Thru Children’s Eyes

One of the kids shot this expressive photo of Vannak.

While in Siem Reap I gave Savuth and Sopiee’s three oldest kids – Odam, Kong Kea and Vannak – single-use cameras. Odam, a son, is about 8 or 9; Kong Kea, a daughter is about 7 or 8; Vannak, a son is around 6. I am a big believer in the value of encouraging creativity and am always curious to see what interests kids when they have a camera in their hands. Here is a selection of what they came up with: lots of friends, schoolmates and of each other, Mom and Dad, some nature and as you will see, it seems boys everywhere love power cars.

Kong Kea celebrates at the fun fair and her baby sister Srei Kong cries

Odam took this nearly perfect composition of his Dad, two sisters and other drivers

The full album:

Thru Children’s Eyes

(Thinking of visiting the temples of Angkor Wat? Don’t forget to check out my friend Savuth’s tuk tuk services!)

Angkor Future, Angkor Past

"Neak Pean is a tiny temple and was built by Jayarvarman VII. The King ordered the construction of a vast baray (reservoir) east of Preah Khan temple to provide water to its hundred-thousand support workers."

Some people may be wondering why there has been so little mention of the temples as that is the primary reason the vast majority of people visit Siem Reap. For one, there is so much information devoted to the temples that I don’t feel like I have much to add to that body of information and experience. The other reason is that we didn’t really visit many temples this time. I did go to see my favorites which included Banteay Srei (which I previously wrote about in The Lingas and the Lady), Angkor Wat, Bayon, Preah Khan, and Neak Prean. Unfortunately the visit to one of my real favorites, Ta Prohm, fell victim to my conviction I was leaving on Sunday when on Friday I discovered I was leaving on Saturday.

There were three distinct differences to my visits this year

Beautiful Kompong Khleang

'Main Street' Kompong Khleang

(Note: due to the slow Internet here in Laos the posting has less pictures in the body. At the end is the usual link to the full album which I thankfully uploaded in Siem Reap)

On each of my three trips to Cambodia I have visited a new place on Tonle Sap. On my first trip I started as most people do with the floating villages at Chong Khneas. Last year we did Kompong Phluk and this year I made it to what I thought to be the best of all three, Kompong Khleang.

Since I had never seen anything like any of these places before, I found the floating villages I first visited to be really interesting. Last year we visited Kompong Phluk which is a stilted village in a flooded forest as they say. I found that more interesting than the floating villages from the previous year because it was much less touristy with no floating cafes annex souvenir shop annex crocodile farm. I also had the impression, admittedly as a completely uninformed outside visitor but with decent intuition, that there was more sense of community there. And that would be logical as Kompong Phluk is a permanent village versus the floating villages that relocate with the ebb and flow of the lake.

So this year,

Education is the sweetest revenge

Meet Ponheary Ly, one of the most remarkable women I have had the honor to get to know on my visits to Cambodia. Ponheary can best be described as teacher, tour guide, human being and tireless fighter extraordinaire all in one. A survivor of the Pol Pot terror regime who lost many family members and experienced the suffering of those indescribable terror years first-hand, Ponheary has made it her life’s work to rebuild Cambodia thru education.

In short,

“After surviving the Khmer Rouge regime, she returned to Siem Reap with what was left of her family. During the time of the Vietnamese installed regime, Ponheary became a teacher and in secret learned how to speak French and English, a crime punishable by imprisonment. In 1998 when Cambodia held its own elections and the country once again opened up to Westerners, Ponheary became a much sought-after tour guide. But she never forgot her students, especially the disenfranchised village children who had no opportunity to go to school. She began leveraging her relationship with those who toured with her and accepted donations to get these rural village children into school.”

In 2005, one of Ponheary’s clients, the Texan Lori Carlson, was so moved

The Lingas and the Lady

The road to Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean passes through lovely countryside

It’s a day off today to catch my breath and to catch up on my blogging. After using most of last week to prepare a workshop I gave to a group of great university students, I have been back on the touring trail. So much to do and just not enough time! More than a week ago, on October 12 (wow, has it been sooo long!?), we headed off to Kbal Spean and Banteay Srei. I am so lucky that Chov, the university student I sponsor, has been able to join us almost every day as long as we get him back in time for his classes which take place six days a week from 18.30 – 21.30. As always, my friend Savuth is our trusted chariot driver.

