A hiking advenure in northern Cambodia

Our hiking trip started out with a long van ride where we passed many farms, houses, and villages. It was interesting to look around at their different way of life (we also love reading and drawing on our new Kobos when we are in the car for long rides). One of the things I noticed was that most of the houses were built on stilts, with space at the bottom of the house. The space at the bottom is often used as a work space, drying rice or other crop. Some people use it as a gathering space for their plastic chairs or pallet made beds. These beds host visitors and can be a place for gathering for a meal. Many people seem to have outdoor kitchen areas with small fires going. There are definitely a lot of hammock hung under houses and some motorbikes parked too. 

We entered a national park and took a long winding switchback road to the side of a mountain. There were lots of people gathered along the side of the road to wave to the van. We waved back and later found out they come down from the hills looking for donations. Along the road there were several forect rangers who monitor the narrow road for safety, especially at turns. Since it was Sunday, some of the workers seemed to have their families with them. After a long van ride, it was nice to be out of the car even though we weren't really sure where we were!

Then we met our local guide and headed off on a path... which truned out to be a dirt trail that wound over rocks and through a jungle. We passed a lot of cashew trees and signs about not picking the nuts! In total, we went for a long 3-hour hike. A highlight was when we stopped to see some ancient ruins (one of the sites was built in the year 802!). There was an elephant and a tiger mostly still whole, plus you could see the remains of some buildings. There was also a natural swing made from a vine which was fun. 

On this hike there were long stretches of walking without much information - but we made it fun by playing games, talking and singing songs. Our family played a lot of word games and we practiced our multiplication tables. The guide said "only 20 minutes more" about 5 times... so we kept walking and another hour later we were at the van enjoying delicious fresh fruit and cool water under the shade of a tree.

After we were finally done our long hike, we decided to go to a very pretty waterfall where we got to swim and play underneath the waves. It was a busy days for the locals at the waterfall site, many people had mats with picnics on them. It was nice to see so many people playing and relaxing - and of course, dressed up in red taking New Year photos! The waterfall was big and a loud. The pooling water was cool but the bottom was sandy. There were even fish nibbling at your feet which was a bit freaky! Mom and Bella got close to the spray so they definitely cooled off! 

We finished our day with another steep set of stairs and a van ride back to Siem Reap.

Love Alex :) 

Biking to some Angkor Wat temples!

BEEP! BEEP! 4:30, time to wake up. We got dressed, and ready for the day before going out into the dark and quiet hotel. Why you might ask? To see the sun rise over one of the largest ancient religious complexes in all of the WORLD!!! Angkor Wat is a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex that covers over 400 acres. Angkor Wat means “City of Temples” in the Khmer language.

The complex was originally constructed in 1150 CE, dedicated to the god Vishnu and then changed into a Buddhist temple. It too more than 30 years to build the temple and was constructed by the hard work of at least 3,000 people... The building is mostly made of sandstone, with an estimated  5-10 million sandstone blocks weighing at least 1.5 tons each. The restoration took place in the 20th century and is still going. You may recognize the temple is you checked out our earlier post about the Cambodian national flag!

We watched night turn into day from just outside the temple on the moat, which is broad and deep coloured. The temples reflecting perfectly in the water as the morning light came to the sky and changed the stone bridge from black to grey. Angkor Wat is known as a combination of temple mountain (a design used for state temples) and concentric galleries (religious temples) with trees and water arround it. We wandered the halls and visited the library and galleries as well as the towers. The courtyards show thought about the seasons and drainage with huge basins for water to pool.

This temple is so beautiful. there are such intricate carvings everywhere to tell stories, the decorations show figures and creatures. There are many towers, so big you would wonder how people built them without the help of modern machines. Something that also surprised us is that the temples were only for religion and not part of daily life with houses or anything often found at ancient sites.

After we toured Angkor Wat, we got in a van to go to breakfast. When we were finished, we rode our bikes to another temple. We walked around and took pictures, while our guide old us about the temple. It was built after Angkor Wat, but the stone it is built with is weaker, so it looks much older. We looked at all the intricate carvings that told old stories and tales from Cambodian history. It was hot, so Alex and I hid behind crumbly pillars to get shade! The king who built this temple was King Suryavarman II, he built over 20 temples and 100 hospitals. He built more temples than any other king. 

