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Wednesday, 15 February 2023 - Today we would visit just a single temple - Beng Mealea (Temple of Lotus Pond) - which was about an hour outside Siem Reap.

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On the road (path) to the temple were Nagas protecting staircases halfway to the temple. These Nagas were in the best condition we had seen.
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Beng Mealea was built as a Hindu temple, but some carvings depict Buddhist motifs. It's sandstone and it is largely unrestored, with trees and thick brush thriving in its towers and courtyards and many of its stones lying in great heaps.

This is the main entrance and is not restored.
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A huge tree growing out of a wall has demolished part of the structure.
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One of the libraries which has lost its roof. The layout is very similar to Angkor Wat it is believed to have been built about the same period - 12th century.
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The stones laying about are everywhere. There has been very little work done on restoration.
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The tree roots have not been cut back or controlled.
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In several places the trees have covered the structure.
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The path through the ruins allows you to view the entrance road through the arches of the main entrance.
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Stone carvings in the pile of stone.
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It is easy to imagine discovering the temple surrounded by jungle as it is not too far from being swallowed up again.
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Carvings of the dancing girls high up in the rubble.
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After Beng Mealea we drove to a fishing village - Kampong Khleang. The village is very close to Tonlé Sap Lake and floods in the rainy season, all the homes are on stilts to stay out of the high water.
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Virginia Ann and Cal in the streets of Kampong Khleang
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Many school children moving about - it was around lunch so that may have something to do with the activity.
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A woman was selling fish from a very large bowl - not sure exactly what was being sold.
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The homes are very long to support multiple generations in a single dwelling.
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We visited in the dry season - during the wet season the water rises over 30 feet to within 8-10 feet of the homes!!!
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A very large buddha standing near the river inlet and center of the village.
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Fishing boats line the water's edge.
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A woman (smartly dressed) is driving four school boys on a moped.
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A fisherman with his fish traps.
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Little Cambodian enjoying a hammock with her father/grandfather.
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Virginia Ann and a local school girl learn each other's name.
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A little girl watches the strangers walking through her town.
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Snails for sale.
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Little chicks on a moped ride
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A man laying out fish to dry.
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We boarded a boat to take us from the village down the inlet to Tonlé Sap lake.

We passed through the town which towered above us on stilts.
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The log supports are replaced every four years.
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Even homes off the water were on stilts - it must be a lot of water in the rainy season.
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Christan church - also on stilts.
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As we got closer to the lake the stilts disappeared and homes were floating - the amount of water must make a permanent home impossible.
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A girl climbing on the home rigging.
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This home is where the inlet empties into lake Tonlé Sap.
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The Tonlé Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Over 140 species of fish call the lake home - so fishing is a major industry. Many of the fisherman are buddhist so killing the fish is not easy - they typically only fish to feed their family.
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Water travel is second nature - this little girl is in a boat moving along the river.
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School children in a floating schoolhouse.
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A woman checking on her chickens - hopefully they cannot swim.
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From the boat we were a little below the level of the land - this farmer was working hos field with a strange machine.
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A farmer moving across his fields with some sort of machine.
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The homes are colorful and very large.
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As we pulled back into Kampong Khleang the buddha marked the center of the town built for a flood.
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