Kbal Spean, also known as The River of 1,000 Lingas, is about a one hour and 45 minute tuk tuk ride from Siem Reap. The road is a perfect quality paved road all the way and passes through some great countryside and along many rural

Phnom Krom and Chong Kneas – What a Day We Had

(Note: a link to the photo essay of the day can be found at the bottom if you want to skip directly to that)

We took advantage of Sunday, the day the kids are off from school, to put together another fantastic family day. We were joined by Mau and Pul, two driver mates of Savuth’s along with Pul’s wife and their two charming kids. So all in all we were 12.

The day started with a picnic style lunch at one of the ‘hammock clubs’ in the shadow of Phnom Krom. Along the way we stopped at some local markets to pick up grilled chickens and fish and some boiled shrimps. We had brought along the salads, sauces, rice and drinks in order to put together a huge and delicious festive meal. The lakeside setting was really nice with lots of stuff to see happening around the chill-out club.

But as always the kids really made the day extra special. A day out like this is always really exciting for them but with ‘Om Len’ in tow (‘Om is a Khmer word for a respected elder) it becomes extra special for them. What they don’t know, or maybe they do, is that the time I get to spend with them is a true gift and I feel like the one who is incredibly privileged. We fished a bit, practiced English and math, ran after the ice cream man on his bike and played beekaboo. But the most fun of all was when I got to play the central role in “wake the monster sleeping (or pretending to sleep with very realistic snoring sound effects) in the hammock and get chased all over the place.”

After several hours we packed ourselves back into the three tuk tuks and headed off to the fun fair on the jetty at Chong Kneas. This is the location where the tour boats embark to visit the floating villages on Tonle Sap and with some tour companies also the stilted village of Kampong Phluk. It is incredibly insightful and even inspiring in some way to always re-discover that the fun and excitement quotient for kids has nothing to do with the sophistication or expansiveness of the fun fair. Of course we also got to see the land-side of life of many of the floating homes that now moor on the new jetty.

Our original plan was to spend an hour or two there and then head over to Phnom Krom to climb to the top to watch sunset from high above the lake. But by an hour before sunset it was clear that kids were in too much of a state of excited exhaustion (or is it exhausted excitement?) to do the climb up and down. So we decided to stay on the jetty at Chong Kneas where we got to see a very nice sunset. Having grown up myself around sailboats, I particularly enjoyed the beauty and serenity of the dark silhouettes of boats on the water as the sun set.

On the ride back to town I had two exhausted angels in my arms, deep in sleep, and totally oblivious to the bumps that on the worst parts of the damaged road were almost enough to launch an inattentive tuk tuk passenger into outer space.

As anyone will tell you who has been to Cambodia, with all there is to see and do, with the incredible awe inspiring temples, it is the beauty and warmth of the people that really steal your heart and make you long for more.

If you are planning a trip I would recommend you think of the following: If there is any way you can arrange to spend some time with a Cambodian family, most easily that of your driver, by offering to host a picnic day at West Baray, Phnom Krom, Phnom Kulen or something similar, doing some ‘Cambodian things’ they love to do as a family, I can guarantee you unique experiences and memories of unsurpassed richness and warmth. In any case, if your driver invites you out to his home to meet his family and see his village as many will do if it clicks, do your best to make time for it. You won’t be sorry if you do but you may be sorry if you don’t.

If you want to see the full photo essay of the day… here it is:

Krom and Chong

(Thinking of visiting the temples of Angkor Wat? Don’t forget to check out my friend Savuth’s tuk tuk services!)

Originally published on my travelbog Leonard’s Trails

A family visit – in pictures

Today was spent visiting with my friend Savuth and his family. After three emotional and physically tiring days I am going to let some pictures tell today’s stories (Let’s see, 24 pictures, should be worth about 24,000 words if my math is correct).The drive out there and back also gave me my first chance to see the condition of some nearby countryside.

