We had a great meal at a local restaurant that was recommended Neixta Shmer (sp?) It was all open air, and had lots of tables with mostly locals dining. We ordered two soups: chicken noodle, and a soup with khmer spices, chicken, morning glories (ok, so I was told it’s morning glory, and it’s a green leafy vegetable. But the item on the menu said morning lories. So, unsure what it was but it was good!) It tasted like a light curry and the flavor was magnificent. Our dishes were serpant fish with shrimp (though didn’t see any!), onions and carrots with a light Khmer sauce, and my friend got fried frog. Yes, frog. Immediately after ordering, he saw a big frog bouncing away from the kitchen and we got a good laugh. The dishes were good, but not as good as my soup! The total bill was $28.
Our tuk tuk driver took us to the market, which was a strip of souvenir and crap stores. I got my Cambodia magnet, and a long flowy dress that looks like it would be comfortable to kick around in, and we got a bunch of spices and teas. We let our driver go home as it was a very long day for him, so we got one for the way back. The kid was sweet but had no idea where he was going, and twice stopped to get directions. The second time, when he clearly wasn’t understanding where we wanted to go, we paid him the $2 fare he wanted and went with the guy he stopped to ask for directions. We made it, but now we can say we were lost in Cambodia!
We sat on our little porch for a while listening to the singing of bugs and watching the braver frogs jump up to say hello. There are lizards as well that scamper about, as well as other things that I’d rather not consider. It’s very peaceful here and this is a nice way to unwind after a busy day of walking through the temples and the jungle.
I woke the next day at 2 and couldn’t sleep, so I wrote for a while until I started to hear the roosters. Once the sun started to awaken, I went to sit outside to enjoy the cooler weather and the sound of the crickets in the jungle. We had breakfast at the hotel then met Jac and Piero at 9 for more touring of the temples. We shared our tuk tuk experiences of last night and all had a good laugh! We had a long drive to the first and got to see lots of local homes. They are up on long wood beams to provide air circulation during the hottest months. We passed many stands with rattan weavings of bowls and platters, and lots of large metal bowls steaming over a handmade cooking oven making palm juice and wine. I did forget to mention last night (I think) that we tried ginger palm wine. Not our favorite, but it was fun to try the local brew.
A truck heaped with bags with a dozen people sitting on top passed us. There was a woman who made eye contact with me as they passed and she rewarded me with a big smile. I returned the gesture. People here are so friendly and are so happy for tourism flooding money into the poor local economy.
The first temple was gorgeous, and a lovely tan and pink stone carved with hindu designs. It was very decorated and really beautiful. I’ll provide all the temple names when I get them from Jac tomorrow. The second was very nice as well though not nearly as impressive as the others we’ve seen, but worth visiting. The third was the temple made famous by Lara Croft Tomb Raider, with the trees growing up through the temple walls and ceilings. It was really amazing and did look straight out of a Hollywood movie set. We walked around there for a while exploring all of the different rooms and angles, noticing just how many trees had invaded the temple. Jac told us that determining what to do with the temple was a cause of much debate, as some want to preserve the temple by removing the trees, while others want nature to take its course. The latter has won, though they do prop some of the trees and the doorways to preserve what they can.
We went to see the land mine museum that a man named Aki Ra founded to help keep people safe from the mines and to support those injured as a result of them. There are thousands that still litter the countryside, and many people are injured as a result of them, even still, every year. The museum was sobering, but definitely something to see. Some of the mines were bigger than Jac, and were from USA, Russia and other countries, planted by the Khmer Rouge in the 70s and 80s. Aki Ra fought during the struggles with the Khmer Rouge, toting a gun when he was younger than 10. He buried land mines at 3 or 4, as soon as he was able to carry them. He now dedicates his life to removing the mines and supporting the people impacted as a result of them. The museum houses hundred of mines, ranging in size.
http://www.cambodialandminemuseum.org/history.html
Jac told us about the civil war with the Khmer rouge and the struggles of the people to shake off the horrors done to them. His family escaped to the mountains, and he described what the people did to survive. Children were told to kill their parents, friends, family and they did. For twenty years the people were completely oppressed and saw horrors that no one should. You can still feel it in the country, though there’s a sense of almost child-like optimism that has sprung from what they have been through.
