Siem Reap, January 24

Day 1- We stayed at Channa's Angkor Homestay, which was about a 10 minute tuk-tuk ride from Siem Reap city. It was a nice spot away from the noise and traffic of the city. We called for a tuk-tuk to take us to Siem Reap for supper.

Channa's Angkor Homestay

Day 2-We made arrangements for Tou, our tuk-tuk driver, to pick us up and start the temple tours. The first temple was very small inside the temple and so crowded that you couldn't move. It was like walking amoung a herd of water buffalo. the outside was beautiful.

We then took about a 45 minute ride outside of town to a sacred mountain. We hiked up the mountain, about an hour hike, and at the top there was a river. Buddhas and other scared symbols were carved into the stones in the river. 

Stoved that was carved into the rocks on the side of the river.

Country side along the way to the mountain.

Back to town and supper and that ended our day of touring.

Day3- We had Tou take us out into the country side where we got on a boat and traveled up the river to see the floating villages. 

Our boat driver up the river was 12 years old. He quit school so he could drive the boat to earn money to help support his family.

A floating house.

The children go to a floating school. They were just getting out for the day. Most of the students rowed themselves to school and hitched there boats to the outside of the school building. Some students paddled to school while others took the floating school bus, big boat in picture.

This is the school house. Each building was for a specific grade or two.

A group of kids going home.

Our boat driver stopped and picked these kids up. They tied their boat to our boat and rode with us to their village. They paddle their boat about an hour each way to get to school.

A family relocating their house. They just tie a rope to the house and pulled it up the river by a boat.

On the way back from the boat trip we stopped at a silk weaving farm. 

Silk worm moths lay eggs and eggs turn into larva in 12 days.

Silk worms eat mulberry leaves for 12 days and then form cocoons.

After 12 days the cocoons are spun and they are left in the sun to dry. This kills the worm inside, otherwise the worm would hatch destroy the silk strands.

Silk worm cocoons are boiled in water and the silk strands removed and spun onto large spools.

They use natural and man made dyes to dye the silk and then it is hand woven into cloth., shawls, table runners, etc.

A silk dress. The bottom yellow things are silk worm cacoons.

Siem Reap- January 23

We booked a ride on a bus for Siem Reap. We were picked up at our hotel in Phnom Penh, and left for the six hour bus ride. The bus was a small 14 passenger bus and they were able to pack in more than 14 people with luggage stored all around us. Not a very comfortable ride.

Our minibus to Siem Reap.

Lots of water buffalo everywhere.

To bad Charlie didn't have enough room to put his arm inside!!

Most of the houses along the way looked like these.

A little snake for lunch? We didn't try this selection of snake.

Local stop for lunch. 

Finally made it to Siem Reap and hired a tuk-tuk driver to take us to Channan's Angkor Homestay. 

Tou, our tuk-tuk driver.

Phnom Penh January 22

Wednesday, January 22

We have one day in Phnom Penh before we leave for Siem Reap. So, we hired a tuk-tuk driver for the day.  He took us to "The Genocidal Center", one of the over 150 prisons and killing fields in Cambodia.

Mass grave site.

These mounds were all over and they were mass burial sites. Many bodies have all been dug up and removed.

Clothing and bones are still being uncovered by the weather.

Memorial building housing many of the skulls.

The memorial building where all the skulls that have been dug up and cleaned are stored.

It was extremely moving to walk around this memorial park. Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, ordered the extermination of 90% of all the intellecturals, educators, artisits and anyone he felt was against his regime. There are not many old people living in the country. The age of 65 is considered old now.

We then went to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. 

A high school classroom used for torture.

Photographs were kept of all the people in the prison. Less than 10 people survived.

Interrogation room.

"The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a museum in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The site is a former high school which was used as the notoriousSecurity Prison 21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979. Tuol Sleng (Khmer [tuəl slaeŋ]) means "Hill of the Poisonous Trees" or "Strychnine Hill". Tuol Sleng was only one of at least 150 execution centers in the country,^[1] and as many as 20,000 prisoners there were killed."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuol_Sleng_Genocide_museum

Our Tuk Tuk driver droping us off at our Hotel later in the day.

That evening we went to the National Museum theater to watch a traditional play dipicting life from birth to marriage to death. A tradition that almost was lost because most of the music and theater people were killed during Pol Pot's reign.  In the early 1990's, surviving members of the theater were identified and a new generation is now bringing it back.

The music and singing that accompanied the play.

Down the Mekong Delta Day 3, January 21

We arrived late last night in Chou Doc and had to get up early today for another tour. This time we were off to visit a floating fishing village and Muslim village. 

Floating houses.

The floating house people raise fish that they sell in the market. The fish are kept in a large net that is suspended from the floor of the house. The net and fish are directly under the house. Guess where everthing from the house goes?? This is where we decided to give up eating farm raised fish froim Vietnam.

Visit to Muslim village. This girl was weaving a scarf about 30 inches long and it takes about 4 hours to make the scarf. They sell the scarf for $2.50.

Next stop was across the river where we will board the speed boat for the 6 hour ride to Phnom Penh.

Our tour guide who took us to the floating village. The French man in front of us has been traveling with us since the beginning of the trip down the delta.

The speed boat cruised right along the river. There were about 20 people on the boat. We stopped at the Vietnam immigration station where some people got off the boat and we continued on to the Cambodian immigration center where we had to buy our visa to enter Cambodia.

Vietnam Immigration

Cambodian Immigration

Houses along the Mekong River.

Restaurant where we had lunch. Interesting way to cook.

Boat house that families live in. Most boat children don't attend school.

Arriving in Phnom Penh port.

We arrived in Phnom Penh and had a tuk-tuk driver take us to our hotel.  After we checked in we walked around the area we were in and found a place to eat.

The end of another adventerous day.