Our second morning in Battambang, we had a similarly relaxed morning, of breakfasting, emailing, doing little odds and ends, until we were all aligned around 9 or 9:30 in the morning, ready to rent motorbikes from our hotel. The funny thing about this is since the day before, all of our front-desk hotel and tuk-tuk guys had been trying to talk us out of the motorbike rental, (as well as the bicycle rentals the day before) and to instead take a tuk-tuk with them. This made some sense to us in terms of the bicycle rentals since they were so cheap (they'd try and talk us out of it by telling us we were going to get lost, even though there were only two simple turns on the entire ride that we took to the bamboo train) but with the motorbikes, we didn't understand- it was going to be $5 each ($15 total) which is at most what a tuk-tuk was going to cost.
Anyway, we had to tell them firmly about 5 times each day that we were doing the motorbike thing no matter what, because we wanted to, because we liked it, and because it was more fun. They would tell us that we'd also have to pay for gas, but we said we didn't care. Nonethless, every morning, "Tony" the tuk-tuk driver would come out from seemingly nowhere when I would descend the stairs from my 3rd floor room, and try and talk me into a tuk tuk ride, and just how many sights he would take me to for a 'very good price'. Our words were useless in stopping this constant attempt to sell, but we managed to just keep a sense of humour about it and just laugh and tell them if we needed a tuk-tuk we would definitely let them know.
So, we got three motorbikes, much to the dismay and resistance of the hotel staff, but once we were on the bikes, they seemed interested and impressed at the daring of this stubborn girl-posse. Our first destination was Banan Sompea- a temple at the top of a mountain, as well as many temples along the way up, and also another Khmer Rouge location, where there were 'Killing Caves', where Khmer Rouge Soldiers rounded up anyone who they considered the enemy (doctors, teachers, anyone educated) and just push them off the edge of a cave to let them fall to their demise. Quite terrible stuff. But important to visit, and to learn about this history.
We rode a solid 20-30km to get to this destination, and met an Australian couple on a motorbike when pulling in. We wound up teaming up, as well as with a Cambodian who offered to be our guide. He was a nice guy, and gave us good advice for how to drive up the steep hills ahead, as well as giving us much information on all of the temples and sights that we had to see. It was quite beautiful up there, with many golden buddhas. In the cave where poor victims had been pushed to their death, there was a large golden reclining buddha, and a glass case of skulls, that had been collected by an elderly man who sat in this cave, offering blessings in the form of incense and string bracelets. He sits in there all day I believe, receiving all of the people that come to visit. He had such a calm stillness, and a profound depth and kindness in his eyes. I was quite touched to receive a blessing from him, and can only imagine the loss that he probably experienced from the time of the Khmer Rouge takeover, to have collected all those skulls and to sit in there all day, creating love and blessings out of hate and murder.
We climbed to many other temples, where some monks were walking around. At one point we sat and listened to one monk telling a story, which was quite nice, while all sitting around on benches. At another point, I found an older woman laying on the floor of one of the temples, and when I came in she sat up. There is some sort of fortune telling that goes on in many temples in Cambodia that I have witnessed. A person or people approach the man or woman in the temple, and they have a stack of cards that are connected by a metal ring around a hole punched in the end of each card. The visitor takes the stack of cards, puts it on top of their head, and takes a toothpick like object and sticks it randomly into the stack. The fortune teller then reads the card to the recipient, and the fortune is told.
Each of the cards seems to contain a story from the Buddha, so, while it is an excerpt from an old writing, each story has significance. The story she told me (which got translated by my guide for me) meant that if I 'go to work', then there will be someone to help me. This is just perfect, as I am about to start a job where I will be teaching 5th grade, and will have a mentor teacher there the whole time. Regardless of the message, I was excited to have finally participated in this ritual that I had been observing for some time now.
At the bottom of the hill, we said goodbye to the Australians, as well as our guide, and did a little shopping on this road of locals selling scarves scarves scarves galore, and we went a little scarf-crazy! It was fun, though, and we all got a bunch of gifts for friends and family. The girls each got a papaya salad, and I took photos of two little girls swinging happily in their hammocks and giving me the peace-symbol with their fingers for my photo snapping.
Eventually, it was time to be on our way. Where should we go next? Another temple, or this lake that the Australians had told us about? Let's go to the lake. The other girls were 'templed out' and it was a hot day- we were hoping we could swim. So, we rode on our motorbikes another 20km or so, maybe more, and arrived at the lake. It was a huge expanse, but was quite low in its level, and it didn't look like much swimming was available, at least not to the public. We decided to ride further around the lake to see what more there was (where we arrived to there were many food booths of Cambodians selling food and drinks, all staring at us, but in a friendly way). We continued on down the road for about 3 minutes, which was dusty, gravely, and had many potholes. I pulled over and said to Molly who was just behind me 'What do you want to do? I think we should turn back- the road is just going to go on like this.' She agreed. We passed on our sentiments to Lucila, and she agreed.
So, we turned back, and pulled over at the food stand area. We sat down at a table and ordered coconuts to drink and eat. Then, I noticed a plate of food that a woman was eating, and she noticed me eyeing it hungrily. She offered me a bite, and I liked it! Some sort of vegetable-fried-egg-something or other but whatever it was I liked it! So there was some gesturing to indicate that she could make me some, (or so I thought) so I nodded my head 'yes,' and nexdt thing you know I am being handed a plate of papaya salad. Hmm. I tried explaining the confusion, pointing to the vegetables on the woman's plate, and so they threw a couple of green beans and carrots onto my plate. Then I began saying the word 'egg' and they took a hard-boiled egg and chopped it into quarters and put THAT on my plate. This was a nice gesture and all, but, I was trying to explain that what they served me was totally different from what they had just given me a bite of. Oh well. I do not love papaya salad like the rest of the traveling world, and it has too much sweetness for my sugar-sensitive self, so, I gave it back, and it was all good.
When we were done with our coconuts, we walked to the edge of the lake which was actually from a high up cement wall, with a long row of steps descending down to the water's edge. There were a bunch of Cambodian girls watching a bunch of Cambodian boys running and jumping into the water, swimming and splashing. Some other boys and girls were in the water wading around, collecting ducks and putting them in plastic bags for later eating (I assumed at least). It was a fascinating scene, and the three of us girls stayed and took photos for a good half an hour.
It was really great, because we were all three always on the same page. We were good at stating our needs and desires, and saying when we were done with where we were. We were all emotionally sensitive women, but also tough, adventurous, and straight-forward in our communication. It was a great combination, and we all had spicy personalities to go with our sensitive natures and enjoyment of meaningful conversation.
So, we were getting tired, but decided to take the long way back to town in order to see different roads. I was at the back of this 3-person lineup, and at one point, I got quite far behind due to a truck in front of me. So, I spent a good 5-10 minutes trying to catch up to the other 2 ladies, and when I finally did, I didn't want to fall behind again. So, when they took a left turn rather fast onto a major road, and I thought 'Wow, that seems a bit fast for me to follow, I don't know if the traffic will be the same by the time I take the turn', I hesitated but then braked, and wound up skidding on some sandy gravely road, and fell onto my left side with the bike onto the ground.
I immediately jumped up, and checked my body to make sure it was all still there, and the engine was still running on the bike when I looked down at it. And then it stopped. My left arm was badly scraped with some serious road rash, and my left knee hurt a little bit, but luckily I was wearing long and rather thick pants so my leg was fine. I picked up my bike as calmly and steadily as I could, as the other two girls came back to see if I was okay. We pulled over to the side of the road, and I took a few breaths and decided what my condition was. It was okay, but I decided we should cross the road and get a drink of water and sit for a few minutes to let my system calm down a bit, and to use the toilet as well.
An older Cambodian lady was there with her daughters, and they had seen the accident, and were offering me a seat, and also showed us to their toilet (another sheltered squatting hole, as per usual in these parts). She sold me a water, and kept offering to bandage my arm, but it had so much black and dirt and tiny gravel in it, that I just wanted to let it be for now, and give it a real good washing when we got back.
We thanked the lady, and got back on our bikes to head back to the hotel, when I realized that the left foot-rest was jammed out of place, and was now angled upwards making it difficult for me to shift. So, after riding about 3 feet, I told the girls we needed to fix this, and rode 2 houses down to the mechanic. The guys smiled when we approached, and the only one who could speak a tiny bit of English said they had seen my fall (apparently everyone within 300 feet had seen!) and basically he got a large metal tube, fitted it around the foot rest, and stepped hard onto it like a crank, and, voila! It was fixed. He wasn't expecting money, but I offered him some and he accepted it. Now, we were really on our way, but this time, I was extra careful, and took my time no matter what the girls were doing ahead of me.
We all took an hour out to shower, and I took care of my painful stinging left arm, which took some serious time and care. We had dinner across the street again at our now-favorite restaurant, and had another great 3-hour night of conversation of it. And again, our friends the Cambodian local guys joined us for a bit, chatting, and also taught us how to count in Khmer, amongst some other phrases.
None of us wanted to go to bed, because we were all 3 leaving early the next morning for 3 different places, but, we were tired once again, and hugged just in case we didn't see each other in the morning. I could have traveled with these ladies for a year, and we were all sad that our amazing time together was so quickly coming to an end. But we recognized just how lucky we were to have found each other, and looked forward to hearing about each other's future adventures. It was a great day, even with motorbike accident included, and a great 3 days we had spent together (including the day of the boat ride!)
I was off to Bangkok by bus the next morning at 7:30am, and had an 8-hour ride in store! The plan was to go to Chiang Mai after that before going back to the US sometime by/before the 25th-28th, for an unknown amount of time (a few days? two weeks? should I do a massage course afterall? or just go for a few days since I am feeling so tired?) I decided to just wait until I got to Bangkok to see how I felt, and decide then. In the meantime, it was time for sleep, and I slept awkwardly with my arm at a weird angle to protect it, but slept deep and well.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Babes, Bicycles, and Bamboo Trains
Our first morning in Battambang- relaxed, breakfast, taking our time. It really helps me to have companions while traveling, so I don't feel all the responsibility for myself to decide the what where and when and for how long, and in what order. So, Lucila (Argentinian) and Molly (Puerto-Rican-American) were GREAT, and we were all on the same page. We could be found in different locations that morning between 7-10am, sometimes doing our own thing, and sometimes at the same breakfast table.
When we were all done eating, we tried to rent 3 bicycles from our hotel. After test driving a few, we decided to get our bicycles elsewhere. Even for SE Asia standards, these bikes were crap! Only one brake on one, and the chain was fallen off, another had wonky steering, and the 3rd had a bell that didn't work (this is not something I would entirely reject a bicycle on, but, it was all adding up for us as a whole).
So we went nextdoor to TWO different bicycle rental places, and test drove almost every single bicycle in the crowd of ten or fifteen bikes. We found two bikes from one place, and one from the other, for $1 for the day, and we were set. We got directions to the 'Bamboo Train', the one tourist site I knew about and basically came here for, and we were off. It was only about 4 or 5 kilometers away, and we had fun navigating our way through the streets and roads of Battambang. When we weren't sure where we were, we'd just ask for 'Nori' the word for 'Bamboo Train' and we would get pointed in the right direction.
After about 20 or 30 minutes, we were there. We were greeted by some sort of security guard/overseer, and he told us the deal. $5 each for a ride on the train, half an hour out, and half an hour back, with a 10-15 minute stop at our arrival place. It was very official how he described it, but it was quite amusing because we were basically just downhill off the side of a dirt road, with one little shop-stand selling water and snacks, and the two railway tracks.
The train-compartments themselves were as simple as could be- literally just a single wooden platform built by hand, that was then placed on two barbell-like structures that would roll along the track. We were excited for our ride, but first we sat down and drank and ate the meat of one coconut each, and made small-talk with the locals selling it to us. The overseer was becoming impatient and asked us 'Okay, are you ready?' so we finished our coconuts and got on board.
They placed a large straw mat normally meant for picknicking on, I believe, on the wooden boards of the platform. We sat in a triangle facing forward with our legs crossed, and they told us to hold on to our stuff. Our young driver started the engine, and we were off! The train went quite fast, actually, much faster than we expected, and it was exhilerating! There we were in the blazing hot sun, with the high wailing sound of the train track beneath our wooden platform, and we could feel every bump whenever the wheels ran over an interruption in the train track. It was fast, hard, furious, bumpy, and GREAT! We were all laughing and smiling, hair blowing in the wind, big smiles plastered on our faces.
The most fun thing about this ride is that there are many bamboo platform trains running all day long, and only one train track, so, when a platform is coming from the other direction, basically both trains have to stop, and the train with the fewest people on it have to get off, while the two train drivers work together to dismantle the 'submissive' train platform, taking the platform off, and then the two heavy barbell-like wheel thingies. So, it was entertaining to watch, and then the two conductors would put the other train back together on the other side. This happened about 2 or 3 times on our ride one way, which is probably why it took a total of 30 minutes instead of say 20 or 25. . . anyway, it was thorougly entertaining, and so OLD SCHOOL!!!
Our destination was a couple of stands offering cold drinks and snacks. There was also a small brick factory! We turned down the offer for cold drinks, but then an 8-year old little girl offered us a tour of the brick factory. I was expecting some huge operation, but it turned out to be a relatively small operation underneath a house, sort-of underground. She took us underneath to this outdoor basement, and her 4-year old little friend (a boy) followed along. She explained in impressive English (for such a young girl!) how the brick factory worked, and showed us the completed bricks, the room where bricks were made, the machine where the material for bricks is churned up, and more. All the while, the 3 of us ladies were snapping photographs of these two kids left and right, and having such a fabulous time. The little boy was ominously silent but had eyes that spoke volumes, and he was walking around barefoot with nothing on but a tiny pair of yellow underpants- he was SO cute. At one point he took my hand, and that was how I was guided around. I felt so honored at his affection!
At one point, the wind started to blow, and all of the dust and dirt from the factory began blowing hard into our faces and eyes, and we all had to turn away. Needless to say, from all the heat of the day and our sweatyness as a result, we were gritty and covered in dirt for the rest of the day. It made us feel happy, though, like we had really 'gotten into it.'
When we returned to the shop area, we accepted the lady's offer for a cold drink, and wound up sitting down and chatting. Her name was 'Wow' appropriately enough, because, this lady was so great! We wound up talking quite a lot, and the 3 of us travelers wound up playing with all of her sons and daughters that kept showing up one by one, mostly naked and playing and being goofy. We all began trading bracelets, and I was giving the kids candy that I bought from the mom. I drew a picture of a kitty cat for that first little boy, and he loved it. I wound up talking to Wow for a while towards the end, and we were hugging many times when it was time to go. She was so warm and beautiful, and we all blew kisses to each other after hugging some more, and as the train pulled away (at this point we had been there for a good hour, much to the dismay of our train driver, who, would probably never have asked us to get a move on). Wow waved and waved and waved, and we all waved and smiled and laughed. As we made it the rest of the way on our full sensory experience of the train ride back, we were all silent with large smiles on our faces, and I could feel that each of us was alive with the wonderful connections that we had just made, and felt no need whatsoever to talk.
When we came back to the 'station', we said our goodbyes to everyone there, and wished each other well. Just super nice people, and one tuk-tuk driver who said he'd take us around the next day, with vouchers from all of his friends that were there. We thanked him, but told him we'd be on motorbikes the next day, but if we needed a tuk-tuk, he'd be the one we'd call. They said they liked us a lot, and that 'Americans are always so friendly'. I must say, this is the first time I have heard such positive feedback along the way on my travels! It was nice to hear something positive for once!
So, we rode back into town, and decided we needed some food. After grubbing it up, we decided to go to the local market, and wandered the endless aisles for a good hour. It was fun. From there, we found a good 'ol restaurant across the street from our hotel at the 'Coconut Cafe', as, we had quite a full and sun-absorbing day, and didn't feel much like walking around the town. It was great, because we just sat and talked for hours, and some of the local Cambodian guys hanging out there helping their friends who worked at the restaurant wound up joining us to chat and wanted to practice their english. Even after they left (and it was lots of fun talking with them) the 3 of us girls stayed and talked until we could no longer keep our eyes open. We were tired again! So, we said goodnight, and decided on another start time for the next day, when, we would explore by motorbike! Girl motorbike posse! Yeah!
We went nextdoor
When we were all done eating, we tried to rent 3 bicycles from our hotel. After test driving a few, we decided to get our bicycles elsewhere. Even for SE Asia standards, these bikes were crap! Only one brake on one, and the chain was fallen off, another had wonky steering, and the 3rd had a bell that didn't work (this is not something I would entirely reject a bicycle on, but, it was all adding up for us as a whole).
So we went nextdoor to TWO different bicycle rental places, and test drove almost every single bicycle in the crowd of ten or fifteen bikes. We found two bikes from one place, and one from the other, for $1 for the day, and we were set. We got directions to the 'Bamboo Train', the one tourist site I knew about and basically came here for, and we were off. It was only about 4 or 5 kilometers away, and we had fun navigating our way through the streets and roads of Battambang. When we weren't sure where we were, we'd just ask for 'Nori' the word for 'Bamboo Train' and we would get pointed in the right direction.
After about 20 or 30 minutes, we were there. We were greeted by some sort of security guard/overseer, and he told us the deal. $5 each for a ride on the train, half an hour out, and half an hour back, with a 10-15 minute stop at our arrival place. It was very official how he described it, but it was quite amusing because we were basically just downhill off the side of a dirt road, with one little shop-stand selling water and snacks, and the two railway tracks.
The train-compartments themselves were as simple as could be- literally just a single wooden platform built by hand, that was then placed on two barbell-like structures that would roll along the track. We were excited for our ride, but first we sat down and drank and ate the meat of one coconut each, and made small-talk with the locals selling it to us. The overseer was becoming impatient and asked us 'Okay, are you ready?' so we finished our coconuts and got on board.
