Cambodian Crafts in Les Artisans D' Angkor

Wondering what other things to do during our stay in Siem Reap, I looked up Les Artisans D'Angkor - mentioned in websites for shopping of high-quality Cambodian crafts, but the guided tour of the workshops seemed interesting.

Here's a bit of background first...

A country's crafts are part of its culture and identity,  of what makes a culture unique. Cambodian has a rich heritage on craftsmanship in silkmaking, stone and wood carvings (the Angkor temples are proof enough!) and silvercraft.

The reign of the Khmer Rouge espoused a communist agrarian utopia. During those years (1975-1979), an estimated 20-25% of the population of Cambodia died (some said it was one of the worst genocide in this century).  As the Khmer Rouge pushed to have a fully agrarian-based society, many of the craftsmen died (killed, died of starvation or hard labor). And since all forms of trade and business were discouraged as well, the skills and artistic heritage were feared lost.

In the early 90s, the CEFP was founded to help train young Cambodians learn crafts and have a means of living. In the process, they also rediscover their artistic traditions and heritage. Artisans d'Angkor was an offshoot of the school. (This is their story http://www.artisansdangkor.com/html/artisans_angkor/story.php)

For Day 1 in Siem Reap, we planned to just explore the city, understand a bit of the country and its people (and take it easy after the looong bus ride the day before.)  First stop, the Old Market. But not many shops open as it was the day before Lunar New Year. So we proceeded to Les Artisans D'Angkor workshop.

A guide approached us as soon as we got off the tuktuk. His name was Kim (he told us the tour is free). What a darling he was! Enthusiastic, energetic, funny. He led us first to the silkpainting workshop, then to the wood carvings & lacquering, stone carvings and finally, silver plating. He explained well the processes involved, showed what the item looks like across the different stages, how long each process took, patiently answered all the questions we had. The kids liked his sense of humor. Plus Kim had a clear loud voice - a good thing cos  we can still hear him clearly even as groups came & went to each stop.

Only the tour itself would do justice to all the wonderful things they were doing at the workshop. 

deaf/mute lady painting silk

wood carving on rosewood and teakwood

 

Kim and D carvinga piece of wood





carving elephants from sandstone

A token was expected at the end of the tour; we gave Kim a generous tip. We invited him to have lunch with us but he declined, he said he had a lunch date with a friend to celebrate LNY.

After the tour, we went to the boutique, showcasing the various products from these workshops. Brilliant idea! By then, the tourists had seen all the effort & sweat that went into making each item, plus the knowledge that proceeds helped sustain the workers' families. The items didn't seem as pricey anymore :)  We also reserved slots in the 1:30pm shuttle for the afternoon visit to the Silk Farm; we were told to be back by 1:15pm.

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After lunch, we went to the Silk Farm, 16km away. The ride and the tour were again free, passengers/visitors are expected to give the driver and guide some token. Our guide seemed tired and uninterested, but went through the motion of showing us how silk is made. Hope the pix help :

the mulberry field where they get the
leaves to feed the worms



the yellow cocoons
which the silkworms weave



cocoons being boiled to get the silk fiber

 -  the cocoons are boiled 2x to get the fiber

1st boiling - the outer layer which is the raw silk

2nd boiling - the finer, softer layer inside which becomes fine silk

 

 

bleached silk thread (L),
coloured silk thread (R)



  -  the silk threads/fiber are dyed, some using natural ingredients  (coconut husk for brown colour, achuete/annatto for deep orange, etc.)



-  then spun and wound around spindles

 - patterns are made manually on the silk threads (those white patterns are tiny bundles of silk threads; marks are left on the threads after dyeing)

 - the threads are then handwoven to make scarves, etc.

I could only imagine how tired the hands of the workers were at the end of the day.  (I hope they don't immediately wet their hands when they get home, "baka mapasma: :) 

The tour was done in an hour. At the end is again an LAdA boutique. French tourists were having a shopping frenzy when we went in. Compared to Europe, they probably find the prices still quite reasonable given the quality. We bought a few items as well, our way of supporting artisanship and a good cause.

We recommend a tour of the Les Artisans D'Angkor workshop.  For my son D, it was the highlight of our Siem Reap holiday. 

