The Viking Saigon was tied down along the banks of the Mekong in the city of Kampong Cham, the twelfth largest city in Cambodia. On the morning of February 8th we traveled to a small village outside the city where we visited the local school, strolled along some of the paths and had a peak in a home. I realized, as we walked along, that there were few, if any, men present during our visit. I imagine they were working at the family farm.
Let’s start with our visit to the school and some photos of the children, the future of Cambodia. These first three photos were taken at the school as the children were gathering to meet and sing their ABCs for us.
Here is a photo of our fellow travelers as we listened to the children sing and then sing a song for them.
A bike often means freedom.
We stopped by a local “store.”
The proprietor.
It’s quite common to keep farm animals at home where you can keep an eye on them.
Buddhist monks. They were passing through the village collecting donations. Long stopped to make a personal contribution. I asked him what happened to his shoes and he explained he removed them as a sign of respect.
Here are a few of shots of the community.
This photo speaks for itself; homes are clean and tidy inside but outside . . . ?
This lady was selling small items from her home store. Many of us, JoAnn included, stopped to buy a little something just to help her out.
This lovely lady graciously invited us into her typical home. It was my observation that many families had businesses at ground level and their living quarters above. Animals and mosquitoes are a major concern and being raised, along with the use of mosquito netting, offers a level of protection. Whole families, parents, children, grandparents and others all live together. Bedding is stored during the day and brought out at night. Our host also had a small bedroom for her teenaged daughter and one for her and her husband. Her home was immaculate. I will start with a photo of our host and Long.
The living and all purpose room. Note the slat floor which allows air circulation from below.
And then we were on to our next destination, a local temple.