Wow Wow Wow, What an incredible day. I don't even know where to start.
So Keerit and I had finished seeing the temples of Ankgor Wat etc yesterday, and were a little unsure of how to spend the rest of our time in Siem Reap. We'd consulted the guidebooks and checked out trip advisor, but there was nothing that was really sticking out to us (tried watching a little Cambodian TV, but....well...its not for me). And honestly, after 3 days of Pub Street and the Unesco Sites, we were getting a little tired of seeing all the tourists and tourist traps. I mean, Cambodia and it's people are soooo much more than just the hawkers you see along the side of the road, or the Tuk Tuk drivers that take you from place to place, and there is certainly more to life here then what you'd witness at Ankgor Wat or the Royal Palace. So we decided to venture off the beaten path a bit and check out what lay beyond the tourist glitz and glam, and check out the real Cambodia.
After an excellent breakfast of Khmer style noodles and coconut tapioca (nom nom nom), keerit and I went into town and hired a couple of 'Motos' (or motor scooters) and ventured off into the city. And guys....it was amazing...ive never driven a scooter or motor bike before, but after yesterday i could totally see myself getting one! It was just AMAZING! Keerit gave me a quick crash course (on how not to crash), and then we sped off along the river bank. Roads in Cambo are very similar to India where traffic rules are not strictly enfourced and you just have to basically force your way through intersections or across the road. So you can imagine my initial apprehension as we took off (imagine Jeremy Clarkson in the Vietnam Top Gear Special...it was kind of like that).... but within a few minutes i was comfortable enough and actually enjoying myself
We ended up in a smaller village near Tonle Sap Lake, and stopped to take pictures. There were small children walking in thier school uniforms along the dusty paths, and mothers browsing local markets for vedgetables for the day. I was beautiful. Keerit and I were obviously getting a few stares from the locals, but they were more curious and amused then apprehensive. Cambodians in general are very kind and helpful people. They will always offer help or assistance to anyone who needs it. Case and point, when Keerit's moto started giving us a bit of trouble, almost immediatly somone stopped nearby and offered to help us get it going again. It was pretty nice to see.
Eventually we made our way back to the guest house to meet up with the house Manager Penya. Yesterday we had asked him if he could arrange for us to take a cooking class so that we could learn some of the traditional Khmer techniques and recipeies, and he had put us in touch with Sok, a former tuk tuk driver, and good friend of his.
Sok picked us (Me, Keerit and this awsome American girl we met, Natalia) and drove us to his Village on the outskirts of Siem Reap. It was quite the departure from the Bar scene and hustle of Siem that we had gotten used to, and was all the much better because of it. Sok first took us to his home where we met his wife and brother, another Tuk Tuk driver who had been hurt in a terrible accident last week. More on that later.
So Sok and his wife first took us to thier local market to buy the supplies for our meal. Sok and Penya had chosen a menu of Khmer Curry, Hot basil and pork stirfry, Amok (which is the local specialty and national dish), and Khmer style fresh rolls. So we popped into the market and (with guidance from Sok and his wife) went around collecting our supplies. And guys, the market was unbelievable. Local fisherman and farmers (or thier wives rather) bring thier wares to a crumbling building and you buy your groceries at the different stalls and tables. The fish are still riggling on the ground and the pork is cut straight from the pig (you could still see the head!), so its nothing like you've ever experianced before. My favorite part was buying the coconut milk. A young women hand ground a fresh coconut and a fresh coconut and then added river water to it, so as to extract the creme. It was amazing to watch. Natalia and I were a little nervous about the cleanliness, but we didn't have any stomach probolems after at all. The cooking process probably killed any lingering bacteria. Keerit was a lot less cautious, snatching up leaves and vedgetables from the stalls just to give them a taste.
