Once back on dry land, Lem walks us down the main street of town. Actually, it is a dirt pathway lined by stalls on either side where you can buy anything you might need. We come upon a section that begins with a pink-balloon archway, followed by a walkway with plastic tarpaulins as a roof and a gentleman putting out on either side a line of plastic chairs which he is cleaning-off with a dirty rag. We are greeted by Len’s aunt and grandmother. This is where the wedding will take place and they are busy getting ready. Everyone is happy for this occasion.
Lem points out his primary school. This is as far as compulsory education goes in Cambodia. There would be five levels in the one school. I think it is also in the rural areas, one-room only. As with so many poor countries, the public education is not good. Lem says if you are not a good student, you can pass by giving the teacher money. I think most of us have no appreciation for the fabulous system we have in Canada.
As we leave the area, Len asks if I would like to stop and buy some sugarcane cake. Peter has not enough small money, so Lem buys a bundle. Even Peter enjoys this treat, and we all know how fussy he is with food.
The “cake” is actually mostly-cooked sticky-rice mixed with kidney-type beans and sugar cane syrup and coconut milk and stiffed into a 12 inch piece of cut cane stalk. The mixture is packed-in with some coconut hair balled-up. Then the cane is cooked over a fire on the ground. When the outside it burned, the lady cuts off the outer layer, and cooks it another time. This time when it is ready, she cuts away the outer-layer again and the cane stalk is now thin enough that you can tear it in strips (like peeling a banana) and eat the scrumptious inside cake. It is now around two o’clock, but this will hold us until we get to the Banteay Srei temple where we will have lunch.
Lunch is an interesting mixture of Cambodian food which the driver, Len and I share and a ham and cheese sandwich which Peter eats only because he is very hungry! You learn “When in Rome ….”
Lem explains that this is the second oldest temple ruin in the area, and although it is very small, it is noted for the intricacy of the carvings on the sandstone. We see the same “characters” in the carvings that we became familiar with in the other temples. Peter is obviously impressed with the quality of the workmanship in this one-level temple. All the others were built by kings and they built them on three levels to represent a mountain. This one was built by the teacher of the king because the king when his father abdicated was too young to actually rule. Once he grew up, he built other temples on the mountain design.
We are very weary, but happy and contented to have had such a lovely day and to have seen a part of Cambodia which we could so easily have missed. When they drop us off at the market, we thank the guys a thousand thank-yous (and a good old Canadian hug each) for giving us this gift.
We scoot in and out of the market in record time having quickly found some place mats to go with the table cloth we had purchased, hop on a tuk tuk, and take a new route to the hotel. We are both too tired for a swim, so we shower, begin to pack, and go to dinner.
Peter once again has the pizza which looks exceptionally good and I have a steamed-fish in coconut milk and ginger sauce served in a coconut. The cute young lady proudly announces that my fish is very fresh as it was caught in the local river. It is delicious, as usual. We get a picture of Sep Chandy and she gives us her e-mail address. Peter promises to send the picture.
Off tomorrow for Vietnam. Peter wistfully commented the other day that we should have done this traveling twenty years ago! Well, at least we are having the privilege to do it now. One must be grateful for good health and a little money put aside.
Some shots at the Banteay Srei temple.
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