My motorbike taxi guy ,Jack, took me to Mekong island to see how the silk is woven. I was a bit nervous about going with him. But he promised he would look after me. All the guide books tell you not to go too far off the beaten track because of land mines. We headed out of Phnom Penh and down a dirt track. I was not sure what was going on as I was the only westerner in the crowd. But it was the ferry that the locals used and the school children use. The boat was a very basic wooden structure, but they got lots of people on it. Some bikes were laiden with dead chickens,others with boxes of eggs.And one lady had a big tin on the back full of fish. The crossing was really nice. We then headed off for half an hour along a dirt track through lots of shacks with cows and pigs running around.There really was a lot of poverty and I did wonder if I should have come alone. But eventually we got to a big wooden hut and Jack turned in.The family ran out and started putting silk scarves on a table and lengths of silk for me to inspect.Little children in hardly any clothes were running around with big smiles.
I was so pleased to really be amongst the local people. Under the houses there were the looms where they wove the silk .I bought three scarves for nine dollars. We sat and chatted for ages then we headed back. They asked me to stay and eat with them,even though they had so little. But I have to say I was afraid to eat the meat so I declined their kind offer of food.
The next day I again put my faith in Jack and he said he would take me to the temple on the top of a mountain.A place where not many tourists go. It is an important place for Buddhists to worship.We stopped on the way for a drink and the lady asked us into her house and we sat and chatted for ages with Jack translating.
She was so kind and she wanted to know if I belived in Buddha and she said she did. She told me to pray to Buddha for a man to love and for me to love. I said I would do that at the top of the mountain. Her fiance is a long way away working and she only sees him for a few days every six months. But she says she prays to Buddha and it is ok. She too asked me to eat with her family when I came back down the mountain. But I said no thank you because it would take a long time to get back.
When we got to the top of Otong mountain we had to climb over four hundred steps to the temple, past lots of beggers, which I found very disturbing.
I was followed by a little boy all the way to the top .He had a fan and kept fanning me to keep me cool as I stuggled to climb the steps in the heat. When we got to the top he told me about the temples and his English was very good. He was so sweet.He waited until I prayed and then came down with me all the way to the bottom fanning me all the way down. The kids do anything to earn some money, but their banter wins you over and you hand over the cash!!!
From the top of the mountain I could see a new temple being built in the distance. I do have to say I find it hard to come to terms with the amount of money spent on temples where there are so many beggers and people who have to live in little shacks.
The next day I headed off on a long bus journey (8 hours) to Siem Reap to see the Temples of Ankor Wat.
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