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Published: January 15th 2017
Siem Reap Main Market
A cornucopia of fresh food!I had a late morning, leaving the hotel at 8:30, although it was early according to the tour schedule that showed an 11:00 start. When Noy asked me if there were anything I wanted to see, I asked for a local market, which seemed to surprise him.
The external face of the market was comprised of small stalls with all possible household goods, flip-flops and bits of décor. Inside, the market danced with busy vendors and bustling buyers. To my pleased surprise, I was able to recognized almost all the vegetables from shopping in Asian stores in Calgary. As well, there were bunches of mauve Hyacinth flowers for cooking, conical purple-green banana flowers, huge barnacled squashes cut into family-sized pieces, cauliflower about the size of a clenched fist, long eggplant, varieties of greens, small tomatoes, garlic, and on and on. Fish vendors were rapidly gutting Snake Head fish so fresh they were wriggling. Catfish is a staple, and a few Grouper were displayed.
To one side were a pork stall with every part of the pig available and a beef stall featuring aesthetically stacked long ribs. Yesterday I learned that cattle (Brahma) work the fields until they can’t, and
Siem Reap River
Peaceful in the morning, partly locale at night then they are eaten. Spices were stacked in flat plastic packages to enable a cook to buy individual kinds or the traditional mix for Amok. Fruit abounded: papaya, mango, watermelon (small soccer ball size), rambutan, and on and on. In the centre aisles meals were being cooked and hungry patrons were eating breakfast. A few silk (scarves) and jewellery shops claimed the exit. Noy explained that the silver items were copper dipped in silver bath.
We emerged from the dim interior into the bright morning sun and crossed the Siem Reap River (canalized) to the New Night Market. (I had visited the Old night Market. The food market is called the Original Market.) Of course very few shops were open yet, and they were the familiar assortment of dubious jewellery, scarves and souvenirs.
Now it was time to go to the Artisans of Angkor. This socially-oriented company trains young adults, particularly those with disabilities, to create traditional Khmer crafts. A specialized guide (also named Noy) took me around the students’ workshops; when their training is complete, they are set up with a workshop of their own in their home village, keeping them attached to their roots. To my
Student of Lacquer work
Transformation from dull to shiny disappointment, the silk workers are all in the countryside; there are 49 workshops around the country. Originally it was supported by the government, then an international NGO, and now it is self-supporting. The shop displayed crafts from this location and from their silk weaving location. Both the quality of the goods and the prices were high.
The lacquer workshop trained deaf and mute students. They carved set designs into hardboard, painted it with enamel and rubbed in four layers of lacquer. The workers of copper may soon be deaf, because they hammered and rasped in a terrifying din without hearing protection. By contrast the porcelain workers carved delicate designs as the step before the small bowls were enamelled and fired to translucence. The wood carvers also worked to patterns, holding the object in a vice and chipping away with tools they made themselves, thus being trained to be self-sufficient.
We still had an hour to spare, and Noy again asked what I would like to do. Yesterday at dinner I had heard other tourists talking about the National Park. A short drive away in the French Colonial district, it was a formal garden now enjoyed by many people.
President's second house
Monument and home in the north of Cambodia Noy pointed out its most interesting (to him) feature – giant bats hanging from the top branches of the soaring trees looking like fruit. Two wedding parties were having their photos taken and decorous lovers sat on benches. Facing the park was the King’s residence, although he hardly uses it. On one corner of the Park was a pagoda with a famous 600 year-old Buddha.
On our way to the airport, Noy stopped at a restaurant to order fried rice for me to eat later, because lunch was included in the tour price. He had advised me to be at the airport two hours before the 1:30 flight. We arrived shortly after 11:00, before the check-in was ready. I was hungry so I ate on a bench outside the terminal. Check-in was the usual mix of confusion and anxiety, but no problems. Our flight was 45 minutes late for a 45-minute flight! We were served a bottle of water, which I really needed.
In Vietnam, again I misunderstood how to get a visa, but once in the correct place, the process was merely tedious. I stood in a slow line, handed in my paperwork, and was told to
Goodbye to Cambodia
Sorry to leave, excited to arrive wait. At least comfortable chairs were provided for the one-hour wait until they called my name. I paid the US$25 and received my passport. All went smoothly until I couldn’t find anyone waiting for me at the airport exit. I walked up and down the large collection of sign-holders, just beginning to wonder how to make a phone call, when a woman appeared displaying my name and the names of two others. I was the last to exit, and they were as worried by my non-appearance as I was by theirs.
We drove through streets busy with countless motorcycles and lots of vehicles. Signs visually blared! It seemed a business was in every building. After what seemed a long time, we arrived at the Hoang Hai Long Hotel, which had a narrow street-front up a grand staircase to the second level and spread back into a large property. Less than an hour later, showered top to bottom, I met the others on the trip. Fourteen travellers is a large group compared to my recent trips. Our orientation was postponed until we bussed to a restaurant in an elegant old building where we had a private room upstairs. Our guide,
Ho Chi Minh City
From imagination to reality! Thuy (pronounced “twee”), gave a long orientation using lots of examples from her own life. They were interesting anecdotes, but we were more than ready for dinner. The traditional dinner presented about six courses served family style. We left well-fed.
View map of trip to date.
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Isabel Gibson
non-member comment
Oxbow shot an dother stuff
Whaddya mean - Noy thought the bats were the most interesting feature? Surely everyone would! :-) Your story about failing to find your name among the welcoming signs at the airport reminded me of my late-night arrival in Guatemala. I was so happy to see my name, chicken that I am. BTW, nice airborne shot of the river's oxbow.