They placed a large straw mat normally meant for picknicking on, I believe, on the wooden boards of the platform. We sat in a triangle facing forward with our legs crossed, and they told us to hold on to our stuff. Our young driver started the engine, and we were off! The train went quite fast, actually, much faster than we expected, and it was exhilerating! There we were in the blazing hot sun, with the high wailing sound of the train track beneath our wooden platform, and we could feel every bump whenever the wheels ran over an interruption in the train track. It was fast, hard, furious, bumpy, and GREAT! We were all laughing and smiling, hair blowing in the wind, big smiles plastered on our faces.
The most fun thing about this ride is that there are many bamboo platform trains running all day long, and only one train track, so, when a platform is coming from the other direction, basically both trains have to stop, and the train with the fewest people on it have to get off, while the two train drivers work together to dismantle the 'submissive' train platform, taking the platform off, and then the two heavy barbell-like wheel thingies. So, it was entertaining to watch, and then the two conductors would put the other train back together on the other side. This happened about 2 or 3 times on our ride one way, which is probably why it took a total of 30 minutes instead of say 20 or 25. . . anyway, it was thorougly entertaining, and so OLD SCHOOL!!!
Our destination was a couple of stands offering cold drinks and snacks. There was also a small brick factory! We turned down the offer for cold drinks, but then an 8-year old little girl offered us a tour of the brick factory. I was expecting some huge operation, but it turned out to be a relatively small operation underneath a house, sort-of underground. She took us underneath to this outdoor basement, and her 4-year old little friend (a boy) followed along. She explained in impressive English (for such a young girl!) how the brick factory worked, and showed us the completed bricks, the room where bricks were made, the machine where the material for bricks is churned up, and more. All the while, the 3 of us ladies were snapping photographs of these two kids left and right, and having such a fabulous time. The little boy was ominously silent but had eyes that spoke volumes, and he was walking around barefoot with nothing on but a tiny pair of yellow underpants- he was SO cute. At one point he took my hand, and that was how I was guided around. I felt so honored at his affection!
At one point, the wind started to blow, and all of the dust and dirt from the factory began blowing hard into our faces and eyes, and we all had to turn away. Needless to say, from all the heat of the day and our sweatyness as a result, we were gritty and covered in dirt for the rest of the day. It made us feel happy, though, like we had really 'gotten into it.'
When we returned to the shop area, we accepted the lady's offer for a cold drink, and wound up sitting down and chatting. Her name was 'Wow' appropriately enough, because, this lady was so great! We wound up talking quite a lot, and the 3 of us travelers wound up playing with all of her sons and daughters that kept showing up one by one, mostly naked and playing and being goofy. We all began trading bracelets, and I was giving the kids candy that I bought from the mom. I drew a picture of a kitty cat for that first little boy, and he loved it. I wound up talking to Wow for a while towards the end, and we were hugging many times when it was time to go. She was so warm and beautiful, and we all blew kisses to each other after hugging some more, and as the train pulled away (at this point we had been there for a good hour, much to the dismay of our train driver, who, would probably never have asked us to get a move on). Wow waved and waved and waved, and we all waved and smiled and laughed. As we made it the rest of the way on our full sensory experience of the train ride back, we were all silent with large smiles on our faces, and I could feel that each of us was alive with the wonderful connections that we had just made, and felt no need whatsoever to talk.
When we came back to the 'station', we said our goodbyes to everyone there, and wished each other well. Just super nice people, and one tuk-tuk driver who said he'd take us around the next day, with vouchers from all of his friends that were there. We thanked him, but told him we'd be on motorbikes the next day, but if we needed a tuk-tuk, he'd be the one we'd call. They said they liked us a lot, and that 'Americans are always so friendly'. I must say, this is the first time I have heard such positive feedback along the way on my travels! It was nice to hear something positive for once!
So, we rode back into town, and decided we needed some food. After grubbing it up, we decided to go to the local market, and wandered the endless aisles for a good hour. It was fun. From there, we found a good 'ol restaurant across the street from our hotel at the 'Coconut Cafe', as, we had quite a full and sun-absorbing day, and didn't feel much like walking around the town. It was great, because we just sat and talked for hours, and some of the local Cambodian guys hanging out there helping their friends who worked at the restaurant wound up joining us to chat and wanted to practice their english. Even after they left (and it was lots of fun talking with them) the 3 of us girls stayed and talked until we could no longer keep our eyes open. We were tired again! So, we said goodnight, and decided on another start time for the next day, when, we would explore by motorbike! Girl motorbike posse! Yeah!
We went nextdoor
The Boat Ride to Battambang
The next morning, I woke up at 4:40am, to get ready for my 5am pick-up by Mr. Mab. I was paying him $5 to take me to a hot air balloon that takes tourists for a 15 minute ride over Angkor Wat for sunrise, and to then take me back to my hotel in time for my 6:30am pickup from a minivan that was to take me to my boat ride to Battambang, the final province that I would be visiting in Cambodia.
At 4:55am, there was a call up to my room that Mr. Mab was waiting, and I made my tired way downstairs. We drove back towards Angkor Wat, got to the balloon place, and they said 'No Ballon Today.' Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! This is what they had told me the evening before when I tried to come for afternoon/sunset, and they said 'come back tomorrow morning at 5:25am, we will definitely be going out.' Oh well. Apparently, there is no 'definitely' in these parts, and I decided I had to make SOMETHING out of my ridiculously early wake up time. So, Mr. Mab drove me back to my hotel area, and let me off at the morning market, where I proceeded to spend a half an hour taking some stellar shots of the daily morning market set-up time. It was cool to experience, and I was glad for this little visit to the market before leaving Siem Reap for good.
Went back to my hotel, got my stuff, and got picked up. Took a 20-30 minute mini-van ride to the dock, and about 30 or so people loaded on to a small boat. At first we were all crammed butt-to-butt along the two built-in benches along the two long sides of the boat, but before we even got moving, I suddenly realized that there was a rooftop (intended for luggage, but still, a rooftop) and this is where I spent the next eight hours of this long but beautiful boatride.
This boat ride, by the way, is predicted to range between 3-8 hours, which, is quite the range, don't you think?! So, I've learned along the way in my travels to expect the longest projected time, and just be happy when it is less. That said, it was a (mostly) very enjoyable boatride, despite its length being at the maximum high end of the range, (8 and a HALF hours!) and I highly recommend it to anyone traveling from Siem Reap to Battambang. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest to go to Battambang from Siem Reap JUST to experience the boat ride! Because, this boat ride spent the first two hours at the very least cruising through long floating villages, where people's homes and shops and EVERYTHING were floating, and almost no part of their lives existed on land. The homes and boats and shops were beautiful, and colorful, and all of us on the boat were waving and smiling and calling out 'Sos-a-dai!' (hello) in Khmer and taking tons and tons of photos. It was really cool. And the river was beautiful, the sky was beautiful- it was just great. I am also glad that not so many people know about it, and that our boat was a mixture of travelers as well as locals, which made it so much more interesting.
We made a pit stop at one point just for the boat to drop off some cargo, when one of the tourists noticed that there were coconuts for sale (to drink). She started a contagious exodus of coconut-buying, and what was meant to be a 30-second stop became a 5 minute stop where we all got coconuts. A bit later, we had a planned stop at a floating shop/restaurant, and some of us got the rice with some vegetables and a little bit of chicken and pineapple- tasty! When we got back on the boat, a bunch of us starting talking, and I wound up meeting two women who were to become my companions for that night and also the next two days in Battambang! Molly is Puerto-Rican-American, and Lucila is Argentinian. We were all quite different in our personalities (and quite strong at that!), but it was a great dynamic that turned into great fun, conversation, and laughter, quite quickly and easily.
For the duration of the boatride itself, sometimes we were chatting, and at one point Molly and I wound up sharing an umbrella that a Dutch guy lent us, just because we were getting FRIED by the sun on the boat rooftop, and no amount of sunscreen was going to protect us anymore, and we also didn't want to go down below. So, we had a really good and deep conversation together while huddled tightly together under one small umbrella.
At one point, the umbrella was left unused, and after a bit, I felt quite tired, so I curled up in the fetal position on the rooftop, and took a nap under the umbrella. As I have mentioned in other blogs, I have become quite skilled throughout my travels in sleeping in the oddest and most uncomfortable places. When I woke up 30-45 minutes later in a daze, I offered the umbrella back to Molly, and she took it gratefully. Now it had been a good 7 hours that we had been traveling, and finally, we were all beginning to tire.
We arrived around 4:30 or 5pm, and got picked up by a tuk-tuk driver from the hotel we wanted to go to. There was a mob of tuk-tuk drivers at the dock stairway, (as is always the scene whenever disembarking from a boat, bus, or train in SE Asia) so, I was happy that I already knew where I was going, not to mention the driver carried my bag (which inside of it the HUGE and HEAVY Buddha for my parents was!) Between the three of us very particular girls each wanting her own room with our own special requirements, we had an incredibly patient hotel-guy showing us room after room until we had each finally found what we wanted. We planned to meet for dinner in an hour and a half, to take a load off for a bit, take showers, and then get some food and check the town out.
We went to the 'White Rose' restaurant, and had some excellent Khmer Food, Fruit Shakes, and conversation. We talked for about 3 hours until finally we tired, and went back to our hotel, and made a plan to meet around 9 or 10 the next morning for the famed 'Bamboo Train' ride, and other explorations by bicycle. Hooray! So far, Battambang was GREAT!
At 4:55am, there was a call up to my room that Mr. Mab was waiting, and I made my tired way downstairs. We drove back towards Angkor Wat, got to the balloon place, and they said 'No Ballon Today.' Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! This is what they had told me the evening before when I tried to come for afternoon/sunset, and they said 'come back tomorrow morning at 5:25am, we will definitely be going out.' Oh well. Apparently, there is no 'definitely' in these parts, and I decided I had to make SOMETHING out of my ridiculously early wake up time. So, Mr. Mab drove me back to my hotel area, and let me off at the morning market, where I proceeded to spend a half an hour taking some stellar shots of the daily morning market set-up time. It was cool to experience, and I was glad for this little visit to the market before leaving Siem Reap for good.
Went back to my hotel, got my stuff, and got picked up. Took a 20-30 minute mini-van ride to the dock, and about 30 or so people loaded on to a small boat. At first we were all crammed butt-to-butt along the two built-in benches along the two long sides of the boat, but before we even got moving, I suddenly realized that there was a rooftop (intended for luggage, but still, a rooftop) and this is where I spent the next eight hours of this long but beautiful boatride.
This boat ride, by the way, is predicted to range between 3-8 hours, which, is quite the range, don't you think?! So, I've learned along the way in my travels to expect the longest projected time, and just be happy when it is less. That said, it was a (mostly) very enjoyable boatride, despite its length being at the maximum high end of the range, (8 and a HALF hours!) and I highly recommend it to anyone traveling from Siem Reap to Battambang. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest to go to Battambang from Siem Reap JUST to experience the boat ride! Because, this boat ride spent the first two hours at the very least cruising through long floating villages, where people's homes and shops and EVERYTHING were floating, and almost no part of their lives existed on land. The homes and boats and shops were beautiful, and colorful, and all of us on the boat were waving and smiling and calling out 'Sos-a-dai!' (hello) in Khmer and taking tons and tons of photos. It was really cool. And the river was beautiful, the sky was beautiful- it was just great. I am also glad that not so many people know about it, and that our boat was a mixture of travelers as well as locals, which made it so much more interesting.
We made a pit stop at one point just for the boat to drop off some cargo, when one of the tourists noticed that there were coconuts for sale (to drink). She started a contagious exodus of coconut-buying, and what was meant to be a 30-second stop became a 5 minute stop where we all got coconuts. A bit later, we had a planned stop at a floating shop/restaurant, and some of us got the rice with some vegetables and a little bit of chicken and pineapple- tasty! When we got back on the boat, a bunch of us starting talking, and I wound up meeting two women who were to become my companions for that night and also the next two days in Battambang! Molly is Puerto-Rican-American, and Lucila is Argentinian. We were all quite different in our personalities (and quite strong at that!), but it was a great dynamic that turned into great fun, conversation, and laughter, quite quickly and easily.
For the duration of the boatride itself, sometimes we were chatting, and at one point Molly and I wound up sharing an umbrella that a Dutch guy lent us, just because we were getting FRIED by the sun on the boat rooftop, and no amount of sunscreen was going to protect us anymore, and we also didn't want to go down below. So, we had a really good and deep conversation together while huddled tightly together under one small umbrella.
At one point, the umbrella was left unused, and after a bit, I felt quite tired, so I curled up in the fetal position on the rooftop, and took a nap under the umbrella. As I have mentioned in other blogs, I have become quite skilled throughout my travels in sleeping in the oddest and most uncomfortable places. When I woke up 30-45 minutes later in a daze, I offered the umbrella back to Molly, and she took it gratefully. Now it had been a good 7 hours that we had been traveling, and finally, we were all beginning to tire.
We arrived around 4:30 or 5pm, and got picked up by a tuk-tuk driver from the hotel we wanted to go to. There was a mob of tuk-tuk drivers at the dock stairway, (as is always the scene whenever disembarking from a boat, bus, or train in SE Asia) so, I was happy that I already knew where I was going, not to mention the driver carried my bag (which inside of it the HUGE and HEAVY Buddha for my parents was!) Between the three of us very particular girls each wanting her own room with our own special requirements, we had an incredibly patient hotel-guy showing us room after room until we had each finally found what we wanted. We planned to meet for dinner in an hour and a half, to take a load off for a bit, take showers, and then get some food and check the town out.
We went to the 'White Rose' restaurant, and had some excellent Khmer Food, Fruit Shakes, and conversation. We talked for about 3 hours until finally we tired, and went back to our hotel, and made a plan to meet around 9 or 10 the next morning for the famed 'Bamboo Train' ride, and other explorations by bicycle. Hooray! So far, Battambang was GREAT!
Last Day in Siem Reap and Bantey Srei
When I went to bed the night before, and when I woke up in the morning on my fourth day in Siem Reap (July 5th), I was feeling quite tired once again. I decided I would do my best to apply the lessons I had been learning on this trip, and to TAKE IT EASY, and not MAKE myself sight-see. All I really felt like was maybe a massage, and then perhaps some light bike riding around, and some light souveneir shopping around town or something. But, one step at a time- I ordered breakfast to my room, did a little bit of stretching while waiting, and then walked down the alley to this great little massage place I had been going to.
After my massage, I was thinking of sticking with my original plan of renting a bicycle and wandering slowly and aimlessly around town, but then I got an email from my mother. She has been reading the same books as I have while on this trip, at my suggestion, all memoirs/autobiographies about Khmer Rouge stuff, as well as Vietnamese biographies as well. This particular book at this moment in time was 'Lucky Child', by Loung Ung, the sequel to 'First They Killed My Father', one we both read before this. Somewhere in this second book, Bantey Srei was mentioned- a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, with tons of carving in pinkish-stone of women and lotus flowers, and is apparently, quite unusual for the time that it was built and carved.
My mom wrote to me saying 'Have you gotten to the part in the book where they go to Bantey Srei? You MUST go!' And, for some reason, it hit me at the perfectly right time. I knew it was about 45 minutes away by tuk-tuk, and that I could just go to this one temple, and have an easy afternoon of it but see one more sight. And it is a temple that honors women, and I felt like since the recommendation came from the first woman in my life, I should connect all of the dots by visiting this temple, and honor women everywhere!
So, I called Mr. Mab, and said 'Let's go to Bantey Srei!' and began the bargaining duel as always. He named a high price but said he would take me to many more places, but I just wanted to go to this one. We found a happy medium, and off we went. It was relaxing to just sit back in the tuk-tuk for 45 minutes, watching the sights go by, with less pressure to see see see every temple. This was much more my speed, for how I have been feeling lately.
We got to Bantey Srei, and I went exploring it for a good half an hour or so. It was quite beautiful, and there are a number of photos already posted on facebook right now. It was indeed feminine and intricate and special, and also quite small, so not much climbing, only admiring. :) I walked around to the back of the temple, and found yet another war-victim amputee band, and they were half-playing. I asked them to play, and they offered me their cd. I asked them to play first, and, it was awesome! So I bought two cds, knowing I will love to have it myself, and that it will also make a great gift for some friends.
The guys kept playing, and smiling at me, and I would applaud after each short theme, and they would all applaud with me- it was quite cute, actually. :) I was really loving their music. Then, as I was filming them and snapping photos, one guy got up from his instrument and offered to take a photo of me with the band. I thought I would just stand next to them and smile, but no- they were telling me to PLAY his instrument! At first I tried to refuse, as I felt kind of like it was a tourist set-up where I would 'pretend' to play and get this 'great photo' out of it, but they insisted, and then I remembered that I am a musician, and just played a few notes, and listened to the tuning, and was able to play some little ditty of a melody over their playing- it was so fun, and I felt so happy! I was proud of myself, and I think they were all surprised and impressed as well!
I took a little nature walk around a nearby lake and farm fields, and returned to Mr Mab at the tuk-tuk. I asked him if we could stop at the Butterfly Garden/Pavilion that was halfway home, and he said sure thing. So we went. Before we got moving, though, I decided an attempt to make real a fantasy I had been having while exploring Bantey Srei- laying in the hammock in the tuk-tuk WHILE driving to the Butterfly garden. Mr. Mab was amused by my request, but indulged me and set it up. We both laughed at my idea, and I was happy as a clam.
