Day 15 - Cambodia: Last Day in Cambodia in a Floating Village

Some tourist spots are a racket. They charge outrageously inflated prices, and know they can because there's no other way to get there. The only thing you can do is suck it up and enjoy the experience.

Kampong Phluk is a floating village, nearly an hours drive outside of Siem Reap. There's one boat company that can take you to the floating village ($15-$22 depending on their mood) and 1 small boat option to take you through the floating forest ($4-6 - depending on their mood).

Each home is built on stilts in water on Lake Tonle Sap lake. I visited during the dry season, so you can see how tall the stilts are and how much the water rises in the wet season.

Everyday life floated along in this village on the water (and narrow strip of land). Kids paddled home in their school uniforms. A 7 yr old sat by herself with a machete slicing away at something. A group of children laughed hysterically jumping off boats into the water. 2 women carefully scanned fishing nets, knitting the holes. Mats full of shrimp drying in the sun lined the main street. A little boy surreptitiously picked up 1 shrimp from each mat, munching on them them as he strolled down the street with his school backpack trailing behind him. Kids crowded around their favorite food stand, buying handfuls of shells and sucking at their insides (cockles?).

Here's the floating forest that a woman paddled me through.

UNIQUE TRAVEL TID-BIT of the DAY
Lake Tonle Sap is the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia. It changes in size from the dry seasonseason (2500km) to the wet season (15,000 km).

NEXT STOP: Elephant riding in Luang Prabang, Laos.

Day 14 - Cambodia: Sore buns + Sticky rice buns

With a slightly sore ass from the previous day's ride, I rented a bike and set off for the 78 kilometer (48 mile) roundtrip journey to Bantei Sray, a temple made of pink sandstone. Here's a snapshot of my day:

4:45am: Biked with a headlamp to watch the sunrise at the less populated sunrise viewing spot, Srah Srang.

5:20am: Experienced 2nd thoughts for choosing the further and less populated location for the sunrise. Stopped a car to confirm directions and he offered to escort me there. Offer gladly accepted as I trailed his head lights.

6:25am: Sun emerged like a big orange disc from the clouds over the lake. Camera could not capture the perfect round circle.

8:30am: Back at the 'Best noodles in Cambodia' stand. I disregarded the long, black hair in my noodles.

9:00am: Bought rice buns stuffed with savory unknown substance.

9:30am: Watched a woman stir palm sugar at one of the 50 palm sugar stands that lined the road. Learned that every day she has to stir each batch for 1 hour. The elderly woman next to her gave me a sugar cube.

10am: Stopped at a roadside stand selling a banana wrapped in sticky coconut rice. Yum!!

10:30am: Arrived to the 'Pink Lady' palace. Wow, is it stunning!! Pink sandstone is more durable, so the ornate carvings remained intact.

12pm: Made the assumption that the shack on the side of the road was a food stand and not a woman's home. Pointed to the soup and basket of fresh rice noodles and smiled.

12:30pm: Bought rice buns filled with coconut and some other sweet tasty goodness.

2:00pm: Got one more glimpse of Angkor Wat.

4:00pm: Bought sweet bean filled rice buns.

5:00pm: Ended a day of biking with sore buns, although I think I ate more sticky rice buns than biking. Decided I still deserved a $5 Hour massage.

UNIQUE TRAVEL TID-BIT of the DAY:
90% of the cultivated land in Cambodia are rice fields. This means the majority of the local vendors are cooking with rice flour. It's cheaper than importing wheat from Thailand. Yes, it's a Gluten Free girl's dream come true!

NEXT STOP: Floating village visit for my last day in Cambodia :(

Day 13 - Cambodia: 75 Kilometers (46 miles) Bike Ride to Beng Mealea Temple

Today I joined a tour where once again I was the only one on it! I guess everyone else chose tuk tuk or bus transportation to Beng Melea temple, which is 75 kilometres (46 miles) from Siem Reap. I chose to cycle it.

