See Travel Blog

Well how’s about that – that’s two weeks down now, and today is our last full day in Siem Reap.  If I’m brutally honest we’ve overstayed our welcome here by a day or two.  I don’t mean that negatively to the locals, they’ve been absolutely wonderful, but rather I feel we’ve already covered pretty much everything there is to do here within an inch of its life.  Maybe an extra day could have been better spent in one of the bigger cities.

That said, we’ve got another half day here tomorrow before an evening flight (and one last leg still to follow), and I’m determined to make the most of it.  I’ve discovered a Cambodian Cultural Village in Siem Reap, which looks to be a cross between an agricultural museum and theme park.  We have arranged with Kachhel (in his capacity as a tuktuk driver rather than tour guide) to come and pick us up from the hotel at 10am.  It’s been about three weeks since we’ve had a proper lie in, so there were no arguments!

Kachhel’s tuktuk isn’t technically a tuktuk he tells us.  The Cambodian locals have their own name for tuktuk, but I didn’t think to remember what it was.  His is also different from most of the others – it’s a full blown Boxer motorcycle rather than the traditional scooter, with plus green leather seats, and a Perspex windshield which extends over the driving position.  I haven’t seen one of these before, but it looks just like a riot shield!  

Kachhel is decked out in blue and black fingerless mits, and wearing a crisp flowery shirt and skinny jeans, he’s very trendy for a 67 year old.  My dad on the other hand walks around like a living advertisement for the Isle of Man TT.  I think he thinks that wearing camouflage means no one will notice.  

On the 15 minute drive to the Cultural Village, we have time to once again observe the traffic around us.  The many scooters on the road give us ample opportunity to look into the eyes of the scooter riders as they stop for red lights.  There’s something nice about nodding and waving at passers by on the tuktuk(or whatever it is).

At one set of lights, two ladies emerge from behind a stall with a big bag of water bottles.  For a brief second, it feels like we’ve passed a water station at the London marathon.  

We arrive into the Cultural Village, where we’re met by a) not a lot of people, and b) numerous mythical animals in gold statue form.  I was a little concerned the place would be closed due to the Water Festival, but thankfully it is open and there’s just no-one there.  We ask if Kachhel would accompany us at our cost, and he accepts.

The first section that we enter, is the Cambodian Wax Museum, and I could wax lyrical about this place for a good ten minutes.  We are greeted by a statue giving the Apsara bow, that’s the traditional praying hands bow, we have been greeted by nearly everywhere since arriving in Phnom Penh last weekend.

Further wax models include a traditional Khmer tribe, a typical Cambodian ‘happiness’ family, two famous opera singers who were murdered by the Khmer Rouge in the Genocide and various Cambodian kings through history.

Visually, the exhibits are interesting, but with no context on who these people are (aside from a name), it’s a little bit lost on Western Tourists.  But thankfully we have our secret weapon Kachhel (mitts and all) to fill the blanks!  Off the cuff he comes into his own, linking everything back to the places he has taken us over the past couple of days.

Across from the wax museum is another with some ancient Khmer artefacts, and fabulous paintings.  Here we see an artist’s impression of Angkor Wat’s construction, and several musical instruments.

The musical instruments include a traditional guitar with a toothy reptile at the end of the neck.  Rumour has it that Elton John wrote ‘Crocodile Rock’ while messing around on this (let it be known that I have started this rumour!)

The exit of the museum leads us to the village part of the Cultural Village, with the focal point a very photogenic lotus filled lake.

A few minutes later and we appear to have misplaced tour guide Kachhel.  Next thing, we hear a voice shout from below us and he’s perched on the back of a gold-coloured  wooden dragon boat.  He ushers us to come aboard.  

At first we’re not really sure we should be there, but there’s no staff around (well, no people around full stop) to tell us otherwise.  YOLO and all that – sure what the heck, why not.  

The latest iteration now unlocked – Captain Kachhel rows us out into the body of the lake and we take a few photos.  

If I’ve learnt anything about boats, it’s the wider the better.  Narrow boats are very prone to rocking, and God forbid if we were to fall in.  I can’t even swim!  I did wonder what effect the lotus leaves would cause on even the most accomplished swimmers.  

These lotus pads are even remarkable in their own right – totally waterproof.

Safely back on dry land, we explore a typical Cambodian Floating Village, with wooden houses sitting above the water on stilts.  The one we look around is billed as a millionaires house, but Kachhel uses it to describe the similar (but smaller and more basic) house he grew up in.  

