Kompong Cham and Kompong Thom, Cambodia
Are all these Kompong Cham...Kompong Thom...names driving you crazy? They were us...and I'll never remember where we've been. Not only are all the similarities in names difficult, but it's been one night in each hotel with the exception of a two-nighter in Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh in the beginning.
Today, we had morning choices. A bicycle ride to visit Koh Paen Island, a drive up to Phrom Pros and Phrom Srei (hills with views), or none of the above. Eight of the group decided on the bicycle ride leaving early in the morning while the rest of us went in two tuk-tuks to sightsee. There were quite a few European tour groups staying at the same hotel, along with one from Intrepid Travel, another reasonably priced tour company.
Us tuk-tukers went to visit the "man" temple and "woman" temple. There were long stories about both, totally unimportant and both temples were new. The temples were used by the Khmer as prisons and the fields around as more Killing Fields. That was of importance and the monkeys were of interest.
Cambodians trap the monkeys and sell to the Vietnamese who like to eat monkey brains. They also drain the blood and mix with wine. (yum...yum...)
A nun was arranging lotus flowers before a Buddha before making her devotions...View image...
From the temples, our tuk-tuks took us to see a bamboo bridge that the bicycle riders rode over to the island. Rebuilt and only one-month old. It was something to watch whenever a car actually drove across this rickety bridge and whomever was on it had to scrunch their bodies against the fragile railing.
Then down the "rich people" street with the mega-mansions (average cost half a million U.S. dollars).
ex-Marine and I then tuk-tuked back by ourselves to visit a little bridal shop we'd passed on the way. It took the hardworking seamstress three days to make the burgandy one in the window. It sells for $120 and an average bride changes dresses 12 times during her wedding day. The groom only changes 8 times. Either you buy all these dresses if rich, OR rent all the bride and groom outfits for anywhere from $500-$1,500.
More wedding information:
- Before marriage, the couple visits a fortune teller to make sure their horoscopes are compatible; at least 50% of all marriages are still arranged; and a dowry is paid.
- The entire dowry is spent on the wedding. Approximately, $300-$2,000 in the countryside, $5,000-$10,000 in Phnom Penh.
- A hall is booked for the wedding festivities or built in front of the bride's house. The bride and family rise at 3:00 am to dress and make-up.
- Not only does the bride change her dress 12 times, but also her hairstyle along with the dress! Pieces of both the bride and groom's hair is cut off and thrown away for good luck. Last fact ---
- The guests pay money to attend the wedding, around $10 per person and this pays for their food and drink.
Men may have to work for many years to save enough dowry money. Therefore, a Cambodian saying: "old buffalo meets green grass"...in other words, older man marries young girl.
The bikers returned and said the ride was one of the Cambodian highlights. Primarily because of a local visit for tea in one of the small villages. But I loved my time with the little seamstress and her family.
Goodbye to Kampong Cham and back on the bus heading to Kompong Thom for one night. A fast stop when three pottery trucks in a row passed us. Pottery is only made in a certain area of Cambodia. These trucks load up with their hand-made goods and travel all over the country selling their wares.
Some really cute piggy banks, bowls and other items. I only restrained from buying with the thought of how in blazes would I get these back home intact. Difficult to resist when some pieces were 50 cents!
Another sighting and stop to watch Buddhas and other religious statues being carved along another section of the road before continuing on to Kompong Thom. There were at least 2-3 different carving workshops on each side of the road.
