Cambodia 2011

Siem Reap, Cambodia

My balloon foot had shrunk enough to fit into actual shoes, which was lucky as today we were hiking up a 'mountain' (our guide liked to call all hills mountains) to Kbal Spean, a sacred waterfall with motifs carved into the rock it flows over. The hike was quite interesting, lots of clambering over rocks and twisted tree roots. We picked up some hot banana wrapped in sticky rice to keep us going on the way. The views of the forest canopy from the top were stunning. We saw locals chopping down trees to get hold of a beautiful dark wood that they use to make extremely expensive furniture and sculptures.

Kbal Spean

Expensive wood

Afterwards, we checked out Banteay Srei, the pink temple, which was really interesting - it wouldn't have looked out of place in India, and it's actually covered in ridiculously intricate carvings of Hindu Gods. The grounds were also really pretty,even the bridge to the toilets passed over a gorgeous lily pond (I guess that makes it a sight witnessed only by people with weak bladders!) although two children running around blowing whistles and shooting toy guns ruined the atmosphere a little...

For some reason, we were then taken to an orphanage where we were given a slightly too-warm welcome - the kids put on a music performance for us, taught us how to dance like Cambodians and then put flowers in our hair and took us on a tour of the orphanage. The whole thing seemed a bit too well rehearsed, but we understood this is how they get the sponsors they need to keep the place running - pretty much every building had a plaque revealing which business had sponsored it. Although this was all a bit strange, the kids' personalities came through later on when we joined in with their games, and I was asked to help carry firewood into the kitchens and heard some of the kids' stories. It was pretty funny when we had to leave, and all the kids tried to get hold of our email addresses so that they could add us on facebook.

My guides at the orphanage

Games at the orphanage

written by

lucy3119 on August 16, 2011 from Siem Reap, Cambodia

from the travel blog: Cambodia 2011

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Siem Reap, Cambodia

Today was an odd one. It started off normally enough, with a boat ride around Siem Reap's floating village. Our 21-year-old tour guide was a bit of a legend, claiming that he wasn't going to bore us with facts, and then proceeding to tell us his life story. From the 'facts' he did get around to telling us, we learned that most of the people who live in the floating village are Vietnamese, they cook, wash and dispose of waste all in the same water, and the kids who float around with snakes around their necks are doing it purely to lure in the tourists. Same with the crocodiles. We floated around on Tonle Sap lake - the largest freshwater lake in SE Asia - and had a long debate with our guide as to whether the mountain-shaped thing on the horizon was a mountain or a cloud. As we climbed off the boat we were confronted by children holding tacky souvenir plates...we said 'no thanks' and were about to move on when we suddenly realised that the plates were decorated with incredibly unflattering photographs of us! We were completely baffled for a second before realising that the 'creepy man' who walked past pointing a camera at us as we queued to board the boat must have had a purpose after all! That would explain our mildly annoyed expressions in our plate-photos.

Floating school

Crocs for the tourists

After this, we were literally coerced into eating at Kimlay and Lily's restaurant again - our tour guide was operating under strict instructions to bring us there despite our claims that we'd 'rather try somewhere new'. However, it did give me a chance to go a bit crazy in the market, finally caving in and buying a few quirky ceramic opium pots. In the afternoon Lily joined us on another money-spinner: tours around a silk-making workshop and a craft project run by Artisans of Angkor, finishing with obligatory visits to the gift shops. The silk products were gorgeous, but ridiculously expensive. Clearly, a bunch of debt-ridden students wasn't quite the market they were looking for, but we knew from previous experience that Cambodians tend to assume that tourists = rolling in money.

The creation of silk!

Silk weaving

In the evening we decided to check out the night market - Alannah and I, all marketed out and ready for a Singapore Sling - our Cambodian beverage of choice - came across a bar in the middle of the market and relaxed for a while. We were the only people there. At least it meant we got to hog the hammocks. Later, we headed to a bar on Bar Street (which could be anywhere in the world, it's so westernised) to meet some of Melissa's friends who happened to be in town at the same time as us.

written by

lucy3119 on August 17, 2011 from Siem Reap, Cambodia

from the travel blog: Cambodia 2011

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Siem Reap, Cambodia

We had a free day today - we made the most of a sunny morning by the pool and then retreated to the restaurant Terrace to watch a storm hit. We were a bit creeped out by a huge swarm of dragonflies that appeared out of nowhere just before the rain started - pretty apocalyptic. Later on we headed out for massages (neck and, er, fish). I'm not sure the fish massage did anything apart from reveal just how ticklish I actually am, though.

Had a delicious curry at a really nice restaurant that puts on free apsara dancing shows - it's all about the double-jointed fingers!

Fish massage

Amazing Cambodian curry

Apsara dancing

This is quite a short entry so might as well mention that the next day, Friday, we got the bus back to Phnom Penh ready to catch our flight on the Saturday. Alannah and I got the early bus back so we could go out for dinner with the other volunteers still staying in Phnom Penh. Arriving back at the Narin 2 and seeing all the familiar faces actually felt a bit like coming home. We had a goodbye BBQ at one of the local restaurants and ended the night by trying to fit as many people on one moto as possible in true Cambodian style.

Riding a moto Cambodian style!

written by

lucy3119 on August 18, 2011 from Siem Reap, Cambodia

from the travel blog: Cambodia 2011

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a travel blog by lucy3119

And yet more temples

Siem Reap, Cambodia

"You're tourists - that means you're very rich!"

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Last day in Siem Reap

Siem Reap, Cambodia