Our day exploring exploring Khmer culture and history began with a trip to the Angkor National Museum in Siem Reap. At the museum, we were accompanied by a local archaeologist who showed us through a number of exhibition halls where we learned about the ancient Khmer Empire. We learned much about their gods and the history of the temples.
After lunch, we visited Angkor Thom and visited the Bayon temple. One of the unique features of the Bayon are the carved faces which face the four cardinal directions. Our final stop of the day was a trip to Phnom Bakheng where we watched a beautiful sunset over the Tonle Sap lake.
It was a difficult climb to the peak of this hilltop temple, particularly so for Hyun Jae, who badly sprained her ankle on the first day of the trip and has been on crutches ever since. But just like every other day of the trip, Hyun Jae has persevered and has never let her injury get in the way of her fully participation in the trip. Her determination has truly been an inspiration to us all.
Following the sunset, we returned to the hotel, had a quick shower and went out for the evening to have some dinner on Pub Street and to do some souvenir shopping at the Night Market. Just like every other day, we've gone pretty much non-stop from early morning until late at night and have made the most of our time in Cambodia.
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