Cambodia impressions

I can’t leave without putting to “paper” some impressions of this lovely country.

The people, as in Myanmar and other countries of Southeast Asia, are so gracious, kind and, at the same time, very hard working. (With the exception of the immigration officials!!) They are generous and faithful to their Buddhist beliefs, and without them, many of the beautiful pagodas and temples would not be as well kept up; nor would the monks be able to devote their time and/or life to study, prayer and teaching.

For the most part people lead a very simple life with simple amenities. Siem Reap itself has some lovely homes and also very simple abodes. The motor cycle rules and transports entire families, crates of eggs, school children – you name it! Cars, bicycles, tuk-tuks, pedestrians and motor bikes weave in and out and around one another in some sort of precise dance – it is quite fascinating.

And the food! Fruit-aholic that I am, I can completely OD here! The mangoes and papaya are both ripe (even though the real mango season is in April). I am also in love with their peanuts that are both salty and have some sugar added, along with dried lemon grass, kefir lime leaf, chili and garlic! They are the best. Of course, rice abounds and in all forms – sweet and sticky or plain steamed. The flavors are much like Thai food, but a little less spicy. I have tried the main traditional Khmer dishes – Amok, Lok-Lak and Khmer curry.

We experienced two amazing philanthropic enterprises here in Siem Reap: Phare, the Cambodian Circus, that I mentioned previously, and The HAVEN restaurant. Started by a young Swiss couple in 2011, after volunteering and working in a Cambodian orphanage and seeing the need for training for young adults who no longer qualify for placement in the orphanage. The idea to open a training restaurant was born. They returned to Switzerland and formed a non-profit – Dragonfly – A project for Cambodia’s youth – and returned to Siem Reap in 2011 to build the school and restaurant from scratch. Later a Swiss friend and a Cambodian chef joined the effort.

From their website : “In addition to the training it is also part of our concept to provide a safe haven for our trainees, hence the name. We accommodate our trainees in a house which is located in a close by neighbourhood of the restaurant. They live under the same roof with our house mum which creates a family like structure and ensures an integrated support service for the youths. Apart from housing the trainees HAVEN covers their entire expenses, such as rent, electricity, water and medical costs, food and clothing etc. Additionally they are paid a monthly salary, serving as their personal pocket money. We also provide the school materials and hire instructors for their education. The training programme is free of charge for the trainees. The costs of running the programme is subsidised through the restaurants income and donations through DRAGONFLY”

We were lucky enough to get a reservation at the Haven and it was an extraordinary meal and experience.

Let’s not forget the pampering! Massage parlors, reiki, foot rubs, the funny fish tanks where the little fish eat the dry skin from you feet – and so inexpensive. I had an amazing facial for $10; a pedicure for $7, and Dennis has had massages for less than $20. Prices in general are 25% to 50% of those at home.

Tonle’ Sap lake

IMG_2244We set off in the morning on a 50 km drive to We set off after breakfast on the 50 km drive to Kompong Khleang, a village on Lake Tonle’ Sap. The lake is the largest in SE Asia with a surface of ca. 1,000 sq. miles but that swells to over 6,000 during the monsoon season when the plains are flooded. The large majority of people in this area are joint fishermen and farmers and all the houses are either rafts or built on very tall stilts. There are bridges and roads in the villages, but both are submerged during the flood season.

We walked around the village and observed women drying tiny little fish, people repairing fishing nets, children playing, and people going about their daily lives. It was not the prettiest of villages with lots of dust from the roadway and quite littered, but interesting none the less.

On a small section of the main road to Phnom Penh one finds numerous stands selling “bamboo cakes” or sticky rice cakes in bamboo. We stopped to try one – sticky rice is mixed with coconut milk, black soya beans, a little sugar and salt. It is stuffed into bamboo and a bamboo leaf filter is inserted. It is then roasted for several hours. When cooked, you peel back the bamboo and eat! Quite delicious!

An evening in Siem Reap

We started with dinner at Kanell – specializing in french and asian cuisines and set in the grounds of a hotel with lovely little private cabanas for each table.

Then to Phare the Cambodian Circus, which was formed over 20 years ago to help street children, or disadvantaged children by providing them an education in the arts. All performers in Phare The Cambodian Circus learn their skills through Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS), an Association providing arts education in Battambang, Cambodia. Young people from the streets, orphanages and struggling families in the community come to PPS to learn, express and heal themselves through the arts.