We stopped for a quick lunch, well, as quick as any meal is in Cambodia on the way through the temples. The place was very touristy and had American prices, but it was conveniently located on the temple path. Jac shared with us the history of all the temples, what they were built of, and who lived there. On the way to one of the temples we saw a family of five on a moped. Impressive, though we haven’t seen as much impressive stuff here on mopeds as we saw in Vietnam!
The next temple was impressive for its steepness. Jac said it is the highest temple in Cambodia, though I suspect he said that to make me feel better. Let’s just start by saying I am petrified of heights. Absolutely petrified. So, climbing the stairs as I have to the top of the temples has been no small feat, but I find a way to go down (up’s easy!) Not always the most graceful of downward climbers, I’ve done several backwards or on my butt. I have no shame, but hey, it gets me up there and down. Well, this temple was so steep, as I was climbing it I even commented that it wasn’t the smartest thing I’d ever done. At one point I think I was praying that they would leave me there, and after a somewhat minor bout of hysteria and a few tears, I made it down the worst of it. Yup, I don’t see any reason to lie in my blog that I was quite freaked out, but the pictures prove I did it and I must say, I’m quite proud of myself for the accomplishment. My mom would never believe it. The rest of the stairs seemed like nothing after that one!
We toured a couple more small temples then headed up the hill to climb the last temple, where we planned to watch the sun set. As luck would turn out, yet again, it was too cloudy and while the view was beautiful, we will leave Cambodia without seeing a sunrise, or a sunset over the temples.
As we walked down we heard the sound of acadias, a bug which is also found in Arizona. They were so incredibly loud though, it was hard to believe it was just a bug! My friend commented on the likely size of them! I did forget to mention the spiders that we’ve seen touring the temples as well. Not a lot, thankfully, but we did see an interesting large black one with yellow and black stripes that Jac said is poisonous, as well as another rather large one that bounced a bit. I was very happy when he bounced on away. I’ve also forgotten to mention the monkeys, I think. We saw two climbing Angkor Wat, and they are by the river near that temple. They go right over to people as they are clearly used to being fed, and no, I didn’t try it. I know better. Really, Barb!
We headed back to the hotel to shower and change. It was disgustingly humid today, though not quite as hot as yesterday due to the cloud cover. Piero took us into town, to the old market area, for dinner.
We went to the Khmer Kitchen, the place that Piero and Jac recommended. They said it does have a lot of tourists, but that it's good. They were right! We told Piero to go home for the night, and that we'd get a tuk tuk home. He had another long day! We got Khmer dumplings which were.. interesting. a moist doughy circle filled with shredded green spices of some kind. It was interesting though don't think I'll get that again. We shared two dishes: a curry which was excellent, and amok, a local curry-like dish with greens that was ok. My friend got a Tiger beer to try, and said it wasn't bad, and I got a mango shake with yogurt to cure my dairy craving! It was really good.
We walked around a bit and I finished my gift shopping. I also got an interesting dress that is being altered, which I'll pick up tomorrow. We then decided to give the fish massage a go. Yes, I said fish massage. You jump up to sit at the side of a tank and tiny little fish eat the dead skin on your feet. A friend of mine raves about them and after all the hiking we've done through the temples, I figured it was worth a shot! It was fun. Both of us did it and we both pulled our feet away as the fish approached, without meaning to. But after a while we got used to it and it felt pretty good. The gal that worked there was a riot, and in a heavy accent kept yelling to passersby "fish massage! Happy funny fish massage! Free beer! Come back tomorrow!" She massaged my back and arms for a while, which felt great too. $3 each for a really different and interesting experience.
Tomorrow we visit the fishing village on the largest lake in the country called Tonie Sap, and then we'll do a city tour with Jac and Piero, our new best friends. Then we scheduled massages at the hotel. I'm getting a 1.5 hour one with aromatherapy oil for $27. In the market someone was shouting out about a 1 hour massage for $5, which is just amazing, but doesn't beat the convenience of our hotel!
Sam
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