For the first 20 minutes of the ride, I was swinging lazily, and decided that I had finally figured out how to chill out more than any being on the planet, and was so incredibly proud of myself for being probably the only tourist with this idea, and the nerve to actually make it happen. Cambodians along the road smiled at me, and I smiled back. Then the fantasy came to an end- we got pulled over by none other than the. . . TOURIST POLICE!!! Oh my goodness! I didn't know that there really WAS such a thing as Tourist Police! We pulled over into what just happened to be the Butterfly Pavilion parking lot, as the Tourist Police officer used a stern tone with Mr. Mab, and I made my way out of the hammock as quickly as I could, almost certain that this was the reason for our being pulled over. Mr. Mab used a pleading tone, gesturing to me, and then the officer turned to me and said in stilted English "I am sorry, Madame, but you can not lay in the hammock while he is driving." And I said "Okay, no problem! I'm sorry!" and off he went, and that was it. When the officer left, Mr. Mab and I exchanged a conspirational glance and smiled, like two kids that just got in trouble with their parents. He told me 'I told him that you were feeling very tired, not feeling well, and that was why you were laying down.' And, it all worked out. (But a warning to all- Beware of the Tourist Police!! :) ) So, we laughed a bit and shook our heads, and I headed into the Butterfly Garden.
I spent a good 30-45 minutes there. It was beautiful! A large fenced in garden with tons of butterflies flitting around, and a special room full of cocoons and eggs at different stages, and employees helping them along in their growth, and cultivating hundreds and hundreds of future butterflies. It was a really nice stop, and I enjoyed talking to my young guide not just about the butterflies, but about his life, as well. That is what I discovered about Cambodia, and all of SE Asia so far, as well- no matter what the purpose of your journey is along the way, the best part is just connecting with the people along the way, whether they are other travelers, the tuk-tuk driver, the guide, or people working at the guesthouse. Anyone! THAT has been the favorite part of my experience.
So, that night, I had dinner in my room again, did a litte bit of souvenir hunting in the town, and tried to get to bed decently early, because not only was I leaving on a boat early the next morning to Battambang, my final stop in Cambodia, but I had decided to ALSO give in an schedule a 4:30am wakeup time to try and take a hot air balloon over Angkor Wat for sunrise! I figured I'd be getting up obscenely early for the boat ride anyway, so, what's another hour/hour and a half for an unforgettable hot air balloon ride over Angkor Wat??
After my massage, I was thinking of sticking with my original plan of renting a bicycle and wandering slowly and aimlessly around town, but then I got an email from my mother. She has been reading the same books as I have while on this trip, at my suggestion, all memoirs/autobiographies about Khmer Rouge stuff, as well as Vietnamese biographies as well. This particular book at this moment in time was 'Lucky Child', by Loung Ung, the sequel to 'First They Killed My Father', one we both read before this. Somewhere in this second book, Bantey Srei was mentioned- a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, with tons of carving in pinkish-stone of women and lotus flowers, and is apparently, quite unusual for the time that it was built and carved.
My mom wrote to me saying 'Have you gotten to the part in the book where they go to Bantey Srei? You MUST go!' And, for some reason, it hit me at the perfectly right time. I knew it was about 45 minutes away by tuk-tuk, and that I could just go to this one temple, and have an easy afternoon of it but see one more sight. And it is a temple that honors women, and I felt like since the recommendation came from the first woman in my life, I should connect all of the dots by visiting this temple, and honor women everywhere!
So, I called Mr. Mab, and said 'Let's go to Bantey Srei!' and began the bargaining duel as always. He named a high price but said he would take me to many more places, but I just wanted to go to this one. We found a happy medium, and off we went. It was relaxing to just sit back in the tuk-tuk for 45 minutes, watching the sights go by, with less pressure to see see see every temple. This was much more my speed, for how I have been feeling lately.
We got to Bantey Srei, and I went exploring it for a good half an hour or so. It was quite beautiful, and there are a number of photos already posted on facebook right now. It was indeed feminine and intricate and special, and also quite small, so not much climbing, only admiring. :) I walked around to the back of the temple, and found yet another war-victim amputee band, and they were half-playing. I asked them to play, and they offered me their cd. I asked them to play first, and, it was awesome! So I bought two cds, knowing I will love to have it myself, and that it will also make a great gift for some friends.
The guys kept playing, and smiling at me, and I would applaud after each short theme, and they would all applaud with me- it was quite cute, actually. :) I was really loving their music. Then, as I was filming them and snapping photos, one guy got up from his instrument and offered to take a photo of me with the band. I thought I would just stand next to them and smile, but no- they were telling me to PLAY his instrument! At first I tried to refuse, as I felt kind of like it was a tourist set-up where I would 'pretend' to play and get this 'great photo' out of it, but they insisted, and then I remembered that I am a musician, and just played a few notes, and listened to the tuning, and was able to play some little ditty of a melody over their playing- it was so fun, and I felt so happy! I was proud of myself, and I think they were all surprised and impressed as well!
I took a little nature walk around a nearby lake and farm fields, and returned to Mr Mab at the tuk-tuk. I asked him if we could stop at the Butterfly Garden/Pavilion that was halfway home, and he said sure thing. So we went. Before we got moving, though, I decided an attempt to make real a fantasy I had been having while exploring Bantey Srei- laying in the hammock in the tuk-tuk WHILE driving to the Butterfly garden. Mr. Mab was amused by my request, but indulged me and set it up. We both laughed at my idea, and I was happy as a clam.
For the first 20 minutes of the ride, I was swinging lazily, and decided that I had finally figured out how to chill out more than any being on the planet, and was so incredibly proud of myself for being probably the only tourist with this idea, and the nerve to actually make it happen. Cambodians along the road smiled at me, and I smiled back. Then the fantasy came to an end- we got pulled over by none other than the. . . TOURIST POLICE!!! Oh my goodness! I didn't know that there really WAS such a thing as Tourist Police! We pulled over into what just happened to be the Butterfly Pavilion parking lot, as the Tourist Police officer used a stern tone with Mr. Mab, and I made my way out of the hammock as quickly as I could, almost certain that this was the reason for our being pulled over. Mr. Mab used a pleading tone, gesturing to me, and then the officer turned to me and said in stilted English "I am sorry, Madame, but you can not lay in the hammock while he is driving." And I said "Okay, no problem! I'm sorry!" and off he went, and that was it. When the officer left, Mr. Mab and I exchanged a conspirational glance and smiled, like two kids that just got in trouble with their parents. He told me 'I told him that you were feeling very tired, not feeling well, and that was why you were laying down.' And, it all worked out. (But a warning to all- Beware of the Tourist Police!! :) ) So, we laughed a bit and shook our heads, and I headed into the Butterfly Garden.
I spent a good 30-45 minutes there. It was beautiful! A large fenced in garden with tons of butterflies flitting around, and a special room full of cocoons and eggs at different stages, and employees helping them along in their growth, and cultivating hundreds and hundreds of future butterflies. It was a really nice stop, and I enjoyed talking to my young guide not just about the butterflies, but about his life, as well. That is what I discovered about Cambodia, and all of SE Asia so far, as well- no matter what the purpose of your journey is along the way, the best part is just connecting with the people along the way, whether they are other travelers, the tuk-tuk driver, the guide, or people working at the guesthouse. Anyone! THAT has been the favorite part of my experience.
So, that night, I had dinner in my room again, did a litte bit of souvenir hunting in the town, and tried to get to bed decently early, because not only was I leaving on a boat early the next morning to Battambang, my final stop in Cambodia, but I had decided to ALSO give in an schedule a 4:30am wakeup time to try and take a hot air balloon over Angkor Wat for sunrise! I figured I'd be getting up obscenely early for the boat ride anyway, so, what's another hour/hour and a half for an unforgettable hot air balloon ride over Angkor Wat??
The Temples of Angkor
On my 3rd day in Siem Reap, (July 4th!) I finally ended the suspense and hired a tuk-tuk driver to go and see the well-famed and visited Angkor Wat, and the many temples of Angkor.
Many travelers get super motivated and wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning to begin their temple-viewing while watching the sunrise, but, this was not in the cards for me- getting a good night's sleep was the only way I was going to enjoy the massive day ahead! I decided on sunset instead of sunrise as my reward at the end of a long day of climbing and exploring. So, Mr. Mab arrived at 8am, and we got on the road in his tuk-tuk. About 10 or 15 minutes later, we arrived at the ticket booth area, where tuk-tuks and people were lined up to buy tickets. I believe it is like this for hours each morning, and this is just the slow season! It is $20 to get in for one day, or $40 if you decide to do 3 days (so, if you think you might do two days, you might as well buy the 3-day pass just in case). That said, I just bought the one day pass. :)
We rode alongside a long lake, and eventually, I could see a huge structure in the distance which was Angkor Wat. It was impressive and beautiful. That said, it is difficult to write about looking at temples, as you just have to go there and see them yourself, or, look at photos (which, I will post when I get home, I promise!) And since we went to so many places that day, I will just tell you what 'The Small Circuit' is, to summarize the activities of that day.
The 17km Small Circuit begins at Angkor Wat, and heads north to Phnom Bakheng, Baksei Chamkrong, and Angkor Thom, including the city wall and gates, the Bayon, the Baphuon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Preah Palilay, the Terrace of the Leper King, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Kleangs and Prast Suor Prat. It exits from Angkor Thom via the Victory Gate in the eastern wall, and continues to Chau Say Tevoda, Thommanon, Spean Thmor, and Ta Keo. It then heads northeast of the road to Ta Nei, turns south to Ta Prohn, continues east to Banteay Kdei and Sra Srang, and finally returns to Angkor Wat via Prasat Kravan.
Now, that is a lot of information there, right? Does it have any meaning to you to just read these words? Probably not, but, at least it can convey JUST HOW MUCH there is to see, and that is just the 'Small Circuit.' To be honest, I am not even sure if I SAW all of that stuff, because to me it is a big blur of Wats, Wats, Wats, and aside from Angkor Wat which was the first (and most famous) one that I saw, I can't remember which was which, and some of the names mentioned are WITHIN other mentioned names/areas.
What I CAN tell you is that there are just endless walls and walls and ceilings and statues of intricate and beautiful carvings. People could spend days, weeks, months exporing every inch of these buildings if they wanted to, and would just be scratching the surface. It is not necessarily the SIZE of these Wats that would lead to so much time spent, but instead just the DETAIL and the BEAUTY of the millions of hand-made carvings, as well as the construction of the Wats themselves. There are some that are more like 'ruins', with huge 'stone-blocks' fallen in piles, and some are perfectly in tact. There are many Buddha statues with missing heads, and I do believe that this is a result of the Khmer Rouge take over from 1975-1979, when they banned all religion, and destroyed endless religious statues, symbols, and temples. I am not absolutely certain about this, though.
Anyhow, there are people coming and going all day from sunrise until sunset every day. And at every temple to which we would arrive, there would be young Cambodian girls, boys, women, and men, all trying to sell trinkets or 'cold water, madam? cold drink?' and 'you buy something? you buy something from ME?' and it was a bombardment all day long until getting inside the temple gate walls. If I turned down the offer of water and said that I already have some, they would ask me my name and say 'okay, maybe after, I'll remember you.' And, low and behold, when I came out an hour or two later from exploring, I would hear someone calling my name 'Rachel! Rachel! Cold drink?' Amazing.
At one point, two teenage girls kept pleading and pleading me with sad eyes to buy their bracelets, or straw-woven crickets, and more, to which I responded 'no' everytime, but they kept offering still, as I sat in the tuk-tuk about to pull away. I looked them in the eyes, and suddenly I began smiling, and they began smiling, and then we all began laughing. My tuk-tuk driver started to pull away and we all smiled and waved, still laughing, and they thanked me ''Ah-kuhn" and gave me the Sampeah gesture, which some yoginis in America might refer to as 'Anjali-mudra' or the 'prayer position' of the hands. I like this little moment, because I feel like for just a second, we were able to break the buyer-seller-tourist cycle, and just be girls/people together.
By the time 2 o clock came around, I hit a wall (not literally). All of a sudden I felt really tired and even physically shaky. This is something I relate not to being out of shape, but to some mild hypoglycemia that is a regular fact of life for me, which, ordinarily only relates to the frequency and content of my food intake, (and also sleep) but it also can arrive if I do too much physical activity, regardless of how much food I have eaten. At a certain point, I just have to shut down, or I will meltdown! Due to this fact, in the past two years, I have been changing my exercise habits to higher frequency but shorter distances, and it has helped me to keep much better balanced energy. The Angkor Wat day was not an example of this short but sweet type of exercise, but when traveling, sometimes ya gotta do whatcha gotta do to see one of the eight wonders of the world!
So, I asked Mr. Mab if I could maybe go rest at the hotel for a bit and resume our exploring again, around 4 maybe? (I only asked this because days before, when he was trying to sell me his tuk-tuk services, and talked about a 5am wake-up, and my eyes widened with fear, he said 'no problem, you can come back to the hotel and rest in the afternoon, and come back- no problem!' But now, as I took him up on the offer, he said 'no, no, you will not have time, it is too far.' So, I don't know what the story is with that, (I think he didn't want to use the gas) but we found a compromise, because I was not enjoying myself anymore, and was over-tired after climbing and exploring for 5 hours straight, and now it was the peak heat of the day.
So, he set up his hammock for me in his tuk-tuk pulled over to the side of the road, and I lay down and took a nap- just like a real Cambodian tuk-tuk driver! :) It was quite nice, and about 45 minutes later, I woke up feeling a bit dazed, but much happier, and turned around to look for Mr. Mab, and saw him sleeping IN A TREE! I had taken his usual resting place, so he found another one. I can not believe the places and positions that I have seen moto and tuk-tuk drivers sleeping! Even with his eyes closed, he sensed me watching him and opened his eyes, and I started laughing at him, and he laughed as well. He came back to the tuk-tuk and said 'Ready?' And I said 'Yes, but let's go get some food, and THEN more temples!'
I got a bite to eat, and went to a few more temples. I was feeling much better now- the sleep and food were immensely helpful, and I was feeling cheerful again, not to mention it was getting on towards 5pm and it wasn't quite so hot anymore. At one of these temples, there was a musical band of war victims, many that were amputees, that are also musicians, and they play music to raise money for amputees and war victims all over Cambodia. Not only is this a great cause, but the traditional Khmer music that they play is AWESOME- I love it! I watched them for a while, and took some photos and some short videos that I will be posting soon enough. One guy was playing a malleted wooden xylophone-like instrument, one mallet with his left hand, and one mallet with a stump from his elbow! So inspiring and amazing.
Sunset was quickly approaching, and Mr. Mab was dead set on getting me 'there' on time. He kept me on a schedule "30 minutes then come back" and such, which was quite nice since I didn't know any better. At 5:30, we arrived at Phnom Bakheng, which is a hilltop temple, where there is a large exodus of tourists that all come at this same time, to take a long walk up a hill and to the top of the temple. This felt quite exciting and fun, being part of such a mass exodus up a path through a forested hill. At the top was the temple, with people climbing up massive and steep stairs, Monks climbing down, tourists climbing up, old Cambodian ladies with shaved heads climbing down- it was quite the scene!
I found a relatively quiet seat at the top, and, knowing there was at least half an hour to go until sunset, I made myself comfortable and wrote in my journal. A few minutes later, a gentle-looking older man sat near me, and I felt that he seemed approachable to ask if he knew WHERE exactly we were (like I said, this whole day was just a blur of temples and names that I couldn't remember). He didn't really know, but we were both pretty sure it was Phnom Bakheng (and it was). We got into talking- he was Italian, and his name was Fabrizio, and traveling alone as well- and we just chatted away until the sun started setting, when we joined the crowds to snap photo after photo of what we had all been waiting for, and climbing big hills for- the sunset.
On our way down, Fabrizio suggested that we have dinner together, 'Only if you want-ah, you know? I just think it-ah would-ah be-ah nice-ah! Whatever you want-ah!' he said in his strong Italian accent. I said absolutely I would love to, but that it needed to be something like 8pm, as it was already 6:30pm, and I had throughout the course of this day purchased some pricey items at various wats, (possibly pricier than they should have been, in fact!) and had a deal with the sellers that they would come to my hotel at 7:30pm to collect money from me, as I didn't bring very much with me to the temples, not realizing it would be the place that I would finally find a large Buddha statue for my parents which I had been promising them since my trip began, as well a some beautiful Temple-etchings for other friends and family.
So, I arrived back at my hotel for my rendezvous with the two sellers just in time, took a quick shower, and sent Fabrizio a text message from Skype to come meet me. He came to my hotel, and we went to dinner at the Angkor Palm where I had taken my cooking class the day before. It was just a very pleasant dinner, and it was Fabrizio's first time having Khmer food, so I insisted that we order the 'banquet for two' which included 7 different traditional Khmer dishes, a few of which were what I had learned to cook the day before. It was all just as good as what I had made! Hooray! It was good companionship too, being with Fabrizio, and pretty simple conversations, as his English was rather limited. He was just a good person to share space with, and enjoy some good food. I asked him about his favorite Italian foods, and that was fun to hear about. Like most Italians, he said he eats almost nothing BUT Italian food!
So, another great day in Siem Reap. What would the next day have in store? I wasn't sure, and decided to just figure out how I felt when I woke up. Either way, it was going to be my last day in Siem Reap.
Many travelers get super motivated and wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning to begin their temple-viewing while watching the sunrise, but, this was not in the cards for me- getting a good night's sleep was the only way I was going to enjoy the massive day ahead! I decided on sunset instead of sunrise as my reward at the end of a long day of climbing and exploring. So, Mr. Mab arrived at 8am, and we got on the road in his tuk-tuk. About 10 or 15 minutes later, we arrived at the ticket booth area, where tuk-tuks and people were lined up to buy tickets. I believe it is like this for hours each morning, and this is just the slow season! It is $20 to get in for one day, or $40 if you decide to do 3 days (so, if you think you might do two days, you might as well buy the 3-day pass just in case). That said, I just bought the one day pass. :)
We rode alongside a long lake, and eventually, I could see a huge structure in the distance which was Angkor Wat. It was impressive and beautiful. That said, it is difficult to write about looking at temples, as you just have to go there and see them yourself, or, look at photos (which, I will post when I get home, I promise!) And since we went to so many places that day, I will just tell you what 'The Small Circuit' is, to summarize the activities of that day.
