Siem Reap, Cambodia

We are half way through our stay in Siem Reap and despite the oppressive heat, we are having a good time.  Lance and I arrived here during the Chinese New Year so there have been bigger crowds than usual visiting here.  That's because many of the Chinese are given a two week vacation that coincides with their holiday.  

Siem Reap is the home to the world famous Angkor temples.  During the past few years it has experienced a large building boom that has resulted in more than 1,000 hotels, guesthouses, and other types of accommodations in the city compared to the more than 500 just a couple of years ago.  There are also many upscale shops and restaurants for the  large number of tourists that visit here.

Above...one of the many nice hotels/resorts you can find in Siem Reap.
Below...one of the high end stores you can find in the new mall built next to the museum.

But, you don't need to go far to see the humble surroundings where most local people live.  Make no mistake, Cambodia is a poor country where the average household in 2016 made only 1,228 US dollars for the entire year.

Lance and I are staying in a neighborhood not far from downtown.  It is an AirBnB owned by a local family.  The wife, Sokhom, is Cambodian and her husband, Nabil, appears to be from India.  Sokhom is a jewelry designer and Nabil is a professional photographer.  They have three beautiful daughters of various ages...all English speaking.  Sokhom and Nabil are very kind and helpful with all kinds of tips and suggestions to make our stay here enjoyable.  

There are 12 townhouses in their compound that have a living room, kitchen/dining room, and half bath downstairs...and 2 bedrooms and a full bath upstairs.  It is simple, but clean and nicely furnished.  They offer free cleaning services every few days...all you have to do is request it.  The entire compound is filled with trees and plants and is kept very clean and green looking.  We like to think of it as a little oasis in this hot dusty neighborhood.  Nabil is always available to address any questions or concerns.  

A photo of our apartment.

Our AirBnB hosts suggested that we wait until the majority of Chinese visitors are gone before visiting the Angkor temples.  So, we have spent our first two weeks here doing other activities.  During that time we attended a traditional dinner and dance show that was offered at a local theatre.

Above...a view of the dining area where we sat.
Below...a second floor balcony that offered regular tables and chairs.

We visited the Buddhist temple in town, where you see people go to worship every day.

  

Lotus flowers sold near the temple.

We attended the Monk Talks at one of our favorite hangouts...The Peace Cafe.  The Peace Cafe is a vegetarian restaurant where yoga is practiced throughout the week.  

Photo taken from the second floor of the cafe.

The room where the monk talks took place.  Sorry...no picture of the monk.

You can also take cooking classes at the Peace Cafe.  I took one on Saturday and I was taught how to make one of my favorite dishes here...fresh Spring Rolls...among other things.

My sweet cooking teacher who kept me involved the whole time.

The yoga teacher, Prasad, who works at the Peace Cafe also teaches beginner classes out of his home.  We attend those classes every Tuesday and Friday.  We've also gone to his meditation class on Sunday afternoons.  

The Peace Cafe is located a short walk from our home.  To get there we cut through the  cemetery.  

This is one of the entrances to the cemetery.  There is also a monastery nearby where the monks live, and, a school.  The small vehicle in the foreground is a Tuk Tuk that can be called through the use of the Pass App.
Their rates are very cheap and it is our preferred way to get around town.

The graves are all covered with mounds of dirt.
This is done to help prevent the smell from the decaying bodies.

Monuments found in the cemetery.
Unfortunately, I have no information about them.

The local school that seems to be in session 6 days a week.

Most recently, we went to the Cambodian Circus.  This group of performers use theater, music, dance and acrobatic circus acts to tell Cambodian stories.  They are students and graduates from the Phare Ponleu Selpak's vocational training center.  This center offers students a place to lean their skills and eventually earn a decent wage.  The show was very entertaining and I highly recommend it if you travel to Siem Reap. 

A drawing made with rice.

A balancing act performed on top while the band plays below.

Although we're not much for the bar scene here in town...we decided to check it out after the Circus show.  The big place to go here is Pub Street.  It is filled with tourists and drinking establishments.  There are also restaurants...street food....night markets selling cheap clothing...lines of chairs offering a foot or chair massage...live music...and many other things too numerous to recall.  

