#kampongcham

Between Kampong Cham and Kampong Thom there is an interesting twin pagoda complex. These buildings is situated peacefully on top of several hills with a view to rice paddocks and forrest.

They are called Phnom Bros and Phnom Srey, or Men Hill and Women Hill.

A story of stupid men

The Men Hill is on the lowest hill, and have the largest pagoda, a large protector statue and a monastery. One kilometer to the north is a taller hill, the women hill with a smaller pagoda and some shrines.

The story is that a group of men challenged a group of women to a building contest, with the privilege of who is to accept a marriage proposal as the prize. The challenge was to build the tallest hill during a nights work before sunrise.

During the night, the woman group also built a large fire, and the male group got fooled into thinking the bright fire light was the sunrise. So they stopped working, and went to rest after a hard nights work. The women continued, build a taller hill and won the contest.

308 steps for smart women

So women are in general smarter, and they and their family are the one who is to consider and eventually accept if a proposal for marriage is worth it.

To enter Phnom Srey, you have to climb a 308 steps staircase. But on top there is a nice outlook to the surrounding countryside.

I was told that men are not allowed to enter Phnom Srey in groups, only alone. I did not find any sign stating that. But an offer given at the temple on top is said to help you win your partners approval for marriage.

Oh well, the best are worth an effort of 308 steps uphill.

Remember, no food after midnight, no water and no strong light!

The site is interesting not only for the temples. It also includes a bunch of monkeys, cheeky, naughty and hungry, and there are some cat families charming the visitors. There are some stalls selling street food, and of course monks. Wear good shoes, for the walking and climbing of stairs.