The girls had a fall break from school in October and we decided to use the opportunity to go see Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It was really ambitious to pack up the 4 children and head to Siem Reap but we want to see things in the region and we don't want to wait until it is easier or leave the children behind. We stayed 4 days in a beautiful resort, very Asian and built with tradition Khmer style architecture. The lobby and reception were outdoors next to lily ponds as was the dining area. The first evening we were there was Sunday and we wanted to just take it easy, so we packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with some chips and cookies and headed in a tuk-tuk to the main temple: Angkor Wat. Built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple to honor Vishnu, a Hindu deity, it is the largest temple there and the most recognizable with the 3 towers. What struck me initially was the huge moat, larger than any moat I've ever seen; and we learned later from our guide, dug entirely by hand. We walked around admiring the splendor of it all and that feeling of, "wow, I'm actually here." For the kids, it was a giant rock jungle gym with fun passageways to explore, dilapidated steps to climb, and endless pillars to hide behind. We stayed for an hour or so before heading back in the tuk-tuk, covered carriage type seating pulled by a motorbike. The kids thought they were exciting--the bumpier and dustier the better.
On Monday we had a guide and a van to take us around. We went back to Angkor Wat with a guide this time. Ella was carted around in a backpack while the rest of the kids were troopers, walking in hot humid weather for hours on end. In fact, I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my entire life. It was hot and humid, and that combination pretty much creates a slow cooker environment as it beats on the stone in the temples. I also went granola girl there without makeup and other beauty necessities, i.e., curling irons, blow dryer, curlers, etc. Good thing there weren't any mirrors at the temples! Actually, it was really refreshing to just wake up and go, then sweat, sweat, sweat, before coming home and showering.
After spending the morning at Angkor Wat, we headed to the largest fresh water lake, Tonle Sap it is called, and got on a little private boat to take us around to see the floating village--about 5000 people or so that live on boats turned homes. The school and stores float on the lake too. We saw a mother taking her boys to school in a little boat, and a woman with her small boat full of goods going from house to house selling fruits and things. It was very picturesque with the water hyacinth growing, separating the little floating shacks, a very simple life, albeit in abject poverty. Cruising on the boat was a needed respite from the heat of the temples and the kids had a blast hanging out the sides of the boat or riding on the front. After the lake we headed back to Siem Reap and the temple Ta Prohm (or the Indiana Jones adventure I like to call it.) It has huge roots growing in and around the temple that make it quite almost surreal. We went to Cambodia during the wet season and consequently everything was so green with moss growing on the temples giving them a green hue too. That night, and each night for that matter, we fell into our beds totally dead.
Tuesday we tried to get an early start to beat some of the heat and we headed out of Siem Reap to a temple a ways north. The best part was the drive there and seeing the countryside: the rice fields with buffalo up to their chest in water, water lilies blooming and chickens, roosters and cattle wandering the yards and streets. The houses were all built on stilts and for good reason with water in and around the yard. Again, the poverty and life in such circumstances was almost unimaginable. We saw children, very small children, running around naked in the red mud while the women toiled over outdoor stoves. The temple was interesting--much smaller than the others. It was another Hindu temple with very intricate carving. The kids, at this point, were getting a little weary of temples but still good natured. Abigail spotted a spider in a web bigger than her hand.
After a short nap and lunch we headed to the final temple complex, Angkor Thom. We spent the afternoon there and ended with an elephant ride to the top of the highest temple to watch the sunset. With 3 of us each on the backs of two elephants, the elephant ride was a highlight for all the kids and their only complaint was that it had to end so soon. We had a perfect view of Angkor Wat in the distance and the surrounding marshy landscape. I still can't believe how much water just collects in that country.
On Monday we had a guide and a van to take us around. We went back to Angkor Wat with a guide this time. Ella was carted around in a backpack while the rest of the kids were troopers, walking in hot humid weather for hours on end. In fact, I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my entire life. It was hot and humid, and that combination pretty much creates a slow cooker environment as it beats on the stone in the temples. I also went granola girl there without makeup and other beauty necessities, i.e., curling irons, blow dryer, curlers, etc. Good thing there weren't any mirrors at the temples! Actually, it was really refreshing to just wake up and go, then sweat, sweat, sweat, before coming home and showering.