Then we biked to the third, and last, temple for the day. This temple was built by the same king who built the previous temple. It was dedicated to his mother, and was an Ancestor Temple. In Cambodia, there are three kinds of temples. A State Temple, which is owned by the government; a Religious Temple, for worshipping; and a an Ancestral Temple, which-like is name- is to honour ancestors. The temple was way bigger than I thought it would be, but still beautiful. So beautiful, that part of the movie Tomb Raider was filmed here. 

We had a fun and interesting day, and we are so tired now!! The temples were all beautiful- and we got to see Angkor Wat, the Eighth Wonder of the World. Stay tuned for more fun adventures! 

Love from Cambodia

🩷🩷🛕

Afternoon & Sunset: Countryside Ride

At 4pm our guide met us agaon for a countryside sunset ride where we could escape the busy streets of Siem Reap and see dirt roads, rural villages and daily life of Cambodian people. The plan was a 3 hour bike ride, taking us out of the city and towards rice fields ending up at farm where we would stop to watch the sunset.

We loved biking down the dirt lanes, passing close by water buffalos - one seemed like he wanted to jump on the bikes with us! This was what you would call off the beaten track, we biked on dirt lanes and shared the roads with motorcycles. Lots os people were waving and calling out greetings as we passed. We practiced our Cambodian words while waving back!

One stop included learning about oyster mushrooms and how they are grown. We saw the mixture that they prepare, which includes vegetable residue and other materials that are soaked in a special formula and then hung in bags where they will produce mushrooms for approximately 6 months. The mushrooms can be picked and then more will grow. They are a common ingredient in Cambodian foods. We learned that oyster mushrooms are one of the most widely grown and highest yield edible fungus in the world!

This ride really gave us a chance to see the many different homes and the ways people make a living out in the country. We noticed how young people were - many houses seemed to have little kids. When we got to the final farm, a lotus farm, there were tons of huts where you could enjoy a meal or you could walk to the back where there were swings and seats overlooking the rice paddy. You can guess where we were!

Stay tuned!!! :) 

Morning Ride in Siem Reap: City tour

After breakfast at our hotel we went to the Siem Reap office to learn about our trip and get cited for bikes. The first plan was to learn about the city we are staying in by taking a 3-4 hour ride around with stops at local attractions. This was considered an “easy ride” but after seeing traffic in Vietnam, we were a bit nervous… still, we set out with our reliable guide, Vandy.

Our first stop was Khmer Ceramics where a guide explained the pottery making process to us. It was really interesting to learn about where the different colours of clay come from and how they have modernized the pottery making process over time. The guide told us about how the pottery is mean to to sllow us to gain a better understanding of emotions and stories to empower empathy. We got to visit the beautiful gallery and wheel station where a foot pedal is used to craft pieces by hand. One thing we liked about this ceramic place is that it is a social enterprise focused on making an impact within the local community. For example, many of the employees are women and people with disabilities there are good working conditions as well as training that improve their quality of life and their families experiences.



Next we were on to Wat Thmey, a place to learn about a horrific time in Cambodian history. The exhibit includes a series of survivor paintings to depict the rule of the Khumer Rouge reign under Pol Pot. Almost 2-3 million Cambodians were murdered or disappeared during the almost 4 year reign of the reign that was a social engineering project. There were lots of pictures that help us to imagine this period in history, the difficulties and the survival. It is heard to imagine what it would be like to be forced from your home, marched for days or more into an unkown place, seperated from your loved ones, and told what you needed to do for work and when you could eat. Even harder to believe that this all took place since our parents have been alive! There were many skulls and bones in the mass grave to show a part of the enormity of what happened in Cambodia.


Next we went to Theam’s Gallery which was a maze of beauty and art set in incredible gardens with ponds and fountains. This gallery is the gome of Lim Muy Theam, a master visual artist who not only has used his art to contribute to peace and understanding as part of healing in Cambodia but also now helps apprentices to excel in the arts. The space has paths that weave through different aspects of Cambodian art from textiles and home products through to sculpture and paintings.

Our final stop took us to an old market known as Phsar Chas where there are lots of local artisans selling their crafts, particularly recycled materials made into beautiful things! We had a quick look around and Mom bought a necklace made of recycled fabrics that she already loves.

The morning ride ended up near the city centre where we enjoyed a traditional Khmer lunch. It was hot, about 30, so we were pretty happy the ride was ending and we could go swimming at the hotel pool after lunch!

ARRIVING IN CAMBODIA

We are on the move again... airport time = school time and we work together to get our lessons done and get a bit of activity in before the next flight!