We saw the show “Sokha” that tells the story of a child haunted by visions of the atrocities and destruction by the Khmer Rouge. Her memories and the surreal weave with myths and facts. Cringing in darkness, consumed by her fears, Sokha discovers her strength and resilience, and gathers all her determination to fight despair. Thanks to her trust in human nature, her choice as an adult will be to believe in social reconstruction by youth using art as a healing and solidarity factor between generations.

Their acrobatics, music and choreography was amazing.

 

 

 

Ta Prohm and Banteay Srei

The last of the temples ……

Ta Prohm Monastery which has been taken over by the roots of spung trees (of cottonwood family). When restoration efforts on the Angkor area temples began in the 19th C, Ta Prohm was left untouched, and now with the encroachment of the forest and these huge trees, restoration efforts are made even more difficult.

Probably my favorite of all temples in the Angkor complex is Banteay Srei. Erected in the 10th century, this small pink sandstone temple is known as the Citadel of Women.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat – A fascinating story and structure. Built in 37 years during the first  half of the 12th C, Angkor Wat was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, the preserver of the world. Evidently, it was not used more than about three times a year by the royal family!

There are five towers (formerly the magic number 9, but four have crumbled) but when viewing, depending on the angle you see only three or four and only sometimes five. Like the Egyptians, Incans and all those brilliant people in our past, the sun rises directly behind the main tower on both equinoxes.

My favorite things in the entire temple are the beautiful dancing women (Apsaras) – thousands of them; and the galleries/colonnades (at least 50 meters long) with beautiful bas relief work depicting various stories. Heavens and hells: hell has 32 levels and heaven has 37.  Combat of Krishna and demons. The army of King Suryavarman II who built Angkor Wat – in this story his army is marching east to battle with the Chams. The churning of the sea to milk. The myth of the Churning was very popular in the Angkor era. It is depicted at temples in Angkor and all over Cambodia.

At the beginning of the world, the gods (devas) and demons (asuras) were engaged in a thousand year battle to secure amrita, an elixir that would render them immortal and incorruptible. After some time, when they became tired and still had not achieved their goal, they asked the help of Vishnu. He appeared and ordered to work together, not against each other. Working together, they then commenced the churning of the Ocean of Milk by using Mount Mandara as the pivot and the five-headed naga Vasuki as the rope.

However, the mountain suddenly began to sink. Vishnu incarnated as the tortoise Kurma to support the pivoting mountain on his back. Many gods also assisted, including Indra, by keeping the pivot in position. The spinning of Mount Mandara created such a violent whirlpool that the that the creatures and fish around it were torn to pieces,

The Ocean of Milk was churned another thousand years before producing the much-desired elixir and other treasures, amongst which are the goddess Lakshmi (Sri Devi) [the spouse of Vishnu] , the elephant Airavata, the horse Ucchaihsravas, a whishing tree (Parijata), and the apsara.

The naga Vasuki vomited floods of black venom due to his mishandling by teh devas and asuras during the churning. This would have been enough to poison everybody had it not been for Shiva, who drank it all; as a result, his mouth remaining stained forever with a black line.

Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom (the Great City) founded by King Jayarvarman VII. In 12th century it was the largest city in the world with over one million inhabitants until the King moved to Phnom Penh in the 1400’s. The Bayon (temple) of the 12th and 13th centuries, dedicated to Buddhism and composed of 54 gigantic towers featuring 216 smiling faces of Avalokitesvara, was built in the center of the city. The city is moated and has five entrances (N,S,E,W and the Victory gate which led directly to the palace area).

We also visited the Elephant Terrace, which was used as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and served as a base for the king‟s grand audience hall; and the raised Leper King Terrace, built in the 12th century and which features many beautifully sculptured Apsaras.

The entire complex was deserted and fell to ruin, but through sponsorship of various countries, work is on-going to restore some of the structures. The giant old mahogany, gum, banyan and other trees provide a very pleasing and parklike ambience – as well as creating shade in the heat of the day. It’s amazing that these sandstone carvings and sculptures have held up as well as they have given they have no protection from the elements.

Siem Reap

Many blessings have been counted over and over! Our safe travel around Myanmar with eight takeoffs and landings and road travel. All flights reasonably on time and no lost luggage. The flights from Yangon to Siem Reap were somewhat arduous given layover time in Bangkok, but complaints can’t be made – we made it to this beautiful oasis – our hotel Pavillon d’Orient.

Our tour doesn’t start until 1 p.m. so we took  a tuk-tuk into town to have a reccy – it all looks very manageable; the market is huge and interesting, as usual, lots of good looking restaurants, massage parlors, etc. and quite a few tourists. I took a pic of an Australian couple having a good massage thanks to all the little fish! We might have to try it another day.