Siem Reap, Cambodia
The last part of our week in Siem Reap. Sala Bai, Artisan workshop school and Tonle Sap sunset
On May 31, we had a day off from Temple visiting, since the kids’ were exhibiting a serious case of “temple fatigue.” They have told us that the “T” word is a bad word!
So we did some Trip schooling in the morning after breakfast. For lunch, we headed out to Sala Bai, which is a restaurant and spa which provides underprivileged Cambodian youth with the opportunity to learn hospitality skills. The proceeds from the restaurant and spa cover the cost of tuition for the students.
We ate a delicious lunch and then went on a tour of the school. We stopped by the spa, and they offered to “practice” on us - all five of us! We each had a foot massage. It was free of charge and we left a tip to thank them. Brian and I were in one room with Lydia, while Hayden and Eliza were in a different room. It was totally relaxing and felt kind of like a date, with masseuse babysitting.
The spa team! Au kun (thank you in Khmer)!
On the bridge, after leaving Salabai (in the background).
Getting a tuk tuk, with Brian trying to explain how to get us “home” to Makara Road.
Heading home.
So we did some Trip schooling in the morning after breakfast. For lunch, we headed out to Sala Bai, which is a restaurant and spa which provides underprivileged Cambodian youth with the opportunity to learn hospitality skills. The proceeds from the restaurant and spa cover the cost of tuition for the students.
We ate a delicious lunch and then went on a tour of the school. We stopped by the spa, and they offered to “practice” on us - all five of us! We each had a foot massage. It was free of charge and we left a tip to thank them. Brian and I were in one room with Lydia, while Hayden and Eliza were in a different room. It was totally relaxing and felt kind of like a date, with masseuse babysitting.
The spa team! Au kun (thank you in Khmer)!
On the bridge, after leaving Salabai (in the background).
Getting a tuk tuk, with Brian trying to explain how to get us “home” to Makara Road.
Heading home.
The next day, June 1, we also had a morning at the villa with swimming and school.
At 3 PM, Viseth and our driver picked us up, and we made a plan to visit the Artisan workshop in town, where students, also from poor families, learn a trade so they can get jobs at the workshop or in other areas of Cambodia.
We had thought we would go on a boat ride around Tonle Sap Lake, but it seemed expensive because we would have to pay a fee to visit the lake and also to rent the boat - and then it looked like there would be a thunderstorm, so it made sense to skip it anyway. The kids’ vote was to stay at the villa and do nothing!
We learned that the sculptures are made from a cement mold.
Eliza taking a turn at carving the soapstone.
Hayden takes a turn.
Lydia too!
A really cool statue made from sandstone with inlaid soapstone earrings, eyes, and decorations on her dress. The soapstone appears green when polished.
Next stop, a lotus flower farm and restaurant.
The lotus farm was a restaurant, with food served in the little huts. We did not eat here, but the girls took a quick seat in the hammock!
Viseth shows us the base of the flower, once the petals fall off, out of which you can pop the seeds.
Viseth showed us that the seeds are edible, and quite delicious. They taste like peas.
You can whack the seed on your forehead (or your sibling’s forehead) to see if there is a seed inside ready to be eaten. If it hurts, it’s not ready! Watch our vlog to see this in action!
Now off to the mountain for our hike to see the sunset, and a temple. We didn’t mention to “T word” to the kids!
These childern are having fun in the huge puddle in the road at the bottom of the mountain we climbed.
A view of Tonle Sap Lake and the surrounding town. The roads are elevated because in the wet season, which is just beginning, the water level rises significantly.
We take a short-cut off the winding road.
We made it to the top!
And to the temple!
You can see the rain across the valley.
The sun reflects on the rice fields.
The colors are getting good!
Lydia and her lotus flower.
A beautiful way to spend our final evening in Cambodia.
We really loved our time here. The temples were amazing and we loved everything else about Siem Reap too (except the heat). Our guide Viseth was probably our favorite so far, the villa was nice, the food was great, the people were kind, the history is rich although devastating.
Brian and I hope to return someday.
Our last goodbye to a temple, after sunset, with the lotus flower left as an offering (bottom right, laying on the temple stone).
Then to dinner at Haven, which is another restaurant that helps Cambodian young adults to gain skills to help them find employment. This school serves young adult orphans.
At 3 PM, Viseth and our driver picked us up, and we made a plan to visit the Artisan workshop in town, where students, also from poor families, learn a trade so they can get jobs at the workshop or in other areas of Cambodia.
We had thought we would go on a boat ride around Tonle Sap Lake, but it seemed expensive because we would have to pay a fee to visit the lake and also to rent the boat - and then it looked like there would be a thunderstorm, so it made sense to skip it anyway. The kids’ vote was to stay at the villa and do nothing!
We learned that the sculptures are made from a cement mold.
Eliza taking a turn at carving the soapstone.
Hayden takes a turn.
Lydia too!
A really cool statue made from sandstone with inlaid soapstone earrings, eyes, and decorations on her dress. The soapstone appears green when polished.
Next stop, a lotus flower farm and restaurant.
The lotus farm was a restaurant, with food served in the little huts. We did not eat here, but the girls took a quick seat in the hammock!
Viseth shows us the base of the flower, once the petals fall off, out of which you can pop the seeds.
Viseth showed us that the seeds are edible, and quite delicious. They taste like peas.
You can whack the seed on your forehead (or your sibling’s forehead) to see if there is a seed inside ready to be eaten. If it hurts, it’s not ready! Watch our vlog to see this in action!
Now off to the mountain for our hike to see the sunset, and a temple. We didn’t mention to “T word” to the kids!
These childern are having fun in the huge puddle in the road at the bottom of the mountain we climbed.
A view of Tonle Sap Lake and the surrounding town. The roads are elevated because in the wet season, which is just beginning, the water level rises significantly.
We take a short-cut off the winding road.
We made it to the top!
And to the temple!
You can see the rain across the valley.
The sun reflects on the rice fields.
The colors are getting good!
Lydia and her lotus flower.
A beautiful way to spend our final evening in Cambodia.
We really loved our time here. The temples were amazing and we loved everything else about Siem Reap too (except the heat). Our guide Viseth was probably our favorite so far, the villa was nice, the food was great, the people were kind, the history is rich although devastating.
Brian and I hope to return someday.
Our last goodbye to a temple, after sunset, with the lotus flower left as an offering (bottom right, laying on the temple stone).
Then to dinner at Haven, which is another restaurant that helps Cambodian young adults to gain skills to help them find employment. This school serves young adult orphans.
