Temples, kings and things

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Siem Reap is a bustling town, with the streets busied by cars, tuk tuks, motos, bicycles, pedestrians ... the footpaths pounded by many a tourist and trailing beggars or juvenile hawkers. In fact they are everywhere ... part of the backdrop at every site, and market place. The hawkers are well practiced ... they start off with...
"hello ladÿ ... where you from?"
"Australia"
"Äustralia - the capital is Canberra. Australia has 21 million people. You buy postcard from me lady. Just one dollar. 10 for one dollar ..."etc

You can tell its a real tourist town when ... the menus are mostly in US dollars, and aimed at the western palate. Not interested. Have had to work a bit harder here for good local nosh, and have given in to the limitations of a town who relies on the tourist dollar.
The owner of the guest house I am staying in is from Perth (sorry Carole, Godlen Banana fully booked). He advises that various good Khmer food is available from eating houses owned by Cambodian-Australian or Cambodian-English owners.

Silk - back to first principles

Took a moto out to a silk farm to see how they make silk. It was a lovely ride through the countryside past lush fields, with dozy buffulo munching in the fields and casting bored looks my way. A celebration at a village temple had its procession moving along the road. Music, song, bikes, pedestrians moving as one along the highway - slowly. So we like all the traffic detour around. My driver is very careful, slowing for bumps, potholes and other breaks in the tarmac.

Silk! What a process. I saw it all - from worm to fine cloth. From the little worms munching through mulberry leaves until they have fully gorged themselves. After this they spin their cocoon, which incoporates silk in the casing ... and it comes from their saliva. Next casings go into hot water and the thread is spun off them into the first sort of spindle arrangement. From here there are various spinnings to refine the thread, it is washed, dyed and made ready for weaving that you already know about ... Times like these I wish I was still in the classroom - excellent fodder for classroom recounts!

Drinking with the locals

Found a litte roadside foodhouse not far from where I am staying and went there for an Angkor beer on day one in the country ... found myself the only barang (westerner) there, creating interest for them as well as me. Sounds of khmer surrounded. Across the way woman was making ice, by smashing small pieces from a large solid block to use in making the icy fruit drinks that are served in a plastic bag with a straw. Two little boys stood by waiting, their eyes intent on the woman's every move until it was in their hands!

There is a constant flow of traffic, which stirs up the dust. I better get used to it, ços it will be around a lot more yet. Once again, everyone seems to own a motorbike, lots of kids ride oversize bicycles and then there are cars and tuk tuks. Navigating the traffic is a game of slow merges and a politeness absent on most roads back home. Once again, there is a lot of tooting as any one overtakes, comes to abend in the road, nears a village, there is a cow or a dog on the road ... or if the driver sees a friend!

Have lined up three days of temple visits, so get ready for a barrage of photos from an archeological wonder!

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Comments

[Ailis]

Where are you?
could we get a pic of Mary in the midst of the temples/people...