We are headed to the last country we'll visit on this trip, Cambodia. This is a country that no one in our family has ever been to before. Friends and colleagues who have travelled there gave us advice about what to see and do so we could plan most of our trip before we arrived - thank you to all of them! Although many people will be familiar with the dark history in Cambodia, it is also a country that declared independence in 1953 and has many fasinating artifacts, including the world's largest religious monument. A fun fact is that their flag is the only flag that features a building - do you know which building it is?

Our first stop is Siem Reap. Siem Reap is a city in the northwestern Cambodia of 1 million people that attracts many tourists because of the ruins of Angkor Wat and many other temples from the 9th-15th centuries - recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our guides for our time in Siem Reap come from a locally owned company, Siem Reaper. We have booked a 4 day multi-adventure with them and will be biking, hiking and paddling to see the city, ruins and countryside. Stay tuned for more details about our adventure xo!

https://www.siemreaper.com/siem-reap-bike-tour/

BAMBOO CIRCUS SHOW IN HOI AN

Did you know bamboo is a symbol of strength? The Vietnamese bamboo industry is worth over $1 billion USD per year! Vietnam is the world's leading producer of bamboo timber, and industry that has started in the 1980s. In addition, bamboo is used in everyday life in a variety of ways, instruments, crafts, decorations, building, furniture, food - and performing arts. On our last night in Hoi An we were very fortunate to experience of seeing a bamboo circus.

This circus is a feat of human strength that shows Vietnamese culture and traditions through acrobatics, juggling and live music. The show is held in a very cool theatre, also made of bamboo and the props and stage pieces use local materials like local baskets and long bamboo poles. 

We took some photos of the stage and after the show but during the show you had to keep the cameras off. The performers were trained professionals and it was amazing what they could do with the long bamboo and giant baskets, they kept surprising us with their moves. We enjoyed this show so much!

You can see more about the theatre and show here: 

https://www.luneproduction.com/partners/bamboo-circus-awes-in-telling-vietnamese-culture-to-the-world?show_id=&venue_id=&location_id=&from_date=2024-12-31T17%3A00%3A00.000Z&to_date=2025-01-31T17%3A00%3A00.000Z&limit=&step=0 

But our night wasn't over... after the show we enjoyed wandering through the night market area and found a fun inflatable to play on! Hoi An is such a pretty city - we hope you will get a chance to see for yourself some day :)

Beach time in Hoi An

Who knew Hoi An had such nice beaches? Today it was a beautiful 25 degrees, so we decided to find out a way to the water. We had our choice of beaches, there are 2 within a short drive/ride of where we are staying. We chose An Bang Beach. The Grab ride we got dropped us of at a central point and we started out for a walk down the beach, there were already tons of people there - other tourists and people selling stuff. Every 10 feet we were approached by someone wanting us to choose their chairs to rest on!

 

We walked down the beach for a bit, before heading back to all the comfy looking chairs. We chose three together in the shade and spread out our stuff. We built sandcastles, read our books, and even took little naps! It was very relaxing. At some point, Alex was even turned into a sand-mermaid...



After all of our fun, we were hot. So, we decided to go for a swim in the water. It was cold, and wavy, but after a few minutes we were having too much fun to care! We jumped over the waves (well, tried to) and body-surfed on the sand-bar. Once we were out and dried off, we ordered some lunch and got back to relaxing. :) We enjoyed some fries, cold drinks and spring rolls - a perfect beach snack!



A few hours later, we packed up and headed back our hotel. Now, we're getting ready to go our into the town and see a bamboo circus show! it is called the Lune show. Unlike the last show, it is in a small bamboo theatre with a small cast. Nonetheless, we are definitely looking forward to it! :)

Sending sun and warmth your way! 🌞💛

Tailoring in Hoi An

Not only is Hoi An a beautiful city, it is also famous for its tailoring and tailor shops. Over 630 tailors work in Hoi An, and it has become a huge part of their tourism. 

A few days ago, we went into town to get some clothes made for our family. We wandered around and checked out different shops, finally landing on one called 'Mr. Xhe'.  We looked at what they had on display, and talked to the ladies working there. 

First, we asked about having a suit made for my dad. They took measurements and looked at colours and fabrics while my mom and I went to another room with Alex to ask about some coats and dresses. 

We told them the styles we wanted and looked at fabrics we liked. At the end of our 'session', we had decided on what we wanted, and what colours we liked. 

