On the Road to an Ox-cart Ride

We left Siem Reap after breakfast to take, first, a ride on an ox–cart. Photo: a Buddhist temple that we passed.

The Cambodian Countryside

You don’t have to travel far out of Siem Reap to be in the countryside.

The Cambodian Countryside

More of the countryside.

The Cambodian Countryside

Rice paddies.

The Cambodian Countryside

A “country store.”

The Cambodian Countryside

Another country scene.

Ox-cart Station

We will take our ox–cart ride from here.

The Water Buffalo

Photo of some of my tour group in the ox–carts pulled by water buffalo. The ride was long and very bumpy and also great fun. I have put my photos of our ride on a slide show. Go to Slide Shows, Asia, Cambodia, “Near Siem Reap: Ox–cart Ride, Tonle Sap Boat Trip, Tour Day 3” or go directly to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/near–siem–reap–ox–cart–ride–tonle–sap–boat–trip/

Tonle Sap Lake

After the ox–cart ride, we went on a boat road on Tonle Sap Lake to view the floating houses. I have put my photos of our ride on a slide show: Go to Slide Shows, Asia, Cambodia, “Near Siem Reap: Ox–cart Ride, Tonle Sap Boat Trip, Tour Day 3” or go directly to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/near–siem–reap–ox–cart–ride–tonle–sap–boat–trip/

Angkor National Museum

After a very interesting morning, we visited the Angkor National Museum. The weather was so much cooler in the countryside and especially on the lake, but way too hot when we came back to Siem Reap. The gift shop at the museum was air–conditioned but the main part of the museum wasn’t. I made it through two galleries out of eight and went downstairs to get a cold drink and spend some time in the gift shop. The excessive heat got to me quickly.

One of the galleries had 1,000 beautiful Buddha images in it. It was well worth seeing but no photos were allowed in it. The other galleries trace Kymer history.

No seat in the gift shop, so I sat in the lobby for awhile. Our tour guide, Mony, joined me. I remarked to him how friendly and courteous the Cambodians were (they thank you by putting their hands together at mouth level and slightly bow)  and asked him if they were happy. He said yes, they are very happy because they no longer have to fear being taken off the street, arrested, tortured, and killed. He said he cannot understand how a Cambodian leader (Pol Pot) could have killed his own people.

How many homes in Cambodia do not have electricity and running water is hard to determine. At places where I didn’t think they had electricity I had to change my mind as I saw electric wires going to their houses when I looked at my photos. But I don’t doubt that many do not have electricity and many more do not have running water or indoor plumbing. Water is gotten from wells. But right now, we are in a very modern museum with all the amenities, though this is not a government museum but, rather, a private one.

Angkor National Museum

A gallery on the bottom floor. You reached the upper floors on a winding ramp.

Angkor National Museum

One of the paintings on the bottom level.

Angkor National Museum

Another painting.

Angkor National Museum

A pool to resemble a Roman bath seen from an upper level.

Angkor National Museum

A painting on the upper level outside the no–photos zones.

Angkor National Museum

Another painting.

Angkor National Museum

Another.

Angkor National Museum

And one more.

After the museum, we went back to our hotel for lunch. We checked out and went to the Siem Reap airport to take a flight aboard Cambodia Angkor Air to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in Vietnam. What a day: ox–cart ride in the Cambodian countryside, a boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake to see the floating houses, and then Friday night in Ho Chi Minh City! A wow day!