The 17km Small Circuit begins at Angkor Wat, and heads north to Phnom Bakheng, Baksei Chamkrong, and Angkor Thom, including the city wall and gates, the Bayon, the Baphuon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Preah Palilay, the Terrace of the Leper King, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Kleangs and Prast Suor Prat. It exits from Angkor Thom via the Victory Gate in the eastern wall, and continues to Chau Say Tevoda, Thommanon, Spean Thmor, and Ta Keo. It then heads northeast of the road to Ta Nei, turns south to Ta Prohn, continues east to Banteay Kdei and Sra Srang, and finally returns to Angkor Wat via Prasat Kravan.
Now, that is a lot of information there, right? Does it have any meaning to you to just read these words? Probably not, but, at least it can convey JUST HOW MUCH there is to see, and that is just the 'Small Circuit.' To be honest, I am not even sure if I SAW all of that stuff, because to me it is a big blur of Wats, Wats, Wats, and aside from Angkor Wat which was the first (and most famous) one that I saw, I can't remember which was which, and some of the names mentioned are WITHIN other mentioned names/areas.
What I CAN tell you is that there are just endless walls and walls and ceilings and statues of intricate and beautiful carvings. People could spend days, weeks, months exporing every inch of these buildings if they wanted to, and would just be scratching the surface. It is not necessarily the SIZE of these Wats that would lead to so much time spent, but instead just the DETAIL and the BEAUTY of the millions of hand-made carvings, as well as the construction of the Wats themselves. There are some that are more like 'ruins', with huge 'stone-blocks' fallen in piles, and some are perfectly in tact. There are many Buddha statues with missing heads, and I do believe that this is a result of the Khmer Rouge take over from 1975-1979, when they banned all religion, and destroyed endless religious statues, symbols, and temples. I am not absolutely certain about this, though.
Anyhow, there are people coming and going all day from sunrise until sunset every day. And at every temple to which we would arrive, there would be young Cambodian girls, boys, women, and men, all trying to sell trinkets or 'cold water, madam? cold drink?' and 'you buy something? you buy something from ME?' and it was a bombardment all day long until getting inside the temple gate walls. If I turned down the offer of water and said that I already have some, they would ask me my name and say 'okay, maybe after, I'll remember you.' And, low and behold, when I came out an hour or two later from exploring, I would hear someone calling my name 'Rachel! Rachel! Cold drink?' Amazing.
At one point, two teenage girls kept pleading and pleading me with sad eyes to buy their bracelets, or straw-woven crickets, and more, to which I responded 'no' everytime, but they kept offering still, as I sat in the tuk-tuk about to pull away. I looked them in the eyes, and suddenly I began smiling, and they began smiling, and then we all began laughing. My tuk-tuk driver started to pull away and we all smiled and waved, still laughing, and they thanked me ''Ah-kuhn" and gave me the Sampeah gesture, which some yoginis in America might refer to as 'Anjali-mudra' or the 'prayer position' of the hands. I like this little moment, because I feel like for just a second, we were able to break the buyer-seller-tourist cycle, and just be girls/people together.
By the time 2 o clock came around, I hit a wall (not literally). All of a sudden I felt really tired and even physically shaky. This is something I relate not to being out of shape, but to some mild hypoglycemia that is a regular fact of life for me, which, ordinarily only relates to the frequency and content of my food intake, (and also sleep) but it also can arrive if I do too much physical activity, regardless of how much food I have eaten. At a certain point, I just have to shut down, or I will meltdown! Due to this fact, in the past two years, I have been changing my exercise habits to higher frequency but shorter distances, and it has helped me to keep much better balanced energy. The Angkor Wat day was not an example of this short but sweet type of exercise, but when traveling, sometimes ya gotta do whatcha gotta do to see one of the eight wonders of the world!
So, I asked Mr. Mab if I could maybe go rest at the hotel for a bit and resume our exploring again, around 4 maybe? (I only asked this because days before, when he was trying to sell me his tuk-tuk services, and talked about a 5am wake-up, and my eyes widened with fear, he said 'no problem, you can come back to the hotel and rest in the afternoon, and come back- no problem!' But now, as I took him up on the offer, he said 'no, no, you will not have time, it is too far.' So, I don't know what the story is with that, (I think he didn't want to use the gas) but we found a compromise, because I was not enjoying myself anymore, and was over-tired after climbing and exploring for 5 hours straight, and now it was the peak heat of the day.
So, he set up his hammock for me in his tuk-tuk pulled over to the side of the road, and I lay down and took a nap- just like a real Cambodian tuk-tuk driver! :) It was quite nice, and about 45 minutes later, I woke up feeling a bit dazed, but much happier, and turned around to look for Mr. Mab, and saw him sleeping IN A TREE! I had taken his usual resting place, so he found another one. I can not believe the places and positions that I have seen moto and tuk-tuk drivers sleeping! Even with his eyes closed, he sensed me watching him and opened his eyes, and I started laughing at him, and he laughed as well. He came back to the tuk-tuk and said 'Ready?' And I said 'Yes, but let's go get some food, and THEN more temples!'
I got a bite to eat, and went to a few more temples. I was feeling much better now- the sleep and food were immensely helpful, and I was feeling cheerful again, not to mention it was getting on towards 5pm and it wasn't quite so hot anymore. At one of these temples, there was a musical band of war victims, many that were amputees, that are also musicians, and they play music to raise money for amputees and war victims all over Cambodia. Not only is this a great cause, but the traditional Khmer music that they play is AWESOME- I love it! I watched them for a while, and took some photos and some short videos that I will be posting soon enough. One guy was playing a malleted wooden xylophone-like instrument, one mallet with his left hand, and one mallet with a stump from his elbow! So inspiring and amazing.
Sunset was quickly approaching, and Mr. Mab was dead set on getting me 'there' on time. He kept me on a schedule "30 minutes then come back" and such, which was quite nice since I didn't know any better. At 5:30, we arrived at Phnom Bakheng, which is a hilltop temple, where there is a large exodus of tourists that all come at this same time, to take a long walk up a hill and to the top of the temple. This felt quite exciting and fun, being part of such a mass exodus up a path through a forested hill. At the top was the temple, with people climbing up massive and steep stairs, Monks climbing down, tourists climbing up, old Cambodian ladies with shaved heads climbing down- it was quite the scene!
I found a relatively quiet seat at the top, and, knowing there was at least half an hour to go until sunset, I made myself comfortable and wrote in my journal. A few minutes later, a gentle-looking older man sat near me, and I felt that he seemed approachable to ask if he knew WHERE exactly we were (like I said, this whole day was just a blur of temples and names that I couldn't remember). He didn't really know, but we were both pretty sure it was Phnom Bakheng (and it was). We got into talking- he was Italian, and his name was Fabrizio, and traveling alone as well- and we just chatted away until the sun started setting, when we joined the crowds to snap photo after photo of what we had all been waiting for, and climbing big hills for- the sunset.
On our way down, Fabrizio suggested that we have dinner together, 'Only if you want-ah, you know? I just think it-ah would-ah be-ah nice-ah! Whatever you want-ah!' he said in his strong Italian accent. I said absolutely I would love to, but that it needed to be something like 8pm, as it was already 6:30pm, and I had throughout the course of this day purchased some pricey items at various wats, (possibly pricier than they should have been, in fact!) and had a deal with the sellers that they would come to my hotel at 7:30pm to collect money from me, as I didn't bring very much with me to the temples, not realizing it would be the place that I would finally find a large Buddha statue for my parents which I had been promising them since my trip began, as well a some beautiful Temple-etchings for other friends and family.
So, I arrived back at my hotel for my rendezvous with the two sellers just in time, took a quick shower, and sent Fabrizio a text message from Skype to come meet me. He came to my hotel, and we went to dinner at the Angkor Palm where I had taken my cooking class the day before. It was just a very pleasant dinner, and it was Fabrizio's first time having Khmer food, so I insisted that we order the 'banquet for two' which included 7 different traditional Khmer dishes, a few of which were what I had learned to cook the day before. It was all just as good as what I had made! Hooray! It was good companionship too, being with Fabrizio, and pretty simple conversations, as his English was rather limited. He was just a good person to share space with, and enjoy some good food. I asked him about his favorite Italian foods, and that was fun to hear about. Like most Italians, he said he eats almost nothing BUT Italian food!
So, another great day in Siem Reap. What would the next day have in store? I wasn't sure, and decided to just figure out how I felt when I woke up. Either way, it was going to be my last day in Siem Reap.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Riding Horseback Around Siem Reap
From July 3rd, 2011, Siem Reap, Cambodia
After my excellent morning cooking class at the Angkor Palm Restaurant, I was getting ready to rent a bicycle to the 'Happy Ranch', a bit outside the city and in the countryside. As much as I was excited for a little bit of exercise and do-it-yourself exploring, I let my hotel reception-desk guy and the hotel tuk-tuk driver talk me into getting a ride there, just because it would be easy to get lost. So, I compromised- I agreed to a ride, but asked that we go by motorbike instead of tuk-tuk because it is cheaper, and also more fun to be riding on the back of a bike with the wind whipping through my hair, the sun on my face, and it just feels more real and fun.
So, "Mr. Mab" the tuk-tuk driver wound up unhitching his tuk-tuk trailer from his motorbike, and indicated that I should get on. Doh! What I didn't realize was that this meant that there was still the metal hitch attachment on the middle of the bike seat, so sitting regularly meant that my inner thighs were jammed against this hard metal frame, and every time we went over a bump (which was every 3 seconds on this bumpy hole-y rode, I got banged. I eventually had to angle my knees way out to the side which was definitely upsetting my ability to stay balanced and on the bike, but, about 10 or so minutes later, we made it there. Luckily, the owner of the Happy Ranch, "Sarry Pann" had told me on the phone that he would personally drive me back to my hotel after the ride, free of charge, so I was glad not to have this same ride to look forward to on my return back to town later on. :)
When I arrived at the ranch, many Cambodian ranch-workers smiled at me as I walked in, and I was introduced to Chey, my guide, and "Mexico", my horse! I have ridden a number of times in my life, but all randomly and sporadically and at times far apart from each other. So, I'm not a total beginner, but not really very experienced or confident. That said, I have enough familiarity to feel comfortable.
Riding horses is a good exercise for me, because, one must be very confident, firm, and clear for the horse to relax and take direction from its rider. At first, Mexico and I were having communication problems due to my lack of assertiveness, and would turn the wrong way, or just stop walking altogether, but within the first half an hour or so, we got on the same page, and I found my assertiveness that I reminded myself was already there, especially after almost 4 months of travel in SE Asia.
So, Chey and I rode our horses down country road paths, waving to farmers and locals, checking out the green and gorgeous scenery of fields and rice growing, with blue and cloudy skies. After about half an hour, it started to rain, so, Chey pulled us over to seek respite and cover under a local woman's front porch, and we waited the rain out for a good 45 minutes under her porch cover. The woman had a small daughter of about 5 or 6 years old with her who was very cute and a bit shy, but definitely interested in watching us and the horses. Mostly, we all just sat watching the rain together, and laughing when one of the horses would try and eat Chey's hat or nibble at us. After a little while, some neighborhood girls came over to be where 'the action' was, and just sat together with us, and I started taking pictures of everyone, much to their delight as well as embarassment (quite common in these parts). Eventually, when the rain slowed down to just a trickle, Chey and I agreed it was time to continue on.
We rode for another little while, and every now and then Chey would say 'Trot?' and I'd say 'Yeah!!!' and we'd start trotting our horses- it was SO much fun! I have done this before, but it has been a long time, and now it was just me and one other rider, out in huge open fields and road, so I really felt like we were free and unrestricted. These were some of my favorite moments on the ride.
One of the planned stops was at a temple/monastary area, and I wound up receiving a little tour from one of Chey's friends who lives there. He took me around and explained about the Khmer Rouge, the origins of the temple, and took me through where there was an actual Monk performing some sort of ritual, which I took a number of photos of. The shrine in this temple was particularly beautiful, almost more so than any other that I've seen so far- so very colorful! -and I was enchanted by the whole experience.
After about a half an hour, it was time to meet up with Chey again. Off we rode, as it was getting close to sunset time, and due to our wait in the rain, we had delayed the timing of our trip by almost an hour (so my entire experience took place over 4 hours instead of 3, which, is fine by me!) Because of the rain, the sky was white and grey, but this just made all of the colors of the fields even more bright and vivid and green- so beautiful! I told Chey that I was happy that it had rained. Also, twice during this final half an hour, a very heavy Cambodian man with thick black glasses rode by slowly on a motorbike and said 'Rachel?' to me, and I was like 'Um....yes?' not knowing how the heck this guy could know my name- but, it was Sarry Pan- the owner of the ranch, who I had not met yet, but had talked to on the phone. He was just checking on our timing, and asked me if I was enjoying myself. I enjoyed his multiple buzz-throughs and greetings, he was a quirky and cheerful guy, and definitely proud of his ranch and the wonderful service that they provide at Happy Ranch. I liked him right away when we spoke on the phone, and I liked meeting him in person even more. "Better get a move on- it's almost time for sunset!" he said, before buzzing away with a smile.
The sun started setting, and I was getting tired after so many hours on the horse, but I was enjoying myself so very much. Here and there we'd trot again, and our horses would slosh through deep puddles and some small streams, and weave our way on small paths under trees, and then onto wide main roads. We finally made it back to the ranch JUST as it was becoming dark, perfect timing. I said goodbye to Mexico, and Chey took me back to my hotel on the ranch motorbike. I thanked him very much, and went back to my hotel, tired and happy from a very full and wonderful day.
That evening I was devoted to relaxing and dining in my room, with the breeze blowing in from the balcony window, reading, and watching my favorite cartoon (since I've come to SE Asia) "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack" on the Cartoon Network- check it out! Soooo weird and soooo good. :) The next day, I had full-on plans for "THE" Angkor Wat, and, the 'Short Tour Circuit'. Stay tuned. :)
After my excellent morning cooking class at the Angkor Palm Restaurant, I was getting ready to rent a bicycle to the 'Happy Ranch', a bit outside the city and in the countryside. As much as I was excited for a little bit of exercise and do-it-yourself exploring, I let my hotel reception-desk guy and the hotel tuk-tuk driver talk me into getting a ride there, just because it would be easy to get lost. So, I compromised- I agreed to a ride, but asked that we go by motorbike instead of tuk-tuk because it is cheaper, and also more fun to be riding on the back of a bike with the wind whipping through my hair, the sun on my face, and it just feels more real and fun.
So, "Mr. Mab" the tuk-tuk driver wound up unhitching his tuk-tuk trailer from his motorbike, and indicated that I should get on. Doh! What I didn't realize was that this meant that there was still the metal hitch attachment on the middle of the bike seat, so sitting regularly meant that my inner thighs were jammed against this hard metal frame, and every time we went over a bump (which was every 3 seconds on this bumpy hole-y rode, I got banged. I eventually had to angle my knees way out to the side which was definitely upsetting my ability to stay balanced and on the bike, but, about 10 or so minutes later, we made it there. Luckily, the owner of the Happy Ranch, "Sarry Pann" had told me on the phone that he would personally drive me back to my hotel after the ride, free of charge, so I was glad not to have this same ride to look forward to on my return back to town later on. :)
When I arrived at the ranch, many Cambodian ranch-workers smiled at me as I walked in, and I was introduced to Chey, my guide, and "Mexico", my horse! I have ridden a number of times in my life, but all randomly and sporadically and at times far apart from each other. So, I'm not a total beginner, but not really very experienced or confident. That said, I have enough familiarity to feel comfortable.
Riding horses is a good exercise for me, because, one must be very confident, firm, and clear for the horse to relax and take direction from its rider. At first, Mexico and I were having communication problems due to my lack of assertiveness, and would turn the wrong way, or just stop walking altogether, but within the first half an hour or so, we got on the same page, and I found my assertiveness that I reminded myself was already there, especially after almost 4 months of travel in SE Asia.
So, Chey and I rode our horses down country road paths, waving to farmers and locals, checking out the green and gorgeous scenery of fields and rice growing, with blue and cloudy skies. After about half an hour, it started to rain, so, Chey pulled us over to seek respite and cover under a local woman's front porch, and we waited the rain out for a good 45 minutes under her porch cover. The woman had a small daughter of about 5 or 6 years old with her who was very cute and a bit shy, but definitely interested in watching us and the horses. Mostly, we all just sat watching the rain together, and laughing when one of the horses would try and eat Chey's hat or nibble at us. After a little while, some neighborhood girls came over to be where 'the action' was, and just sat together with us, and I started taking pictures of everyone, much to their delight as well as embarassment (quite common in these parts). Eventually, when the rain slowed down to just a trickle, Chey and I agreed it was time to continue on.
We rode for another little while, and every now and then Chey would say 'Trot?' and I'd say 'Yeah!!!' and we'd start trotting our horses- it was SO much fun! I have done this before, but it has been a long time, and now it was just me and one other rider, out in huge open fields and road, so I really felt like we were free and unrestricted. These were some of my favorite moments on the ride.
One of the planned stops was at a temple/monastary area, and I wound up receiving a little tour from one of Chey's friends who lives there. He took me around and explained about the Khmer Rouge, the origins of the temple, and took me through where there was an actual Monk performing some sort of ritual, which I took a number of photos of. The shrine in this temple was particularly beautiful, almost more so than any other that I've seen so far- so very colorful! -and I was enchanted by the whole experience.