Tip :  If tired and hot after the trip, ask to be dropped off at the corner opposite Terasse des Elephants, right before the shuttle makes the turn to the narrow lane going to LAdA. On that corner, get  a foot massage ($3 for 30 mins, $5 for 1 hr) and/or some snacks across the street in Blue Pumpkin cafe (this one's the smaller branch I think). 

Cambodia : Eats in Siem Reap

Khmer food is similar to Thai and Vietnamese food.  Noodle soup for breakfast,  main dishes with coconut milk like fish amok (a very popular dish), soups made flavorful with lemongrass, ginger and other spices, pork-chicken-beef-seafood bbq. $5-$6 per meal per person is a workable budget (typical meal, not fine dining :)

I'd like to share some of our food experiences in Siem Reap.   

Besides Touich (which I've written about), we liked Blue Pumpkin Cafe. An all-white environment, with white sofas fluffed with big pillows. We had snacks while I read a travel guide book and M & H checked the photos they've taken. We went there twice and tried the fresh spring rolls, sandwiches, mini pizza and ham-n-cheese quiche. Pretty good. The ice cream was, to me, pricey at $1.50 per scoop. Of course, the ambiance is part of the price.

The open-air dining area near Pub Street (across Red Piano) is not to be missed. Only for dinner, I think it only comes alive at night. The stalls were offering mostly Khmer food and yummy bbqs. We tried beef, pork ribs, chicken, calamari, which were served with some greens and your choice of sauce. (M was looking for crocodile meat, there was none. One stall had dried snake meat, M said it would be tough & chewy). $25 for 4 adult eaters and 2 young kids is quite reasonable; admittedly, we were all not that hungry when we ate there.

Khmer Kitchen is also a good place to eat. We went there with friends, the place was packed with tourists. We had the Khmer sour soup (shrimp and fish),  deep fried pork ribs and chicken with ginger. Service was slow, but the food was good (though the chicken with ginger have very few pieces of chicken). Most dishes were priced at $3 each. Our bill, together with mango shakes for the kids and a beer for M, was $35.  Reasonable.

Viroth's and Green Star were in our list,  but did not have the opportunity to go there.

When going on holiday, I think it's worthwhile to do some homework on good places to eat. In Siem Reap, make sure the tuktuk driver is very clear on where you want to go. Many tuktuk drivers (and guides) would recommend restaurants to tourists (maybe its similar to the practice in other countries where they get some commissions for bringing in customers). No problem with us as long as we give our consent.  (We had a not-so-good experience for lunch on our first day. We told the tuktuk driver where to take us, but he brought us somewhere else. We just let it go;  if we insisted on moving to another place, we may not catch the 1:30pm shuttle to the Silk Farm. The place's name is Orchidee Restaurant, if I recall correctly. The prices were on the high side given the quality of the food...We paid the the same amount for our dinner in Touich! Well, charge it to experience.).

Cambodia : Touring the Angkor Temples



The kids at Bayon temple



We are beach people. For the Angkor temple tour, a one-day pass ($20) would just be right for us. Tip: buy the ticket around 4:45 pm the day before, and start exploring.

We did. We went straight in after buying the ticket. This temple faces the west, hence best seen in the afternoon sun. As the sun went down, we selected a good spot and enjoyed the sunset.

Monday, the day of the tour. We were picked up at 5am to catch the sunrise in Angkor Wat. Hundreds more wanted to do the same. For photo enthusiasts, including M and my daughter H, getting a good spot in front of the pond was a big challenge. Vendors were selling hot coffee for $2 (it's just 3in1 in a cup!) plus a free mat to sit on; hot chocolate or tea were available too. My son D and I came for the view, not for photos, so we chose to sit on the library (very few people there) and chatted with our guide about life in Cambodia. T'was a very cloudy morning, hence the colourful sunrise did not materialize. We headed back to the hotel for breakfast. I didn't feel disappointed though.  



