6/5- 6/7 Connections in Siem Reap, Cambodia

6/5 - On the bus to Siem Reap: As I am sitting on this bus heading to the Northwest of Cambodia to Siem Reap, home of the Angkor temples, and trying to take in the scenery of Cambodia - trying to remain present to where I am, my mind wanders to twelve days from now, when I fly to Istanbul. And although Turkey is still Asia, it is not the Far East, which for as long as I can remember holds on to my traveling heart and soul.

As I bemoan the quickly approaching end to my year sabbatical, I realize that I must seem so absurd, for I still have over two months left, a longer vacation than almost all Americans get. If I were teaching this year, it wouldn't even be summer vacation yet.

Summer vacation always went by so quickly, and so I would try to remind myself each summer - appreciate each moment, each moment is precious. I lesson I relearn over and over again.

Sheila and I

I met my good friend Sheila in Siem Reap (for those of you who have been following my blog, she probably looks familiar. Sheila and I met three months ago in southern India). We spent the last few days eating, drinking and getting massages (once even getting foot massages while drinking).

Giving a massage to my foot massage masseuse

One of our waitresses and her son

Sheila told me she had a great tour guide if I needed one, recommended to her by our friends Ben and Miwa (Ben and Sheila and I all worked together at Evergreen School for years), who visited Siem Reap seven years ago. The guide's name is Kachhel. I told her I had a recommendation for a great guide also, given to me by Nancy and Bruce Herbert, my socially responsible stock brokers (Shelia's stock broker as well). Their recommended guide's name is also Kachhel. It turned out there is only one Kachhel.

Kachhel, Sheila and I

Kachhel is 54 years old, and thus, lived through the terror of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979). He told us the story of his life during those years and why his travel agency is named "Sugar Palm Tours." He first lost his brother, who was a professor, then his grandfather, who at 82 years old was still strong, and then his father. His mother and her seven children were forced on to a truck, along with seven other families, and they were being transported to "the killing fields." It was the last truck to leave his village. Luckily, it got a flat tire on the way, and while they were fixing the tire, an important person came by, who needed to be transported to a Wat nearby, so the truck took all of them there. There were sugar palm trees near the village near the Wat. The village chief told him if he know how to get the sugar palm, he and his family would be saved. He told us he was a naughty boy, always curious about things, always climbing trees and exploring. He had seen the extraction and the making of sugar palm, so he told the village chief that he had seen it, but had never done it. The chief told him he had one chance. Luckily he was successful, and he and his family were designated "peasant farmers."(During the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror, every person received one of two designations. Being designated a "peasant farmer" was good. Being designated anything else: "Easy to die," in the words of Kachhel.) Being able to make sugar palm saved the lives of his mother and all his siblings. "Sugar palm gave me second life," he told us. When Kachhel spoke of the death of his mother (more than 30 years ago), basically worked to death by the Khmer Rouge, he had to stop talking. "Still hurts," he said, with his hand on his heart. Kachhel was interviewed and tested by the Khmer Rouge. Though well educated, he had to pretend that he couldn't read or write. "Easy to die if educated," he said. (All schools were closed from 1975-1979.)

Kachhel and all his siblings survived the almost four years of Khmer Rouge rule. "Three years, eight months, twenty days, we were treated like animals." Later he got married (his wife also lost her father to the Khmer Rouge). He has three girls, ages 23, 20 and 18. He makes sure they work hard and get a good education. We met Kachhel's wife a little while later. We took them out to dinner, for traditional Khmer food (Kachhel chose the restaurant and ordered all the food, of course).

Mah Puah Tan, a special dish of fermented fish, eaten with your choice of fresh ginger, slices of green banana, green eggplant, pickles, pork, intestines, green beans and other greens

Banana flower salad

Kachhel and his wife Sokha

During dinner Kachhel told us the sweet story of how he and his wife became engaged, and of their marriage ceremony. If ever in Cambodia and Siem Reap, look him up: (http://www.sugarpalmtours.com/ phone number: +855 (o)12 959 409

Saying goodbye to Sheila

6/7: So I have now been in Siem Reap for three days, and haven't seen one temple. I have been looking forward to visiting the Angkor temples for 30 years. I will see them tomorrow. I am so excited.