Photo Friday: Village in Cambodia

Village in Cambodia

January 30, 2015

Photo Friday: Cambodia Floating Village

Floating Village, Cambodia

 January 2015

Photo Friday: Siem Reap

Monkey at Angkor Thom

Siem Reap, Cambodia

January 2015

Photo Friday: Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

January 2015

January 2015 On Instagram

On my list of 101 Goals in 1001 Days, I want to share more of my life through photographs on Instagram. I challenged myself to post at least once a day for a month. While I was on vacation during the month of January and February I snapped a lot of photos. So sharing on social media sites was easy. Although this post is a bit late as we're rounding out the month of February, here is a look at my month on Instagram in January.

I started out my month traveling by train to Xi'an to visit the Terracotta Warriors and explore the rest of this ancient city. Then it was on to Chengdu for a few days to see the Giant Panda Sanctuary and eat some world famous Sichuan food.

From Chengdu I flew to Cambodia for two glorious weeks. I feel in love with the country from the moment I arrived and I know I will be back soon! I spent the first part of my time in Siem Reap exploring the countryside, visiting ancient temples and eating plenty of delicious food.

Then it was on to Phnom Penh for a few days. I took a short 45 minute flight and arrived at the very small open air terminal. Phnom Penh has a much different vibe than Siem Reap, but I enjoyed a few relaxing days in the city. I took a sunset cruise along the Mekong River, learned the traditional Khmere cuisine at a local cooking class, visited the silk islands, and shopped at the local non-profit boutiques. I even took in some of the city history with a visit to the killing fields, Royal Palace and National Museum.

I was really excited to return to Siem Reap for the remainder of my stay in Cambodia. I didn't really have any set plans, but my last few days were filled with plenty of new experiences. I drank plenty of mango shakes, visited the military museum, relaxed in a hammock at the reservoir, watched the sunrise at Angkor Wat, toured the floating village by boat, returned to the ancient temples and dined with a friend in his small village.

As I sort through thousands of photos, I will continue posting about my experiences during this extended vacation. In the mean time, you can follow me along on Instagram to see what I'm up to currently or catch up on some of my trip posts here:

China:

• Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an
• Tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang
• Giant Panda Sanctuary
• Chongqing Cygnet
• Photo Friday: Xi'an
• Pullman Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Hotel 

Cambodia:

• Preah Khan
• Ta Keo
• Cambodian Countryside Tour
• Lemongrass Massage and Beauty Spa
• Chanrey Tree

Chanrey Tree

On my last day in Siem Reap, Cambodia I had lunch at the Chanrey Tree. It was recommended to me by a local who said the flavors tasted just like traditional Khmere cuisine. Reservations are recommended as it is quite popular, especially for dinner. 

This is the reception area of the restaurant. There is outdoor seating available out front in addition to seating upstairs in an air-conditioned room. The prices are a little higher for Khmere food than you will find in town, but the atmosphere, service and food presentation are far superior. The restaurant is located along the river, a few minutes walk from the pub street area and old market.  

      

I dined upstairs in the air conditioned room. I ordered two of my favorites: a mango shake and fried fresh chicken spring rolls. Plus I tried the seafood with fresh (local) kampot pepper that was served with steamed rice. Everything was delicious and the service was excellent. They do add a 15% service charge to bill, which is only notable because tipping is not as common in Cambodia. 

I had a great meal at Chanrey Tree and I'll be back again next time I'm in Siem Reap. 

 

Do you like tasting the local cuisine when you travel?

Lemongrass Garden Massage and Beauty Spa

On my last day in Siem Reap, Cambodia I decided to take it easy and enjoy a delicious lunch followed by a relaxing massage before I left town. After seeing reviews on Trip Advisor and walking by the shop numerous times during my stay, I decided on trying the Lemongrass Garden Massage and Beauty Spa for my treatment.

I selected the 90 minute Aromatherapy Massage for $23 USD. I arrived early afternoon without an appointment and I had no trouble getting in right away. I imagine most tourists spend the day touring the ancient sites. 

I was welcomed with a cup of tea to relax on the sofa prior to my treatment. To start, my masseuse brought out a bucket of water and scrub to wash my feet before leaving the reception area. Then she provided me with a pair of clean sandals to use in the salon. This is necessary because Cambodia is very dusty and my feet and legs are usually covered with dirt just from walking along the street.

Asian spas are not typically as modest as in the USA, but here I was provided with a pair of black mesh disposable panties to wear during my massage. My masseuse was very professional and the massage was incredibly relaxing. It was exactly what I needed after two weeks of hiking through ruins, motorbike tours and riding around on a tuk tuk. I recommend trying the services at this spa and I plan to return any time I'm in Siem Reap.      

  

Do you like to indulge in any way during your vacation?

Cambodian Countryside Tour

During my first full day in Siem Reap I took a motorbike tour through the Cambodian countryside. I am a huge fan of Trip Advisor and always check out recommendations for a destination prior to my trip. If you've never used the site it's worth a look. The site is completely free to use and relies on the advice from travelers. I learned of the Motor Mystery Tour that way. They call it the mystery tour because they don't give you an itinerary of the stops you'll visit. Each tour may be different, but this is what I experienced on my trip. 

Initially I was going to sign up for the bicycle tour, but the reviews on Trip Advisor said to go for the motorbikes. I'm really glad I did! The tour groups are small and give you a unique experience in the countryside away from the throngs of tourists. Plus I learned a lot more about the lives of most Cambodians. 

