spirit of the Cambodian people is eloquently told in the colorful clothing they wear as a silent protest against the monsters who once allowed them only to wear black.
Beng Mealea was a real treat. It was everything I imagined ruins should be. Mostly collapsed by the passage of centuries, the few standing walls that remain are surrounded by tumbling, towering piles of moss-covered rocks. So of course we climbed up the the highest vantage point. Climbing is not my favorite activity, and I managed to re-injure my knee when my right foot slipped into a crevice. Moments of terror aside, the view from atop the rocks was magnificent.
After leaving Beng Mealea, we headed back to town for lunch. Only 5 courses this time. Yeah. I don't know how these people stay so dang skinny if this us how they typically eat. Done with our scheduled activity for the day, we asked Lee for suggestions on how to spend the early afternoon. The evil man took us to a shop that sells some of the beautiful gemstones that Cambodia produces in abundance. There was a purchase. That's all I'll say about that.
We spent the rest of the day taking an impromptu walking tour around the area surrounding the Royal Palace in Siem Reap and along the Siem Reap river. Then we headed to the night market for some last minute shopping and dinner.
While Eacata got an after-dinner massage, I watched a movie about Pol Pot's decimation of the country in the late 70s. Much has been written about the Khmer Rouge, but nothing can really bring that sort of horror home to those who haven't lived it. All I will say is that the spirit of the Cambodian people is eloquently told in the colorful clothing they wear as a silent protest against the monsters who once allowed them only to wear black.