After about a half an hour, it was time to meet up with Chey again. Off we rode, as it was getting close to sunset time, and due to our wait in the rain, we had delayed the timing of our trip by almost an hour (so my entire experience took place over 4 hours instead of 3, which, is fine by me!) Because of the rain, the sky was white and grey, but this just made all of the colors of the fields even more bright and vivid and green- so beautiful! I told Chey that I was happy that it had rained. Also, twice during this final half an hour, a very heavy Cambodian man with thick black glasses rode by slowly on a motorbike and said 'Rachel?' to me, and I was like 'Um....yes?' not knowing how the heck this guy could know my name- but, it was Sarry Pan- the owner of the ranch, who I had not met yet, but had talked to on the phone. He was just checking on our timing, and asked me if I was enjoying myself. I enjoyed his multiple buzz-throughs and greetings, he was a quirky and cheerful guy, and definitely proud of his ranch and the wonderful service that they provide at Happy Ranch. I liked him right away when we spoke on the phone, and I liked meeting him in person even more. "Better get a move on- it's almost time for sunset!" he said, before buzzing away with a smile.
The sun started setting, and I was getting tired after so many hours on the horse, but I was enjoying myself so very much. Here and there we'd trot again, and our horses would slosh through deep puddles and some small streams, and weave our way on small paths under trees, and then onto wide main roads. We finally made it back to the ranch JUST as it was becoming dark, perfect timing. I said goodbye to Mexico, and Chey took me back to my hotel on the ranch motorbike. I thanked him very much, and went back to my hotel, tired and happy from a very full and wonderful day.
That evening I was devoted to relaxing and dining in my room, with the breeze blowing in from the balcony window, reading, and watching my favorite cartoon (since I've come to SE Asia) "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack" on the Cartoon Network- check it out! Soooo weird and soooo good. :) The next day, I had full-on plans for "THE" Angkor Wat, and, the 'Short Tour Circuit'. Stay tuned. :)
Learning to Cook Khmer Style
After my first night out in Siem Reap, and a full day off from sight-seeing spent resting in my hotel room, I got back into the game, and had signed myself up for a morning cooking class at the Angkor Palm Restaurant just down the street to learn how to make Khmer (Cambodian) food, which so far in the four countries I have traveled to, has been my FAVORITE! So deliciously spiced and tasty and special!
Anyhow, the class was AWESOME! I was able to call in the morning and schedule a class for one hour later. Since I was the only one who signed up, it was just me, a private cooking class with 3 Cambodian Chefs all to myself, each of them taking turns showing me different parts of the preparation and cooking process. I am so lucky!! This sort of thing has happened to me a lot on this trip - one of many benefits of traveling solo.
For the first half hour, one of the chefs named 'Hak' took me to the local market to describe and explain all of the local produce and goods that are bought and sold on a daily basis to the locals, (most of which I was quite familiar with by now, due to the many cooking classes I have taken along the way during my SE Asia travels) including massive baskets brimming with red ants, as well as bowls filled with their eggs! Protein! :)
When we returned to the restaurant from the market, there was an immaculate room set up upstairs with all of the vegetables and spices that we were going to use that morning (see photos on facebook) and three mini-gas-stove burners. That day, I learned to make (at my request) Fish Amok (a traditional and DELICIOUS Khmer/Cambodian dish), Beef LocLac (Cambodian but not traditional), Stir-fried Morning Glory (traditional and common), as well as a most excellent dessert, made up of bananas, tapioca, mung bean seeds, coconut milk, and sugar, carefully boiled and prepared to create a perfect pudding-like consistency. This dessert actually took as long to make as all three of the othe savory dishes I wound up preparing, so we startd with dessert and I managed to coordinate successfully the cooking of 3 meals and a dessert all in the same 20 minute period (with, of course, the constant help and guidance of the chefs).
The three Cambodian Chefs who were teaching and assisting me were AWESOME! They were very friendly and encouraging and enthusiastic, and offered to take photos of me while I was cooking since I was on my own. It was a really fun time, and I always feel so happy after these cooking classes- so satisfied and accomplished!
When I was done preparing all 3 meals and the dessert, they set me up downstairs in the restaurant to eat all that I had made. It was all delicious and fantastic, and I couldn't have been happier. I had to take half of the food to go of course, (and gave the rest of the banana-tapioca dessert to the front-desk guy at my hotel) as even with my often insatiable appetite, it was too much food to eat all at once. When I was done eating my self-made cuisine, I asked one of the chefs if he would show me how to make the special banana-leaf bowl that they serve Amok and other foods in out here in Cambodia, so, he did! It is easy! Hopefully, I can find banana-leaves in the Asian Markets in Colorado so I can re-create these natural bowls back home- I will definitely be making these dishes when I return!
This cooking class was an excellent experience- I was really quite impressed. It was a great deal as well- not only did I have 3 private chefs teaching me, and learned how to make 4 dishes, but I got to eat all of the food as well- all of this for $20! The food alone would have cost $10-15 if I had ordered it in their restaurant as a customer, so basically for a few more dollars I got a 3-hour private cooking lesson AND the food- wow! I highly recommend this particular cooking class at the Angkor Palm restaurant in Siem Reap, as well as cooking classes as a whole in SE Asia. Usually, they are even cheaper than this! :)
When I was done with this wonderful cooking extravaganza, it was only 1pm, and I still had a 3-hour horseback ride in the countryside to look forward to later that afternoon! I felt like the luckiest girl in the world! (And, was quite pleased with myself for signing up for such excellent stuff!)
Anyhow, the class was AWESOME! I was able to call in the morning and schedule a class for one hour later. Since I was the only one who signed up, it was just me, a private cooking class with 3 Cambodian Chefs all to myself, each of them taking turns showing me different parts of the preparation and cooking process. I am so lucky!! This sort of thing has happened to me a lot on this trip - one of many benefits of traveling solo.
For the first half hour, one of the chefs named 'Hak' took me to the local market to describe and explain all of the local produce and goods that are bought and sold on a daily basis to the locals, (most of which I was quite familiar with by now, due to the many cooking classes I have taken along the way during my SE Asia travels) including massive baskets brimming with red ants, as well as bowls filled with their eggs! Protein! :)
When we returned to the restaurant from the market, there was an immaculate room set up upstairs with all of the vegetables and spices that we were going to use that morning (see photos on facebook) and three mini-gas-stove burners. That day, I learned to make (at my request) Fish Amok (a traditional and DELICIOUS Khmer/Cambodian dish), Beef LocLac (Cambodian but not traditional), Stir-fried Morning Glory (traditional and common), as well as a most excellent dessert, made up of bananas, tapioca, mung bean seeds, coconut milk, and sugar, carefully boiled and prepared to create a perfect pudding-like consistency. This dessert actually took as long to make as all three of the othe savory dishes I wound up preparing, so we startd with dessert and I managed to coordinate successfully the cooking of 3 meals and a dessert all in the same 20 minute period (with, of course, the constant help and guidance of the chefs).
The three Cambodian Chefs who were teaching and assisting me were AWESOME! They were very friendly and encouraging and enthusiastic, and offered to take photos of me while I was cooking since I was on my own. It was a really fun time, and I always feel so happy after these cooking classes- so satisfied and accomplished!
When I was done preparing all 3 meals and the dessert, they set me up downstairs in the restaurant to eat all that I had made. It was all delicious and fantastic, and I couldn't have been happier. I had to take half of the food to go of course, (and gave the rest of the banana-tapioca dessert to the front-desk guy at my hotel) as even with my often insatiable appetite, it was too much food to eat all at once. When I was done eating my self-made cuisine, I asked one of the chefs if he would show me how to make the special banana-leaf bowl that they serve Amok and other foods in out here in Cambodia, so, he did! It is easy! Hopefully, I can find banana-leaves in the Asian Markets in Colorado so I can re-create these natural bowls back home- I will definitely be making these dishes when I return!
This cooking class was an excellent experience- I was really quite impressed. It was a great deal as well- not only did I have 3 private chefs teaching me, and learned how to make 4 dishes, but I got to eat all of the food as well- all of this for $20! The food alone would have cost $10-15 if I had ordered it in their restaurant as a customer, so basically for a few more dollars I got a 3-hour private cooking lesson AND the food- wow! I highly recommend this particular cooking class at the Angkor Palm restaurant in Siem Reap, as well as cooking classes as a whole in SE Asia. Usually, they are even cheaper than this! :)
When I was done with this wonderful cooking extravaganza, it was only 1pm, and I still had a 3-hour horseback ride in the countryside to look forward to later that afternoon! I felt like the luckiest girl in the world! (And, was quite pleased with myself for signing up for such excellent stuff!)
Arriving in Siem Reap and Day One
So many bus rides throughout SE Asia, they are starting to become a blur as of late, as I have been spending 3-4 days at a time in a city, and then making a bus trip anywhere from 4-10 hours in length between each city stay. So, I can tell you that the bus ride from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap was uneventful, because, I don't remember a thing, except that I left on July 1st (which I know only because I wrote it down), and that I left at 6:30 in the morning.
Ah, that's right- I slept for 1-2 hours on the first bus from Sihanouk--->Phnom Penh, woke up for the essential food stop and got some local cheap street food and tea, got on the next bus and passed out again pretty quickly. I believe we got into Siem Reap sometime around 6pm, after being picked up almost 12 hours earlier from my guesthouse. Long travel day!
Long travel days like that have started putting me totally out of commission for the entire next day, especially most recently, as I have been becoming more and more run down and worn out, tiring from my travels as a whole, and I have pushing myself at a really intense pace. So the whole first day, (the next day, July 2nd) I basically spent in my hotel room, at the Neth Socheata Hotel, which is one of the nicer and pricier places ($15/night) that I have stayed throughout this whole past 4 months. I usually like the more 'down-home' and 'family' style places, but I felt like it was time to give myself a little comfort, and enjoy the luxury. I spent that first day ordering food to my room, watching Cambodian HBO (but in English), and reading, and doing yoga on the public balcony that was pretty much empty all the time, and that I could climb out of my window onto. Also did some meditation each morning throughout this stay, which I had been not so good about maintaining as of late.
The night before, when I got in to Siem Reap, I went down the street to the Khmer Family Restaurant, and had a fantastic meal after checking into my hotel. The downtown was HAPPENING, a full on experience of restaurants, bars, clubs, music, massage parlors, tourists, tuk-tuk drivers- Siem Reap is DEFINITELY a touristy location. I could barely walk more than a foot or two without being asked if I needed a tuk-tuk or motorbike, and was pretty much constantly saying 'no thank you' and shaking my head as I walked down the street. This part was annoying, but otherwise the town seemed pretty fun. It seemed a place that was active at all hours of the day and night, and, seemed like there was actually some good fun and dining experiences to be had.
Cambodia's tourist-locations have so far been much more appealing to me than those in Laos and Thailand where there is much more of a 'younger-partier-drinking-out-of-buckets' type of partying. In Siem Reap, there seemed to be a much healthier mix of age and temperament (and Cambodia as a whole), and people come from everywhere to experience the historical sites of Angkor Wat and thus are more interested in that type of touring and exporing than partying.
Anyhow, that night after my meal, I got a most-excellent massage. After dinner and massage, I got approached by a young boy, perhaps 10 or 11 years old, asking me for money. At first I told him I didn't want to give him money, (partially just because all night I had been feeling harassed by all the tuk-tuk drivers and motorbike drivers and had already given money to another person earlier at dinner and was just wanting to be left alone) but then the boy said 'I don't want your money, I want to buy baby formula for my sister'. His sister was a tiny baby slung around his chest, passed out asleep, and looking none too healthy. Well, that was just about it for me- there was no chance of me resisting. This kid was asking for formula for his baby sister? How could I say no?? So, I said 'You want baby formula? Alright- let's go get some.' So he took me by the hand and led me to the nearest convenience store down the street, and we went hunting down the aisles.
He led me to the baby food section, and he selected a large heavy can of baby formula. Then, he led me to the diaper aisle, but the diapers were INSANELY expensive, and I told him maybe we'd just get the baby formula. Then he takes some shampoo off the shelf and asks for that, and also asks for a pair of little baby booties that were something like the equivalent of fifty cents in Cambodian Riel (the currency in Cambodia). So, I gave in- he wants shampoo? Booties for his little sister? What's another dollar or two? We go to the register and the man says 'That will be $26.25 please" and my jaw drops and I go 'Holy shit! Okay, kiddo, I think we need to buy a smaller can of formula, I can't spend $26 dollars on baby formula, maybe there is a cheaper kind.' We find a cheaper and smaller kind, and I wind up spending about $10-12 on him between the formula, booties, and shampoo.
We walk out of the store, and he thanks me and goes. Immediately another kid approaches me, taking me by the arm and hand, saying 'please please please' and also has a baby slung around his neck. At first I start to say 'no' because I just spent so much on the first kid, but, the pulling by my hand and the pleading eyes and the sleeping and dirty baby were too much for me. We also bought some formula and I also got the kid pringles for himself. Another $8-10 dollars spent on this kiddo. He thanked me as well, and the store-owner gave him a little bit of a knowing and dirty look, so I could tell I was not the first person he has brought to this store in the same way. When this kid walked away, another girl approached me with HER baby and started asking for the same, and finally, I had to say no. I had just spent somewhere between $20-25 on these two kids, and I had to walk away. It was hard, but I did.
It was a tough situation, because, I know that I can't just go dropping my cash every day and night on the poor kids in this town. Usually, people offer smaller amounts of money or give leftovers of food or something like that (as do I), but children are a weakness for me, and it was harder for me to say 'no' to formula for a baby sister than it was to say no for $1, or even some small change. Also, I have been reading all these books about the Khmer Rouge regime/take-over from 1975-1979 and all the starvation that people went through, and it has been giving me a more personal experience of feeling the suffering and hunger of others. So, when these kids approached me, and I had just had my sumptuous meal and massage, and they were asking for formula for their baby siblings, I just couldn't say no.
It is recommended by Lonely Planet and travelers in general to donate money to non-profits in the area instead of giving money to beggars, because when the kids are able to successfully beg lots of money from the streets, the parents will as a result keep the kids out of school. By donating to organizations, one can help to empower kids and adults by either offering direct services or helping to find work for the parents. But, in the moment, I just wanted to alleviate their suffering, and offer the feeling of a full belly the baby-siblings even if just for a few days or nights, if not the whole family. And, the Pringles? Well, not the most nutritious snack in the world, but again, maybe this kid peddling his sister around can have some tasty snacks once in a while. It just does not feel fair, and in the moment, I just wanted to give him whatever he wanted.
So, that was my first night. The next day was my special stay-in-my-room day, which, is one of three days in the past four months that I have done this in order to remove myself completely of external stimulus, and just completely turn off and rest. It is quite helpful, and did the job each time. Also, I had hurt/cut my foot running on the beach a couple of days before in Sihanoukville, and didn't want to do any serious temple-climbing, so I strategically gave myself enough time to heal before attempting Angkor Wat and any of the other temples. Along these same lines, for the next day- I had scheduled a cooking class, and a late-afternoon horse-back ride in the countryside!
Ah, that's right- I slept for 1-2 hours on the first bus from Sihanouk--->Phnom Penh, woke up for the essential food stop and got some local cheap street food and tea, got on the next bus and passed out again pretty quickly. I believe we got into Siem Reap sometime around 6pm, after being picked up almost 12 hours earlier from my guesthouse. Long travel day!
Long travel days like that have started putting me totally out of commission for the entire next day, especially most recently, as I have been becoming more and more run down and worn out, tiring from my travels as a whole, and I have pushing myself at a really intense pace. So the whole first day, (the next day, July 2nd) I basically spent in my hotel room, at the Neth Socheata Hotel, which is one of the nicer and pricier places ($15/night) that I have stayed throughout this whole past 4 months. I usually like the more 'down-home' and 'family' style places, but I felt like it was time to give myself a little comfort, and enjoy the luxury. I spent that first day ordering food to my room, watching Cambodian HBO (but in English), and reading, and doing yoga on the public balcony that was pretty much empty all the time, and that I could climb out of my window onto. Also did some meditation each morning throughout this stay, which I had been not so good about maintaining as of late.
The night before, when I got in to Siem Reap, I went down the street to the Khmer Family Restaurant, and had a fantastic meal after checking into my hotel. The downtown was HAPPENING, a full on experience of restaurants, bars, clubs, music, massage parlors, tourists, tuk-tuk drivers- Siem Reap is DEFINITELY a touristy location. I could barely walk more than a foot or two without being asked if I needed a tuk-tuk or motorbike, and was pretty much constantly saying 'no thank you' and shaking my head as I walked down the street. This part was annoying, but otherwise the town seemed pretty fun. It seemed a place that was active at all hours of the day and night, and, seemed like there was actually some good fun and dining experiences to be had.
Cambodia's tourist-locations have so far been much more appealing to me than those in Laos and Thailand where there is much more of a 'younger-partier-drinking-out-of-buckets' type of partying. In Siem Reap, there seemed to be a much healthier mix of age and temperament (and Cambodia as a whole), and people come from everywhere to experience the historical sites of Angkor Wat and thus are more interested in that type of touring and exporing than partying.
Anyhow, that night after my meal, I got a most-excellent massage. After dinner and massage, I got approached by a young boy, perhaps 10 or 11 years old, asking me for money. At first I told him I didn't want to give him money, (partially just because all night I had been feeling harassed by all the tuk-tuk drivers and motorbike drivers and had already given money to another person earlier at dinner and was just wanting to be left alone) but then the boy said 'I don't want your money, I want to buy baby formula for my sister'. His sister was a tiny baby slung around his chest, passed out asleep, and looking none too healthy. Well, that was just about it for me- there was no chance of me resisting. This kid was asking for formula for his baby sister? How could I say no?? So, I said 'You want baby formula? Alright- let's go get some.' So he took me by the hand and led me to the nearest convenience store down the street, and we went hunting down the aisles.
