Drop Nets, Not Bombs

2 Days in Siem Reap...
We hopped a bus from Phnom Penh at around 9 in the morning on our way to Siem Reap, the city closest to Angkor Wat. I mostly slept to some sweet jams provided to me by my dearest friend Coco prior to my departure. (Thanks and love!) We stopped for lunch at a small market pretty much in the middle of nowhere. There were several buses and vans stopped here as a midway point and some modes of transportation made us feel very thankful for our air conditioned bus. There were a bunch of normal size minivans that probably had seats for 8 tops that were crammed with more like 15 inside with the rear hatches burgeoning out with luggage and what looked like bags of rice. Not only that, but the tops of the vans were rigged with 6 inch rails that lined the perimeter that precariously seated another 8-10 passengers on top. We grabbed some garlic and ginger marinated beef over rice for 1 usd and I gave in to a young girl's pouty face and bought a bag of fresh cut pineapple slices for another dollar (I did get a smile out of her though). We arrived in SR at around 4 pm which was too late to make it to any temples so were arranged a ride on a boat down a small river to the rising lake Tonle Sap. We really had no idea what to expect, but what we found was a whole community of people who lived in impoverished floating houses. Our boat guides (3 18 year old boys who were from the community) pushed us out in a long and skinny government subsidized tour boat that had 6 comfortable chairs and space on the bow for them to sit. What we saw was amazing, the people were forced to live on the river as they could not afford any land, and their only means of living is provided by the water. We drove to the end of the river where it met the great lake. Endless brown water as far as they eye could see. we pulled into a floating tourist stop to see their alligator farm, catfish farm, and freshwater fish exhibit that was all built into the deck. We climbed some stairs to the roof and watched the river for a while as the sun was dropping behind some cloud cover. One thing that stood out to us was how your the children had to start work. We watched a father on the bow of a 15 foot canoe like boat throwing his net into the river as his maybe 6 year old daughter sat on the stern with an oar twice her length and guided them out and around. The maybe 4 year old son sat in the middle watching and learning and holding the bucket which caught the small 6 inch fish that were getting snagged in the net. We bought 2 beers and a can of pringles for 9 dollars, which is an exorbitant price by this areas standards, but we felt ok with it judging by the quality of life we had witnessed (the community was also dependent on the crude motors that powered their boats, and gasoline is not any cheaper for them than it is for you or I). On our way back into the city we stopped at a Khmer soup restaurant, I'll try to omit the word amazing, but it'll be difficult. We knew this restaurant was going to be good when we saw that there was no english on the menu. As the waiter tried to explain what each menu item was, we took a peak behind us to see what the locals were eating, and were happy to copy. They brought out a small burner and placed on it a dome shaped grill with slits that opened from convex bumps in the metal. the perimeter of the grill was raised up so that a trough rounded the edge to catch the drippings of the meat. Out came a plate of raw beef cut thin and marinated in a sesame based sauce with an egg cracked on top. Then came a basket of fresh vegetables and a cube of fat. Our waiter turned the burner on and put the fat on the top center of the grill so that it's drippings covered the rest of the surface, and from a tea kettle he poured a soup broth into the trough. He then explained that we were to place the vegetables into the soup broth to cook and to grill the meat in the center where the drippings would enrich the soup. Hells. Yes. We devoured that thing like it was our job. Topped it off with a pitcher of cold beer, heavenly. As we were nearing the end, our waiter said that their restaurant was famous for something like Cambodian country soup and that we could order a small bowl. We weren't even really hungry, but that guy could have sold us anything at that point. Off went the grill and on came a clay pot filled with a new broth and new vegetables that we brought to a boil. Then came the meat that we were to put in to cook in the stew. More beef cuts, and a plate of whitish gray gelatinous curls that we were informed was cow brain. Done and done. Pops shied away mumbling "mad cow" and I hesitantly dipped in. Once we were sure everything was cooked through I went for it. Not bad at all, mostly flavorless really with the texture of soft tofu (chew softly, for you chew on my dreams). We finally get back to the hotel where I fell face first into the pillow and didn't move until morning.

Well, right now it is about 10:30pm over here and tomorrow morning we have to be ready at 6am t head up to see three temples outside the city in the mountains: pink sandstone carvings, carvings that were made underwater in a shallow flowing river, and waterfalls where the Khmer kingdom was born. Next blog I'll add those to the temples that we saw today including Angkor Wat and Ankgor Thom, but for now, I've gotta pass out.
Love and peace,
-Jon


M,S,Lolo: Yea, the perspective is astonishing, I've truly redefined what it means to conserve resources and gained insight into the relationship we have with our government. Stuff that is easy to take for granted in such a wonderful city like Seattle.