Wednesday Nov. 18, 2009
Siem Reap, Cambodia Day 5
Blue Skies and Nice!
Both of us woke up tired this morning. Being a tourist is tiring, especially after a restless night with a headache. But nothing a few pills can fix so we were up and ready to go at 830am to enjoy our last full day in Cambodia.
Our first trip was a visit to the floating villages near on the Siam Reap River. The drive to the “pier” where we catch our boat was interesting. Only a few blocks from the center of town is the local village. It was quite scenic but I was taken aback by the conditions of how the people live. They live in shacks on stilts by the river with no electricity or running water. Hemoan said that life is very difficult for them. It is typical for them to lose their house and belongings during the rainy season as they live on the banks of the river. The government has offered land that is further from the river but it is still too expensive for them to move.
Our first destination of the day - "the pier"
After passing by some rice paddies and exquisite lotus farms we arrived at our destination. It was time to catch a boat and visit the floating villages.
Because of the rain, the weather cooled down a bit. It was quite a nice ride down the river with the breeze in our face. After about 30 minutes or so, we were in the heart of a Cambodian floating village. Our tour company “Trails of Indochina” arranged for us to go to one of the poor villages where we interacted as best as we could with the family. Very few tourists go there. I was uncomfortable at the beginning but our guide wanted to show us the reality of life for many Cambodians. No running water, no electricity (although some have batteries for TVs) and very little medical care and education. But the kids and people seemed happy. I definitely sensed an earnest commitment to the community. We gave them some money, Hato-sabure cookies from Japan and Sees Candy from the US as presents. They will share it amongst the community. They said tourists give money to the government organizations but it never gets to them. They seemed quite thankful to receive the gifts. I almost caused an international incident when leaving though. As I was leaving, I stood up straight, hit my head on the make shift ceiling ( I’m 176cm but that is super tall in Cambodia) and almost destroyed the house! But then laughter… Everyone in the tiny village was laughing at my faux pas. The kids also couldn’t stop staring at Sandra as she was the only blond in town!
The floating village we visited
Typical kitchen of a house n the floating village
One of the families we visited. They were very hospitable and nice.
The children of the floating villages. They were so excited to get their photos taken and loved talking to us.
A beautiful lady preparing lunch for the family.
She was definitely the boss of the town and owned the only floating store in the village.
We then got back on our boat, entered Tonle Sap Lake, the Great Lake of Cambodia and the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. It provides fish and irrigation for over half of the population of Cambodia and is one of the world’s richest sources of freshwater fish. Sandra and I’ve been lucky to taste some of it and delicious! However, due to dams in Laos and elsewhere are affecting the ecosystem of the lake which is important to Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and even China. Hopefully, new measures by the governments of those countries will protect the sensitive ecosystem of the lake. During the dry season, the lake is about 2500 sq km but during the wet season it swells to 13000 sq km. The floating villages move their “homes” according to the different seasons.
Believe it or not, people still live in these huts.
Fishing industry is big in the floating villages. This village is the "Vietnamese floating village". They seemed to be better off than the Cambodians albeit still very difficult conditions.
Tonle Sap Lake
Kids going to the floating school.
Going shopping.
Catfish farm we visited.
Alligator farm: Felt sorry for the alligators as they were chained and lived in filthy conditions
Our last stop before our lunch break was to Artisan d’Angkor where impoverished youngsters are trained in the arts of their ancestors. It is run by a non profit French group where silver plating, weaving and beautiful wood carvings are made. Sandra and I bought some chopstick holders and little bowls as gifts from the center.
Artisan d'Angkor
After a fabulous lunch at Amok on “Pub Street” in Seim Reap where we had the best Amok and Fish with ginger, it was time for our last afternoon activity. Hemoan picked us up sharply at 2pm. Our first destination was the Banteay Srei – a Hindu temple built in 967 that is dedicated to Shiva, the destroyer. The building of the temple was initiated by the !st King’s private teacher and finished by the 5th King. Unlike Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, it is made of pink sandstone and is decorated with the finest carvings I’ve ever scene. It is a small, lovely and very delicate temple. Banteay Srei means “Citadel of Women” which is very appropriate for this delicate jewel of a temple.
Our yummy lunch. Can't wait to try making Amok at home.
Banteay Srei
We also learned a bit about the use and importance of the palm tree in Cambodian culture. The national tree is the palm tree and is an essential tree for survival for many Cambodians. The palm tree provides sugar, alcohol, wood and food to the people. We learned how palm sugar is made and even had a taste. It tasted very similar to maple syrup candy… very sweet! I bought 1 kilo of palm sugar at the market as it is very expensive in Japan and is an essential ingredient to Khmer cooking.
The palm juice is cooked in here until the liquid dissolves and sugar if the only thing left.
To get the juice, one has to climb atop the palm tree, drill a whole and the juice flows down in this makeshift bamboo pipe.
Our last destination was Phnom Bakheng which is a temple on top of a hill where the main attraction is the sunset. Hemoan warned us about the crowds and offered us an alternative. But since we heard about this special place we decided to brave the crowds and view the sunset from this popular spot. It was a spectacular sunset but with hordes of people and many very rude – climbing on the relics, showing up with shorts and sleeveless shirts (you don’t go visit a Hindu or Buddhist temple in Cambodia with lots of legs and shoulders exposed, it is written in ALL the guidebooks) The worst offenses were smoking and taking the ancient stairs of the entrances that were off limits due to restoration. Anyhow, Sandra and I were out of there as soon as we got the pixs. Mr. Vei was patiently waiting for us and whisked us away quickly back to our hotel.
View of Angkor Wat from afar.
Siem Reap sunset
Since Sandra had a migraine from jetlag and not sleeping, we had an early dinner at Angkor Palm where again the service was impeccable. I had a tasting set, which included a fabulous Amok. Apparently, it is the best in Siem Reap where even the locals go ga-ga over it. They were so nice that they gave me the recipe.
We turned in early but I was a bit sad to leave this fabulous country. Our guides were phenomenal. Both Sandra and I are seasoned travelers and they were the best. Despite the poverty and hardships, we found Cambodians to have a big heart with a lot of pride and were extremely generous. I can see why people fall in the love with the country and want to get involved. I can’t wait to visit again but I hope she finds a way to keep the charm and preserve the environment as their standard of living increases.
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