The Village - part 1

Cambodia was the highlight of this trip for us. The best part of our Cambodia visit - a trip to a local village.

A new tour guide picked us up the next morning. We take off in the van and drive and drive and drive and drive. We are dropped off on a road. A dirt road somewhere outside of Siem Reap. Our tour guide is from this village.

We walk down the road a bit. You can see huts and paths on both sides of the road.


We come to a lean-to shelter and a large number of women, old men and children. Our guide tells us that they make food for people to buy on their way into the city. He also tells us him mom makes the best in town.


A group of friendly women and children who were enamored with our girls. Our girls, of course would not get in the photo. We had just as much fun showing them photos of themselves and trying to talk with them.

Walking into the village

We walked over a bridge. It took us a few minutes (as we also had to wait for people riding their bikes/motorcycles over it).

and into more of the village

Some homes

All of their homes are built off of the ground. In the dry season, they use the area for storage, animals and places to stay away from the sun. In the wet season, it floods under the building.

Our guide told us that the village had the philosophy of helping one another (i.e. "it takes a village") If someone was building a new house, the entire village came out to help them. Same if someone was sick or needed help.

In this house, here is the kitchen. In the wet season, they move it upstairs


As I may have mentioned before, Alessandra's favorite part of our trip ware the animals we saw. She just couldn't get enough "skinny cows" - yes, I know it's rude, but kids say the darnedest things.

Brad and our tour guides Uncle. He kind of reminded me of my Uncle Dave

Kids checking out kids.

Cambodian children

The Khmer New Year - celebratory shrine

This little girl (and presumably smaller family member) followed us for a long time. Brad finally got a photo of her - and she enjoyed seeing herself in the camera frame.



After our walk around the village, we stopped for a bit of coconut.

We had stopped at a hut for our break. The girls saw some kids under the next door hut and somehow they communicated that they wanted to hang out together. Here they are on the hammock together. She also had a chicken in a cage there, which was fascinating to our girls.

A boy teen

A girl teen

The girls under the hut

After our break, we decided to walk (with our guide) down to the local lake (actually a reservoir) to see some more sights.

Can I take you in a ride in my Tuk-tuk?

Here are the girls in their favorite mode of transportation. (at least thus far). The tuk-tuk. Motorized in Cambodia, it is one the easiet and least expenseve ways to travel. We settled in to one most nights we were there to take us to dinner. For about 4 dollars, he would drive us to dinner and pick us up when we wanted. Nice.

Here is a video of our tuk-tuk experience. The camera is shaky, the wind loud and I move around a lot. However, you get to see a bit of the sites and sounds of Siem Reap. Also of note: when our driver picked us up he was wearing a helmet (albeit, unbuckled) when he picked us up, no sign of the helmet. After dark rules, maybe?

All of the food in Cambodia was amazing. AMAZING. I mean, we love all food, but Cambodian food is wonderful. Similar spices to Thai food, but different. This photo was at the Khmer Kitchen. Yummy.

Happy girls after Cambodian food too.

And, the most happy picture of Brad on the trip. Good food, good beer and great company.

After dinner, we headed to the night market. Lots of fun items for sale ranging from $2 t-shirts to fancy jewelry (yep, Mary I picked out something special just for you!) :)

And of course... ending the night at "the blue pumpkin" Ice Cream at it's finest.

Random Shots

A couple of random shots during our trip. This one was taken for our friend Cameron - this is actually right outside of the Children's Hospital. Why don't more hospitals have a nice head on top?

When we went to the Artisan center, yoou could get up close and personal with the items (that consequently, you could also purchase). Alessandra took a liking to these guys with their hands out. She touched every one.

More tourists with our small people. (note: Alessandra also likes the Khmer head shape on the guy in front of her).

At our Bed and Breakfast, Journey's Within. Love places with swings!

Ta Prohm aka Temple of the Trees (enter Tomb Raider soundtrack here)

Well, when someone asks you if you want to go to Ta Prohm (aka Temple of the Trees) you say of course you want to go. You figure the movie Tomb Raider was mostly made up or digitally enhanced. It can't actually look that that... can it?


Enter our visit to Ta Prohm. Huge trees have overgrown this entire old temple structure (which is a large expanse in it's own right). As you meander around the site, trees and roots have taken over the entire area. Very surreal.

Brad and a big tree. I think I was trying to get a shot of the area in the background also.

The girls and our fearless (always smiling) leader, Sima

Walking through the ruins.

Old doorway

A posed area framed with some groovy tree roots

Crazy roots - aha, this is why they call it "temple of the trees"

Brad in a shot from below (Olivia maybe?) with crazy tree in the background

Hey - where did the girls go? OH, there they are... right under that root.

Family shot: Ta Prohm, Temple of the Trees. Siem Reap, Cambodia

I am the gatekeeper.

I had to post this photo. This is the main gate to the Angkor Thom/Wat complex. When we had been there the day before there were cars and motercycles lined up as far aw we could see (on both sides) trying to make their way to the opposite side (in or out depending on where you were going). This day: it's early and we were on our way out. Must all be about the timing.

Angkor Thom

The next stop in our day was to Angkor Thom. This was the site of the infamous (in my mind) camera swipe. It was definitely worth another visit. There are faces carved in to so many parts of this temple. Really, the photos do not do it justice.

Here is the family on the way in. Feeling a little worn out already?

Mommy and Alessandra

Mommy and Olivia

Olivia and a giant face

I love this photo!

And, another benefit to having Sima with us. Family photos!! This one was taken through a window (duh) that we had to climb some crazy stairs to get to.

Olivia - hey, Olivia - look behind you!

One of our favorite faces

If only Brad had told me to "flex" my muscle, this shot would have made me look really tough.

One of many people who asked to get their photo taken with the kids. This time Alessandra even gave a smile! (I rarely think to get out my camera too!)

We are all so much happier after we have been climbing around in old temple ruins!

This is outside of Angkor Thom. We loved these elephants.

The next three photos just make me chuckle. Note the succession and movement of our child/ren.

note: this post dedicated to my old family friend Thom Kennedy. You just can't go to a place called Angkor Thom without thinking of Thom.