The smiling face of Bayon
A quick recap- I had been snoring on a Tuktuk on the way to Baentey Srei. A detailed recap- Read the first part(and doze off like me.... especially for those who suffer from insomnia) 11:00 AM: Woke from my slumber by the simultaneous announcement of the Tuktuk driver and a hard prod on my protruding belly by my wife.Walking briefly through a forest path,was welcomed by a rather small temple complex surrounded by a moat. Doubts have already started playing in my mind if the extra $5 and 1hour loss was worth it to come here. A small temple complex surrounded by a moat.....rather uninspiring from a distance. But Baentey Srei , is the chupa rustom of Angkor. What it lacks in size,it compensates by the intricately carved murals,so delicate that it is called the Citadel of Women (Baentey Srei,for only a women could have built it!) What makes this even more special,is that this Shiva temple was not built by any king,but by an ordinary Brahmin ( the Tutor of Jayavarman V)...