Ants, Tarantulas, Bats, and Dog.....

Siem Reap Market

<Camryn> My favorites of the day are definitely not all good ones! But ones that i will remember for a very long time!  To start off the day, we headed to a small home where they made fresh tofu.  The tofu looked a little unappetizing, but I had no idea what to expect.  It was very interesting to see most of the family working together to make the tofu.  One of them was pounding the soybeans with bare fists and making bean paste.  The others were cooking, pressing, and finally cutting the uneven sides off to let us taste.  It smelled very bad like weird soggy bread.  Next our tour guide, Dani, told us to try a piece.  The couple from New Zealand that we were having our tour with grabbed a very big piece.  Dad grabbed a big one too but not as big.  I grabbed just a nibble :-)  It tasted like a flavorless spongey bread...which is not great.

Camryn tries Tofu

We headed back to our tuk tuk and went to the market.  The first thing that hits you was the smell.  It starts out smelling bad and then it actually gets worse in the meat section.  We kept walking through foreign interesting fruits then stopped at a stand for breakfast.  I was surprised when they served us noodles with duck egg.   Just like the tofu house, I was a little unsure of what to think of for the taste, but I tried it and it was not bad!  As we started getting to the end of the market, we stopped for a little snack.  It was ginger tofu which did not look appetizing.  We tried a small piece and it tasted like coconut and dad and I really liked it a lot!  As we were trying new fruits, two 3-year old boys missing their clothes ran up to their mom at the jackfruit stand.  I couldn't help but laugh.

Making Incense 

I also stopped at a small house in the country where I rolled incense with an 85 year old woman.  Rolling incense was a really cool experience.  It was hard because you had to do two things with your hands at once to keep the dough even.  When I thought I had it right, I would give it to the woman but she would have to fix it every time.  As someone else was rolling incense,  I played with the puppies that were running around the yard.

The next house is were we got our cupping done.  At first I was sure I was not doing it but when the other couple did it then my dad, I decided I'd regret not doing it so I took it easy and got one cup.

And that pretty much concluded my favorite highlights of the tour!

Dani and Camryn

<Derik>  Camryn and I spent the better part of the day with Dani (an expat from the US) who accompanied the two of us for the better part of a day going (way) off the beaten path and seeing a more local view of Siem Reap.  (Callie was under the weather and stayed back with Cathy)

We met up with Dani and a couple from New Zealand in a pair of Tuk Tuks at 7:00AM and off we went to see tofu being made.  It is an interesting process and this was about as handmade as you can get.  One guy mashing up the raw by hand and another pressing and cutting shortly thereafter.  I took a bit and Camryn tried a nibble but was unimpressed.  This whole process took place in a side room of a families home and they sell to local restaurants and hotels.

For those who haven't ventured into a true outdoor Asian market, it is an all out assault on your senses.  The sights and smells range anywhere from amazing to gut wrenching and typically in a range of seconds.  We had a great breakfast of rice noodles, veggies, and a fried duck egg and washed it all down with a glass of soy milk.  It was really good. This was Camryn's first foray into the market locals use for daily meals and I have to say I was impressed with her fortitude to try new foods and drinks.  She really has grown her adventurous side and willingness to go spicier throughout the trip.  Dani wanted to show us an authentic way of life for Cambodian culture - unfiltered for tourists.  If you're at all squeamish or an animal lover, the rest of this post is not for you.

Skinned bats ready for lunch

The rest of the day was filled with a trip out in the country area off the beaten path and off the paved roads for that matter.  Camryn was able to roll hand made incense with an 85 year-old woman who has been doing this for 60 years.  We saw rice noodles and spring rolls being made from scratch in peoples homes.  There was a stop at a street side seller of dog meat.  In Cambodia, if it has four or two legs it gets eaten...except the table (their joke).  We saw fish traps and grass mats being built.

BBQ Dog

The cup aftermath

We also stopped at a little hut where the local woman does cupping.  It is the practice of lighting the inside of glass dome and putting it out when it hits your back.  The theory is that while its on your skin it is drawing the toxins out.  Does it work?  Who knows, but it provided a very exciting time.  Camryn went for 1 cup, I did 3 and the couple we were with did 16 and 27 cups!  It feels like a big pinch and the aftermath leaves a bright red spot which stays around for at least a few days.

We finished off the day at a museum dedicated to the history of the Cambodia and how difficult a go it has been not only from foreign powers but internal insurrections.

All in all a great day and as the final full day in Cambodia.  We would definitely come back to Cambodia again.  The people, food, and sights are all amazing.

Rice noodles on a banana leaf fresh from the being made