He led me to the baby food section, and he selected a large heavy can of baby formula. Then, he led me to the diaper aisle, but the diapers were INSANELY expensive, and I told him maybe we'd just get the baby formula. Then he takes some shampoo off the shelf and asks for that, and also asks for a pair of little baby booties that were something like the equivalent of fifty cents in Cambodian Riel (the currency in Cambodia). So, I gave in- he wants shampoo? Booties for his little sister? What's another dollar or two? We go to the register and the man says 'That will be $26.25 please" and my jaw drops and I go 'Holy shit! Okay, kiddo, I think we need to buy a smaller can of formula, I can't spend $26 dollars on baby formula, maybe there is a cheaper kind.' We find a cheaper and smaller kind, and I wind up spending about $10-12 on him between the formula, booties, and shampoo.
We walk out of the store, and he thanks me and goes. Immediately another kid approaches me, taking me by the arm and hand, saying 'please please please' and also has a baby slung around his neck. At first I start to say 'no' because I just spent so much on the first kid, but, the pulling by my hand and the pleading eyes and the sleeping and dirty baby were too much for me. We also bought some formula and I also got the kid pringles for himself. Another $8-10 dollars spent on this kiddo. He thanked me as well, and the store-owner gave him a little bit of a knowing and dirty look, so I could tell I was not the first person he has brought to this store in the same way. When this kid walked away, another girl approached me with HER baby and started asking for the same, and finally, I had to say no. I had just spent somewhere between $20-25 on these two kids, and I had to walk away. It was hard, but I did.
It was a tough situation, because, I know that I can't just go dropping my cash every day and night on the poor kids in this town. Usually, people offer smaller amounts of money or give leftovers of food or something like that (as do I), but children are a weakness for me, and it was harder for me to say 'no' to formula for a baby sister than it was to say no for $1, or even some small change. Also, I have been reading all these books about the Khmer Rouge regime/take-over from 1975-1979 and all the starvation that people went through, and it has been giving me a more personal experience of feeling the suffering and hunger of others. So, when these kids approached me, and I had just had my sumptuous meal and massage, and they were asking for formula for their baby siblings, I just couldn't say no.
It is recommended by Lonely Planet and travelers in general to donate money to non-profits in the area instead of giving money to beggars, because when the kids are able to successfully beg lots of money from the streets, the parents will as a result keep the kids out of school. By donating to organizations, one can help to empower kids and adults by either offering direct services or helping to find work for the parents. But, in the moment, I just wanted to alleviate their suffering, and offer the feeling of a full belly the baby-siblings even if just for a few days or nights, if not the whole family. And, the Pringles? Well, not the most nutritious snack in the world, but again, maybe this kid peddling his sister around can have some tasty snacks once in a while. It just does not feel fair, and in the moment, I just wanted to give him whatever he wanted.
So, that was my first night. The next day was my special stay-in-my-room day, which, is one of three days in the past four months that I have done this in order to remove myself completely of external stimulus, and just completely turn off and rest. It is quite helpful, and did the job each time. Also, I had hurt/cut my foot running on the beach a couple of days before in Sihanoukville, and didn't want to do any serious temple-climbing, so I strategically gave myself enough time to heal before attempting Angkor Wat and any of the other temples. Along these same lines, for the next day- I had scheduled a cooking class, and a late-afternoon horse-back ride in the countryside!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The Last 3 Days of Sihanoukville
The next 3 days of Sihanoukville are more of a blur of events and happenings that I can summarize easily in one blog.
I had gotten into a bit of stressful contact via email from back in the states, and it was preoccupying my mind and experience our here on the Cambodian beach. I realized that if I were to enjoy this relaxing setting, I should really just stay away from the internet, especially first thing in the morning. Alas, I am addicted, especially around the times that I write and post blogs- I get lots of responses back, and I like reading them! Nonetheless, while reading through my usual cheerful and positive emails, there were a few misunderstandings that needed to be dealt with, and I felt powerless to resolve them from my far away location of Cambodia. So, I decided to try and leave this stuff behind that I could not do anything about, and kept trying to relax on the beach and got approached approximately 4 times per minute by people trying to sell me boat trips as I lay on a beach chair on a beach somewhere, until finally when the 5th guy approached with his board full of photos and descriptions of boat trips, I cried out to him before he could fully approach 'I can not talk about boat-trips right now! I just want to relax! Please don't try and sell me a boat-trip package!' and promptly burst into tears. This guy was super nice and put his board to the side, and sat down on a beach chair next to me, and in his limited english, asked me what was wrong. I didn't go into great detail, but just told him I was having troubles from back home and felt powerless to fix them, and felt very lonely being so far away, and that it didn't help matters that people only talk to me to try and sell me something. He was very sweet, and listened, and offered words of comfort, and finally, came up with some advice. "I think that you should be happy, and, just forget about this stuff. And, you should come on this boat-trip with me tomorrow, and forget all about your problems!" :)
I thanked the boat-trip-seller guy for being a kind stranger and offering comfort, and promptly approached a Cambodian woman named Nung who had been trying to offer me a massage just a few minutes earlier who I had turned down. Again- why resist? So, she gave me a most excellent $5 massage on the beach chair in the sun, and my troubled-mind and tense body melted away into her nurturing hands and into the sounds of the ocean.
That evening I probably just took it easy- did a bit of blogging, had a good dinner at the guesthouse, a little Connect-4, and early to bed with a good book.
The next morning, I joined Joe, our Australian guesthouse owner, on his boat, along with about 6 other tourists for an all-day excursion. We just took a nice trip out for about an hour to a remote island, dropped anchor, and hung out swimming and snorkeling in the water for a few hours. I flirted with a handsome Frenchman that I met in the water, and on the boat, I had excellent conversations with a young and enthusiastic Australian couple named Mollie and Nat, as well as a nice American from Oregon.
This crew was great company, and we all wound up fishing off the boat with fishing line tied to a plastic bottle given to us by one of the boat crew. We had a nice time of quietly waiting for a bite, when I found myself quite tired, and went and passed out on the roof of the boat for a bit (on this trip, I have become quite capable of sleeping almost anywhere, even the most uncomfortable and hard surfaces, and with loud noise!) until I awoke to Mollie saying she had caught something, and then hearing the words 'Seasnake! Seasnake!' and then Joe saying 'Don't you dare bring that seasnake onto MY boat!' I woke up and wriggled on my belly from my rooftop position to sneak a peak at this catch, and could see the line with a snake all coiling and struggling. Apparently, they let the snake go, and hopefully he made it out of the situation alive!
When we got back to the guesthouse, Nat, Mollie, Morgan and I spent hours and late into the night in the downstairs restaurant/bar area, playing Spades, Jenga, talking for hours, playing Connect 4, and playing dj with Sophar's ipod. It was really fun, and I actually indulged in a few mixed cocktails that Sophar gave me for free. For those of you who aren't aware of my drinking habits, I can tell you that the last drink I had was on Halloween of 2010, and before that, it was New Years 2009/2010! I was in the flow, having fun, and the drink was tasty (and free!) I had great conversations with Mollie that night as well as with everyone else, and didn't make it to bed until 1 or 2am. This is a rare bedtime for me in general, and especially on this trip! I have been more of an early-to-bed and early-to-rise type of traveler, especially with my non-alcohol drinking self! It was fun! That said, these types of evenings remain a rarity and a special occassion for me. I like feeling awake and aware too much, and meditating and practicing yoga and riding motorbikes!
The last day I got another massage from my lovely Nung on the beach, who after both massages gave me a surplus of hugs for no reason whatseover. I was incredibly greatful to her for this. It felt so good to be hugged, and I realized that through all of my travels, and all of the friends that I have made along the way, I am still missing some serious hugging-action! In these particular days I was feeling rather down-and-out despite all the fun goings-on, and homesick, and stressed about misunderstandings from back home, so, this hugging was particularly welcome and appreciated. Later that afternoon, I called up Ngan, a motorbike taxi driver who was particularly nice and had driven me and Joe on his motorbike to the dock the day before, and asked him if he would just take me around Sihanoukville to see the market and some other random and local sites.
Ngan came to pick me up, and we spent 2-3 hours out on his bike, and he dropped me off at the central market to explore. This was my favorite part of Sihanoukville. It was a beautiful beach town and lovely, but was quite touristy where I was staying. It was nice to get back to seeing the local life, and once again, I got TONS of excellent photos that I can't wait to post upon my return to the states in the near future.
When I parted ways with Ngan, I asked him 'How much do I owe you?' and he said 'It's up to you.' This was definitely new for me! Usually everywhere I have been in SE Asia, a great bargaining-duel ensues when it comes to such matters, but here was this sweet generous and gentle man saying 'you decide'. So, I paid him more than what most people would have probably asked for. He also asked me about my departure the next morning to Siem Reap, and when I told him I would be coming to meet my bus at 6:30am, he said he would be there to see me off. I was quite surprised by this, and wondered if I would indeed see him the next morning.
6:30 the next morning, I walked the 5-minute walk from my guesthouse along the beach to the main road, and halfway, there was Ngan, smiling and waving, keeping his promise to see me off. It was the sweetest thing, and I was quite touched. Before I got on my bus, I turned to say good bye to him and when he offered me his hand for a handshake, I instead threw my arms around him in a big hug. He was quite surprised and pleased, and we waved and waved, me from the bus and he from the road, watching the bus depart until we were out of sight. I was off to Siem Reap, the much talked-about location of Angkor Wat!
I had gotten into a bit of stressful contact via email from back in the states, and it was preoccupying my mind and experience our here on the Cambodian beach. I realized that if I were to enjoy this relaxing setting, I should really just stay away from the internet, especially first thing in the morning. Alas, I am addicted, especially around the times that I write and post blogs- I get lots of responses back, and I like reading them! Nonetheless, while reading through my usual cheerful and positive emails, there were a few misunderstandings that needed to be dealt with, and I felt powerless to resolve them from my far away location of Cambodia. So, I decided to try and leave this stuff behind that I could not do anything about, and kept trying to relax on the beach and got approached approximately 4 times per minute by people trying to sell me boat trips as I lay on a beach chair on a beach somewhere, until finally when the 5th guy approached with his board full of photos and descriptions of boat trips, I cried out to him before he could fully approach 'I can not talk about boat-trips right now! I just want to relax! Please don't try and sell me a boat-trip package!' and promptly burst into tears. This guy was super nice and put his board to the side, and sat down on a beach chair next to me, and in his limited english, asked me what was wrong. I didn't go into great detail, but just told him I was having troubles from back home and felt powerless to fix them, and felt very lonely being so far away, and that it didn't help matters that people only talk to me to try and sell me something. He was very sweet, and listened, and offered words of comfort, and finally, came up with some advice. "I think that you should be happy, and, just forget about this stuff. And, you should come on this boat-trip with me tomorrow, and forget all about your problems!" :)
I thanked the boat-trip-seller guy for being a kind stranger and offering comfort, and promptly approached a Cambodian woman named Nung who had been trying to offer me a massage just a few minutes earlier who I had turned down. Again- why resist? So, she gave me a most excellent $5 massage on the beach chair in the sun, and my troubled-mind and tense body melted away into her nurturing hands and into the sounds of the ocean.
That evening I probably just took it easy- did a bit of blogging, had a good dinner at the guesthouse, a little Connect-4, and early to bed with a good book.
The next morning, I joined Joe, our Australian guesthouse owner, on his boat, along with about 6 other tourists for an all-day excursion. We just took a nice trip out for about an hour to a remote island, dropped anchor, and hung out swimming and snorkeling in the water for a few hours. I flirted with a handsome Frenchman that I met in the water, and on the boat, I had excellent conversations with a young and enthusiastic Australian couple named Mollie and Nat, as well as a nice American from Oregon.
This crew was great company, and we all wound up fishing off the boat with fishing line tied to a plastic bottle given to us by one of the boat crew. We had a nice time of quietly waiting for a bite, when I found myself quite tired, and went and passed out on the roof of the boat for a bit (on this trip, I have become quite capable of sleeping almost anywhere, even the most uncomfortable and hard surfaces, and with loud noise!) until I awoke to Mollie saying she had caught something, and then hearing the words 'Seasnake! Seasnake!' and then Joe saying 'Don't you dare bring that seasnake onto MY boat!' I woke up and wriggled on my belly from my rooftop position to sneak a peak at this catch, and could see the line with a snake all coiling and struggling. Apparently, they let the snake go, and hopefully he made it out of the situation alive!
When we got back to the guesthouse, Nat, Mollie, Morgan and I spent hours and late into the night in the downstairs restaurant/bar area, playing Spades, Jenga, talking for hours, playing Connect 4, and playing dj with Sophar's ipod. It was really fun, and I actually indulged in a few mixed cocktails that Sophar gave me for free. For those of you who aren't aware of my drinking habits, I can tell you that the last drink I had was on Halloween of 2010, and before that, it was New Years 2009/2010! I was in the flow, having fun, and the drink was tasty (and free!) I had great conversations with Mollie that night as well as with everyone else, and didn't make it to bed until 1 or 2am. This is a rare bedtime for me in general, and especially on this trip! I have been more of an early-to-bed and early-to-rise type of traveler, especially with my non-alcohol drinking self! It was fun! That said, these types of evenings remain a rarity and a special occassion for me. I like feeling awake and aware too much, and meditating and practicing yoga and riding motorbikes!
The last day I got another massage from my lovely Nung on the beach, who after both massages gave me a surplus of hugs for no reason whatseover. I was incredibly greatful to her for this. It felt so good to be hugged, and I realized that through all of my travels, and all of the friends that I have made along the way, I am still missing some serious hugging-action! In these particular days I was feeling rather down-and-out despite all the fun goings-on, and homesick, and stressed about misunderstandings from back home, so, this hugging was particularly welcome and appreciated. Later that afternoon, I called up Ngan, a motorbike taxi driver who was particularly nice and had driven me and Joe on his motorbike to the dock the day before, and asked him if he would just take me around Sihanoukville to see the market and some other random and local sites.
Ngan came to pick me up, and we spent 2-3 hours out on his bike, and he dropped me off at the central market to explore. This was my favorite part of Sihanoukville. It was a beautiful beach town and lovely, but was quite touristy where I was staying. It was nice to get back to seeing the local life, and once again, I got TONS of excellent photos that I can't wait to post upon my return to the states in the near future.
When I parted ways with Ngan, I asked him 'How much do I owe you?' and he said 'It's up to you.' This was definitely new for me! Usually everywhere I have been in SE Asia, a great bargaining-duel ensues when it comes to such matters, but here was this sweet generous and gentle man saying 'you decide'. So, I paid him more than what most people would have probably asked for. He also asked me about my departure the next morning to Siem Reap, and when I told him I would be coming to meet my bus at 6:30am, he said he would be there to see me off. I was quite surprised by this, and wondered if I would indeed see him the next morning.
6:30 the next morning, I walked the 5-minute walk from my guesthouse along the beach to the main road, and halfway, there was Ngan, smiling and waving, keeping his promise to see me off. It was the sweetest thing, and I was quite touched. Before I got on my bus, I turned to say good bye to him and when he offered me his hand for a handshake, I instead threw my arms around him in a big hug. He was quite surprised and pleased, and we waved and waved, me from the bus and he from the road, watching the bus depart until we were out of sight. I was off to Siem Reap, the much talked-about location of Angkor Wat!
1st day in Sihanoukville
I went to Sihanoukville, a 4-hour bus drive south of Phnom Penh, at the recommendation of my first tuk-tuk driver in Phnom Penh, 'Ha.' His brother lives there, and he almost joined me on the bus to go for a little visit, but alas, I went alone. I kind of wish he had come so I could have had more of a local-insider's view- but instead, I wound up feeling a bit bombarded as a tourist, by all of the locals trying to sell me boat-tours, offering tuk-tuks and motorbikes, selling jewelry and trinkets, massage, manicures and pedicures, and kids making bracelets that spell your name.
That said, I have learned along the way that sometimes, resistance is futile, not to mention, can actually cause more stress than just giving in. Certainly, I am never going to buy something if I don't want it, but sometimes if the price is low, and I think I can give a little trinket to a friend or even another little kid along the way, then, it makes everybody happy, and a kid or even an adult seller will make what is a relatively decent amount of money, that to me is quite small. It is also an opportunity to interact on a slightly more personal level, once you give in to buying.
So, on my first morning, 3 kids approached me, trying to sell me bracelets with my name spelled out (they make it for you right then and there in 5-10 minutes with incredible speed and dexterity) as well as a 20-year old girl (who I would have pegged as 14, at most, but was pregnant with her 3rd child, and was TINY!) who was offering me a manicure and pedicure. I am not usually the 'mani-pedi' type, but she was offering both of these services for $4 total, and my feet had become quite unsightly over the many weeks and month of travel, so, I figured, what the heck, and allowed myself to be taken over by these 3 kids, and I commissioned a bracelet from 2 of them, and while they made my personalized bracelets ("one for your sister perhaps?") the other girl went to work beautifying my feet and hands. I feel a bit uncomfortable in some ways being 'served' in this way by kids, but I also know that it is a way that they are earning income to help themselves and their families, so, it is actually okay, and I was happy because I got to ask them lots of questions and get to know them during this 15-20 minute little session. The 20-year old girl tried to talk me in to a crazy 'hair-removal' technique that uses only baby powder and a string to pull hairs from a persons leg (or eyebrows, or wherever the person desires) it is crazy that it works! She demonstrated on a small patch of my leg to try and sell me this service, but it was too prickly and made me jump every time she succeeded in her mission.
After this, I wound up bumping into a woman named Amy that I had met the night before, and she was there with her friend Gillian, who had her 2 kids with her (9 year old Talia and 12 year old Trevor). My plans for the day consisted of wanting to hole up in my bungalow all day and do nothing but read, nap, and drink tea, but the family invited me to come with them on a day tour that involved a boat-ride through national park area of mangroves, and then a tuk-tuk ride to a Monastery. Gillian even offered to just pay for everything, and have me as their guest. How could I say no? These sorts of trips are the sort of thing that I would be unlikely to motivate to do on my own, and are much better enjoyed in a group setting like this, so, I joined them, and I am so glad I did!
