Day 8

 

New Cambodian friends

May 17 Wednesday

            We began our morning at the Tara Angkor Hotel with a delicious breakfast, including tiny bananas, French toast, and local dishes. It was all so delicious; we decided we will not be able to eat bananas back home without crying. Although we walked less today than we did yesterday, we did get to see many sights in and around Siem Reap.

           

Buffalo carts

After we departed from the hotel, we drove to a rural area outside the city. The locals, mostly farmers, live in houses on stilts. Their animals stay underneath the houses to stay cool in the heat. Water buffalo are used to plow fields here, and we got up close and personal with some. We all paired off and rode in wagons pulled by a team of water buffalo and driven by a local farmer. In Cambodia, rice is grown by planting rice in a dry field then flooding the area, whereas in Vietnam, rice is planted in water to begin with. On our ride we passed schools, houses, and farms. 

Getting ready for rice planting

 

Doesn't taste like chicken

New protein sources

 Following our water buffalo ride, we pulled over to the side of the street to try some road-side snacks, aka insects. Included in the spread were silkworms, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, frogs, and shrimp and rice patties. A few courageous students tried some insects, and the reviews included “pretty good flavor”, “similar to nuts”, and “good but a little leggy”. After our snack, we drove to a large water reservoir. This reservoir brings water for many of the farmers in the area, along with providing a nice swimming spot to cool off from the heat. This area is popular for picnics, swimming, and shopping. At local booths we could try different fruits and vegetables and rotisserie fish, shrimp, and chicken.

            

 

Golden temple

After driving back into Siem Reap, we visited a new Buddhist temple, commonly referred to as the temple of gold- rightfully so. The detailed landscape and statues surrounded a temple with giant buddha statues, alters, and a detailed story of Buddhism carved and painted along the inner courtyard. This temple is where many Buddhist monks live, learn, and work.

            We ate a “Western Menu” at Nerk Restaurant including fried fish, wings, noodles, ribs, macaroni, mashed potatoes, and pineapple fried rice. Post-lunch, we discovered artisans of Cambodia. Our first stop was at a silk factory where we saw women spinning and weaving silk to create beautiful fabric from the cocoons of silkworms. Next we stopped at Artisans Angkor, which includes silkworm farming, dyeing, weaving, ceramics, lacquering, silver plating, and their largest craft: carving. The artists carved wood and sandstone to create beautiful sculptures and engravings. There were stations for students to try their hand at carving, which was very fun to see.

            From the artisan shops we drove to the airport. We are returning to Vietnam, flying to Ho Chi Minh City this evening. We are sad to leave Cambodia, but are looking forward to our next few days!

By Tessa and Jacobi