Alex and I got to help my dad pick out his suit lining colour. At first he just wanted black, (bo-ring) but we persuaded him and chose a dark purple.   :) 

Even though they already had our measurements, we had to go back the next day for our 'first fitting'. I had expected the clothes to be half-done and mostly held together by pins, but I was wrong! The clothes were almost finished, down to the buttons on my dad's suit. We made some minor adjustments and left. 

Today, we will go back to the tailors for our last fitting, where we will have one last chance to change anything about the garments.

 I'm very excited! 😋

Lantern Making in Hoi An

Today we had an amazing adventure in town! We wandered around the streets and stalls, saw a park with Tet decorations, and ended with a cool workshop that blended culture and art. 

At first, we were just walking down a street, but then we stopped to check out a store selling cute little dishes. We looked around, and while Alex took some last minute pictures, my mom and I went down an alley. At the end of the narrow alley was a shop that also offered lantern making classes. When we asked about the classes, the woman working there told us how they were made, showed us the different shapes and sizes, and gave us the price. We decided to take a lantern making class from her.

Then, she said she was glad we wanted to learn from her, she would teach us this grandfather craft but with her sister and she asked us to follow her. We walked about 3 minutes away to a temple. Inside the temple, she took us to a small room where her sister did the workshops. 

We sat down and looked through a pile of fabrics for our lanterns. Alex chose a rainbow one with butterflies, and I picked a blue fabric with birds and flowers. The woman came back and gave us each a bamboo frame for our lanterns, then she told us what to do first. It looked pretty easy but you had to get just the right amount of glue, which was tricky! We spread glue along 3 narrow bamboo pieces, then stretched the fabric across the 3 strips. We repeated this twice, then trimmed the edges. Half of our lantern was covered. Then we did the same thing to the remaining sides, and cut the edges of that too. 

When the fabric was all secure, we added strips of cloth to the top and bottom to seal the ends of the rest in, and added a tassel at the bottom. Our lanterns were finished! They both looked very pretty, if I do says so myself. (and I do) :) 

I was glad to learn a little bit more about the creation process. We have seen lanterns EVERYWHERE, but I thought they were a bit harder than that. Lanterns of all colours and shapes are used as decorations for Tet, so there are tons out right now, and it has been a big part of the sightseeing. I'm so glad we got to do this workshop! 

Hoi An Memories Show

On a chilly night after we ate a delicious dinner at Phan Gai restaurant we got our tickets for the Hoi An Memories Show and crossed a colourful (LIGHT UP) bridge to Hoi An Memories Land, which is called that because the memory show is performed there. Once we had crossed the bridge we went through a theme park with shops and walkways. It was a beautiful place sand there was also a “shouting fountain” that you yell at - the louder you yelled, the higher the water would go!

The show was about the history of Hoi An and there were five unique acts explaining different significant events in their culture and history. The show also had many actors and dancers, about 500 people in all. The dancers used different props, sometimes they danced with water and once they even danced with fire. It was a wonderful show with everybody in beautiful traditional Vietnamese costumes.

Once the wonderful show was over we walked out through a lit up tunnel, there are lights and lanterns everywhere in Hoi An. In Vietnam, lanterns are symbols of good luck, health, prosperity and fortune. There are also many floating lanterns which connect to ancestral spirits. When we were close to the bridge we saw a tree but instead of leaves this tree had lanterns many, many, different colored lanterns! The tree, like so much of the Hoi An area was beautiful - we are so lucky to visit this place.

 

Welcome to Hội An

Yesterday we arrived in Hội An, Vietnam. The plane from Hanoi was only 2 hours, but the check-in line was super long!! We made it through with lots of time, and got through security. Alex and I did French homework while we waited for the plane to board. 

Now in Hội An, we are checked in to our hotel, Little Gem. Last night we went out for dinner at The Circle. My dad says he liked this restaurant because the name was closed to the name Family Circle. After dinner we wandered a bit, and found a little store that sold snacks, so we bought some milk and Oreos. The city is beautiful on it's own, and the decorations for Tet are really pretty. 

We will be in Cambodia during Tet, but the preparations all over Vietnam seem to be well underway, it is a magical time to be here, with so much red everywhere. Tet is a very significant holiday, much like Christmas at home. It celebrates the start of spring and beginning of a new year based on the Vietnamese calendar. Usually, Tet is celebrated by reuniting with family and friends, wearing new clothes, and receiving "lucky money". 

We are excited to have a few days to rest from our adventure in Halong Bay, and there is a nice pool at the hotel to check out. We will definitely be back in the old town, and are looking forward to getting to know the city of Hội An!