Life on Two Wheels

Despite the fact that there are many large, expensive cars in evidence in Siem Reap (mostly Korean, Japanese and British at that), the significant majority of natives rely heavily on two wheels. The astonishing thing is what they manage to transport on their bicycles or mopeds. So far, apart from the washing machine strapped to one in Phnom Penh, we've seen pig carcasses, whole 'kitchens' (barbecue, cooking pots, fuel, ingredients etc all ready to set up shop somewhere), crates of live chickens, sacks of rice, blocks of ice, and crops. 

Unfortunately most are travelling at such speed that it's tricky to catch them on film but this chap and his bales of rice grass was moving obligingly slowly.

Their imagination, dexterity and skill is driven largely by necessity but they are certainly well practised, starting at a young age. We are told there's no requirement for a license to ride a moped and as such they start as young as 10 in the countryside, but if you want to progress to tuk tuk driver in town then once you reach 18 a license IS required. Of course, the cost is often prohibitive and explains why many start with a bicycle, save hard to progress to a moped and then make maximum use of it amongst all members of the family ... and neighbours! 

Today it was our turn. Last night when we made plans with our guide for today's cycle trek we tentatively suggested a slightly later start time. "8.30am maybe?" says HRH questionningly. Sharp intake of breath and a wry chuckle followed from Mr Lim. "7.30am is better. Ok?" Very well ....

So once again the alarm was set for 6.30am, we breakfasted before most were awake and were sun-tan-lotioned up by the agreed time. And what a good job we took his advice! 

Today, instead of an air-conditioned car, we set off out of town in a tuk tuk with three mountain bikes on the back. Our trek was to take us out into the countryside to see some of the local agriculture along roads no more than bumpy, sandy, stony tracks with little shade and clouds of dust for the slowest (guess who?) to inhale. Fortunately the tuk tuk followed along behind us carrying our bags and fresh supplies of water. 

It's incredible that on this side of the world an entirely different flora and fauna sustain life than those we see at home. You learn about these things in school and know instinctively that temperate climates sustain one type of agriculture and that more tropical heat and humidity are required for other crops but somehow it only becomes real when you see it for yourself. The coconut palms are not just for decoration - they provide food, drink, construction materials and shade. And so it goes on ....

Tobacco - in someone's garden, for personal consumption only.

Jack fruit - these are the size of basketballs.

Fields of eggplant - the purple ones we recognised are only one of three species here.

Local farmer watering his crops - with the skinniest cows you've ever seen.

After 10k or so the sandy track and the heat got the better of me so I opted to complete the tour in the tuk tuk whilst HRH soldiered on. 

Bye bye - see you soon.

Another 5k later and we were reunited. It has occurred to us more than once that we are so very different coming, as we do, from such varied backgrounds and yet are so very similar as humans. Sareth in Phnom Penh has two small children, his youngest the same age as Polly - and whose favourite song is 'The Wheels on the Bus'! Today Mr Lim showed us his home - recently purchased, and where he has work to do but where he has already installed his chickens - essentially we're just 'same same'! 

Messing About on the River

If I have learned nothing else on this holiday it is never to take for granted how lucky I am. Another trip, another eye watering experience, another series of incredible photographs bear witness to sights I might only otherwise have seen in books or on the television and STILL have difficulty believing. For these people this is their LIFE. It is sometimes hard not to feel like a voyeur so perhaps, if you are reading this, you will accept the need of my conscience to share, even if in some small way, so that others who might not choose to visit are at least aware. Soom aw kuhn. 

Almost an hour's drive out of Siem Reap after another early start we realised we were now on a single track red dirt road lined with shacks either side, beyond which falls away the bank to the water way below. These timber and grass constructions on stilts are the homes, businesses and storage units of countless families who choose to live along the banks of the Tonle Sap lake and the waterways that it feeds. As explained by Mr Lim this way of life is all these people know, never having a chance to leave and learn other skills, and so perpetuating an existence heavily dependent on fish, what rice they can grow in their paddy fields and traded goods when available. For all that they appear content, busy going about their daily routines with everyone pitching in to make their world go round.

The bamboo stilts last 6 years, then have to be replaced.

We are in the dry season at the moment. In a few months when the rain comes the  water will rise to the level of the houses on the higher level. Those lower down will have their anchors loosened so they float.

The low water level makes for muddy work. In the wet season it is clear and abundant with bounty. 

These stakes mark a netted fishing area.

The whole family set off to work.

Racks of fish drying in a smokery.

Heartbreakingly adorable, helping mum and grandma to wash, thread and stack fish.

Some people choose solitude...

... others group together in large communities. These are the people of Kompong Kleang and this my humble tribute.

Stuffed Frog Anyone?