It was great, albeit tiring, to see the kids again given their enthusiasm for my visits and naturally nearly boundless energy. I always love the food his wife cooks and it was very exciting to see the plot of land Savuth has recently purchased to move his family from tenants to landowners, a status which in a place like Cambodia still means a lot to an individual, his family and the society at large. It was cool when he showed me the sale and registration documents which still bear thumb prints versus signatures as the primary proof of identity. And I discovered today that kids all over the world do love Dr Suess’ “Cat in the Hat” series even if they don’t quite understand the words. I guess my gestures and acting was better than I thought. Maybe a second career on Sesame Street? Enjoy the stories.

October 10 – Family visit

(Thinking of visiting the temples of Angkor Wat? Don’t forget to check out my friend Savuth’s tuk tuk services!)

Originally published on my travelblog Leonard’s Trail.

The trip down, first reunions and recovering Siem Reap

Some reading and one movie later is as good a time as any for some sleep as we fly over either Georgian Republic or Ukraine.

Hello friends! Well I am here in Siem Reap. The flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur went well enough. I was able to get a seat by an exit door so had plenty of legroom which was nice, especially the way KLM packs ‘em in. Read a bit, watched “State of Play” with Russel Crowe and Ben Affleck then slept for about four and a half hours thanks to a sleeping pill with a Valium chaser. That all got me through about 7 of the 12 hour flight and then I watched Star Trek XI, read some more and dozed here and there which got me to Kuala Lumpur.

My bag was one of the last ones to appear on the carousel which can get a bit nerve racking. As the number of people surrounding the carousel kept shrinking and I didn’t see many new bags appearing I found myself looking around for the baggage service office trying to recall the compensation maximum for lost luggage on my travel insurance. But of course, they did finally appear.

They are really into H1N1 here in Asia, maybe due to their experience with SARS and the bird flu. At both Kuala Lumpur airport and here in Siem Reap you have to walk by a heat sensing camera with a battery of face-masked people watching the thermal imagery. Many of the Asian travelers look like runway models at a surgical trade show with their face masks. And here in Siem Reap they have added a third form to the immigration and customs forms: a health questionnaire asking if you have sneezed in the last three days or have experienced a host of other symptoms. Who hasn’t had a sneeze in the last 3 days?

Angkor Butterfly Centre Opens October 3

Angkor Butterfly Centre

Siem Riep is about to become another non-temple attraction richer with this weekend’s opening of the Angkor Butterfly Centre. As reported in the Phnom Penh Post:

“It’s been 18 months in the making, and has been established by an NGO, Angkor Participatory Development Organisation to raise revenue, to encourage the conservation of indigenous butterflies, and to foster the protection of the natural environment. More than 30 species of local butterflies are on display, and the largest inhabitant at the centre is the world’s largest moth, an orange-coloured beastie that has a wing span of 26 centimetres. The centre also displays the complete life cycle of a butterfly from egg, to caterpillar, to pupae to winged glory, and visitors are promised “the discovery of the miracle of insect life.”

And from the Centre’s website:

“The exhibit consists of a netted tropical garden with hundreds of free-flying butterflies, all of which are native species to Cambodia. The enclosure is South East Asia’s largest butterfly exhibit and provides residents and tourists with an interactive and visual environment to learn about butterflies. At ABC it is possible to experience butterflies feeding and flying very close at hand and to witness the complete life cycle of many species. The butterflies (in pupae form) are farmed sustainably by people from villages in the Siem Reap Province. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will greet you on your arrival and will explain the background to the project and about butterfly life-cycle and ecology”

The Angkor Butterfly Centre is 25 km outside of Siem Reap on the way to Banteay Srei and claims to be the largest butterfly attraction in Southeast Asia. Its location makes for a perfect and varied day of touring combining Kbal Spean, Banteay Srei, The Landmine Museum and the Angkor Butterfly Centre. The Centre is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. I’ll check it out on my upcoming visit and let you know how it was.

(Thinking of visiting the temples of Angkor Wat? Don’t forget to check out Savuth’s tuk tuk services!)

