Places I've Been

Day 10: Begin Mekong River Cruise

Day 10:

We took a tuk tuk across the road to the Sofitel to check in for our cruise. During the 5-hour bus ride, we saw more of Cambodia today as we traveled from Siem Reap to Kampong Cham to start our Mekong River cruise with Amawaterways.

busy markets

lotus ponds

farms

villages

To top it off, we stopped at a 7-11 that had an assortment of "roadside attraction" animals!!!

We had lunch on the boat, then checked into our cabin. We got an upgrade (same cabin layout but better location) to 112 instead of 103.

We got settled in, went to a meeting to learn about excursions, then had dinner. Food isn't bad but hasn't impressed me so far.

Day 11: Angkor Ban / Oknha Tey

Day 11:

This morning we woke up early to loud chanting from the Buddhist temple on the river bank at Angkor Ban.

because of this we saw a beautiful sunrise

and even a rainbow.

During breakfast the ship docked in the village, so we could have a 1.5 hour walk/tour.

We saw the temple (outside only)

some monks

grasshopper farming (for food)

Stilted houses

Banana trees

I also bought a traditional khmer scarf ($3)

After lunch, we moved further south to visit Oknha Tey Village (Silk Island)

We saw silkworms

and their lifecycle

then watched the caccoons get added to hot water to spin the silk

and then saw how fabric is made on a hand loom.

After that, we visited a local elementary school (no pictures to respect the childrens' privacy) and helped the students practice speaking English.

On the walk back to the ship, we passed lots of family shrines - and were told these can range from $8K USD to nearly $100K. The ones pictured cost $40-60K!!

Once we were back on the ship, some rowers passed us.

Then we showered, had dinner, and ended the evening with massages.

Days 12-13: Phnom Penh

Day 12: Phnom Penh

This morning, we started the day by visiting the Royal Palace, and its Throne Hall and Silver Pagoda.

Silver Pagoda (not allowed to take pictures of the inside)

Stupa at the Royal Palace

From there we made our way through parts of the city

on the way to the Central Market, where we bought a glass of sugar cane juice, some fresh coconut water, and Steve bought a pair of pants.

Layer in the afternoon, we visited theTuol Sleng (S21) Detention Center

Then we went to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (killing fields).

Memorial stupa at the killing fields.

It felt morbid to take many pictures there, so I focused more on taking pictures of these mushrooms

and this cannonball tree

It was getting dark as we headed back to the port, so the brightly lit bus ceiling showed up

And we could see food stands setting up for the night

Day 13: Phnom Penh

Our first excursion this morning was to visit the Oudong Buddist Monastery. On the way there, we also passed a big fish market.

Oudong Buddist Monastery

Inside the monastery for monk blessings

blessing ceremony

After the blessing, I walked the grounds

and saw the Vipassana Dhurak Buddhist Centre, while Steve opted to climb over 400 steps

To reach the shrine at the top of the hill

From there, we headed back to the ship for lunch.

While there was a tuk tuk tour of the city planned, we were going to skip it and wander around on our own. As we were getting ready to leave, we saw a storm moving into the area. The next pictures show the progression