The smiling stone faces of Bayon



A cute pose by J,
M waiting for his turn

There was an upside. The cloudy sky made the first part of the day less hot and humid.  Our guide followed the typical itinerary - Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, Phimeanakas along the way to Terrace of the Leper King and the Elephant Terrace. Temples typically face the east; the smiling stone carvings of Bayon are best seen in the morning sun. We spent the longest time there - there was still the novelty of the temples and we were taking a lot of photos.   



Baphoun with its grand elevated walkway



Baphoun, a temple mountain with a long, elevated pathway looked grand; I really like it though it did not have the beautiful carvings and bas reliefs. According to Wikipedia, restoration was finished on April 2011 - our timing's just right then :) The view at the top must have been gorgeous  (I stayed with the young kids on the ground - they weren't allowed to climb up). 

A three-headed elehant

On the last 2 stops - Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King - we were all tired and hungry as it was almost noon. Quite hard to appreciate the sights and absorb all the info by then.

Lunch was nearby. There were restaurants (and souvenir shops) in nipa huts where many tourists break at mid-day (brought there by their guide or driver). Tourist prices (fresh coconut at $1), but that's to be expected.

At Ta Prohm

After a quick shower at the hotel, we went back. Ta Prohm was founded as well by king Jayavarman 7 as a Buddhist temple and monastery. Its claim to fame is being in the Tomb Raider movie (and Indiana Jones, we were told). Giant silk cotton trees engulfed parts of the temple. (Cambodia does not have typhoons, hence trees can really grow old and tall). As expected, the sites shown in the movies are favorite spots for photos.

 

Approaching the Gateway
of  Angkor Wat


We spent the rest of the afternoon till after sunset in Angkor Wat. We parked near the southern part where the monastery was (also the  restroom), it was a much shorter walk from the parking space in front where most of the tourists come from (I was surprised on how our guide was able to do convince the guards to let us through).

Angkor Wat is the largest religious building in the world. Originally a temple for Vishnu, but later on converted to a temple for Buddha. (The guide told us that the king never lived in the temples; they lived in wooden palaces nearby that were destroyed long ago.)  Unlike the other temples, Angkor Wat is oriented towards the west. It is impressive and grand. We went around, as the guide explained to us the history behind the temple, the stories behind the extensive bas reliefs on the walls, and the carvings.

Angkor Wat bathed in the
afternoon sun

Won't be complete without mentioning our tour guide, Mr. Park San.  He is a good one. He came prepared with a torch for the dawn tour,  cold water and juice for the day,  maps and pictures. He was enthusiastic to share info about the history of Cambodia,  the temples, and was patient as our group stopped at almost every bend to take photos. (If he said something we find interesting,  we'd stop to take a photo. Ain't that exasperating?) He proudly shared that the Khmer empire was once mighty,  stretching to Thailand, Laos and southern Vietnam. Wars being fought were a major reason why some temples were never finished... During our breaks, we would just choose a cool spot and chat about life in Cambodia. I liked those moments, as it gave me a deeper understanding as well of the country and its people.  (For greater appreciation, even with a guide, best to read up on Cambodia and the Angkor temples before visiting).

The Angkor temples are magnificent. Truly worth seeing.

Cambodia : Our Amazing Meal at Touich

We are not foodies,  but when visiting a new place, trying the local cuisine is in the agenda. Good food certainly is part of an amazing holiday, right? (Also, food can be quite expensive in touristy places; eating in the right places can certainly help us spend wisely.) Touich restaurant was voted no.1 in Trip Advisor. We gotta eat there!

 I made a dinner reservation and was told we'll get a complimentary pick-up. They'd send a tuktuk I thought. 

To our pleasant surprise, an old topdown green military jeep came to pick us up  (the owner's, I believe). Wohoo! The place was slightly off the beaten track, the ride was kinda rough, as we passed a dark dirt road with potholes. The kids loved the ride.

Nipa roof. Colored lights. The place was simple and quaint yet quite charming.

We were shown to our table by a waiter with a bright and welcoming smile.

Grilled squid

Beef fillet

He recommended the banana flower salad as starter,  for the main course, the beef filet and the red snapper from the grill.  We also ordered grilled squid and braised eggplant with pork. The rice was served with steamed vegetables. Everything tasted fresh, seasoned just right and cooked perfectly.