Long-awaited new book from the premier Angkor photographer

One of the most well-known photographers of the Angkor temples is John McDermott. If you have been in Siem Reap perhaps you have been to his gallery. Once called the “Ansel Adams of Angkor” by the New York Times, American-born McDermott captures the Angkor temples as no one else can. If you are going to Siem Reap you really should stop by and see his unusual and evocative photos where you can buy very reasonably priced prints. Being on the gallery’s e-mailing list I just received an email about his long-awaited new book:

“Announcing the pre-release of Elegy: Reflections on Angkor, the long-awaited book of John McDermott’s images of Angkor

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To all of you who have visited my gallery or asked when my book will be published, many thanks.

I am happy to announce that my new book Elegy: Reflections on Angkor is now available to order in advance of its release. Printed in Italy by a distinguished art house printer, this definitive collection of my work includes over 100 images created over 14 years.

I am now offering a special discount on all pre-release book orders received in the next two weeks.

In addition I have released ten new images from the book as fine art prints. You can see details of this special offer here.

To see a quick preview of the book, view details of the offer, and order a copy, please see this page.

Please feel free to forward this offer to friends who might be interested.

All the best from Cambodia,

John McDermott

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PREVIEW THE BOOK |   ABOUT THE BOOK |   ORDER |   PRINT OFFER“

(Thinking of visiting the temples of Angkor Wat? Don’t forget to check out Savuth’s tuk tuk services!)

Update New Ticket Scheme Angkor Wat

According to recent press reports, there appears to be a certain amount of confusion, misunderstandings and mistakes with the new Angkor ticket scheme. For those traveling there I want to help clear that up before you go.

A while ago I posted information about the new ticket scheme. There are still tickets in a 1-day version for $20, a 3-day version for $40 and a 7-day version for $60. What was new was that instead of having to use the tickets on consecutive days, the 3-day ticket can be used on three days over a seven day period and the 7-day ticket can be used on seven days over a one month period.

But here’s what you have to look out for! When purchasing the tickets you need to be very clear which variant you want: a multi-day ticket for consecutive days or the new multi-day ticket for one week or one month. Once the ticket is printed out, you will not be able to rectify a mistake. All of this is due to the fact that the Apsara Authority who runs the ticket scheme and maintains the park decided to keep both types of tickets available.

The tickets which are good on consecutive days only have to be punched one time to indicate that their validity has begun to run. The multi-day tickets which are good over a week or month have to be punched every day you use it at the main ticket booth potentially being a hassle if you have to wait again in line to do that. But from what I have heard that isnt a problem. And I think the flexibility in not having to do all your temple touring on consecutive days outweighs the time it may take to get the ticket punched again.

* So make sure you ask specifically for the type of ticket you want

* And realize if you purchase the 3-days ticket good over one week or the 7-day ticket good over one month that you will need to have it re-punched on each day you wish to use it.

(Thinking of visiting the temples of Angkor Wat? Don’t forget to check out Savuth’s tuk tuk services!)

Exotissimo Introduces a Philanthropic Cambodia Tour Program

Exotissimo, a well-established tour operator specializing in Southeast Asia, has introduced a six day tour in Cambodia combining the normal tourist highlights of Angkor Wat with structured visits to several deserving NGOs. According to today’s press release:

This new 6-day program is specially designed for travelers wanting to make a positive and personal impact on the socio-economic development of Cambodia. Throughout the 6-day itinerary, Exotissimo has interspersed many opportunities for travelers to make a difference to local communities in meaningful ways. They can meet and speak to the underprivileged at charities, dine at vocational training restaurants or shop for handicrafts made by locals employed under fair employment terms. A part of the tour fees will go directly to the organizations visited. “While Angkor is definitely a must-visit for any Cambodia travel itinerary, anyone who tours only the temples is missing out the real Cambodia,” said Sibylle Rotzler, Cambodia Product Manager. “By joining this program, travelers will gain a deeper understanding of Cambodia’s recent turbulent past and play a part in the country’s rebuilding process.”

Although many tourists spend some time visiting NGO projects, this organized tour has built philanthropic travel right into this packaged tour. If you’re interested in putting together your own type of similar program when you visit Siem Reap please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We can certainly direct you to some worthwhile and trustworthy projects that are active in areas that you may have some particular affinity with: general community development; health services; primary and secondary education; micro-financing; higher education, etc.

