April 19 - Floating City, Banteay Srey, and Tomb Raider Temple Ta Prohm

We rose and met our driver and guide and drove about 45 minutes to a boat launching site where we got on our own long-tail boat for $20 each.  This putted up a narrow shallow muddy crowded canal passing similar boats moving both directions for about half an hour until we reached the mouth of the lake, said to be the largest lake in Asia.  Since April is the hot end of the dry season, the lake is only 2,500 square kilometers, but during the rainy season it envelopes over 12,000 sq. kilometers.  However, the floating village consisted mainly of vietnamese boat dwellers and it was pretty touristy.

We then went to a somewhat remote but particularly pretty little temple, Banteay Srey, which is noteworthy for the multi-colored sandstone used and for its very fine deep carving.  It is considered the "ladies temple."

Next we wanted to see some of the famous temple that featured so prominently in "Tomb Raider" - Ta Prohm, with the huge tree trunks growing over and through the temple buildings and walls.  We found the spot where Lara Croft follows the little girl to the jasmine flower, then falls into the hidden temple below (that lower part was not real).  An Indian/Cambodian team is trying to restore some parts of the temple complex, an enormous task. One cannot fail to be impressed with the enormous structures that were build roughly a thousand years ago.

We went to the hotel massage parlor for a full-body Kymer massage, which involved putting on local PJ's and having a young lady pull tug and knead your body for an hour, starting on your legs and working up to your head.  This was Leslie's suggestion, but she wanted no curtains drawn between the two of us! Cost was $15 each, about double the rate down around Pub Street.

We spent another evening restaurant hopping on Pub Street, eating for about $12 each, counting our wine and beer. And then dropped into bed.