My guide took me on a mini food and culture tour through the backroads outside of Siem Reap.

We first stopped at a small strip in the middle of the road where a woman was squatting by a griddle making Nam Pom, waffles made of rice flour and coconut. The woman next to her was selling rice flour batter-fried bananas. Both gluten-free = Amazing!

Then we stopped at a mushroom farm and saw the different stages of the mushroom growth cycle.

As we biked along, a man climbing palm trees to squeeze the fruit to make palm juice offered me a taste. It can't get much fresher than that!

For 2nd breakfast, we stopped at my guide's self-proclaimed 'best noodles in Cambodia' road-side stand. You receive a bowl of Khmer soup broth and freshly made rice noodles. You then pick from the table things to add, like salt, fresh lime juice, peanut and sugar sauce, fresh herbs, greens, and edible flowers.

Finally, we reached the temple, Beng Mealea. It was similar to the 'Tomb Raider' temple with the strangling fig trees covering the temple, but with less people!

UNIQUE TRAVEL TID-BIT of the DAY
Cambodians believe that menstruating women must NOT go near a mushroom farm or silkworm farm because their smell will stunt the growth.

NEXT STOP: Last day in Cambodia at a floating village.

Day 11 & 12 - Cambodia: Angkor Wat & Surrounding Temples

When i was 21, I took Intro to Architecture where I got my 1st exposure to Angkor Wat. I immediately added Cambodia to my 'must see' list. 13 years later, I arrived to Siem Reap (and apparently late to the game with statistics showing over 2 million visitors per year).

After a 7 hour bus journey from Phnom Penh, I went to the Angkor complex to watch the sunset at the 'quiet' temple Pre Rup. 100+ people were vying for a spot and others had no shame and stood directly in front of people, who had been posted for a few hours. Needless to say, it was not my most peaceful sunset.

On Day 12, I woke up at 4:30 am and got my 1st glimpse of Angkor Wat as the sun rose over the temple. I shared this experience with 500+ other tourists. Despite the people yelling at each other to get out of their picture and the clicking of cameras and flashes of light every 1.5 seconds, Angkor Wat is a stunning work of art. The decorative lotus-blossom towers and reflective ponds in front of the temple are picturesque. The 'bas-reliefs' are carved figures and decorations in stone, often telling the stories of Hindu Gods, like Vishnu.

And of course, I needed to get my headstand shot in Cambodia.


I visited a fair amount of temples on Day 12, but these 2 were the most unique:

Bayon - If I visit again, I would time my visit off schedule from the tourist bus circuit. It nearly was as packed as a mosh pit at a Tool concert. But again, despite the lack of tranquility, the towers withe carved faces staring in every direction showcased an intense staring competition that was pretty unique.

Ta Prohm AKA Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider Temple - This temple has been
invaded by nature in a unique and beautiful way. Tree roots from the silk cotton tree and the strangler fig tree have grown out of the ruins or wrapped themselves around the temple remains. Some of the tree roots are oozing over the side, like the B Horror movie, the Blob.

I finished the epic temple visit with grilled frog at the Night Market. I would describe it as an anorexic chicken.

UNIQUE TRAVEL TID-BIT of the DAY
Supposedly, Siem Reap will not blow up with high rises because builders are not allowed to construct buildings higher than the Angkor Wat temple...but don't quote me on that.

NEXT STOP: 75 Kilometers (47 Miles) bike ride to Beng Mealea. 

Day 10 - Cambodia: Iron Khmer Chef & ATV Racing through the Countryside at Sunset

My Cambodian cooking class started with 13 other International students and 1 teacher showing us the foreign looking fruits and vegetables in a local produce market.

We each contributed to making the taro and carrot fried spring rolls (gluten-free!)

We each made our own yellow curry paste and sauce for the traditional Khmer fish amok dish that's steamed in banana leaves.

It tasted delicious if i dont say so myself. BUT don't expect me to repeat this culinary feast in the states!