We also took some time to visit the Angkor National Museum.  We did this in preparation for a trip to the temples next week.  It is a brand new museum and very nicely done with audio guides and an amazing number of historical artefacts, many in excellent condition.

 

Although we cook most of our meals at home, once in awhile we will eat out.  Recently we enjoyed a lovely lunch at one of the oldest restaurants in town that has undergone a recent renovation.  

Sometimes we will go out in the evening to avoid the heat of the day.  One night we wandered over to the Made in Cambodian fair trade market to look at all the different items for sale.  

During the day we might walk to a coffee shop to hang out in air conditioned comfort.  While there, Lance will use his iPad to work on travel related tasks and I will work on my blog or other unrelated items.  It's a good place to go if we want a change of scenery.

Our favorite coffee shop, Red Buff...where they also offer good inexpensive food.
We often walk here after yoga class.

We've also been known to go here.

When walking to Starbucks, we have to cross the Siem Reap River...which always looks muddy and doesn't appear to be too deep.

This one of several bridges we use to cross the river.

Finally...I thought I would share some pictures from the street where we live.  Here you can get about anything you need.  There are tailors with their sewing machines out in front of their shops.  There are also restaurants, a hardware store, motorcycle mechanics, coffee shops, and numerous other businesses. 

A juice bar

Motorcycle and Bicycle wash

Motorcycles, scooters, and Tuk Tuk's are the primary source of transportation here in Siem Reap.

Gas Station..and yes, that is gas you can buy in the glass bottles.
Sometimes you will see them being carried on the back of their bikes.  Yikes!

Motorcycle Mechanics

Laundromat...where they will wash your clothes for you and hang them up to dry.

Buddhist temples can be found in front of many of the businesses on our street.

At a fancier Chinese Grocery Store in town you can even find the world famous Johnsonville Brats!
Who knew?!?

Although it has the appearance of looking neat and tidy...the truth is that you will often see garbage alongside the road.  Parts of this town has the appearance of a poor city...but it all depends on your perspective.  Many locals here will be quick to tell you that the real poverty can be found in the countryside.

Speaking of which...we have lovely neighbours next door, two gentleman, who come every year for two and a half months from Canada and the States to build homes in the small villages outside Siem Reap.  They have a nonprofit to pay for their buildings materials, although much of the money needed comes out of their own pockets.  Instead of bringing volunteers, they use local people from the villages to assist with the construction of the homes.  Apparently they have done this service for a number of years...starting in Thailand, and more recently here in Cambodia.  Having the opportunity to meet people like them are some of the best parts about traveling. 

My next post will be all about the Angkor Temples.  We go next week...twice with a guide and once on our own.  We will leave early in the morning and be back by noon to avoid the heat.  I hope all my friends and family in Wisconsin are staying warm during this cold and snowy winter.                

   

  

   

     

Madeira...and...Bangkok

I'm a bit behind on my blogging.  I've actually had this post almost ready to go...when a few things got in my way.  First, we started to make our move to Southeast Asia.  That involved a flight from Madeira to Lisbon...then to Rome, where we spent the night.  From Rome we went to Cairo, Egypt and from Cairo to Bangkok.  All that took two days.  

We left Bangkok on Sunday and are currently in Siem Reap, Cambodia...where we are spending a hot and steamy month.  Unfortunately, I ran into some computer problems with my Mac here, which further delayed the completion of this post.  After an entire day of trying to solve my problems, I think I finally have it fixed.  So, today I have vowed to finish it up and send it on its way.  To all who take the time to read my posts, thank you!  I appreciate your interest more than I can say. 

Let me start by saying...We loved Madeira.  It is a beautiful sub-tropical island that belongs to Portugal and is located in the Atlantic Ocean close to Africa.  Madeira enjoys mild weather during the winter season, with temperatures in the low to mid 60's during the day...and just a bit cooler at night time.  Flowers and plants grow here year round...including banana trees.  In fact, we had a grove of banana trees growing in our neighborhood right next to our apartment.

Funchal, the capital and largest city, is lovely with stately looking buildings and beautiful gardens throughout the area.  This coastal city has a modern fresh look about it...despite its historic buildings and long history.  It is extremely hilly here...but locals and tourists alike are saved by the fleet of buses that will quickly take you up and down the steep streets.  