After spending the morning at Angkor Wat, we headed to the largest fresh water lake, Tonle Sap it is called, and got on a little private boat to take us around to see the floating village--about 5000 people or so that live on boats turned homes. The school and stores float on the lake too. We saw a mother taking her boys to school in a little boat, and a woman with her small boat full of goods going from house to house selling fruits and things. It was very picturesque with the water hyacinth growing, separating the little floating shacks, a very simple life, albeit in abject poverty. Cruising on the boat was a needed respite from the heat of the temples and the kids had a blast hanging out the sides of the boat or riding on the front. After the lake we headed back to Siem Reap and the temple Ta Prohm (or the Indiana Jones adventure I like to call it.) It has huge roots growing in and around the temple that make it quite almost surreal. We went to Cambodia during the wet season and consequently everything was so green with moss growing on the temples giving them a green hue too. That night, and each night for that matter, we fell into our beds totally dead.
Tuesday we tried to get an early start to beat some of the heat and we headed out of Siem Reap to a temple a ways north. The best part was the drive there and seeing the countryside: the rice fields with buffalo up to their chest in water, water lilies blooming and chickens, roosters and cattle wandering the yards and streets. The houses were all built on stilts and for good reason with water in and around the yard. Again, the poverty and life in such circumstances was almost unimaginable. We saw children, very small children, running around naked in the red mud while the women toiled over outdoor stoves. The temple was interesting--much smaller than the others. It was another Hindu temple with very intricate carving. The kids, at this point, were getting a little weary of temples but still good natured. Abigail spotted a spider in a web bigger than her hand.
After a short nap and lunch we headed to the final temple complex, Angkor Thom. We spent the afternoon there and ended with an elephant ride to the top of the highest temple to watch the sunset. With 3 of us each on the backs of two elephants, the elephant ride was a highlight for all the kids and their only complaint was that it had to end so soon. We had a perfect view of Angkor Wat in the distance and the surrounding marshy landscape. I still can't believe how much water just collects in that country.
Wednesday we took it easy, slept in a little and let the kids swim at the pool during the morning while Ella got a badly needed nap. Unfortunately she had a fever at the onset of the trip and continued with a runny nose and cough throughout. Consequently, Joseph and I slept very little throughout the trip, but luckily sleep deprivation is something we are used to and so the effects were minimal. The kids loved swimming and exploring the pool which was like a snakey river winding around and through the resort.
After another peanut butter and jelly lunch (we consumed so much PB&J on that trip, I still am not interested in touching peanut butter), we headed into the little city center of Siem Reap to look at the old market and head to the silk farm. We all loved the silk farm and found it to be so fascinating. We started in the fields where they grow the mulberry trees to feed the silk worms, walked through the whole process and saw the cocoons boiled, the silk stringing out of the boiling water, spun on spools, dyed--all by hand--to the looms where it was being woven into the most beautiful cloth for scarves, shawls, whatever. The kids were all mesmerized with the women hard at work and the old fashioned machines they wound and pumped with their hands or feet. Even though silk is being produced in other countries all in factories with electronic machines, they still do the entire process by hand in Cambodia because it creates more jobs; and further, it is an art and they are training artisans there. The finished products were exquisite and I actually felt good about spending money there after I saw the work that went into the silk and knew where the money was going. I was surprised to learn that I actually knew nothing about how silk was made. 
That puts us on the plane back to Singapore with lots of new knowledge and memories. I hope that Abigail and Maggie will at least remember this trip. While traveling and having fun together as a family is worthwhile in and of itself, creating unity and memories, we had another objective in mind. Singapore is such a posh place in comparison to the other areas in Southeast Asia. I want to expose my children to the ways of other cultures and how various people live. Allowing my children to see poverty and deprivation is so much more efficacious than telling them about it. Ultimately, we want to take their experience beyond passive observation, finding ways to get involved through service and meaningful interaction with people. Hopefully this will enrich their view of life and help them appreciate all the advantages and blessings that they enjoy every day. I don't think there is any tangible gift we could give them worth more.
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