Wat Hanchey & Angkor Ban, Cambodia
No visit to Southeast Asia is complete until you’ve had a motorcycle ride. Lindblad tour members had their chance today as we made our first excursion to Wat Hanchey. Following the daily Tai Chi exercises and breakfast, we disembarked: some of us opted for more exercise by walking the 330 steps uphill, but others braved the ride, sitting in the back of the scooter to be driven on the pleasant winding road up to Wat Hanchey.
What a strange set of buildings and sculptures. Temples every which way, hidden under large trees. Temples and shrines painted bright blue, bright yellow or bright pink. As our guides Rithy and Sam explained about the one small ancient building remaining, tour members couldn’t help casting glances, and then wandering off, to the strange other buildings, amazed at what they saw. Everywhere there were huge multi-colored sculptures of tropical fruits: bananas, sour sops, pineapple, and also vegetables. Then there were cement animals: rabbits, deer, cows and more (and then there was a real live one that caught the attention of many: a blonde-haired, black-chested monkey dangling from branch to branch, taunting us to catch it in a photographic moment).
In one shrine, there were some sculptures of monks in lotus position, a touch surreal, a touch naïve, somewhat eerie-looking, somewhat somber. Everything is in primary colors. Here and there, houses on stilts obviously are used by monks, their saffron robes draped on the balconies to dry under the sun.
This is a modern temple complex that attracts both the young and old, and children are there to learn things. Others work with their families to run stands offering stir-fried noodles and vegetables, or sugar cane juice. The complex also gave our guests a fabulous view of the river and green fields below.
Back on the Jahan, the guests were treated to a praying session with two local monks: a traditional blessing on the terrace deck before having lunch.
In the afternoon, guests enjoyed a slide presentation on Khmer culture, then a fashion show of sorts: two of the Jahan staff modeled various traditional costumes and the resourceful uses of scarves and sarongs. Afterward, we visited Angkor Ban, a village that until recently had no electricity. It was a chance to learn about traditional village life as we strolled through sandy lanes between houses on stilts, hay stacks and cow pens. Most amazing were the constant smiles, the hand waves and greetings the villagers offered.
The evening was a surprise: the Jahan dropped anchor at a small beach where the staff had built a bonfire, and offered their music and dancing skills to the delight of the guests. We also enjoyed a spectacular sunset before going back aboard for dinner and a movie by a French Cambodian filmmaker. “The Rice People” was a long movie, but a thorough presentation of how Cambodians valiantly push themselves through the harvest cycles and maintain family traditions.
