Life in Cambodia

Devata (minor goddess) at Banteay Srei

We learned a lot about the common life in Cambodia. Almost everyone in a village has a specialty, work they do that they can sell to others. One household made rice noodles, another might make sugar palm candy. They tap the male part of the sugar palm like we tap sugar maples, collecting the sap in a portion of bamboo and then boiling the mixture to condense the syrup. Another place they were making charcoal in a termite mound, an 8 day process. We watched the 14 year old boy who was in charge. We also learned about the corruption in the government and the continuing sex trade in the country.

Girls making sugar palm candy

Our major visit was to the Temple of Banteay Srei, the city of women built in 967 AD. While very small, the ornate carvings on the red and gold sandstone was the most detailed we had seen. The porticoes above the doors had carvings depicting all 3 Hindu gods, Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. The 3 primary pyramid structures had replicas of the pyramid at 3 different levels. Truly the most beautiful (and the oldest) temple we had seen.

The temple of Banteay Srei