Grilled red snapper

 The red snapper encrusted in sea salt was the star of the meal. The waitress had to perform a cute little ceremony as she served it - she tapped the fish loudly with a spoon to crack the salt, then deftly removed the skin. Novelty for the kids :)

The place was quite busy, yet the crew had smiles all the time and came over to check if we enjoyed the food (a far cry from what we usually experience in Vietnam). After our meal, I inquired if they had desert, the waiter said they didn't but would check if his wife made some Khmer cakes. (There was none, but it was such a nice, thoughtful  gesture.)

Gorgeous food, charming setting, wonderful service. We recommend Touich resto to anyone who visits Siem Reap.

Cambodia : Our Bus Ride from Saigon to Siem Reap

Our trip would start and end with a 12-hour bus ride. Daunting! It could make or break the holiday, making everyone tired & grumpy unable to enjoy (or remember the good memories) .  (I hope the info here would be ufesul to anyone who would take the same trip.)

We were in Pham Ngu Lao St. by 6:45am - quite a feat considering I forgot to set the alarm and we all woke up late. We chose Mekong Express because reviews were better than Sapaco (didn't find anything on Mai Linh).  For a start ...
- tags were provided for bags that were put on the boot of the bus
- tickets and seat numbers were checked as passengers got on the bus, some were guided/helped to their seats

The bus looked (and smelled) old. A lady helper checked passports (checking who needed to apply for visa) and distributed Immigration forms;  these were collected with our passports.  Later on, she distributed wet wipes,  a box of crackers & bottled water. A movie started playing on the mounted TV. It was almost 8am, as we drove out of HCMC, the city was bustling in preparation for Tet, with red lanterns, colourful buntings and yellow blooms everywhere.

Basically, the trip lasted 13 hrs.  6 hrs to Phnom Penh. A stop-over at the bus station, where we switched buses.  Then another 6 hrs to Siem Reap.  There were stops in-between, which allowed us to stretch our legs (and the driver to rest).

At the border : Midway from HCMC, we reached the border.   Everyone got off the bus, and followed the lady carrying our passports. We approached the Immigration desks as our names were called. We rode the bus again, and was in the Cambodian Immigration in a couple of minutes. Since Cambodia is part of Asean, we did not need visas so we quickly lined up. Like in Thailand,  adults had to have their photo taken, and their hands and thumbs scanned. We made a quick trip to the loo (and were glad they were clean).

Inside Flowery Restaurant

Food choices. Price list in
Cambodian Riel, US$ and VN Dong

At the Flowery Restaurant: A short 15 minutes and the bus stopped again. There were stalls selling spring rolls, various dishes with rice, and some fruits; cold drinks were also available. I found the Khmer people friendly and eager to please. We bought some food and paid in Vietnam dong. A meal costed 35k-40k Dong on average.

After a 20 minute stop, we hit the road. The 2-lane highway is not too busy - mostly big trucks, tuktuks and a few cars. The countryside was quite flat,  with rice paddies, wooden houses standing on long stilts, thin cows grazing on the grass.  (I observed as well how the houses look, if people paint their homes and with what colors,  most don't... I can't fully forget about work, can I  :)

View from the bus as we
crossed the Mekong river

Crossing the Mekong River: By noontime, the bus boarded a boat that would take us across the Mekong. Kids knocked on the windows begging for some food, they knew that limo buses provide some pastries and many passengers don't eat them. The sight breaks my heart but, my head know giving in will keep these kids on the streets.

At Phnom Penh : We reached Phnom Penh at 2PM. To me, it looked like a bustling and progressive town, not a city. The street along the river was strewn with cafes, hotels and hostels, many tourists lounging in front having lunch. At the Mekong Express bus station , we got our luggage (tags needed to be shown) and waited for the next bus that will take us to Siem Reap. Good thing we packed food,  there was nowhere to go for lunch. (The Tela gas station nearby has cold drinks and cup noodles.)

To Siem Reap : The bus that will take us to Siem Reap left at almost 3pm. Another 340 km to go, another 6 hours on the road. Again, we were given wet wipes, a box of sweet and savory pastries, and bottled water. I'm not in the mood to eat. I wanted to rest, but sleep wouldn't come easilt. The twins were restless but still in good behavior. Avatar on TV helped ease their boredom.

