Cambodia – Observations
OBSERVATIONS
– Morning food carts piled high with French baguettes, a Cambodian favourite!
– Landmine victims begging in the streets, often carrying their infants with them.
– Street beggars (mostly children), asking for food and money
– Street beggars (mostly children), asking for food and money
– Tuk-tuk drivers and motorcycle touts constantly yelling for business
– Johnny Walker whiskey bottles, full of Gasoline to be sold to motorcyclists
– Everyone wears the infamous Cambodian checked scarf, around their neck, over their head, used as a baby sling, you name it!
– Hammocks, everywhere – Cambodia seems to be the home of the hammock!
– Hundreds of butterflies flitting around, everywhere we go.
– Geckos, tons of them, all sizes are found on the walls of internet cafes, restaurants, hotels, MY bathroom! The presence of a gecko usually means fewer mosquitos – a good thing!
ROLUOS GROUP OF TEMPLES
First stop this morning was the Roluos Group of Temples. They are a series of three temples located 13 km outside of the Siem Reap, Angkor Wat area, and are considered the oldest, built in 877-889. Bakong is the largest and most interesting of the Roluos group of temples, mostly because it has an active Buddhist monastery beside it. As a result I was able to take many photos of the monks in their bright orange robes. One of them spoke excellent English, so we engaged in a nice chat for a while. Their monastery is extremely old and he said he always feels a little afraid while doing prayers and chants inside, fearing that the ceiling is going to cave in! It’s a really beautiful location, surrounded by palm trees and a water-filled moat. But few tourists venture to this site, so it’s very quiet and serene.
LANDMINE MUSEUM
Heading back into town, I asked Mr. Ra to take me to the landmine museum. But, I was completely unprepared for what I saw. It’s actually an open-air facility – bamboo shacks displaying piles of ammunition and landmines (which have been dismantled, thankfully!). Displayed on the walls are profiles of many landmine victimns who live in the area, which explain what happened to them. It is really sad. The museum has taken in many of these people and helped build them homes in the area and feed and educate them so they can have a decent future. But, I could see that they can only provide the most basic necessities for these people. It’s quite sad.
GREEN GECKO PROJECT
Mr. Ra has joined me twice to volunteer at the Green Gecko Project. We spend about an hour and a half there each day, playing with the street kids who come for the day. They have done a wonderful job creating a place where the children can feel safe, have a shower, play, eat and maybe even learn something! I hope Mr. Ra continues to volunteer there after I am gone.
After our stint at the school, we headed out to Tonle Sap Lake where we had to climb up a mountain in order to see it more clearly. The landscape is so flat – the lake itself is difficult to see unless you are higher up – weird! At the top of the mountain is a small monastery – strangely enough, most of the monks were not wearing their requisite robes – must have been laundry day! Mr. Ra and I were the only outsiders up there – the peace and quiet was really nice.
BLIND MASSAGE
I finished my day by treating myself to a body masage at one of the blind massage shops here in Siem Reap. You know, I go for massage every week in China, but the massage from the blind masseuse was by far the best I have ever had – I practially floated out the door afterwards! It was wonderful!
Tags: Travel
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