Then we headed back to Sok's house and started prepping the food. It was sooo great! Sok would instruct us on how to chop the vedgetables and prepare the meats and then we would cook it together on thier single element gas powered grill. I did the Fish Amok, Keerit did the pork stirfry and Natalia did the curry. Honestly guys, i wish there was smellivision, cuz the aromas that were coming out of that little stilted house were incredible. And the squeels of laughter from Sok's children just added to the festive ambiance. His nephews and daughters seemed particularly enthralled by keerit's hairy face, teaching him thier games and climbing onto him while Natalia and I cooked. I can't even describe how amazing it was to be in thier house with them. Our faces were sore from smiling so much. And to witness the family dynamic between Sok's family and that of his brother's was lovely. Typically Cambodians live in one house with thier extended families, and parents and cousins will be within walking distance of one another. So throughout the night, his cousins, sisters, and inlaws would pop in just to say hello and have a beer. It was so fun.
Now onto the food. Cambodian cuisine is fresh and simple but absolutely delicious. Lots of fresh local ingrediants are used, and they typically only cook what is in season. The flavors often consist of chili, with lots of lemongrass, coconut milk, garlic, galangal, fish sauce, sweet and hot basil, peanuts and a fresh Khmer-style green curry paste. The standard accompaniments are usually Ankgor Beer or juice, and meal times are often a social event, with every sip of beer or juice being celebrated with a cheers all around. So we were cheering every 3-4 minutes. It was great.
When we finally started to to eat, we all sat on the floor around a large tin tray and ate communally from the dishes. Khmer people don't typically mix thier food together on a single plate, but rather take a spoonful of rice and scoop it into the curry or fish pot. So we were digging in with our spoons with Sok and his family. It was really cool.
After dinner we all sat down with a couple beer and told stories from our different homes. Sok's brother up until that point had been laying quietly on the floor of the house, occasionally moving his legs or hands to continue his physio. But once supper was done, he started to tell us the story of what had happened to him.
A week ago, he had been driving his Tuk Tuk through Siem Reap, when a tourist car charged through an intersection and crashed into him. He was crushed underneath the Tuk Tuk, breaking his back in 5 places. The tourist who had hit him, initiay took him to the hostpital, but refused to pay for more than 1 nights stay and treatment in the hostpital. But given the breadth of his injuries Soks brother had had to stay in the hostpital for at least 2 nights to ensure there was not any lasting issues. So when he was finally taken home, he'd racked up a bill of over 350 dollers US, an astronomical fee given a household income of 10-15 dollers a day. Ws were absolutely shocked at the story especially given the severity of his injuries. As to the 350 doller bill, a couple of Australian NGO doctors came and visited him at home, and payed for his treatments. So now he only need worry about healing.
After dinner, Sok took Keerit, Natalia and I to a local dessert stall for a taste of something sweet. Ill be honest, i have no idea what we ate, but it was delicious. There was some sort of soft fudgy (texture of Barfi!) Cakey thing burried under a scoop of shaved river ice, with condenced coconut milk drizzled overtop. There were also bits of tapioca and banana mixed in. It was so yummy! Then we stopped at a Beer Garden that was frequented by the locals (as opposed to Pub Street which is typically for tourists) to have a drink or two. That was a difference experiance as well, with Cambodian prostitutes lining hte doorways, and Kareoke music blaring over loud speakers. Hahahahah...it wasn't unsafe at all, but it was definatly a contrast to what we'd seen before.
We finally got back to the Guest house and crashed. Overall it was an incredible and action packed day! This experiance was of the sort that you'd see Anthony Bordain doing. It was so unique and wonderful that I don't think I'll ever see anything like it again!
Today keerit and I are catching a flight to Luang Prabang, in Loas. That will be our launching point for the Mahout Adventure and the Gibbon Experiance. So our next post will be from there.
For now, ill leave you all with a couple of photos from our Moto adventure, and our cooking class with Sok and his family!
- k
PS....funny story...we saw the Amazing race contestants zoom past us on Tuk tuks...they had a van and the travel flags and everything...kinda interesting to see!
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