We made a last minute change and made a multi-hour detour on our the drive from Battambang to Siem Reap. Our driver was a former police detective and was saluted at each check point we crossed on the drive. We made three stops on our all day adventure: Banteay Torp, Banteay Chhmar and Soieries du Mekong Silk Project.
Banteay Torp Temple was built at the same time as Banteay Chhmar and is thought to mean “fortress of the army.” Researchers believe King Jayavaramn VII built the temple as a tribute to the Khmer army or as a religious centerpiece for the military in the area. The grounds consists of large stone towers that look unstable. The site has received very little restoration and the towers could collapse at any time—notice the danger signs. There was a welcome sign but little else. We were the only visitors other than a few school children playing on the ruins and a mother and daughter on the rice fields with cattle. Getting here was an adventure because we had to drive on a one-lane dirt road for a long time.
Banteay Chhmar or the “Citadel of the Cat” is sometimes called the second Angkor Wat. It was built by King Jayavarman VII and has nine satellite temples. It was once enclosed by a 9km-long wall but is not surrounded by forest. Scholars do not know why this 9th century Angkorian temple was built 115km northwest of Siem Reap. There are many Buddhist images and carvings of daily life indicate the importance of this temple complex. When we first arrive there were a few teenagers hanging out at the site. As we were leaving a group of about 20 tourists arrived in a local bus. The guard chatted with us and said it was a busy day at the site.
We made one more stop to see the Soieries du Mekong Silk Project. This factory was established to promote women’s empowerment and has trained more about one hundred women in the art of hand waving in the past seventeen years. Today, there are about fifty weavers, seamstresses and employees that has impacted more than 300 people in the greater community. We learned about the degumming, dying, spooling, warping and slaying stages of the process. Inside the shop were seamstresses embroidering and sew labels. We had seen many silk scarfs and these were some of the best.