A photo of the ocean taken from our apartment building.
We lived in the building on the left hand side.

The island flower of Madeira is the Bird of Paradise.  

Throughout Portugal you will see sidewalks with designs created with small rocks.  

This is actually our second visit to this island.  The first occasion was back in April of 2018 when we took our Transatlantic Cruise to Europe.  This island was one of several port stops.  On that trip we booked a guide, Lisa, to show us around the city.  This time we booked Lisa again to take us for a hike along one of the many levadas located on the island.  A levada is an irrigation channel or aqueduct that supplies water for the island.  They are still used today to bring water from the west and northwest of the island to the southern parts of the island.  

Many people hike on trails located next to the levada's.  The hike we took a few days after arriving was located on the eastern side of the island.  We did the hike with a mother and daughter visiting from the U.S.  It was easy, with very few hills going up or down.  The only trouble we had was when a bee unexpectedly flew into Lance's mouth and stung him on the inside of his lip!  Our guide notified the driver and he hiked in with a bag of ice to soothe Lance's pain.  After a short time of discomfort, Lance was as good as new.         

The levada that runs along the eastern side of the island.

Lance nursing his injury.

Lance and I posing with the mother and daughter that joined us on the hike.
They were a lot of fun and good hiking companions.

The second hike we took was the following week.  This time we boarded a bus that drove up to the top of a mountain.  We were dropped off there, and then we proceeded to hike down to Nun's Valley where there was a small town.  There we enjoyed a lovely lunch and walked around the town until the bus came to take us back to Funchal.  The whole trip cost each of us about 6 dollars.  This was my favorite hike because the scenery was spectacular.  However, it was a bit hard on the leg muscles in our calves because we had to constantly brace ourselves as we hiked down the mountain.  

A view of the valley from further up the mountain
and another as we got closer to the valley.

It started out a bit cold...but warmed up nicely when the sun came out.

Lance enjoying lunch at a lovely restaurant with one of the best views in the valley.

A local church in the small town.

Near the end of our stay we took a cable car up to the Monte Palace Tropical Garden located at the top of the mountain.  In the 18th century, the English Consul, Charles Murray, bought the land and transformed it into a beautiful estate.  In 1897 it was acquired by Alfred Guilherme Rodrigues, who built a palace like residence, which was later converted into a hotel.  After his death, the hotel was closed and the property was taken over by a financial institution.  In 1987, it was purchased by an entrepreneur, Jose Manuel Rodrigue's Berardo, who re-established the gardens and planted exotic plants from around the world.  

Although the day was a bit misty, with not much sun, we had a lovely time exploring this area.  As you can see by the pictures below, part of the park had a Japanese garden...and another area had the old mansion/hotel.  There is also a large exhibit of African art located on the grounds.    

After 12 days on the island, it was time to depart for Bangkok.  During our three day stay there, we explored the massive malls with many of the stores that offered top end clothing created by local designers.  We also took a walking food tour of Chinatown.

The view from our hotel room at the Holiday Inn Express.

That's me on a Tuk, Tuk...getting ready to meet up with our walking food tour of Chinatown.

We also took a tour of the Jim Thompson House, which is a museum located in Bangkok.  Jim Thompson was an American business man and architect who established the Thai Silk Company Limited in 1948.  He also had a huge collection of art and antiques from Southeast Asia.  In 1958, he began the construction of a home in Bangkok, using parts of old houses that he dismantled and brought there from the countryside.  He succeeded in constructing six Thai houses on his estate.  The houses were used to display his large collection of Asian art.  In 1967, Jim mysteriously disappeared while going for a walk in Malaysia's Cameron Highlands.  He was never found.  

Along with the houses and gardens, there is a restaurant and gift shop that sells beautiful silk clothing and purses.  This tour was one of the highlights for us during our brief stay in Bangkok.  We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the buildings, but if you go online you can find some beautiful photos of them.                 

  

The beautiful restaurant located on the grounds of the Jim Thompson Museum

We unexpectedly ran into a rehearsal for Chinese New Year at the mall in Bangkok.  What fun!
Most of my videos of this event are too long to post.