Day 5 – The first excursion

With much excitement and anticipation, we wake up early to breakfast and get ready for our first excursion. I was not sure what to expect, as the itinerary looked quite packed. We boarded the excursion boat, and went ashore. This excursion differed from the published itinerary as we did not go to a pre-Angkorian temple, but a Cambodian village in Kampong Cham. I think after already seeing several temple ruins in Siem Riep. Seeing an active maintained temple was more interesting anyways.     We were able to meet one of the Cambodian villagers, and see how the Cambodians live their daily lives. I also was able to take some more pictures of a monkey that lived around the temple complex.

We were informed that there would be 2 excursions per day, each lasting about an hour and half to two hours, then we would come back to the ship, shower and relax a couple of hours until lunch, then go on the afternoon excursion. Where we would come back, have happy hour until dinner then attend an evening presentation by one of the guides if we so choose.

Our first look at the Cambodia Village temple, which I really enjoyed being able to photograph.

 

Here is a look a the main temple building, with aspara statues around the perimeter.

Here is the temple cemetery, the stupa’s you see here contain the bones of multiple generations of a family.

Some of the stupas can be quite ornate.

The monks at work in the temple complex.

There are statues that line the pathway that represent the symbols in the Chinese zodiac.

This is for the year of the cock, however I started thinking that Yankee Doodle really did ride into town on a chicken.

This village elder had worked in a limestone processing facility for many years, and as a result became blinded by the alkaline dust.  His grandchildren are seen here leading him through the temple complex.

We are then taken to a Cambodian village, and meet a Cambodian family.  Who’s children are married and have gone off to work in the city after college.

Here is a families corn.A Haystack

And their cow.

We got to meet several groups of children who where happily at play.

Here is a newer and older Cambodian House.  Our guide Wantee said a new house cost between 7 and $10,000 USD.

Here is the kitchen of the Khmer family house that we got to visit.

The man who lives in this house, demonstrated his skills playing a Khmere instrument.

On our way back to the temple complex, we spot some local Cambodian traffic.  Here is a School Crossing sign,

There was everything from Bicycle Traffic.

A large Cambodian Tuk Tuk
The Ice Cream Man

And an Ox Cart

Here is a Cambodian filing station.  These 1 liter soda bottles are filled with gasoline.  A motor school pulls up and fills up with some high octane Pepsi.

Walking back through the temple complex, we found this Monkey, and of course I wasted no time running after it to get photos.  Here I am with my trusty Canon 70 – 200 f4L IS lens.

We then returned to the ship, where they invited the local monk to come aboard and bless the ship for a safe journey.

In the afternoon, we went to a Silk weaving village outside of Phnom Penh.

Here are the silk worms, which of course turn into silk cocoons, seen here.

The silk thread is then dyed  and woven into silk fabric.

It’s now time to get back on board and head past Phnom Penh, and onto the Tonle Sap river, for our next days excursion.

Alone the way we pass many Cambodian sampans and fishing boats, and I get to try out my new Tamron 150 – 600mm Super Telephoto zoom lens.

I know this was a long post, so thanks of bearing with me.  I hope you enjoyed the pictures, as I had a great time taking them.  Stay tuned for day 6 of the cruise which should be posted in the next day or so!