Phnom Penh to Tan Chau

Yesterday we spent the day cruising down the Mekong leaving Cambodia behind and entering into Vietnam.  Our visit to Cambodia has been exceptional. Despite all the tragedy that has impacted every single inhabitant they are a warm and welcoming people.  Their capacity to forgive is absolutely incredible.  Everyone that we met welcomed us openly and was honored to show off their homeland.  With this degree of resilience I am sure they will go forward.

Today we had the most touching experience of our trip.  A group of us went for a visit to Evergreen Island which is a farming village virtually removed from tourism.  Our guide knew one of the residents and we were invited into the home of Mr Lok.  He is a 67 year old farmer who at the age of 15 went to fight with the Viet Cong to avenge he deathes of his two brothers.  Our guide asked if there were any Vietnam vets in our group of which there was one.  He stood and Mr Lok went forward and addressed him in Vietnamese which our guide interpreted.  He said that war is a book that is now closed and enemies are now friends.  They then shook hands and then embraced warmly.  There was not a dry eye in he room.  What a special moment to witness.  When those in our group enquired whether we could leave a token of our appreciation to Mr Hok we were told he would be insulted as he opened his home from his heart.  As we toured he village the local children followed along always trilled to have their picture taken.  With laundry hanging outside and chickens running around with their young it is a whole different world but the people are happy and well fed so who are we to judge.

Lining the river are very old boats which on closer inspection are homes to the fishermen and their families. It is a common sight to see groups of people sitting together sharing a meal or socializing. I must admit that seeing the water in which tilapia is raised will prevent me from making that purchase.

Told that we were to visit a rattan factory conjured pictures in our minds that were far from reality.  The building was a rickety old structure with a couple of rows of very basic looms.  Unfortunately power had been cut off so the looms were not working but we did watch a local hand dying the rattan that is used in the weaving and another cutting woven pieces into the appropriate sizes with a old cutter.  The average worker In the factory makes 6-7 dollars a day.

The activity on the river continues with every type of old local boat out fishing to make a living.  Fascinating.

Mr Hok and family. A truly memorable visit.

The old and the new

Inside the living area

Local homes on Evergreen Island

Delightful children greeted us every where

Home along the bank with the boat ready to go to work

River home

Close neighbors 

A smile from is lady out for a stroll

Inside the rattan factory

Hand dying the reeds

Vibrant colours

The Pol Pot Regime (note not for children)

One of the most emotionally charged mornings we have ever experienced.  We visited two of the sites that recall the dark days of the Pol Pot regime.  For three years,eight months and twenty days Cambodia experienced one of the most horrific genicides in history and this unbelievably was from 1976-1979. Under the Khmer Rouge regime in this short period of history one quarter of Cambodias eight million people were murdered and almost two million more either died of starvation and overwork or escaped into neighboring countries.

We first visited the killing fields which was one of more than one hundred such sites throughout the country..  Here over 20,000 people were brought here from Toul Slengs torture cells where they were bludgeoned to death to avoid the cost of bulletts.  After the Vietnamese army defeated the Pol Pot regime in 1979 mass graves were discovered each containing 100's of remains.  It is now a very solemn site where a large memorial stupa filled with the skulls of the victims is a very sobering centerpiece. Pieces of clothing and bone still are found around the grounds.

The second site visited was that of the Toul Slengs Museum also known as S-21. Previously a high school it was taken over by the regime and served as a center of interrogation and torture for people of all ranks.  The pictures were unbearable to look at and I cannot believe how any human could inflict such atrocities on anyone.  Only 7 individuals survived this prison and we had the honor to meet one who has written his story.  While the book is now in my possession I am quite sure that there may be portions I am unable to read.  There is not a Cambodian alive who was not touched by this personally and in fact one of our guides came from a family of fourteen and only he and one other survived. I cannot begin to understand how they came through this with the wonderful spirit they exhibit today.

The monument where today Cambodian students come to learn the history i hopes that this can never repeat itself.

Bra lets that the families put on the mass graves to honor the victims

Needs no explanation

Over 20,000 skulls contained in his memorial

S-21 a living hell on earth

Barb wire to keep prisoners from committing suicide

One of the seven survivors

Koh Chen and Oudong

Tying up to a rickety little wharf along the shore we went a wonderful walking tour of the village of Koh Chen.  The residents here specialize in working with silver and copper to make the jewelry and other items that are sold throughout the country. We stopped at one family home to observe some of them at work. As we walked through the village one could hear the pounding sound of the engraving coming from many of the homes along the way.  We were privileged to be invited into one of the stilt homes. The floor was plywood and the furniture very sparse but everything was clean. In contrast there was an IPhone charging on an old table.  The kitchen was tiny and held just a heating element.  Most people in Cambodia do not have refrigeration. We also stopped at a school where we got to go into the classroom and interact with hh he children.  They were eager to speak what English they knew and loved seeing their pictures on our cameras.  They sang a lovely song for us and we in return sang If You are Happy to them complete with actions.  A very special visit.

In Oudong we went to the biggest Buddhist monastery in the country where sitting cross legged on the floor we received a blessing from the monks.  During the tour of the grounds we were witness to the nuns and priests serving out food to the monks who then chanted their thanks.  In Cambodia people often move to the monastery for a finite length of time and in fact the elderly sometimes move to the monastery for the end of their life so they will in their belief go to Nirvana for eternity.  As he average lifespan for a male is 63 and a female 65 these so called elderly are young in our standards.

We then went by bus through the countryside. To Kampong Tralach where we went on an oxcart ride through the village.  These are still the most widely used means of transportation in the countryside and are used to harvest crops and carry hay, animals and family members.

