Dubai – Kuala Lumpur – Cambodia – Vietnam – Thailand

Anja looking at Cambodian Sapphire rings.

We where at a Cambodian Silk factory, and where introduced to all the different types of silk and cotton products.

Everything is handmade at this factory.. outside we could see ourselfes..

She is making the pattern.

This is how Granny sees Anja, everyday.

Next Post will be about Ho Chi Minh City and also Grannys excperiences.

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Our last day in Cambodia. We had to see more temples, buddhas and a temple in the same area as Angkor Wat, The Tomb Raider Temple. This is where Tomb Raider was shot.

Our driver drove around and told us what he knew about the different places. First stop was a Newer Temple, where monks live today. We where met by poor children begging for 1 dollar. A nicely dressed monk talking about the weather changes now days and a landmine victim begging for money outside the Temple. ALSO, outside the park we saw a small house with skulls. These are victims from the Pol Pot period.

Everything is so breathtaking. Difficult to describe. Pictures tells you more. If you want to know more, google it

After our visit to this Temple we went to see the Tomb Raider Temple.

The Journey:

When I was walking around by myself I saw a boy standing alone. He looked at me, and just stood there for a while. I took a quick picture, and then he told me to follow him. He ran and I followed. And he showed me the places to take pictures, where I was free from crazy tourists.

And after saying goodbye to my personal guide I saw this sjarming old man making this piece. He had a small knife and he handmade this on a buffalohorn.  I asked if it was for sale, but he said he had to work one more month until it was finnish. It will be beautiful!

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Cambodia is such a beautiful country. The country has a terrible and touching history wich the people are still suffering from. Their poverty are so obvious, but they are so rich in their way of communicating and giving theire blessing to people around them.

Being nice to tourists are off course a way to get money and tip. But still, it is something about the cambodian people. They have to survive, and they have to trick tourists to get money. But they are greatful in a way that touches you and they are sincere, humble and open to share their life with you.

We decided to stay in Cambodia 3 more days than planned. So day 3 we had a relaxed day by the pool and enjoyed a very nice cambodian meal at Khmer Restaurant. The cuisine is relatively unknown to the world compared to  Thailand and Vietnam. The Cambodian cuisine contains tropical fruits,  soups and noodle plus they have influence from French cuisine. For example they serve Cambodian red curry with toasted baguette bread. Key ingredients in Cambodian cuisine are kaffir lime, lemon grass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, curry, tamarind, ginger, oyster sauce, coconut milk. Also a must have in Cambodia is the Amok-fish, served in Bananaleaves.

For the locals their daily food is rice, noodles, soups,  meat or fish. It is cheap. And they can trade between families, rice and fish for example.

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Floating Village is as the name says , a floating village where people have houses built in the river. Houses floating like the river is the street and the boats the cars. Familys, father, and children pass by with their boat. They com home from work, school or they are going shopping in the mini supermarket. They have a floating “farm” with hens and pigs, a floating garden, floating school and floating church.. it is so surreal.

As the water height changes so does the people, they move with the water.  People at the floating village are Cambodian, Vietnameese and people from Laos.

I went on a boat with two young boys. They work most of the day and the eldest started studying maths after he started working. It costs 400 dollars a year to go to university, wich is alot for a local cambodian. Their lives are so different from ours, and so down to earth. They live where they work, exchange rise for pork, make theire own houses and try to make it their own. Its fascinating.

This “taxi-driver” (tuktuk) is for example depended on tourists. He drives everyday, all day. He drives us to floating village, keeps Erna company while I am on a boattrip for one and a half hour and later he drove us to a reataurant and waited for us – so he could drive us back to the hotel. The tuk tuk drivers are everywhere in the city of Siem Reap, outside every hotel, restaurants and market areas.

Tuk tuk driver on the way to Floating Village

And on the way:

The boat trip:

The famous sunset at Floating Village

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We just arrived to Cambodia. Our flight arrived 745 in the morning so we have a whole day to relax and see this beautiful and peaceful place, Siem Reap.

I just bought some mini bananas and my favorite mango from one of the streetsellers, so cant wait to eat the delicious fruit from heaven.

I am sad to not being able to post pictures, but hopefully I will be able to do that.

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