19th May 2010
The final day of our three day ticket to explore the temples of Angkor and we were heading much further out than we had on previous days. After a pleasant hour in a tuk-tuk passing through villages with their stilt houses we arrived at Banteay Srei.
This particular temple is considered to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art. It is one of the smallest temples at Angkor, but cut from stone of a pinkish hue and with some of the finest stone carvings it is wonderfully well preserved.
Banteay Srei was also the first major temple restoration undertaken by a French group called EFEO in the 1930s. The project was a major success and has since been continued to include the building of a swanky new visitor centre. The visitor centre and car park mean that vehicles are kept well away from the delicate temple walls and enlarges the site which also includes an interesting exhibition on the state of the temple when it was first rediscovered and the subsequent restoration works.
We entered through the main gate and were indeed amazed at the intricacy of the carvings which included delicate women with lotus flowers and traditional skirts clearly visible on the walls. Standing watch over these ancient yet perfect carvings are the mythical guardians. These are all copies of originals stored in the National Museum.
It was also the first temple we had come across with roped off areas to protect the carvings from people climbing on them and to filter people through the temple in one direction to avoid overcrowding and damaging the site. As we’ve visited various temples, we’ve been quite surprised at the level of access allowed to the public and we can only hope that these measures will slowly be introduced at other places to prevent further deterioration.
After a visit to the toilets which amused us with their very Asian signs, we headed back to the carpark to meet Mr Lucky.
Just a short drive away we stopped at the Landmine Museum. This museum is run by Aki Ra who was a Khmer Rouge child soldier and who now works as a deminer. The museum not only raises awareness of landmines but also tells his story and cares for a number of children who call the museum home.
Aki Ra is unsure of his age, but believes he was born in 1970. His parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge. Orphaned in the Khmer Rouge camp, he was conscripted into the Khmer Rouge army at about 10 years of age.
When he was a soldier he laid thousands of mines, then later he worked for the UN to remove them. He discovered he was quite adept at clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance and began to help people by clearing the landmines they found in their fields and villages. 
While working in these villages Aki Ra found many injured and abandoned children who he brought home to live with him and his wife.
Today 27 children live at the Cambodia Landmine Museum Relief Center. Some are landmine victims, some were born without limbs, some are polio victims, some are orphans and some have parents who cannot afford to raise them. Aki Ra and his wife feed them, clothe them, send them to school and help them rebuild their lives.
Initially, I was quite reluctant to visit this museum. I just felt that I had already seen so much of the bad in Cambodia’s past and wasn’t sure I wanted to see more pictures of more suffering, but Ed was really keen, so in I went. I’m really glad I did. Far from being a depressing place, it is a place of hope which helps many children, both those who have been affected by landmines and others and raises awareness about these foul implements. One of the most interesting exhibits was a wall of photos of the kids with a biography of each and I was struck by how keen they all are to do well at school and go to university. Seems to me that when education is a privilage and not a right, it is valued far more.
One more temple would complete our excursion this morning, that at Banteay Samre. This dates from the same period as Ankor Wat and yet again we were impressed by its healthy state of preservation. This is due to some extensive renovation work which has taken place over the last two decades.
We were back to the hotel by lunchtime, now completely templed-out, with not a cloud in the sky and the mercury hovering around the high 30s we opted for the pool for the rest of the afternoon. Quel surprise!