...the weather has us baffled...we are supposed to be here in low/wet season. Sure we've had a few short down pours and most evenings have been peppered with thunder and lightning but it's still been hot as hell everyday. Today was 34 degrees and we went to Kompong Pluk, a floating village. It was an amazing experience we took a tuk-tuk (with Mr. Sith) for about 45 minutes across dirt tracks and through villages made up of wooden shacks and little kids waving at you. Then we boarded a boat, whose driver was called Pen, and he took us around the floating village - the engine was loud and had clearly once been in a lorry! There was stilt houses galore, these houses were so tall they were like stilt sky scrapers, it was like something out of a film set. Apparently when it is really wet the water level can reach the bottom of the main part of the house/the top of the stilts. Along the way we also got to cruise through the spooky 'flooded forest', I suspect it was full of crocs and who knows what, so was glad when that bit was over. The village is on the edge of the Tonle Sap, the huge lake you can see on any map of Cambodia, it's got muddy waters that look like its made of chocolate and a horizon that makes it look like the sea, not a lake. We sat in the middle of the lake with the boat engine off for a while and contemplated our fate - and politely declined a swim! Finally, (and back to the point) we were allowed off the boat to look around the village. At this time of the year in one part of the village a kinda road forms between the buildings so you forget you are surrounded by water at all (you'd think this should be the time there was the most water!) Anyway after talking with some friendly villagers and buying the kids pencils and books we left this other worldly place with heavy hearts and confused minds - why is there not more water here in wet season.
...is it always better to do something rather than nothing?.. .this has been playing on my mind. We visited the hospital where Sarah (mentioned above) worked for a summer, it was incredibly moving to see what a difference free health care for children made. NGOs/not for profits/charities seem to be doing good all over Cambodia but no more so than in Siem Reap. Also most businesses 'give back' in some way, you can dine at a restaurant that trains street kids or shop in a Cambodian version of the charity shop. We did a bit of the latter in a shop run by people with disabilities for people with disabilities. After making our purchase the one eyed man on the till told us his story, and offered us his tuk tuk service, which we felt compelled to refuse given his lack of 20/20 vision (is that bad?). Of course you want to help every child/mine victim/disabled person/old person who is begging on the street and all those other Cambodians who just vie for your money. But you can't help feeling confused by the messages about where that money actually goes and warnings that you are doing more harm than good. There are even disturbing stories here about times when a proclaiming NGO may not be as 'good' as first appears. In Siem Reap there are street schools where you can stroll in and volunteer and more orphanages springing up to meet the demands of the vol-tourist (should there be alarm bells ringing?). You get the picture, I'm sure most of these places are worthy of your time and money but I can't help wondering what the future holds for the people of Siem Reap that are so well supported by overseas investment and charity work.
...the Angkor temples are not only confusing but mind blowing. We visited the over priced Angkor museum on our first day in Siem Reap to set the context. We learnt about the confusing mix of Hinduism and Buddhism we were to see at the temples. Then headed out for our first taste of the '8th wonder of the world'. The ones we saw were around 900 years old and so well preserved (they'd been taken apart and put together again like a jigsaw) yet we were allowed to clamber all over them. Our favourites so far are the Bayon in the Angkor Thom complex, with 200-odd massive faces pointing out at you from every direction and Ta Phrom. This one has been left to nature, as archeologists wanted people to experience what it was like when the temples were first rediscovered. With trees growing out from the walls (and in many cases actually holding the walls up or knocking them down) it is easy to picture this temple in Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider (consequently it did provide the set for the latter). We've had one full day of temple adventure and have two more to come, yes there are that many to see!
Finally it's confusing how much we like Cambodia...is it the people, the place, the sights, or all of the above and much more. Siem Reap is much like the other towns we've been too with an abundance of markets (we've been to five in total) selling same same tshirts and toot but there is more to this place than that. We like it so much we are stopping a whole six nights here in Siem Reap (thats a long time for us). We are staying at the Golden Takeo, a family run guest house with an array of exotic fish in the reception and on the rooftop terrace. You can see in the photos some of these, the massive ones that nibble your feet and brain fish.
I'm off now for another feeding frenzy. Ciao.
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