Silk Farm, Fresh Coconuts, and Dance (Daniel) Parker

August 22, 2009. A Don quote from two days ago after seeing ducks waddling by the side of the road near our tuk-tuk. We could have a "duck-duck tuk-tuk," he quipped.

Another Don quote that we heard frequently over the course of our trip--Don would lean back in his seat, throw his arms back (imitating Dash in "The Incredibles"), and exclaim, "I just LOVE this family!"

Breakfast yesterday morning was street-side for Ben and Don. Our tuk-tuk driver Carlos (we call him Carlos because he looks Mexican, though he's very Cambodian) was eating at a table outside our hotel room door when we came out; and he stood up and was trying to take a couple of last bites in a hurry so he could start driving for us. "Relax," we said, "Enjoy your breakfast." So, Ben and Don joined him for some fish broth and noodles. Ben's had some coagulated blood in it (looked like a bullion cube), but Don declined that protein boost. Daniel and I opted for a stop at the Blue Pumpkin bakery; a chocolate croissant and a mango-pineapple pastry sounded more delectable (and safe!) to us.

Our next order of business was to find our hotel next to the Church where the Dickerson's had made reservations for us. Sister Dickerson had said that it was new (two years old?) and similar to a Marriott. So nice! For $15 per night, we had air conditioning, refrigerator, t.v., comfortable bed, glass shower, nice closet--and we could walk to Church.

We toured the silk farm 9 kilometers outside of Siem Reap. This is the only hand-woven silk factory still remaining in the world and we saw each stage of the process, from the five varieties of mulberry trees, the silk worms eating the leaves in wooden trays, the cocoons being spun, the cocoons boiling in water and the threads being spun onto spindles (two stages one with 80 strands to make one thread and the second with 42 strands from an inner casing of the cocoon to make one thread and the more refined silk). Next, we saw the bleaching of the thread from yellow to white. Then, the dying of the thread with natural colorings from irises, cloves, bark, and leaves. The black thread is made from using bark plus a rusty nail. After dying the thread in a big pot, the thread is dried and spooled (all by hand, of course). Finally, these beautiful threads are woven into cloth, one thread at a time, on wooden looms.











We met the branch president of the Siem Reap Branch after returning to the parking lot, and he was so happy to see Ben that he grabbed him in a big bear hug. Loy Bunseak was the driver for the Baird's, who arrived at the farm shortly after we did.








Carlos drove us to his home to meet his family on our way back into Siem Reap. His home was the first brick house I had been in there, and I learned that although it looks very handsome, I prefer the openness of the other Cambodian homes we had visited as this little brick house served as an oven. It was too hot to stay indoors long. We enjoyed our time exploring the yard. Daniel was anxious to show me a plant he discovered. It looks like a small fern with many tiny leaves that fold up as you touch them; the stem even droops if you touch it.

Carlos's wife shared a photo album of some family and branch activities and served us what looked like limes but tasted like oranges. She also had her sons pick fresh coconuts; she whacked off each end with a machete-looking knife--whack, whack, whack--then pried open the top, stuck in a straw, and served us fresh coconut juice. Baird's arrived about 30 minutes later and we all enjoyed a good visit.


For lunch, we returned to tourist-ville and ate Mexican food. Daniel seemed to enjoy the break from the Khmer cuisine of rice, meat, and vegetables.


Our afternoon and evening were spent at the Cambodian Cultural Center, where we toured museums with taxidermied animals from the country and saw replicas of the Khmer people and culture throughout the centuries. The grounds were exquisite, with exotic flowers, trees, and shrubs; miniature representations of temples, palaces, and pagodas; and a 80-foot long statue of Buddha in Nirvana. The most colorful, enriching part of our tour were the live performances, with colorful costumes, music, dancing, and props. We went to four different stages and enjoyed various cultural presentations.



Daniel even volunteered to go on stage in one performance and ended up dressed in a warrior's costume. He got into the act and did a few dance moves, all with a big smile!