Bless him! HRH does take me to the nicest of places. Not sure tonight's supper would rank amongst the most salubrious of 'restaurants' but the fare was perhaps the most fascinating I've ever eaten. 

We started our street market food tour at a different hotel where we were to join with others signed up to the same experience - only to find there weren't any! Just us - private tour again then.

New guide, 25 year old Dyuimchuk (Dynamic for short) showed us to a tuk tuk and we headed out of town. First stop - hop out, cross a semi-constructed road, dodging the Friday evening rush-hour, and head to what looked like a row of shacks. HRH had apparently posed a small problem to the tour guide being vegetarian, so this stop was especially for him. 

Noodle cakes, flavoured with 'little bit sweet little bit chilli', wrapped in rice 'paper' and shallow fried - "but you can't eat it now. Too hot". Takeaway tucker for him then. Moving on ....

Palm sugar being squeezed from the cane. We declined a drink at this point. The flies seemed to be particularly partial though.

Various native fruits - including tamarind and jack fruit (can't remember the name of the first one). We bought some jack fruit to have as dessert 'later'.

I confess one or two of the available options most certainly didn't appeal, not least the boiled duck eggs - this being a fertilised egg, you understand. Boil, peel off the shell, eat small duck foetus inside with sticky rice! No thank you! We did however pick up some rice flour and coconut cream wafer biscuits to accompany our jack fruit, before hopping back into the tuk tuk and off to the Cambodian equivalent of Wellesbourne market! 

First port of call here was the insect aisle where, before moving on to 'barbequeing', I tried cricket and silkworm but stopped short of water beetle. Stephen certainly enjoyed this bit - he was operating the video camera! - although to be fair they weren't bad, just different. 

The darker ones in the background are fried crickets. Westerners apparently don't much like the heads, wings and legs so I got mine peeled! The pale silkworms taste like peanut paste with a crunchy outside. Didn't fancy a waterbeetle! 

The barbecue section was next. Unbelievably hot, I have no idea how the vendors cope, many wearing long sleeves for protection presumably, against burns. I sampled a weird sausage on a stick and marvelled at the array of beautifully butterflied chicken, the numerous types and sizes of fish and some more exotic fare like whole splayed quail, 

I chose stuffed frog!

Again this was set aside for later - at this point we still had no idea when, how or even if we were actually going to be dining on this gathered harvest. And in fact our final destination was not revealed for another half hour or so, during which we were 'treated' to the fun fair end of the market. This was not our idea of entertainment - loud music, bright lights and cheap Khmer versions of 'roll up roll up' type games - so HRH made appropriate noises about the time and we headed to 'supper'.

A short stroll later and we were installed on a pavement-side mat, shoes off of course, next to a vendor who was to prepare our traditional soup. I was given the choice of sticky rice or noodles and chicken or pork. At this stage it felt like there was nothing to lose so I told Dynamic to choose for me. Stephen got the same without the exciting bit!!! When it arrived it turned out my 'added extra' was soft, semi-solid chicken blood chunks. The slices of water lily stem garnish were nice though, and like the 'game bird' I try to be, whilst also not insulting our 'chef', down it all went. Not sure about the crunchy bits in the stuffed frog - otherwise it was ok. 

Stephen, on our dinner mat

My supper, laid out in its various plastic bag containers - frog, sauce and tamarind paste.

Diving in - couldn't eat it all though. Stephen suggested I might take a 'froggy bag' home - ha ha!

PS Jack fruit is delicious.

Thom and Prohm

5.00am is not a time you want to encounter on holiday. But today was special. 30 minutes later we were in our car with Mr Lim, and breakfast safely tucked away in the boot for 'later'! Destination: sunrise at Ta Promh. 

After a short drive out of town we parked up on a patch of open dirt space, in the dark, and Mr Lim ushered us towards a hole in a wall by torchlight! The first thing we noticed was the noise - incredible sounds of the jungle (geckos, pounder birds, screaming squirrel) and the quiet murmuring of a few other voices. All very surreal until gradually, albeit within just a few minutes, the light improved and there in front of us was revealed the beginnings of Ta Promh. Founded as a Bhuddist monastery and university, unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found. These ruins are unique in that many of the ancient trees which once engulfed the monastery after it was abandoned are still visible growing through, on or over the stonework. All this makes for an incredibly atmospheric and eerie place, one where mosquito bats roost, where the jungle is within a few steps and where sunrise has never felt more mystical. 

The tree in the centre of this image is growing ON the roof.

Cheeky!

Actually it's another giant root.

At Ta Prohm - where the strangler figs engulf the ruins.