(Thinking of visiting the temples of Angkor Wat? Don’t forget to check out my friend Savuth’s tuk tuk services!)

There’s a lot more than temples in Siem Reap

I often get the question from people about all the other things there are to do in Siem Reap when one wants a break from the temples or when people have enough time and the desire to really experience Cambodia and it’s wonderful people and the challenges the country and it’s people face. So here is my list of things to do that are entertaining and fulfilling in other ways:

Some non-temple ideas:

* Tonle Sap

There is of course Tonle Sap which offers several things to do (see Canby Publications; Tara Boat; Sam Veasna Center – scroll down to “Prek Toal Core Bird Reserve”). One can also do a tour of the floating villages at Chong Khneas and the stilted villages of Kompong Phluck independently versus on an organized tour.

* Give and you shall receive

One can spend a half day (or more) making a difference and visiting some small and innovative NGOs (my favorites: The Ponheary Ly Foundation; Journeys Within Our Community; Shinta Mani Community Support Projects; Sangkheum Center for Children; or see the alternative tours run by The Villa Siem Reap – “Day in the Life,” “Art for Life” and “Treak Village Walk & Talk”).

Please be advised: when visiting an NGO project it is a very nice thing to do to make at least a small contribution. You may find, as I have, that you will want to become a regular supporter of an organization after seeing first-hand the great work they are doing. The ones I have listed here are all ones you can feel comfortable making a donation to as they are all honest and doing very good work. With the tours from The Villa Siem Reap a good portion of the fee goes to the organizations involved.

That Cambodian Hip-Hop Spirit

Almost every one of us who has been to Cambodia can tell our own stories of the beautiful and indomitable spirit of the Cambodian people. It comes in a hello or smile from a child in a village, a tuk tuk driver, students in a school or the countless numbers of Cambodians working hard to create a better tomorrow.

I came across this article about one such remarkable young American-Cambodian with a unique story. Tuy Sobil, better known as Kay Kay, is using his love of music and hip hop in particular to reach out to other young at-risk Cambodians on the fringes of society. A former gang member Kay Kay

“…is one of some 200 Cambodians ejected from the United States over the past several years under a law which deports felons who do not have American citizenship. Kay Kay had never been back to Cambodia, which he left as a baby when his family emigrated to the US. His parents neglected to complete US citizenship documents when they arrived in California and after being jailed for armed robbery at 18 he was deported, leaving his family and young son behind.”

Back in Phnom Penh

The Legend of Angkor Wat Sound and Light Show 2009

courtesy www.angkorwatshow.com

This year again there will be a staging of the Legend of Angkor Wat Sound & Light Show at the steps of the great Angkor Wat temple. So make sure to check it out if you are going to be in Siem Reap in the period December 16, 2009 – February 27, 2010.

The story this year tells of a fantasy journey through time with Henri Mahout, the French botanist who is credited with ‘re-discovering’ the ruins of Angkor Wat in the nineteenth century. From the synopsis of the first three of six scenes in the show:

Scene 1: In 1860, Alexandre Henri Mouhot, a French naturalist, made a journey of exploration into the regions of Siam and Laos. When his group entered Cambodia, Henri heard from the villagers about the great temple of splendid beauty, believed to be built by the hands of gods. He relentlessly searches for it until finally the mysterious, legendary temple hidden in the dense forest lay before his eyes.

Scene 2: Henri lies alone unconscious in an island. He regains consciousness and finds a lady with the look of Apsara in front of him. She tells him his wish had come true and takes him to experience the beauty of the Khmer civilization – starting from the legendary origin of the Khmer empire, the love story between Preah Thaong and Neang Nagi, the daughter of the king of nagas. In this scene audiences will witness a wedding procession scene.

Scene 3: Then Apsara brought Henri back to the time when the monument was constructed by thousands of workers. The moon shines in the sky, reflecting the outline of the temple. The sound of construction echoes around. Part by part, they witness the building of Angkor Wat to completion.

You can find all the information, plus online booking possibilities at Angkorwatshow.com.

(Thinking of visiting the temples of Angkor Wat? Don’t forget to check out my friend Savuth’s tuk tuk services!)