As I said yesterday, his parents had 10 children, and while they had their own private bedroom, there was only really one other room for everything else.  

His father built the house, with help from other neighbours, and everyone chipped in, in those days.  No-one had to worry about locking doors, but it’s a different world nowadays.  It’s the same for us back home.

Over drinks, Kachhel goes into some more details of his life story (which let’s face it, is the main reason we wanted to bring him with us).  He was very cheeky as a child, and would have rocked boats deliberately to make people fall in.

Obviously the war came, and things changed, but we can still see a glimpse of the cheeky boy (particularly when joyriding the boat).

After the war, Kachhel’s mother in law bought him a car, and spotting his intelligence, suggested he become a tour guide.  He only did eleven lessons in English essential course 1.  He says that God helped him with the rest.

We already know he’s a jack of all trades, but we didn’t know that he was also an army nurse, barber, bike repairer and musician in church, so by my maths, here is the final list:

Sugar palm farmer, primary school teacher, army nurse, tour guide, tuktuk driver, hairdresser, bike mechanic, welder, builder, carpenter and musician.  I suspect there are still more!

There are a few more things at the Cultural Village, but we’ve done the most interesting stuff, so head back.

On the journey back, we’re passed by a pickup truck which has (by my maths) 17 or 18 people on board.  I think it’s 9 in the back, and the rest crammed inside.

After a quick lie down, Kachhel is back to get us at 4pm for our last tour in Cambodia.  It was meant to be an evening tuktuk street food tour, however, the festival has forced us to change plans and go on foot instead.  

There’s a cracking atmosphere about the place tonight, as we peruse the market stalls.  Every single one, attempts to give their best pitch why we should eat with them.  To be honest we aren’t remotely hungry (I don’t think you would be either when the food is either fishy stuff, dead insects, or edible but coated in living insects).

After a demonstration on how to sift rice from our resident rice expert, we hop on another boat to cross the Siem Reap river.  With a low sun, this is beautifully peaceful, and in 24 hours time, this will be the battleground for the boat races that we’ve been watching teams prepare for ever since arriving in Siem Reap.

However, it’s never a reassuring sight to see our pilot scooping water from inside the boat with a bucket. For a brief minute, panic sets in and I think we’re sinking, but fortunately made it back in one piece.  Don’t ask me where the water came from!  

At the other side of the river, we encounter Kachhel’s granddaughters.  Small world eh?

We stop at a stall to find the most edible thing we can.  Chicken sausages, grilled eggs, beef meatballs and a papaya salad.  When asked if we wanted chilli in the salad, Dad said yes.  Bad move dad – note to self:  never go for chilli in a salad.  That stuff nearly blew my head off – and that wouldn’t be the only time tonight! 

After eating, Kachhel drops the bombshell that we’ll be heading to a restaurant for a sit down dinner paid for by our tour operator.  Could have mentioned that before we ate! 😆. Mum keeps calling Kachhel, Cattral.  I wonder if he gets any sex in the city?  Sorry that’s inappropriate.

We walk on through the paddock area for the boat races, and it’s absolutely packed to the rafters.  There are just people everywhere!

Making our way to the restaurant, we approach a cordon and closed road.  Our chosen path has been blocked off and it looks like we’re going to have to walk the long way round.

It looks like something is about to happen on this closed road, but I’m not clear what.  Kachhel tells me – it sounds like fire boat, but I can’t hear him with all of the people.  

As we turn to go back.  There is an amount explosion.  I look around to see what’s going on, but no one seems to be in any state of panic, and there’s no evidence of anything on fire.  Then I hear a whine and another explosion.  The penny drops.  Ahh… he said fireworks!

I’m not a lover of fireworks at the best of times, but we find ourselves directly underneath them. The noise is excruciating 

I just cannot hack loud noises.  Even a day later, I’ve got still got a ringing in my right ear when I talk.  I think it might be tinnitus 😬 

Because we’re so close to the fireworks display, we have to look directly up to see them, through a shroud of smoke, and can’t really admire them in their full glory.  And then we get the rain shower of ash a minute later.  Lovely 😩

I duck into the adjacent Hyundai tent for cover until it’s safe to come out.  

After the fireworks display, we duck under the cordon and the walk isn’t enough to build up enough of an appetite for dinner.

Just while waiting for the food to arrive, the restaurant lights (and more importantly – WiFi) go off.  That’s the second night in a row!