1. The carvings on the temple walls tell a familiar story. The story of human beings everywhere, be it now or then or even in the future. The preoccupation with procreation, building, worshipping and working. Those were the images on the walls of nine thousand years ago and on the steets around Siem Reap.
2. The Shinti Mani Hotel is a small 18 bedded one situated next to the school of hospitality. The school is integral to the workings of the hotel. Young Cambodians from poor families or those ophaned are taken to the school to be trained in hospitality and hotel work. They are given uniforms, school books, 10 dollars a month and 5kg of rice a month to send to their families. One could not have stayed in a more appropriate hotel. The hotel was the idea of a Cambodian who wished to help the unfortunate youth of Cambodia.
3. One young man had been working in the hotel for 2 years having completed his nine month certificate course. He had begun in the restaurant and progressed to reception as his English was now fluent enough. He still has English lessons every week. It was noticable that the Cambodians have a better command of English in Siem Reap than the Thais in Bangkok. The young man has nine brothers and sisters. One sister has trained to be a good and earns 50 dollars a month.
4. Similar projects were in evidence as one roamed the streets. Landmine projects, art and craft making projects from Orphanages. One advertisement stated that one could cycle for a week and help on various projects throughout Cambodia.
5. The Cambodians do not like the Thais, particularly as the Thais claim the temples of Anakor Wat belong to them. How fortunate for the poor Cambodians of today to have had such kings build numerous temples to their Gods. The temples create the wealth of the area.
6. The bikes, the bikes for 50p a day. Imagine a delapidated version of the Pashley, which rattles and shakes and brakes occasionally. Negotiating the traffic was tricky, tricky. Buses, lorries, cars, tuc-tucs and endless motorbikes, all hooting and honking as they made their way. One wondered often whether one was on the correct side of the road, as vehicles came bearing down on us. It was something akin to cutting corners. One factory debauched a hoard of workers straight into our path. One man lost his shoe in front of us and we had no alternative but to cycle over it.Once out of the city we cycled along metaled roads through the cool, leafy jungle. It was a joy. We stopped here and there looking at this temple and that. Some we just glimpsed at through the trees. 30k's worth of cycling left Kaaren with a numb bottom. A really good biking day.
7. Siem Reap is now awash with hotels and new ones being built all the time. The hotels must not be more than four storeys high, so as not to dwarf the temple of Anakor Wat. Our first impression of the largest temple Anakor Wat was a disappointment. We wondered why folk raved about it. However, once cycling round the route we discovered other delights which made the trip memorable for us.
8. Many tourists spend at least two or three days visiting the temples, but we felt we had experienced the size and flavour of the place in one day, and wished to see something else of the area. We hired a tuc tuc which took us 10 k out of town to the floating villages on what is reported to be the largest lake in Asia. As we were jolted along the road, I wondered about the relationship between poverty and rubbish. The sandy patches in and around the dwellings were rubbish free, but the sides of the roads and river were brimming with garbage. The dwellings, which can hardly be called houses, were of wood and matting built on stilts. One puff of wind and the whole structure would be raised to the ground.
9. Children were everywhere, some with no clothes on. One wondered about schooling. How many actually attended a school. The boat trip took us through the village on the water. We even experienced a novel house move. One such dwelling was being towed through the water by boat. Looking for a better spot perhaps. We did not spot any crocodiles.
10. One is warned to keep to the main thoroughfares as some of the smaller roads are still mined. One sees a few folk minus limbs. People speak of the civil war and a better life since 2000, but not in detail as English is limited.
Homewardbound
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2 comments:
1 What a fine account of an exotic adventure. The context, the bikes and the tuc-tucs, the comments - all well put, all good to read.
2 It was good to read about the hotel and its adjacent school. Professional education, including the teaching of the world-language. And I noted your comment about the provision of food for the young person's family.
2.1 The extent to which tourism aids local or national development is something which is discussed. Commenters wonder about the extent to which the proceeds of the tourist activity are shared (voluntarily or compulsively) with the stakeholders other than the owners.
2.2 Hotels and temples. I wonder if the inhabitants (the monks) of the temples worked in any way like the monasteries here in England. A requirement to care for the poor?
3 And bicycles. You have been developing your traffic-managing skills. I have marked you as the leader of the forthcoming London rides.
3.1 The shoe. And the person whose usable shoe it was and who may be saddened by the unusable one.
3.2 And one sore bottom and one unsore one. You were sympathetic, I'm sure. I'm sure.
4 Much to listen to.
And do I pass as a blogger now. It is easy when the issues of the day at home do not get in the way.
Just a few hours more.
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