Starting the 2nd day in Kompong cham with a quick breakfast down the road, I saw my driver across the street by the river waiting and figured I mine as well get started a bit early. Our first stop passing some of the same scenery as yesterday was a massive bamboo bridge going straight across the river to a nearby island. The bridge is really neat and just an interesting way to see the lengths the people here will go through to get places with very little means. Even crazier is the fact that the bamboo bridges get washed away in the wet season! There seasonal lol.

    I was about 20 minutes drive away to the next stop going along some crazy dirt roads and over a small bamboo bridge only made 3 days ago. Just after the bridge I had to walk up the hill as the not so great bike was not getting up it with me on it. Just a few minutes later we arrived at the old wooden temple called Maha Leap. Its over 100 years old and made completely out of wood which is actually an accomplishment since the Khmer Rouge destroyed nearly ever one of them during there regime. From the outside it looks like a crummy white house of no interest but the inside is another story. Walking into black and gold columns all made from wood, the entire interior amazes me with its multitude of columns. The ceiling was fully painted with scenes from myth, the columns paint faded from it being stripped by khmer rouge troops before converting the building for there own use. Although it was seriously impressive I found myself distant and not really enjoying anything for whatever reason. I think its perhaps from just needing to stop and relax somewhere for a while but either way I don't like it. Exiting, I briefly check the outside before getting back on the bike and heading into town for the next stop.

    Wat Nokor, an 11th century temple, was the next stop for the day. The outside was surrounded by the familiar outer wall with entryways but upon going through I noticed another wall not to far ahead with the main buildings inside. I did a walk around this wall and about halfway around one side I could see a really great site. There was a modern temple crammed within the grounds of the inner ruins, seemingly mixed right into the structure. I keep going around the outside until making a compete rounds and heading inside. the entryway in maybe 1ft from the wall, really making everything feel crammed and certainly wall overkill.

    Inside had a much more open feel but still quite cramped. The center sanctuary was filled with buddha statues and it was made impossible to go behind because of the giant new temple squeezed within inches of the stone wall. What possessed someone to think it was a good idea to put a modern building inside these ruins is beyond me but.... I walked around looking at the strange top of the main tower, the lintels, and well of coarse the painted columns and all around strangeness of the modern building. I walked around for a bit along with 3 others that where here, trying to get the most out of the place. I went outside after a little while and was ready to love on to the next stop. Heading outside the wall on the way out I could see a section that was crumbling and climbed on top. the view from up here gave me an amazing scope of how the place looked, including the horrible modern building inside.

    On the way out I managed to actually get lost in the walls and go the wrong way,  but I did come out to a small dirt road with an amazing line of trees on both sides of the road. Truly a nice view. On the way back out the front, I jumped a little scared as another lizard popped out from leaves and caught me off guard. This little fellow was really cool looking with green colors all over. I photographed him for a bit before moving on.

    After leaving Wat Nokor I went to two mountains across from each other locally called man hill and woman hill. Every local has a story about why the woman hill is taller usually with males being lazy as the reason. The first up was woman hill which although there was a good view at the top, it wasn't worth 300 stairs at all. I went down quickly and made my way to man hill. It was much more lively but quite strange being filled with funeral monuments and strange library's with giant bayon style heads on top. I walked around for a bit in this Han Chey like mini amusement park before heading back to the room. My lack of interest today made the day go by fast, but getting back I didn't mind at all and just wanted to relax and eat.

    Perhaps I'm just starting to feel the wear and tear all this traveling and being sick, probably should just take it easy for a day or two.