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After 5 days of walking, it’s time to pamper our body the Cambodian style! Sat had pre-arranged with Mr Kunn earlier to include in a free body massage for each of us. Initially Ailing doesn’t want to join, but after a little bit of tricks and much coaxation, we managed to pull her into this! Muahaha!
We were brought to this big white mansion. There were few ladies standing in front of the building and seeing our van pulling in, they quickly went in. (pic stolen from Emily)
I heard bout ’special’ massage in Thailand but unsure if there are such service in Cambodia. No taking any chances, I told Sat that NO SPECIAL SPECIAL AH, and he told me don’t worry about it. Lol!
We were greeted, rather coldly. Eh, wait. Were we greeted? All I know is we went in,and there was this lady behind the cashier who gestured us to sit at the rattan chair. I wasn’t sure if it was because we were foreigners where they couldn’t speak to us because the universal language is English or because there were girls in the group? I dismissed the second thought.
Then the ladies came with plastic hand basin of half filled water, a wash brush, and a towel. They placed the wash basin on the floor, hand signalled us to lift up our feet and placed them onto the washbasin. Then they started washing and brushing our feet!
Our next stop was a sudden and unexpected one. It was a favour done on behalf of my good friend, Wenyan; which consequently led us in doing good deed too.
Wenyan went to Cambodia 6 months before mine. While vacationing, she was saddened with the fact that the children in Cambodia lost their parents due to war (with Khmer Rouge) and landmines. Hence, she vowed to donate the remaining USD50 from her trip to the orphanage. However she couldn’t place the donation herself in the airport, thus asking me to donate on her behalf.
She did tell me to bank in the money to the orphanage of her choice (which she included in) – if we couldn’t go to the orphanage or see any donation box for children welfare.
However, I couldn’t do so as by the time we finished our tour in Angkor, the bank already closed.
So, Sat told our tour guide, Siya about Wenyan’s intention of donating money to orphanage. Lucky for us, Siya’s sister is working in NGO for children’s welfare and he called up his sister for advice.
I can’t recall if he asked us to pass the money to his sister or not, but I think we told him that we want to personally give the money to the orphanage and I added in that I don’t want the money to fall into wrong hands.
Siya understood and told us that we could stop by an orphanage centre on the way back from Prasat Kravan.
But then, we went back directly to our lodge. On the way back, Siya told us that there is one nearby our lodge and suggested us to buy rice from the market for them instead of donating money.
Which made us asked him, “how much is a bag of rice?“
“USD50 per bag of 50kg.”
Which was then the decision of chipping in the money to USD100 to buy 2 bags of rice arised. I mean it doesn’t look good going all the way to the orphanage just to send in a bag of rice. Afterall, we as a human aren’t made of cold heart – should do charity if we could. So the suggestion of everyone paid equally of about USD7 or more if one insisted came up too.
Thinking back, contributing RM24.50 to charity is like so little only! –”
Everyone agreed, and off we went to our lodge for quick shower and dressed up for that night was our last night in Cambodia.
Since the guys were faster in showering as compared to the girls, the guys went to the market with Siya and our van driver to get the rice. Which was a good thing as we could rest a little longer. Kaka!
However we weren’t that slow. After we were done, we walked down and waited for the van.
Though a minor dispute happened – but we got our rice! And off we went to the orphanage with excited heart. I don’t know bout the rest, but I know I was super excited in meeting them. Kaka!
Woohoo! Today is a public holiday, many thanks to Phophet Muhammad! It’s his birthday today! Though I’m not celebrating his birthday, but I’m glad that with this holiday, I’m able to be at home resting, spending time with my family and updating blog!
Last year I wrote about the carved riverbed and Cambodian food at Borey Sovann Restaurant. Today I’m gonna cover 3 temples – Banteay Srei, Banteay Samre and Prasat Kravan. So this post is gonna be lengthy again. Or should I make it short and break this post into two? Oh well, let’s the flow decides the length. 
Prasat Banteay Srei is located about 15 minutes from Kbal Spean; was built in honor of female deities – therefore the name “Citadel of Women”. This temple representing strength, unity, and safety and was told by Siya that the whole temples was carved by ladies!
Another 2 weeks to Chinese New Year! This weekend gonna make my favourite snacks – don’t know what’s it call but it’s the small roll thingy that contains sambal prawn. Sedapssss! <3
Before I start, I need to warn you – this post contains lots, lots photos! This place is different from the other temples we’ve covered. This needs our physical strength.
Hidden up in the hill of Kulen, tuck away from the city of Siem Reap, there is this popular retreat place for the King in the past, and also the hiding place for Khmer Rouge troup during war.
The place is known as Kbal Spean.
Kbal Spean is not a temple, nor a building constructed up on the hill of Kulen. It’s a carved riverbed. You might be thinking, whyon earth we had to climb a hill since it’s a carved riverbed. Well, that’s a food for thought then. Kaka!