Outside is a vast flatland, mostly rice paddies dotted with tall palm trees, wooden and nipa houses on stilts along the roadside. (I noticed the part of Cambodia nearer to Vietnam was more lush.)  Since it was Saturday afternoon, people were just resting in front of their homes, and some youth were playing volleyball - a popular sport in Cambodia.  Underneath the houses, they typically had a hammock, some livestock and farming equipment. There doesn't seem to be running water, all houses have big jars which we surmised served as water storage. M and I chatted on how rural Cambodia looked like the places where we grew up more than 30 yrs ago.

The last stop before Siem Reap

A stopover : Midway, we stopped on a roadside resto. No one's in the mood to eat (except the crew), I bought the boys ice cream - a reward for good behavior :) The restrooms were clean. There were vendors selling fruits and chips, and kids asking for food. 

A vendor at the last stop before Siem Reap

I knew we have  reached Siem Reap when the road brightened,  with rows of big hotels lining up both sides of the road. It was almost 9pm and we've been on the road for 14 hours. On the bus station, I saw the tuktuk drivers holding a piece of paper with our name on it. They were still smiling after a long wait, welcoming us.

Tired and hungry, we can't wait to get to the hotel. The kids loved riding the tuktuk.  With the wind against our face, and our senses filled with the first sights, smells and sounds of Siem Reap, that tuktuk ride was a surprisingly pleasant end to a long day. 

Cambodia : Siem Reap Here We Come!

Where are you spending Tet?  Everyone gets asked this question prior to Tet  (Tet is Vietnam's Lunar New Year celebration and longest holiday). We haven't planned anything... Staying at home is a good option.  After all, we're quite conscious about the budget (especially now when we don't know where-to next) and Christmas in the Philippines isn't quite wallet-friendly.  But...

Cambodia is in our must-visit list.  We figured it's cheapest to visit it from Ho Chi Minh City. January's not too hot. Also, better to see the Angkor temples before we get too old to do  lot of walking  (stiff limbs every now and then tells me that "that" might come sooner than expected  hahaha)

So, Siem Reap,  here we come!

I spent a Saturday (and a few more nights) researching where to stay,  places to visit, things to do. I'm trying to ensure we'll all enjoy the holiday,  while keeping to the budget. 

Besides the temples,  there doesn't seem much else that's different - that is, if one is from Southeast Asia where rice paddies, water buffaloes and wet markets are part of normal life. So, we'll just take it slow, explore the small city, and relish family bonding time. (We've learned not to pack too much activities on family holidays - I've done that in the past and ended up needing another holiday from the holiday!)

I booked Frangipani Villa hotel,  newer vs. many other guest houses, and figured it would have better facilities. As $44 per room per night with breakfast included,  the price is reasonable (their reservation system sucks). We chose Mekong Express limousine bus,  it has better reviews vs. other bus companies in terms of service and safety. We chose the 7am bus; a friend told us they took a sleeper bus but spent half of the night at the border until the Immigration desks opened in the morning. My ever helpful angel helped us get good seats  (in front of the bus to avoid any unpleasant smell that might come from the toilet at the back). A roundtrip ticket was $44 pax. Next was to book a tour (or a tour guide) so we can appreciate the history behind temples, else they would just be a pile of rocks. At $60 for all of us,  it's better value to book a tour guide and transpo, plus we"ll have flexibility in the schedule. Hopefully, he will be able to help us feel the soul of the Angkor ruins. We also prepared US dollar bills in smaller denominations, especially $1.

The 12-hour bus trip (one way) is pretty daunting. I've been conditioning the kids mentally for the long hours on the bus.  Besides the usual stuff to be packed, gotta prepare for the bus ride. On the list are bottled water, fried rice, sandwiches, cookies, chips n nuts (sounds like a picnic?), neck pillows and fully charged iStuffs to manage the boredom.

My working hours this week has been even longer than usual (twice, I was the last person to leave the office).  Project deadlines are tight and we want to get as much done before the break.

Can't wait to go!  Truly, the expectation of the journey is as exciting as the journey itself.