We went in the tuk-tuk to a small fishing village, and took a nice small-motorized boat ride through the mangrove forests, and stopped at a long wooden bridge-platform that led us to a five-story wooden rickety viewpoint overlook that we climbed. We took some photos, and headed back to the boat. I spent my time talking to the Cambodian ranger, as well as listening to the enthusiastic and charming stories of Talia and Trevor. It was quite fun!
In the tuk-tuk ride to the temple, we all chatted and shared, and upon arriving at the monastery, we quickly wound up in conversation with many monks that were sitting on benches there. They wound up giving us each a blessing in the form of a white string around each of our wrists with a chanted incantation, it was quite lovely. Then I went exploring in one of the temples, and gave an offering of incense and prayers, and wound up giggling and joking around with a bunch of younger monks and temple boys. I got some fantastic photos of them all, and felt quite lucky at getting to experience the monks on such a level. In my experience so far in SE Asia, monks are pretty distant from interactions from women, so, this felt quite special. People have a lot of preconceived notions about what monks are 'supposed to be like', as though they are all serious and solemn and silent, but, they can be and often are quite silly, and many of them are but young adolescent boys!
We made our way back to town eventually, and went our separate ways. I wandered up and down the beach, and seeing many Cambodians wading in the ocean waves, I ran back to my bungalow to get my bathing suit, and went running into the ocean to soak in my favorite element in the universe- water. And, salty ocean water, especially! That evening I may have blogged, eaten dinner at my guesthouse, and played more Connect-4 with Sophar. Not a bad first day at all! I had been happy to be taken in by the family, and was looking forward to the next day of some solo relaxation on the beach. My 3.5 months of travel had been catching up with me for quite some time now, and though I had a slow and chilled out 2.5 weeks in Laos, even the 4 days in Phnom Penh had me worn out again already. Traveling is so amazing, but, especially on my own, it has been quite exhausting! Good thing I was in a beach town, where I could relax!
That said, I have learned along the way that sometimes, resistance is futile, not to mention, can actually cause more stress than just giving in. Certainly, I am never going to buy something if I don't want it, but sometimes if the price is low, and I think I can give a little trinket to a friend or even another little kid along the way, then, it makes everybody happy, and a kid or even an adult seller will make what is a relatively decent amount of money, that to me is quite small. It is also an opportunity to interact on a slightly more personal level, once you give in to buying.
So, on my first morning, 3 kids approached me, trying to sell me bracelets with my name spelled out (they make it for you right then and there in 5-10 minutes with incredible speed and dexterity) as well as a 20-year old girl (who I would have pegged as 14, at most, but was pregnant with her 3rd child, and was TINY!) who was offering me a manicure and pedicure. I am not usually the 'mani-pedi' type, but she was offering both of these services for $4 total, and my feet had become quite unsightly over the many weeks and month of travel, so, I figured, what the heck, and allowed myself to be taken over by these 3 kids, and I commissioned a bracelet from 2 of them, and while they made my personalized bracelets ("one for your sister perhaps?") the other girl went to work beautifying my feet and hands. I feel a bit uncomfortable in some ways being 'served' in this way by kids, but I also know that it is a way that they are earning income to help themselves and their families, so, it is actually okay, and I was happy because I got to ask them lots of questions and get to know them during this 15-20 minute little session. The 20-year old girl tried to talk me in to a crazy 'hair-removal' technique that uses only baby powder and a string to pull hairs from a persons leg (or eyebrows, or wherever the person desires) it is crazy that it works! She demonstrated on a small patch of my leg to try and sell me this service, but it was too prickly and made me jump every time she succeeded in her mission.
After this, I wound up bumping into a woman named Amy that I had met the night before, and she was there with her friend Gillian, who had her 2 kids with her (9 year old Talia and 12 year old Trevor). My plans for the day consisted of wanting to hole up in my bungalow all day and do nothing but read, nap, and drink tea, but the family invited me to come with them on a day tour that involved a boat-ride through national park area of mangroves, and then a tuk-tuk ride to a Monastery. Gillian even offered to just pay for everything, and have me as their guest. How could I say no? These sorts of trips are the sort of thing that I would be unlikely to motivate to do on my own, and are much better enjoyed in a group setting like this, so, I joined them, and I am so glad I did!
We went in the tuk-tuk to a small fishing village, and took a nice small-motorized boat ride through the mangrove forests, and stopped at a long wooden bridge-platform that led us to a five-story wooden rickety viewpoint overlook that we climbed. We took some photos, and headed back to the boat. I spent my time talking to the Cambodian ranger, as well as listening to the enthusiastic and charming stories of Talia and Trevor. It was quite fun!
In the tuk-tuk ride to the temple, we all chatted and shared, and upon arriving at the monastery, we quickly wound up in conversation with many monks that were sitting on benches there. They wound up giving us each a blessing in the form of a white string around each of our wrists with a chanted incantation, it was quite lovely. Then I went exploring in one of the temples, and gave an offering of incense and prayers, and wound up giggling and joking around with a bunch of younger monks and temple boys. I got some fantastic photos of them all, and felt quite lucky at getting to experience the monks on such a level. In my experience so far in SE Asia, monks are pretty distant from interactions from women, so, this felt quite special. People have a lot of preconceived notions about what monks are 'supposed to be like', as though they are all serious and solemn and silent, but, they can be and often are quite silly, and many of them are but young adolescent boys!
We made our way back to town eventually, and went our separate ways. I wandered up and down the beach, and seeing many Cambodians wading in the ocean waves, I ran back to my bungalow to get my bathing suit, and went running into the ocean to soak in my favorite element in the universe- water. And, salty ocean water, especially! That evening I may have blogged, eaten dinner at my guesthouse, and played more Connect-4 with Sophar. Not a bad first day at all! I had been happy to be taken in by the family, and was looking forward to the next day of some solo relaxation on the beach. My 3.5 months of travel had been catching up with me for quite some time now, and though I had a slow and chilled out 2.5 weeks in Laos, even the 4 days in Phnom Penh had me worn out again already. Traveling is so amazing, but, especially on my own, it has been quite exhausting! Good thing I was in a beach town, where I could relax!
Leaving Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
My final morning in Phnom Penh, the wonderful capital city of Cambodia was on June 26th, 2011. I scheduled a 2:30pm bus to Sihanoukville, an ocean/beach town 4 hours south, in order to take in another half-day's worth of sights in Phnom Penh.
I felt that as a tourist, I had a duty and obligation to go to the Royal Palace, and to see the National Museum. I am glad that I went to both places, just to have seen them, but to be perfectly honest, the museums (at least in SE Asia) are not usually my favorite places or experiences. From reading my previous blogs about Phnom Penh, you will have already gotten the impression that my favorite parts are just riding around on a bicycle and randomly exploring markets and street scenes, as well as cool rituals and the everyday goings-on of the city.
The Royal Palace was pretty to see, and I spent a bit of time there. I went to the National Museum next, but spent all of ten minutes in there, deciding that I really did not have interest in looking at small historical objects- I only had a few hours left, and the Museum was not holding my attention. What was most interesting to me was when I returned to the parking lot where bicycles and motorbikes are looked after for a small fee, and the attendant there was holding a large colorful rooster on his lap, and stroking it lovingly as though it were a pet poodle or kitty. I took his photograph, and then his friend laughed, and indicated that I, too, should get in a photo with the rooster, so, I did. :)
Just down the street was a restaurant called 'Friends' which was advertised in the Lonely Planet guide, due to the enrichment and direction it offers to many underprivileged kids from around Phnom Penh. The kids get taken in by project-leaders, and taken under their wings to be taught how to cook. The kids run the restaurant, and cook all of the food. There are at least two in-depth and mouth-watering cookbooks that are a result of this cool NGO, and, my meal was fabulous! It was cool seeing these kids in the flesh, while also reading about the project over my meal and reading the most excellent recipes that I hope to follow upon my return.
Next, I thought I was quite clever and was going to take a 'special shortcut' based on my map-reading ability, but wound up going in circles and 'getting lost'. That said, in my 'lostness', I wound up seeing all of the sights that I had originally intended to see, but thought I was going to miss. This included seeing the 'New Market' (just from the outside), Independence Monument, a huge large Golden Buddha statue in the middle of a major roundabout, and found numerous opportunities along a relatively quite strip of street to take a series of photos of my one of my favorite subjects- sleeping tuk-tuk drivers and motorbike taxi drivers. I am always so impressed with how they sleep in their hammocks in the tuk-tuks, or how the motorbike taxi drivers sleep along the length of their motorbikes! And, I always feel so sneaky(but in a good, satisfied way) capturing them on film while they sleep. Classic scenes of Cambodia and the other countries I have been visiting these past four months!
One more time, I thought I had the map and the streets under control, but once again, I realized after riding a while, that I had no idea where I was. But, where I found myself was really quite neat and special, and seemed like a well-kept secret from the rest of the city. It was a small-alleyed neighborhood, with tiny cafes and a very chilled-out and quiet feeling, and for some reason it gave me the impression of somewhere middle-eastern, even though I have never been to the midde east. It seemed like a place where people who operate on a very laid-back frequency could hang, people who are comfortable with silence, and don't need to speak a lot, but at the same time, when they do- it is important and well-thought out. This is the feeling I got within about 30 seconds of riding through this little area that bordered what seemed to be some sort of lake. When I asked a chilled-out Frenchman reading the paper if he knew where we were, he pointed to a place on my map- it turned out we were in the Boeng Kak Lake area, which, if I had more time in the city, or ever get the opportunity to return, I would go there and spend more time.
As I turned around to leave this neighborhood, I began to realize the time, and that I was coming dangerously close to missing my bus if I kept going at this rate of lost-ness, especially with my need to eat some food and take some to go as well. I gave in to my own stubborness to 'do it myself' and asked a tuk-tuk driver to take me (and the bicycle) back to my guesthouse. He did so, and miraculously I had exactly enough time to go to the Dragon guesthouse across the street, have a super tasty traditional Khmer meal, and pack one to go a well, and ran across the street to the Capitol Guesthouse, where my bus was leaving from. I managed to find a great guesthouse in a great location, but without being in a touristy area, while still having everything I needed conveniently nearby. Happiness and satisfaction were mine!
I got on the bus, and a few minutes later, we were off to Sihanoukville. I was one of two foreigners on the bus, which, I appreciated. We stopped halfway for a quick bathroom break and food break as well. These bus-stop rest-stop areas are great at catering to the bus passengers, and whip up tasty and hot meals in less than 5 minutes. I also had some excellent Cambodian tea which I like to drink hot, much to the surprise of most Cambodians who almost exclusively drink it over ice given the heat of the area.
We arrived in Sihanoukville around 6:30 or 7pm, and I was taken by a motorbike taxi driver to the road near my guesthouse, 'Cloud9'. He then carried my bag for me the 5 minute walk to my beachfront bungalow guesthouse, which was $10 a night (usually $25-35) due to the low season. I was quite excited abuot my bungalow with a little porch with hammock, and after settling in a bit, I came downstairs for some tea, and played Connect-4 with Sophar, one of the Cambodian bartenders working at Cloud9. He was a super fun and funny guy, and would say with smug satisfaction 'THANK YOU!!!' whenever I dropped a chip that gave him the winner status of the game. It was fun. This guesthouse is run by an eccentric older Australian man named Joe, who has more stories to tell than could ever be told. He had a tendency towards tangents which I could not understand half the time, but he had a jolly and cheerful disposition (while cynical) and had an excellent music selection playing at all times. That night I slept with my windows open, lulled to sleep by the beautiful sounds of the ocean waves.
I felt that as a tourist, I had a duty and obligation to go to the Royal Palace, and to see the National Museum. I am glad that I went to both places, just to have seen them, but to be perfectly honest, the museums (at least in SE Asia) are not usually my favorite places or experiences. From reading my previous blogs about Phnom Penh, you will have already gotten the impression that my favorite parts are just riding around on a bicycle and randomly exploring markets and street scenes, as well as cool rituals and the everyday goings-on of the city.
The Royal Palace was pretty to see, and I spent a bit of time there. I went to the National Museum next, but spent all of ten minutes in there, deciding that I really did not have interest in looking at small historical objects- I only had a few hours left, and the Museum was not holding my attention. What was most interesting to me was when I returned to the parking lot where bicycles and motorbikes are looked after for a small fee, and the attendant there was holding a large colorful rooster on his lap, and stroking it lovingly as though it were a pet poodle or kitty. I took his photograph, and then his friend laughed, and indicated that I, too, should get in a photo with the rooster, so, I did. :)
Just down the street was a restaurant called 'Friends' which was advertised in the Lonely Planet guide, due to the enrichment and direction it offers to many underprivileged kids from around Phnom Penh. The kids get taken in by project-leaders, and taken under their wings to be taught how to cook. The kids run the restaurant, and cook all of the food. There are at least two in-depth and mouth-watering cookbooks that are a result of this cool NGO, and, my meal was fabulous! It was cool seeing these kids in the flesh, while also reading about the project over my meal and reading the most excellent recipes that I hope to follow upon my return.
Next, I thought I was quite clever and was going to take a 'special shortcut' based on my map-reading ability, but wound up going in circles and 'getting lost'. That said, in my 'lostness', I wound up seeing all of the sights that I had originally intended to see, but thought I was going to miss. This included seeing the 'New Market' (just from the outside), Independence Monument, a huge large Golden Buddha statue in the middle of a major roundabout, and found numerous opportunities along a relatively quite strip of street to take a series of photos of my one of my favorite subjects- sleeping tuk-tuk drivers and motorbike taxi drivers. I am always so impressed with how they sleep in their hammocks in the tuk-tuks, or how the motorbike taxi drivers sleep along the length of their motorbikes! And, I always feel so sneaky(but in a good, satisfied way) capturing them on film while they sleep. Classic scenes of Cambodia and the other countries I have been visiting these past four months!
One more time, I thought I had the map and the streets under control, but once again, I realized after riding a while, that I had no idea where I was. But, where I found myself was really quite neat and special, and seemed like a well-kept secret from the rest of the city. It was a small-alleyed neighborhood, with tiny cafes and a very chilled-out and quiet feeling, and for some reason it gave me the impression of somewhere middle-eastern, even though I have never been to the midde east. It seemed like a place where people who operate on a very laid-back frequency could hang, people who are comfortable with silence, and don't need to speak a lot, but at the same time, when they do- it is important and well-thought out. This is the feeling I got within about 30 seconds of riding through this little area that bordered what seemed to be some sort of lake. When I asked a chilled-out Frenchman reading the paper if he knew where we were, he pointed to a place on my map- it turned out we were in the Boeng Kak Lake area, which, if I had more time in the city, or ever get the opportunity to return, I would go there and spend more time.
As I turned around to leave this neighborhood, I began to realize the time, and that I was coming dangerously close to missing my bus if I kept going at this rate of lost-ness, especially with my need to eat some food and take some to go as well. I gave in to my own stubborness to 'do it myself' and asked a tuk-tuk driver to take me (and the bicycle) back to my guesthouse. He did so, and miraculously I had exactly enough time to go to the Dragon guesthouse across the street, have a super tasty traditional Khmer meal, and pack one to go a well, and ran across the street to the Capitol Guesthouse, where my bus was leaving from. I managed to find a great guesthouse in a great location, but without being in a touristy area, while still having everything I needed conveniently nearby. Happiness and satisfaction were mine!
I got on the bus, and a few minutes later, we were off to Sihanoukville. I was one of two foreigners on the bus, which, I appreciated. We stopped halfway for a quick bathroom break and food break as well. These bus-stop rest-stop areas are great at catering to the bus passengers, and whip up tasty and hot meals in less than 5 minutes. I also had some excellent Cambodian tea which I like to drink hot, much to the surprise of most Cambodians who almost exclusively drink it over ice given the heat of the area.
We arrived in Sihanoukville around 6:30 or 7pm, and I was taken by a motorbike taxi driver to the road near my guesthouse, 'Cloud9'. He then carried my bag for me the 5 minute walk to my beachfront bungalow guesthouse, which was $10 a night (usually $25-35) due to the low season. I was quite excited abuot my bungalow with a little porch with hammock, and after settling in a bit, I came downstairs for some tea, and played Connect-4 with Sophar, one of the Cambodian bartenders working at Cloud9. He was a super fun and funny guy, and would say with smug satisfaction 'THANK YOU!!!' whenever I dropped a chip that gave him the winner status of the game. It was fun. This guesthouse is run by an eccentric older Australian man named Joe, who has more stories to tell than could ever be told. He had a tendency towards tangents which I could not understand half the time, but he had a jolly and cheerful disposition (while cynical) and had an excellent music selection playing at all times. That night I slept with my windows open, lulled to sleep by the beautiful sounds of the ocean waves.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Day Three in Phnom Penh
Some places I have traveled I can cover as much as a few days or a week in one blog, but the cities I often find myself describing one day at a time- that is how much there is to see and experience there! Also, I forgot to mention in my previous blog about Phnom Penh that on my second day, after Orrussey Market and before the Holy Buddha Day celebration, I ALSO went to the ''New"Market near the riverside, which is a nighttime market full of clothes, jewelry, some food, and had a large stage with a seriously cheesy man-woman singing duet to a karaoke-sounding backing track. I made the rounds, it was great, and then made my way to the surprise of the spiritual ritual down the way. I also forgot to mention the nightly dance-aerobics that go on along the riverfront, with large groups of Cambodians jazzercising for hours- fascinating and amusing as all get out! As well as some young boys breakdancing- amazing and incredible!
Anyhow, the next morning, on my 3rd and final full day in Phnom Penh, I hopped on my bicycle once again, wanting to see the riverside by daylight. I also made my way to the post office to mail some letters and packages, and found Wat Phnom, a major temple to see in the city, where lucky as ever, I met a young Cambodian who had just left his studies as a monk, but who was also just spending the day at the Wat looking for opportunities to practice his English by guiding tourists around for free. This was great for me, and it was nice learning about Cambodian monkhood and Buddhism from this introspective young man.
