February 7th found us on a bus for the ride from Siem Reap to the Viking Saigon. The ride took about 5 hours with a stop or two built in for lunch and other necessities. I sat by a window and tried to capture a representative sample of Cambodian life along the road. We, Americans and Western Europeans, have for the most part a great way of life and thriving economies. Cambodia is a developing country with 75% of the population living in rural areas engaged in farming and fishing. The economic differences between them and us is striking; we are reminded of just how lucky we are to live in America.
Our ride began with a roadside visit to some people making sticky rice; a favorite of Cambodians. They season the rice and place it into bamboo then cook the bamboo over an open fire. In the first photo they are working on the bamboo and in the second photo our guide, Long, has pealed away the bamboo husk to reveal the sweet and delicious treat inside.
A word or two about Long. He was our local guide in and to Cambodia. He is in his 40s and a Buddhist. He is married with two children and talks about his wife in a loving and affectionate way. He enlightened us regarding Buddhism and his respect for it. He told us that positive thoughts and actions cause good karma and may result in rebirth in a higher form; Good karma is something he reflected daily. A Happy Buddha is depicted as sitting and smiling with a big belly; Long is a happy Buddha and I appreciated what he related to us and I know I learned positive things from him. I hope he helps me achieve good Karma. If you visit Cambodia on Viking, you will be most fortunate to have Long as your guide.
Now, onto our drive. Hopefully my photos provide a small window into Cambodian life. Remember, I took snap shots from a moving bus. I am trying to provide a momentary glimpse of the people, places and things. Notice the children leaving school on their bikes and motor scooters. Observe the farm land and, in one or two occasions, the cattle. Look how thin the cows are; you can see their ribs if you look closely. Look down the village dirt roads. Notice the debris piled haphazardly on the ground. Take in the roadside markets. This is life in Cambodia.
The photos are displayed in random order. Let’s start with children, in uniforms, leaving school.
And now, the rest. Let me know what you think.
I hope you enjoyed the ride.
We arrived in Kampong Cham where the Viking Saigon was tied down. As we exited our bus we were could see the longest handmade bamboo bridge in the world; it spans more than one kilometer over the Mekong to Koh Pen Island and is constructed annually in December to allow traffic to and from the island when water levels are too low for the ferry to operate.
Then, at last, we boarded the Viking Saigon for our cruise down the Mekong.