We carried on down the river to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.  We went on a Tuk Tuk tour of the city.  With cars, motorbikes,bicycles and Tuk Tuks sharing the road driving would be a harrowing experience.  Many were even going the wrong way.  A city of two million people it is spread over a fairly large area and the different levels of economics are all represented.

This is the outhouse for the home on the shore.  Functional but not exactly private.

Kitchen of the home we visited

Cambodian classroom.  Wonderful experience 

Buddist temple

Nuns feeding the monks

Oxcart, the Cambodian limmosine 

Local selling pho through the park

Tuk Tuk ride through Phnom Penh

Young dancers who entertained us on board

Darling children

Socializing in he park

Various means of transport

Many means of carrying goods

We are a source of entertainment for the local children

This one is for the grandchildren 

Amalotus and the Tonle River

Due to the low water levels at this time of year we had a six hour bus trip through the countryside to the Tonle River where we boarded the Amalotus.  With our guide on board it was a fascinating lesson on the history and current state of Cambodia. We travelled through many villages and observed the way of life and living conditions.  The houses are built on stilts and many use car batteries to power their lights and TVs.  Seventy percent of the Cambodians have no sanitation system and many literally just go out behind their home.  Fin told us stories of when he was a boy and herding the cows he always had to walk ahead of them to watch out for the wires of the land mines.  We have seen many who have lost limbs to this terrible scenario.  Stopped at a fascinating market where they sold many varieties of fried bugs including crickets and tarantulas. Popular with the locals but we passed.

Boarding the ship at Prek K'Dam on the Tonle River we were immediately in the center of a very busy fishing culture. Seventy percent of the Cambodians protein and most of their calcium comes from fish as they eat he whole fish bones and all.  Milk is not available in Cambodia so this is an important part of their diet.

We boarded local boats in Kampong Chhnang to go view the floating village. Fascinating sigh thousands of people living right on the water in floating homes that they move as the water level changes.  Many of them had "fish farms" underneath their homes and they open a portion of the floor to harvest the fish. Floating markets and schools are included in this village and each home had their boats tied up alongside.  Stilted homes and businesses lined the shore.  Along the river bank you see many makeshift shelters belonging to migratory fishermen who move their whole family to where the fishing is good at any given time.  Though education in Cambodia is compulsory until ninth grade the dropout rate is over 20% by grade six and in the countryside many never do go to school as parents do not have the means to transport them.  Only thirty percent finish high school.  Though the people are very poor in our standards this country has only a 3% unemployment rate.

Market delicacies 

Local transportation

Floating village

The pho boat

Transient fishermen with their families

Fishing on the river

Family affair

Siem Reap

Our first stop in Cambodia is Siem Reap so we can explore the Angkor Archeaological Park.  Dating back to the 10th to 12th century.  We started our visit at Angkor Thom which literally means Great City. The 3km of 8  meter high walls are flanked by a moat and interspersed with five imposing gates which built so long ago have just enough space for a well driven tour bus to squeeze through.  We toured the ruins of the temple Bayon where 54 towers have giant stone car and d Buddha heads. Though the temple has suffered greatly through the centuries the Buddhas and other carvings were in amazingly good shape. Many worshipers come here to pray to Buddha.  Stopping to see the Terrace of Elephants which was used for royal celebrations we made our way to the Ta Prohm monastery.  Dating from 1186 it was both a monastery and a Buddhist university.  In he last centuries the jungle has taken a firm hold.  Archaeologists have made a deliberate decision to leave Ta Prohm as it was found by the Europeans in the 19th century.  With trees emerging out of temple buildings and thick roots covering ruined passageways the jungle has become part of the architecture and it is stunning to behold.  For movie goers this is where Tomb Raider was filmed.

Travelling some 20kms upstream we then went to Banteay Srei which was built in the 10th century.  It is distinguished from the other temples by its glorious pink colour from the sandstone it is constructed from.  The carvings on the entrances are beautifully detailed and many still in excellent shape.  This temple has only been available for visiting in the last few years as prior to that Khmer Rouge bandits were operating in the area and it was deemed unsafe.

Our final temple visit was to the iconic Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world.  Rising at 430am we were there to witness the sunrise.  Though the colors were not as spectacular as we are told they can be it was very special to watch this magnificent structure appearing from the darkness.  Built as a Hindu temple it was taken over by the Buddists after it was abandoned In the 15th century.  It is an immense structure four stories high and its walls are adorned with beautiful carvings depicting scenes from Hindu history.  Climbing the 70 degree stairs to the fourth floor we were rewarded with panoramic views of the whole complex.

A highlight of our time in Siem Reap was a visit to the orphanage which AMA helps sponsor.  Thirty two children live here as well as are schooled here with a lot of emphasis on art and English.  After an entertaining dance show the individual children took us on a tour of their home eager to practice some English skills.  The building was very sparse with an outside kitchen and classroom and only two bedrooms but the children were all clean, well nourished and very happy and polite. Leaving them some school supplies was the least we could do.

Our visit here was rounded out by a Cambodian dance show and a Tuk Tuk ride to the old town to do some exploring on our own.  Turned down the opportunity to purchase several Rolexes!

Bayon Temple

Banteay Srei

Ta Prohm

Cambodian Tuk Tuks AKA taxis 

Great kids

Angkor Wat at sunrise

Second floor of Angkor Wat

Top floor. What a view

Impossible to show the immense size

Beautiful carvings

Market in Siem Reap 

Buddha definitely does not have Spurling lips