Next, I rode further down the riverside road in search of Chruoy Changvar Bridge- the 'Japanese Friendship Bridge'. This bridge was blown up during the fighting in 1975 when Phnom Penh fell under the Khmer Rouge Regime, and repaired by the Japanese in 1993. It wasn't a particularly interesting or extravagant-looking bridge, but it was its historic importance that drew me to it, and I rode the 700 meters across it on my bicycle in the dust and smog of endless cars, motorbikes and tuk-tuks to a small village on the other side, and turned around and came back just to say and know that I did it, and rode on such a historically important bridge.
Next, back on the 'right' side of the bridge once more, I cycled through some back streets, and found yet ANOTHER market which seemed like much more of a local/small-neighborhood scene, and while being curiously (but friendily) stared and smiled at, I checked out the weird and tasty looking foods being sold. I also found myself outside of some other large market that might have been Central Market or Psar O Russei but I don't even know! I then found a small quiet restaurant run by an Indian man who made me an Indian-style burger (??) and sat down to chat with me while I ate it and drank Cambodian Tea.
From there, I crossed into some side streets away from the riverside, and as I stopped to photograph a massive pig being turned on a roaster, I heard a bunch of ''hello''s from across the street- it was a bunch of street barbers smiling, waving, and saying hi! I waved and smiled back, and as I started to cycle away I noticed an acoustic guitar at one of their barber stations. The instinct to stay and sing and play hit me, but I shyly began to ride away.
About 30 seconds later, I changed my mind, decided to go with the energy and instinct that were pulling me back, and came back. First I stood on the road with my bike talking to one barber as he (somewhat jokingly) offered me a haircut, but quickly segued from there into my true interest- the guitar and music! I asked if they would play for me, and though the owner of the guitar started to play a well known song, he stopped short and asked ME to play instead. I had four or five barbers and a kid or two now surrounding me, but I felt only happy and excited to share, and wound up playing my old favorite ''Bobby McGee" while one guy clapped his hands spiritedly and rhythmically to my playing, while the rest bobbed their heads smiling and humming along when they could.
It was so fun stopping and hanging with these guys! This was another instance along my travels where I just was spending time connecting with locals, with no expectations, no buyer-seller intentions- just hanging out and having fun and enjoying each other's company! I was so happy that I just let go and went with my instincts on this one- these guys were so nice, and I tried playing the guitar parts for some of their Cambodian song, but it was a bit challenging without any formal sheet music or lyrics I could read along with!
Anyhow, it had already been a full day and it was afternoon again. I made my way back to my guesthouse for yet another afternoon siesta time, feeling I had experienced quite a full day already. To be honest, I don't remember what I did that night, but, I know I went somewhere for dinner! I was leaving the next afternoon, with plans to do as much as possible the next morning before getting on the bus south to Sihanoukville, where I would explore the sights of this little oceanside town.
Anyhow, the next morning, on my 3rd and final full day in Phnom Penh, I hopped on my bicycle once again, wanting to see the riverside by daylight. I also made my way to the post office to mail some letters and packages, and found Wat Phnom, a major temple to see in the city, where lucky as ever, I met a young Cambodian who had just left his studies as a monk, but who was also just spending the day at the Wat looking for opportunities to practice his English by guiding tourists around for free. This was great for me, and it was nice learning about Cambodian monkhood and Buddhism from this introspective young man.
Next, I rode further down the riverside road in search of Chruoy Changvar Bridge- the 'Japanese Friendship Bridge'. This bridge was blown up during the fighting in 1975 when Phnom Penh fell under the Khmer Rouge Regime, and repaired by the Japanese in 1993. It wasn't a particularly interesting or extravagant-looking bridge, but it was its historic importance that drew me to it, and I rode the 700 meters across it on my bicycle in the dust and smog of endless cars, motorbikes and tuk-tuks to a small village on the other side, and turned around and came back just to say and know that I did it, and rode on such a historically important bridge.
Next, back on the 'right' side of the bridge once more, I cycled through some back streets, and found yet ANOTHER market which seemed like much more of a local/small-neighborhood scene, and while being curiously (but friendily) stared and smiled at, I checked out the weird and tasty looking foods being sold. I also found myself outside of some other large market that might have been Central Market or Psar O Russei but I don't even know! I then found a small quiet restaurant run by an Indian man who made me an Indian-style burger (??) and sat down to chat with me while I ate it and drank Cambodian Tea.
From there, I crossed into some side streets away from the riverside, and as I stopped to photograph a massive pig being turned on a roaster, I heard a bunch of ''hello''s from across the street- it was a bunch of street barbers smiling, waving, and saying hi! I waved and smiled back, and as I started to cycle away I noticed an acoustic guitar at one of their barber stations. The instinct to stay and sing and play hit me, but I shyly began to ride away.
About 30 seconds later, I changed my mind, decided to go with the energy and instinct that were pulling me back, and came back. First I stood on the road with my bike talking to one barber as he (somewhat jokingly) offered me a haircut, but quickly segued from there into my true interest- the guitar and music! I asked if they would play for me, and though the owner of the guitar started to play a well known song, he stopped short and asked ME to play instead. I had four or five barbers and a kid or two now surrounding me, but I felt only happy and excited to share, and wound up playing my old favorite ''Bobby McGee" while one guy clapped his hands spiritedly and rhythmically to my playing, while the rest bobbed their heads smiling and humming along when they could.
It was so fun stopping and hanging with these guys! This was another instance along my travels where I just was spending time connecting with locals, with no expectations, no buyer-seller intentions- just hanging out and having fun and enjoying each other's company! I was so happy that I just let go and went with my instincts on this one- these guys were so nice, and I tried playing the guitar parts for some of their Cambodian song, but it was a bit challenging without any formal sheet music or lyrics I could read along with!
Anyhow, it had already been a full day and it was afternoon again. I made my way back to my guesthouse for yet another afternoon siesta time, feeling I had experienced quite a full day already. To be honest, I don't remember what I did that night, but, I know I went somewhere for dinner! I was leaving the next afternoon, with plans to do as much as possible the next morning before getting on the bus south to Sihanoukville, where I would explore the sights of this little oceanside town.
The Sights and Markets of Phnom Penh
If someone were to ask me the one thing they should do or see in South East Asia in any of the countries or cities that I have been to, I would say without a doubt ''Go to the markets!" And this applies to every single place I have been.
The markets of the villages and towns and cities in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are the heartbeat of daily life, as far as I could tell. The markets (morning, day, and night) are a place where people not only get all of their fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, (red ants, frogs, pigs feet etc) but it is also a place where people socialize and gossip and connect. I have been told by many locals that some people visit their local markets at least 3 times a day, buying their produce one meal at a time. People working at the market are there all day, of course, so it is absolutely the center of their universe.
My second day in Phnom Penh, I rented a bicycle (my favorite way to see new places and explore), and wound up hitting many of the cities' markets, some deliberately and some accidentally. In the morning on my way to trying to find the ''Russian Market'' (Psar Tuol Tom Pong), I cycled through another market that took up a long stretch of the street as well as some attached alleys, and, there were so many people, flowers, fruits, meats, bananas- so colorful! So many people on bicycles, motorbikes, pushing carts, squeezing produce, chatting- and I never even figured out which 'market' this was- it may be that there are just markets anywhere and everywhere and so many that only the biggest are named.
Anyhow, after stopping to snap many photos, and also walking my bicycle through tiny people-crowded aisles at a snails pace (and nobody was annoyed that I brought my bike through, because EVERYONE is just all over each other and squeezing through spaces on foot, by bike, on motorbikes, that would never happen in America), I found the Russian Market. This was an indoor/covered market, with aisle after aisle of clothing, beautiful porcelain opium pipes (''for decoration only, of course''), shoes, scarves, cowbells, toys, mobiles, bed covers, haircuts, tools, food- you name it! There was anything and everything, and all of the stalls were selling the same stuff, so it is a serious bargaining experience with the supply being greater than the demand with straggling tourists who are ''just browsing''. This makes the sellers a bit pushier than I would like, though I sympathize- if they don't push, then a tourist could easily buy the same thing by a pushier seller just one stall away. I also kept getting lost in here, and was relieved when I finally found the food stalls where I sat down and had some Khmer Tea, and some chicken and rice.
From there, I went to ''Cafe Yeji" just across the street, a more modern and air-conditioned restaurant serving more upscale types of foods while promoting fair-trade and responsible employment. Next door, I visited ''Rajana,'' which also sells products made in fair-trade/fair-wage manners, with neat products including cards, wallets, cool decorative items, neat stuffed animals, and more. I bought my mommy something here (you'll get it eventually, Mom! The Cambodian postal system is slow!)
From there, I was already quite tired. I headed back to my guesthouse, which was a newer technique on my part- until now I had been going all morning, afternoon, and evening lately, and I was finally wearing out, as well as learning that if I am to survive my final few weeks in SE Asia, I had better take some time out! When returning to my guesthouse, I also wound up having a lengthy and very interesting conversation with some of the tuk-tuk drivers outside of my guesthouse, about life, politics, and of course the possible sights they could take me to the next day if I needed a tuk-tuk. :) This is something else about Cambodia I have noticed- even though everyone is trying to offer you their services and make a buck like everyone else in SE Asia, they are also totally willing and able to engage in easy and genuine conversation, even if your answer is ''no'', ''no'', and ''no'' again. I value this aspect of the Cambodian culture greatly, and have LOVED the conversations I have been able to have so easily with the locals. Smiles, laughs, and conversation come for free here in Cambodia- halelujiah!
I took a few hours ''off'' in my guesthouse- probably blogging and not REALLY resting- and when evening time came, I went cycling down the street to Orrussey Market in search of dinner- food food food galore! BBQ meat everywhere! My dream come true! I was so so very hungry, and usually there is not much that can get between me and food when I am hungry, but the sights of this market were so interesting, that I cycled around the market loop 3 times just to take photographs before it got too dark to do so. I can't wait to post these photos upon my return home! I wound up buying some grilled chicken and grilled pork from a super nice Cambodian guy and his wife, and got some to go, as well, as my appetite has been more endless than ever along my travels.
After dinner, though tired, I felt compelled to cycle to the riverside -Tonle Sap River. I thought I would just cycle along the street there, or, walk down the pedestrian walkway, and go home shortly thereafter. My plans were ''thwarted'' by a most beautiful and glorious and enlivening celebration!
Apparently, four times per month (usually once per week but not always) there is a day where Cambodians celebrate the Buddha, it is a holy day. On this particular night, there were two pagodas on the riverfront that were completely lit up with tiny lights, an people hovering around them. The first one I approached there were not too many people, but there was definitely something going on- I was approached by women and younger girls to buy flowers and incense to offer inside the small holy room, and though I did not know exactly what I was offering to/for yet, I accepted and went inside, and listened to a blessing of some sort in Cambodian, and was shown the proper way to offer and to kneel and such. That was neat, and I was happy enough and was ready to go home.
But, just a few hundred yards away was ANOTHER pagoda, and music, and THIS litte holy house was BURSTING at the seams with Cambodian people, offering flowers, incense, coconuts, buying caged birds and setting them free, while a traditional Cambodian group of musicians played endless beautiful warm soft joyous and sublime music, on percussion instruments as well as melodic malleted instruments that I have never seen or heard before. I believe I spent a good two hours there that night, just watching and listening and talking to some of the young kids trying to sell me birds and flowers, and trying to find out from someone who could speak English to explain to me what this was all for.
The entire two hours I was there, the crowds never slowed or dissipated. I do not know what time this celebration began, or what time it ended, but the atmosphere was so fully charged with spiritual energy and devotion, it was really a wonder to be a witness to. I often try and participate in local happenings and rituals when permittable, but in this case, I just wanted to watch and observe and take it all in and feel all of the joy it was bringing me in the purity of the hearts and spirits of all of these Cambodians. I could have stayed there all night for how much interest and joy it carried for me, but I eventually began to fade, and rode my bicycle happily home for a good night's sleep.
I felt so very lucky, because if I hadn't gone on that particular night, I would never have witnessed this beautiful, pure, and wonderful celebration of the Buddha.
The markets of the villages and towns and cities in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are the heartbeat of daily life, as far as I could tell. The markets (morning, day, and night) are a place where people not only get all of their fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, (red ants, frogs, pigs feet etc) but it is also a place where people socialize and gossip and connect. I have been told by many locals that some people visit their local markets at least 3 times a day, buying their produce one meal at a time. People working at the market are there all day, of course, so it is absolutely the center of their universe.
My second day in Phnom Penh, I rented a bicycle (my favorite way to see new places and explore), and wound up hitting many of the cities' markets, some deliberately and some accidentally. In the morning on my way to trying to find the ''Russian Market'' (Psar Tuol Tom Pong), I cycled through another market that took up a long stretch of the street as well as some attached alleys, and, there were so many people, flowers, fruits, meats, bananas- so colorful! So many people on bicycles, motorbikes, pushing carts, squeezing produce, chatting- and I never even figured out which 'market' this was- it may be that there are just markets anywhere and everywhere and so many that only the biggest are named.
Anyhow, after stopping to snap many photos, and also walking my bicycle through tiny people-crowded aisles at a snails pace (and nobody was annoyed that I brought my bike through, because EVERYONE is just all over each other and squeezing through spaces on foot, by bike, on motorbikes, that would never happen in America), I found the Russian Market. This was an indoor/covered market, with aisle after aisle of clothing, beautiful porcelain opium pipes (''for decoration only, of course''), shoes, scarves, cowbells, toys, mobiles, bed covers, haircuts, tools, food- you name it! There was anything and everything, and all of the stalls were selling the same stuff, so it is a serious bargaining experience with the supply being greater than the demand with straggling tourists who are ''just browsing''. This makes the sellers a bit pushier than I would like, though I sympathize- if they don't push, then a tourist could easily buy the same thing by a pushier seller just one stall away. I also kept getting lost in here, and was relieved when I finally found the food stalls where I sat down and had some Khmer Tea, and some chicken and rice.
From there, I went to ''Cafe Yeji" just across the street, a more modern and air-conditioned restaurant serving more upscale types of foods while promoting fair-trade and responsible employment. Next door, I visited ''Rajana,'' which also sells products made in fair-trade/fair-wage manners, with neat products including cards, wallets, cool decorative items, neat stuffed animals, and more. I bought my mommy something here (you'll get it eventually, Mom! The Cambodian postal system is slow!)
From there, I was already quite tired. I headed back to my guesthouse, which was a newer technique on my part- until now I had been going all morning, afternoon, and evening lately, and I was finally wearing out, as well as learning that if I am to survive my final few weeks in SE Asia, I had better take some time out! When returning to my guesthouse, I also wound up having a lengthy and very interesting conversation with some of the tuk-tuk drivers outside of my guesthouse, about life, politics, and of course the possible sights they could take me to the next day if I needed a tuk-tuk. :) This is something else about Cambodia I have noticed- even though everyone is trying to offer you their services and make a buck like everyone else in SE Asia, they are also totally willing and able to engage in easy and genuine conversation, even if your answer is ''no'', ''no'', and ''no'' again. I value this aspect of the Cambodian culture greatly, and have LOVED the conversations I have been able to have so easily with the locals. Smiles, laughs, and conversation come for free here in Cambodia- halelujiah!
I took a few hours ''off'' in my guesthouse- probably blogging and not REALLY resting- and when evening time came, I went cycling down the street to Orrussey Market in search of dinner- food food food galore! BBQ meat everywhere! My dream come true! I was so so very hungry, and usually there is not much that can get between me and food when I am hungry, but the sights of this market were so interesting, that I cycled around the market loop 3 times just to take photographs before it got too dark to do so. I can't wait to post these photos upon my return home! I wound up buying some grilled chicken and grilled pork from a super nice Cambodian guy and his wife, and got some to go, as well, as my appetite has been more endless than ever along my travels.
After dinner, though tired, I felt compelled to cycle to the riverside -Tonle Sap River. I thought I would just cycle along the street there, or, walk down the pedestrian walkway, and go home shortly thereafter. My plans were ''thwarted'' by a most beautiful and glorious and enlivening celebration!
Apparently, four times per month (usually once per week but not always) there is a day where Cambodians celebrate the Buddha, it is a holy day. On this particular night, there were two pagodas on the riverfront that were completely lit up with tiny lights, an people hovering around them. The first one I approached there were not too many people, but there was definitely something going on- I was approached by women and younger girls to buy flowers and incense to offer inside the small holy room, and though I did not know exactly what I was offering to/for yet, I accepted and went inside, and listened to a blessing of some sort in Cambodian, and was shown the proper way to offer and to kneel and such. That was neat, and I was happy enough and was ready to go home.
But, just a few hundred yards away was ANOTHER pagoda, and music, and THIS litte holy house was BURSTING at the seams with Cambodian people, offering flowers, incense, coconuts, buying caged birds and setting them free, while a traditional Cambodian group of musicians played endless beautiful warm soft joyous and sublime music, on percussion instruments as well as melodic malleted instruments that I have never seen or heard before. I believe I spent a good two hours there that night, just watching and listening and talking to some of the young kids trying to sell me birds and flowers, and trying to find out from someone who could speak English to explain to me what this was all for.
The entire two hours I was there, the crowds never slowed or dissipated. I do not know what time this celebration began, or what time it ended, but the atmosphere was so fully charged with spiritual energy and devotion, it was really a wonder to be a witness to. I often try and participate in local happenings and rituals when permittable, but in this case, I just wanted to watch and observe and take it all in and feel all of the joy it was bringing me in the purity of the hearts and spirits of all of these Cambodians. I could have stayed there all night for how much interest and joy it carried for me, but I eventually began to fade, and rode my bicycle happily home for a good night's sleep.
I felt so very lucky, because if I hadn't gone on that particular night, I would never have witnessed this beautiful, pure, and wonderful celebration of the Buddha.
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