Socheata invited us to visit a nearby temple complex built by King Jayavarman VII in the 9th century. Although the wats were heavily destroyed by Khmer Rouge, some of the beautiful stonework, like this Bayon-style Buddha face, has survived.
My favorite part of ancient buildings are the bas reliefs with carvings of daily life, wars, gods and goddesses. Socheata's English is limited, so sometimes his words are a puzzle. He asked Cynthia, "Do you have Buddha in the head?" He was asking if she was Buddhist.
The motorbike ride to the wats was a harrowing 60 km which took about two hours. The dirt road was a mixture off washboard, bumps, and ruts the whole way. It was like riding a horse at 50 kph. My butt spent as much time bouncing off the seat as it did sitting on it. This is one of the most heavily mined areas in all of Cambodia. Somehow, I managed to return with all my limbs.
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