Moving on, as the heat of the sun quickly made its presence known, we arrived at Angkor Thom (Great City) which covers an area of 9 km², at the centre of which stands the king's state temple, the Bayon with the other temples clustered around the area. The predominant design style here is the four-faced Buddha in the shape of a lotus bud, of which there are hundreds, mostly bearing a charming and enigmatic smile. 

Arriving at Angkor Thom

Four faces, symbolic of the four seasons or something.

Within the Bayon.

Nosey! 

Elephumps!

And as if all this wasn't enough, when breakfast emerged from the boot of the car it was in beautiful wicker baskets containing fruit, pastries, yoghourt, and much more we simply couldn't manage. That was a pretty special moment - sharing an early morning picnic in the jungle, close to a dais where I later received a friendship bracket and a blessing from a monk! 

Angkor What?

The short, domestic flight up north to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh is a bit like taking a bus. Admittedly we had to get up at 5.30am to allow for packing, breakfast and the transfer but by lunchtime we were checked in and chilling in our fabulous room in a truly gorgeous hotel. Dressed with lotus flowers, chilled fragrant towels offered every time you head inside from the sweltering heat, bottled water not just freely available but its consumption actively encouraged and charming, helpful and eternally smiling staff - these few days are going to be a real treat. 

Floating lotus buds

They even have their own local Monopoly sets complete with Hindu Gods and our hotel listed next door to our afternoon destination - Angkor Wat.

5k outside the town of Siem Reap lies the temple complex that occupies 77square miles and which has, at it's heart, the flagship Angkor Wat. Built mostly in the 12th Century not as a residence nor as a monastery, this huge and highly elaborate construction was built by King Suryavarman II purely to honour the Hindu Gods in the hope that they would in turn make him a more powerful king. 

The mathematics, calculation of size, scale, layout and the symbolism in the design is incredible. The heat was too! But not ones to miss any opportunity we strolled, climbed, photographed and marvelled our way round accompanied by our latest guide, Mr Lim (first name unpronounceable and consequently quickly forgotten so we settled on Mr Lim and that seems to be working). His commentary as we walked, often jaw to the floor, around this incredibly beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site was detailed and knowledgeable and clearly his years of experience ensured we got some of the best shots. Not sure they can be appreciated in miniature on a phone but I have a feeling these images will stay with Stephen and I for many a year to come. Never have we heard so many mythological Hindu stories captured by the 40,000 workers who built this edifice over just 37 years in so much carved stone detail. Feeling privileged to have been able to visit in person, I will be amazed if this site can remain open to the public for many more years, such must be the continued erosion caused by millions of tourists every year. Lucky us.

First glimpse, in the distance, across the vast moat and behind a terrace.

The Eastern Gatehouse, where royalty once entered, behind which the main temple is hidden.

Incredible detail in the carving that covers acres of walls.

High up, in the central tower - by now melting in the evening shade.

Carved collonade casting long shadows

A chance encounter - she must have been in her 80s at least

The money shot! Nice one Mr Lim - you timed that to perfection ....

.... And you take quite a neat shot too :-)

Once Upon a Time ....

... there was a recommended vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Phnom Penh - K'nay25k . According to our comprehensive and rather smart itinerary folder said eatery is located a short distance from our hotel so, being the generous and kind wife that I am, to indulge HRH was the plan after a hard day's grim discovery. 

First we thought we'd check out TripAdvisor where the reviews were great.  The address and telephone number however were different. Bizarre. Next we popped to Reception. Whilst they had never heard of the restaurant by name, a quick Google (or whatever the Cambodian equivalent is) revealed a phone number and they were happy to call and check it was indeed the same one. The phone number rang and rang. "Try this one", says HRH passing over our folder with an alternative number. 'This one' was out of service. 

"Well", says the obliging Hotel Manager who has by now joined the discussion, keen to help and to unravel the mystery, "it definitely exists, on the web, and the TripAdvisor reviews are recent. Would you like me to ask a tuk tuk driver to take you?" 

Why not? Things could be worse, we thought, so off we went. 

Assuring us he knew where he was going, repeatedly indicating 'bodi tree, bodi tree' the driver took us down some pretty unsalubrious side streets and pulled to a halt under a flowering vine at a restaurant on a terrace, with a completely different name. And what do you know? It was the right one!! 

"Ah yes", says the young maître d', "we moved, and changed the name but it's the same!" What a strange world. 

So there we were, at Terrace95 in for a penny. Nice atmosphere though ...

And as it turns out, the food was excellent, the choices for his nibs extensive but not exclusive and it was good to see HRH indulge in some really tasty veggie fare that was not simply the default choice on the menu. 

Starters - fresh spring rolls and sweetcorn fritters with fascinating fiery dipping sauces. Can you tell he's happy? 

Mains - fish char mai and sweet potato, pepper & peanut stew with sticky wild rice. Scrummy.