no more temples, I promise.... maybe
What's the big deal with all these temples and shrines anyway. So what, so they were made over a thousand years ago in some cases.
But I say poo to you naysayers. I can hear you from here in the heart of darkness. Like a whisper in the wind.
"nay"
I don't care I think these things are amongst the coolest things I have ever seen.
So Mr. Cook seems to be babbling for no discernible reason, no big deal. He is just concerned that the readers may be getting a bit bored of the temples. As the title suggests though, these are the last ones. We think.
So Ms. Cook and I and a stateside friends ventured far out into the wilderness to visit the last temples on our list. And after an hour plus in a tuktuk, one way, we hiked for two kilometers to a river shrine and a waterfall. Many of you may be wondering how far 2k is, it is about 17 dollars canadian. I think. Okay so I don't know how far, but it was far and hot and uphill.
An interesting side note is that this is the first and only hill we climbed in Cambodia. It is a very flat country.
Anyway we went to Kbal Spean, pronounced Krykewski, a shrine carved in to the rocks of a stream bed and dating from the 900's. The hike was hot and steep, but ultimately worth it. The riverbed is carved with mermaid's, monkeys, frogs, crocs, cows, and lingas. So many lingas in fact that it is known as the river of a thousand linga's. Which is comical because linga is also the khmer word for a certain part of a male anatomy.
But I say poo to you naysayers. I can hear you from here in the heart of darkness. Like a whisper in the wind.
"nay"
I don't care I think these things are amongst the coolest things I have ever seen.
So Mr. Cook seems to be babbling for no discernible reason, no big deal. He is just concerned that the readers may be getting a bit bored of the temples. As the title suggests though, these are the last ones. We think.
So Ms. Cook and I and a stateside friends ventured far out into the wilderness to visit the last temples on our list. And after an hour plus in a tuktuk, one way, we hiked for two kilometers to a river shrine and a waterfall. Many of you may be wondering how far 2k is, it is about 17 dollars canadian. I think. Okay so I don't know how far, but it was far and hot and uphill.
An interesting side note is that this is the first and only hill we climbed in Cambodia. It is a very flat country.
Anyway we went to Kbal Spean, pronounced Krykewski, a shrine carved in to the rocks of a stream bed and dating from the 900's. The hike was hot and steep, but ultimately worth it. The riverbed is carved with mermaid's, monkeys, frogs, crocs, cows, and lingas. So many lingas in fact that it is known as the river of a thousand linga's. Which is comical because linga is also the khmer word for a certain part of a male anatomy.
Then we went to Banteay Srei, or the citadel of beauty or women. Srei meaning beauty or woman. A small temple built of pink sandstone so the carvings are far more intricate. This one was built around the tenth or eleventh centuries as well.
Our final stop was Pre Rup a large temple with twenty four towers and very tall. I don't have my guide book handy and forgot all the real significance of this one. But it was neat, lots of carved lions or the remnants there of.
posted by mr. cook at 4:42 PM
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