After breakfast we were met by our guide at 0800, this time we had a new driver and van. It seems yesterdays van needed a little more TLC before it will start.
We headed out of town for about 40 minutes to a village area where we were told we would likely be the only Westerners. This suited us as we much prefer to see the true way of life of the locals rather than the city life.
First stop was the local market
Below is a vehicle we saw a lot in China, an engine balanced on 2 wheels with open drive belts on the other side controlled by oversize handlebars!
After the market we headed out to a newer complex which was sponsored by Dutch business man. It has many functions; health, education and collection and distribution point for many local products from the farms. Often the farms don’t produce enough product to sell profitably, by pooling their products they stand a better chance of selling them, as well as getting a better price.
On the subject of the farms, back in the 60’s around the time of the Khmer Rouge, each family was given land to farm. The size of the family determined the size of land. Most farms are divided into 3 areas, rice, fruit and vegetables and livestock. There is enough land to feed the family on about half of the produce, leaving them the other half to sell. This extra income is needed as health care here is expensive, and many people prefer to send their children to a private school as the state ones only provide a very basic education.
Back to the trip, below is a picture of a local school run by the complex we just visited.
Moving right along we switched from van to tuk-tuk, today it was intentional as the roads weren’t fit for vans!
Next it was time to see (and taste) the production of rice wine.
Cooked rice and yeast are fermented in the vessel on the right, over heat. The liquid then passes through the tube into the distillation vessel, and the finished product is collected via the red funnel into the plastic container on the floor! The end product is 20-50% alcohol. We tried some, it was amazingly smooth, but boy did it have a kick. Retail price $1US per litre (2 pints).
Next stop on our rural tour was a lady producing floor mats. It takes around 50 hours of work to make one mat, and they retail for $12.50 US! In Cambodia, women over 60 will generally have shaved heads as they feel they no longer need to beautify themselves, it is also easier to maintain and is cooler!
Moving right along it was time to see (an
Next we got our daily temple fix at the local village temple. As we drove along we could hear mournful music coming from the loudspeakers. This was because a member of the community had died yesterday, and the music is played for 24 hours.
Like a lot of places around the world, regardless of how poor the community is, the places of religion always seem to be grand in comparison.
The walls of the temple were lined with pictures depicting the life of Buddha.
From one temple to another, this one was located back in the jungle, and unfortunately had lapsed into disrepair. It was build around 900AD.
We continued through the countryside which consisted mostly of rice fields.
We then stopped at a farmers rest spot where they would spend the night while harvesting or planting the crop. There is a hammock for sleeping and cooking utensils.
Next stop was a girl making brushes.
She could make unto 100 brushes a day, for sale at $1.25US, but some days she would be out gathering materials from the fields to make the brushes.
We headed back to the complex to have a locally cooked lunch, and then by van back to the hotel. On the way back the heavens opened, reducing visibility to near zero for a while. Very quickly there was flooding on the roads and in the fields. When it decides to rain in Cambodia, it does a good job.
By the time we reached the hotel the rain had eased off quite a bit.
When we first arrived at the hotel we were tired and it was the hottest day of the trip. We were not overly enamoured by it, in particular the fact that the bath room, although private was open air! This meant it was always hot and humid there. After a day or so the hotel grew on us a bit, and apart from the bathroom set up it has turned out OK. The food is good with choices of Khmer or more western meals. The pools is good and we have made good use of it.
A few pictures below.
And finally
There may be no blog tomorrow as it is a travel day with two flights, the first back to Bangkok, then connecting on to Phuket in Thailand for a couple of days of beach life!