Well as if anyone didn't already know it's just 2 days till Christmas and while it is cold at home we are boiling in 35 degrees (sorry guys!!)

After breakfast today the 4 of us hired a couple of motocyclos (bike pulling a trailer) to take us out to the landmine museum and Banteay Sery Temple. Before we could go anywhere we had to go and purchase our 3 day pass for the temples which costs $40 then it was off to sightsee. Located 38km out of Siem Reap are the museum and the temple and it took around 90 minutes to reach the museum. Here we were greeted by a lady with no legs and a big smile on her face. We paid our admission fee and were ushered inside.

What greets you is lots of information about mines and the 42 countries that still carry stockpiles and also produce them. We found out that it costs as little as $1 to make a mine but at least $1000 to remove one. One guy there had removed around 50,000 in his lifetime and was still going. The photographs were really upsetting and also people's stories that accompanied the images. Kids that had lost arms and legs and also sight because of these awful devices.

Three of the biggest nations on Earth have the biggest stockpiles (USA, China and Russia) The task here is immense with so much more work needed that will go on till at least 2020.

Back on the motocyclo and a few bumps later we pulled up at our 1st temple Banteay Srei which translates as "Citadel of the Women" and was lying undiscovered till 1914!!!

The carvings on the ruins were so intricate and amazing, I started wondering how they created such fantastic work with such basic tools and back in the 13th Century. We spent an hour looking around before deciding to head back to Siem Reap before dark as the roads are pretty bad here (see yesterdays post!!!)

Tonight it is another night market for the $1 christmas present challenge for Mel, Christina, Alex and me!!!

Lots of Love

M & M

xx