I was picked up at my hotel in this jeep: 

This was my first time driving a motorbike, but it was pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I learned quickly the best practice is to not hesitate or you'll lose control. Rather than riding on asphalt or concrete roads, most of the driving we did was on dirt paths and loose sand. Let me tell you, the loose sand is really difficult to drive on.

The guide stopped many times throughout the trip so we could pull over and take photographs while he explained a little bit about life in the country. Each household has a garden to grow vegetables and sometimes one of the family members will also have a job in town.  

The cows in Cambodia are not grown for food, they are used for work. They are all really thin and malnourished from being fed poorly, probably because there isn't a lot to eat and they're not being fattened up for slaughter. They're used to help as farm labor instead.

The green fields are not grass, but rice fields. This patch is almost ready. Surprisingly the rice grows better in the dry season as the fields are completely flooded in rainy season. 

We got off our bikes to walk around and check out the rice fields up close. As we were crossing the path back to our bikes I stepped on an ant hill and had my foot swarming with red fire ants. Side note: fire ants sting when they bite and the stinging lasts long after the ants are gone.

We crossed this tiny little bridge during our trip. I can honestly say it was terrifying and I thought I would drive the bike into the water. Remember I said this was my first time? Thankfully I made it across without incident, but I definitely looked less than graceful with my legs hanging out either side with a fearful look on my face. I'm not sure why I kicked my legs out, but hey just in case the bike tips and I need to catch myself I guess.

We passed through dozens of villages during our five hour ride through the countryside. The houses looked different depending on where they were located but many of them were on stilts so the house doesn't flood with the rain. The photo above is one of the nicer homes we saw.

The children in some of the villages came out to wave at us as we drove through town and came out to see us especially when we stopped for a break. It's very sad that when you're in the city, children are used to sell goods to tourists. I think the strategy is that tourists are more likely to buy souvenirs from cute children than grown adults. However, in the countryside the children aren't rushing up to you for money they just want to wave and say hello. This little boy is one of the many children who came out to greet us and interact with us during one of our stops. 

We also stopped at a monastery that houses monks and nuns. We learned that people enter the religious life in Cambodia for various reasons. Sometimes it's because of the desire to be closer to God, but many times it has to do with parents being unable to feed their children. There is not an age requirement to become a monk and we saw several young boys walking around in the orange robes during our visit. 

The houses below are close to the water now, but during rainy season the entire area will flood. So each house has to be lifted and moved uphill behind where we were standing. Apparently it only takes about ten grown men to move the homes. It's a little hard to believe the whole village will move such a short distance, but I imagine it's easier to move once or twice a year than to walk a further distance to the water everyday. 

One disappointing part of the trip is that I wasn't able to take more photos! I took a lot, but we passed through so many interesting areas, I would have loved to photograph more. We had to stop at this crossing to wait for the animals to cross and clear a path in the road. The countryside version of waiting in traffic!

This was the start of the path down the sand road. Mind you, much of the road to this point was either dirt or sand, but this path was almost like driving on the beach. I may have lost control at one point and shrieked a few times as I smashed into a bush and almost tipped over. Just a few scratches and something to laugh to myself about for the rest of the trip.

Our last stop of the day was at the crocodile farm. There were hundreds of crocodiles in separate concrete barriers. We walked from one to the next on a concrete plank above the pits. As it was sunset, the crocodiles were barely moving. Which was actually a blessing after our initial greeting. The four of us walked onto the plank. Sensing our arrival, one of the giant crocodiles jumped up out of the water and chomped his teeth at us. It all happened so fast and was completely terrifying that we all jumped, even our tour guide who's visited the farm many times. 

The crocodiles are farmed for their skins to make products like handbags, belts and shoes. The first pits we walked over held the old crocodiles that are kept around for breeding. The younger ones have the softer skins used for the goods. There were probably more than a dozen pits. Each held different age groups from the small, less than a year old crocodiles all the way to the older crocodiles.

This is actually my third time visiting a crocodile farm. I've visited before in the states. I think it was in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that I witnessed feeding time. It's quite a horrifying sight to see them climb all over each other trying to be the first to get the meat. It's not hard to picture them doing that in the wild attacking food. 

I probably should feel bad that these animals are kept and grown for the sole purpose of making products from their hide. However, they are so terrifying that it doesn't bother me a bit. I almost feel like they deserve it for being so vicious, but then that makes me feel bad about myself for thinking that. They are after all wild creatures doing what they were made to do. Overall, I feel very conflicted. Though not so conflicted that I might consider purchasing a crocodile clutch. When I'm carrying it I can just pretend it was made from the crocodile that jumped out to attack us and this is my sweet revenge. Anyways...        

The sun was setting during our visit at the crocodile farm, yet we were about 45 minutes away from the city of Siem Reap by bike. So we rode back to drop off the bikes in the dark. I ended up driving back with my sunglasses on. There were so many bugs leaving the countryside and they kept flying into my eyes which stung. There are few lights so there wasn't much to see anyway. As long as I could still see the brake lights of the bike in front of me leading us home I was fine. 

I think the tour was fantastic and it was such a new experience for me. From learning to ride the motorbike to seeing life in various villages around Cambodia it was a really unique experience. I would absolutely take this tour again!  

What's the most interesting tour you've ever taken on vacation?