I followed the cooking class with an adventure outside of the city to drive an ATV through the countryside at sunset. I was the only one on the tour and the kids would come running out to the street, sometimes uncomfortably close to my ginormous wheels, and give me high fives.

UNIQUE TRAVEL TID-BIT of the DAY
The drive at dusk along the city parks & riverside was a sight to see with the local vendors, dance classes of 50 Cambodians (mainly women) breaking it down with a male teacher to Cambodian sounding 'pop'music, chess players playing by flashlight & of course 'Frogger' like traffic and crossing pedestrians.

NEXT STOP: Siem Reap and Temple Exploration

Day 9 - Cambodia: Somber Start, Joyful Finish

There's nothing profound or insightful I can say about the senseless death of nearly 3,000,000 adults and children by the Khmer Rouge regime. I did an audio tour at the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh (Choeung Ek), which is 1 out of the 20,000 mass burial sites where people were brutally executed and buried. The stories of loss, perseverance, and fortitude are unbelievable.

It was depressing, shocking and heart-wrenching. Despite the solemnity, I encourage any traveler to Phnom Penh to visit and pay respect to the genocide memorial and educate yourself on the stark reality of only 34 years ago (when I was born!).

I followed the Killing Fields and Security Prison (S-21) with a visit to the Daughters of Cambodia shop. Employed by woman who have been trafficked into the sex industry, 98% of the girls who work at Daughters never return to the sex industry.

My day then switched from heavy to regal and then light-hearted fun. I visited the National Museum & the Royal Palace with magnificently decorated pagodas, including the Silver Pagoda which houses religious artifacts and shrines, like the Emeral Buddha and a life-sized Buddha covered in 9000+ diamonds and weights nearly 200 pounds (pictures forbidden).

            Silver Pagoda                                National Museum

I wrapped up my day on the riverside where locals were playing Cambodian 'hacky sack.' I watched for awhile and then was invited to play. I'm no pro, but i totally got the side kick down! (the guy in the middle in the video Below is the president of the club and sold me a 'hacky sack.' I might have a new hobby...

UNIQUE TRAVEL TID-BIT OF THE DAY
On my way to the Royal Palace, I walked with a monk who told me about his studies and thesis and asked me to be friends on Facebook!

NEXT STOP: Last day in Phnom Penh with a Khmer cooking class & ATV Sunset tour through the countryside.

Day 8 - Cambodia: You can take the Yuppie out of Manhattan but you cant take the Yuppie out of the Girl!

I've been told I need to face the facts that I've become a Yuppie. The supposed incriminating evidence is my love for my Vita-Mix, kale, Pilates, yoga, plant based protein powder, kombucha, etc. If that's a Yuppie, then I guess I'm guilty as charged. And today, I did my Yuppie tour throughout Phnom Penh.

* Arrived to PP via a bus equipped with Wi-Fi

* Lunch at 'Friends,' an NGO cafe that trains kids from the street to be waiters (and is buzzing with every Yuppie in Phnom Penh). Consumed beet juice, taro fries, grilled fish in a banana leaf)

* A wander to the southern part of PP to the Russian Markets, saving fuel by walking (over-exaggeration for artistic blog post license)
Independence monument:

* Roamed through what I deemed the 'local yuppie market' (Boeung Keng Kang Market) which housed hair salon stalls, fashion vintage items, an abundance of greens, chess games and more

* Gluten-free cupcake (actually labeled gluten free) at Bloom Cafe


* Dinner with my friend Phil's wife, Sara.

It would have been the cherry on top for Yuppie of the day award IF the vegetarian Khmer cuisine restaurant was not closed on Mondays! Instead, we settled for vegetarian Indian, Coriander.

UNIQUE TRAVEL TID-BIT of the DAY:
Maximum people spotted on a scooter: 4.5
Maximum people spotted in a Tuk Tuk: 9
# of people who follow the 'rules of the road': 0

NEXT STOP: Killing Fields, Genocide memorial and Royal palace