Banteay Srei, eating flowers, and listening when someone tells you not to eat the whole pepper.

So we left Kbal Spean and after a short tuk tuk ride later, arrived at the smallest temple so far, though that in no way means it wasn't beautiful.  This temple is called the Lady Temple, though somewhat inappropriately.  Also known as Banteay Srei, it is a 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The temple is built largely of red sandstone, which has lent to its exquisite carvings.

When you enter the complex, you are greeted with women selling artfully cut pineapples and children following you with postcards or books for sale.  I know I should feel like a jerk telling all the kids no, but after a while it becomes a bit of an art.  I'd watched several tourist give into one child, and immediately be swarmed by ten others who would seemingly appear out of nowhere.  Talent.  Besides, I have other plans for my money, which I will get to later.

The temple itself is incredibly beautiful, despite its 'smaller size' when compared to other sites in the region.  The carvings are exquisite, and very well preserved.  The modern name of Banteay Srei means more or less, "city of women"or "citadel of beauty,"and has been attributed to these carvings.  Originally people wondered if the temple had actually been built by women, but from what I understand that was discredited through findings around the site. The site is surrounded by a giant moat, as well as a larger outer wall on which we passed several children playing.  The sun was high over head at this point and very hot, but we wandered around the complex taking photos from different angles and vantage points.

After the temple, we hopped the tuk tuk for about another 30 minutes before stopping at a stand off the road for lunch.  Sothik and Mr. Driver sat with me for lunch this time, and I had a big bowl of rice noodles and a glass of tea for one dollar.  The rice noodle dish was a local Cambodian dish that Sothik recommended, and was rather good.  On the table were two bowls of flowers, which at first I thought was decoration until I saw Mr. Driver picking them up and putting them on his food.  Sothik saw me watching and asked if I wanted to try, so I did!  It was honestly pretty good.  He also gave me a pickle to add to my dish, and then showed me how to eat a pepper with it.  The pepper was tiny, tiiiiiiinnny, but he warned me to just take a small bite, not eat the whole thing like he did.  First, you get a mouth full of the noodles and vegetables from your bowl, then, in my case, eat a small bite of the chili.  I'm glad I listened because woooow, that chili was insane!  My eyes started watering and my whole body was crying, but after choking I said it was good.  Sothik and Mr. Driver started laughing, but over the process of the bowl I finished it.  Maybe one day I can eat them whole like Sothik, but I think if I had tried that today I would have been buried with the flowers I was eating.  Mr. Driver practiced some English words as I butchered some Khmer ones.  Over all it was a fun exchange, and I was glad they decided to eat with me.