The Leaning Buddha in Kulen Mountain

I was going to take a bus ride to Bangkok today but decided to take a day trip to Kulen Mountain instead. It's on the outskirts of Siem Reap, so I hired a driver to take me there. We drove past paddy fields and remote villages to see the carvings of the 1,000 lingas, which are phallic symbols etched into the sandstone riverbed. I read in the guidebook that it was the birthplace of the Khmer Empire, which dates back to the 9th century.

The entrance of the temple had two impressive statues. These two humanoid figures were half human and half bird.

I've wondered if these were the bird tribe beings I've read about in some of my esoteric books. Could they be the Blue Avians featured in the Gaia channel?

I went up to the top of Preah Ang Thom, where the giant golden reclining Buddha is located.

It was great that the statue was so massive and carved on sandstone about 8 feet long. After getting my picture taken next to the statue, I noticed that there was a Buddhist monk who seemed to be blessing some guys.

A spiritual blessing wherein monks pray for you, cleanse your aura and repel negative energy. I wasn't sure if he was chanting Sanskrit or Cambodian language, but I didn't care. I had to try it, and I felt rejuvenated afterward. The monk whisked holy water on me, tied me to a red bracelet, and sprayed fragrant holy water in the atmosphere. After being blessed by the monk, I climbed back down and went to the healing waterfalls.

The hike was easy, but it required reasonable fitness and agility. The weather was dreadfully hot, so I had to dip in the waterfall's cold water.

Embedded in the rocks were Sanskrit symbols and images of deities. Lots of butterflies attract this place. I read that people still considered this place holy, and the mountain is still a pilgrimage site. The water was refreshingly cold; even fish species ate dead skin cells. This species is called Garra Rufa and is also known as Doctor Fish. They eat away dead skin found on peoples' feet, leaving newer skin exposed. It felt weird when they swarmed around me and started nibbling on my entire body, but after a while, it seemed relaxing.

After hiking and swimming, I shopped and got some lotus flowers. It was getting late, so I returned to Siem Reap and had dinner at the Night Market. While searching for a restaurant at the Night Market, I had the strangest encounter with a lady selling spiced arthropods. She was trying to force me to try the crickets! I also saw a few restaurants that advertised ostrich, crocodile, and kangaroo dishes. I may be adventurous, but I am not that adventurous regarding food. I'm a vegetarian.