*Note: If the pictures are too small, please double click on them to have a better look.
After that sumptuous Chinese lunch, we headed for the hotel.
Angkor Lion Hotel is a 3 star hotel that just changed management and thus, underwent some upgrading. The hotel is not too bad for a 3 star hotel! In fact, I think it's better than the 4 star hotel we stayed at in Phnom Penh. The difference between a 3 star hotel and a 4 star hotel is their amenities eg swimming pool. However, to my family, a swimming pool is no big deal. So, we would rather stay in a 3 star than a 4 star. The room in Angkor Lion is clean, looks new and not leaking here and there. And there was an electric kettle! Hot water anytime! The blankets were warm and nice too! Alright, I have lots of conditions when I look for a good hotel. Well, what's a good night's sleep after a long tiring day?We settled in and took a rest before we met Thona at the lobby to set off to see more places.
First stop: Angkor D' Artisan Handicraft Centre.
The guide showing us the process of making a final wood carving product. 
The final product which would take at least 1 month to complete.
This is a worker doing the finishing touches to a wood carving. He is using his palm and rub onto the wood to create the shiny brown colour. Only his palm is used as the palm has some oil that will create that look. So much for "palm oil"!
Tracing- The beginning of a painting.
In this room where paintings are done, the girls are deaf and mute.
Sandstones!!
The above pics show sandstone carvings. The larger carvings are done by connecting more than one block of sandstone. This is said to be more durable as the sand stones would not break off easily. And it's difficult to get one very large block of sandstone. These craftsmen are given free training for 8 months. After that, they would be provided with the materials to make their own carvings and Artisan D'Angkor will sell it for them at their giftshops there and in airports. Only when the carvings are sold then would they get their money. If not, no certain salary is given to them. And, even if they have no talent in carving or painting, they would have to master it. Moreover, when one carving is done, it is sent to their Teacher to check. If a flaw is made, they would have to correct it. If not, discard it totally. And to make one carving can take 1hour for a small item to at least 1 month for a big item! Well, it is for their livelihood. So, if they do not master it, they would have no other job. It's better to have a job than loitering on the streets...
Next stop: The National Museum.
In here, we saw many of the weapons and utensils they used throughout the centuries and got to know more about Cambodia's history. Many wars were fought and kings changed...It's not something a tourist can understand.
We went to watch a cultural show after the tour. It was about how a traditional Cambodian girl would get married.
The man in red at the bottom right hand corner is actually an audience. He was "chosen" by the girl to be her groom. Other men were vying for her hand in marriage (right pic).
The whole show was very comical because of the men who were vying for the girl's hand. The men upon seeing the girl will try to do some funny things to attract attention. In this case, they were trying to help the girl to do her chores. However, the girl wasn't interested in any of them. When it came to the time for her to choose a husband, she would then go into a separate house to stay for the night. The men would then enter the house. They get beaten up if they were not the chosen one. The next day, they would still try their luck. However, the girl didn't like any of them, instead, she "liked" the guy in the audience. The other men pulled the guy out and gave him a set of traditional costume to change into. After which, the wedding procession took place. The "chosen" guy was very sporting and danced along when they had the dance of celebration. The show ended with them entering the house. (In real life, the separate house would be demolished to state that the daughter of that family has been married already and no more men would go there to ask for the girl's hand in marriage.)
After that, we went to another cultural show where they showed the harvesting of crops and rearing of animals. It was a little boring as we didn't know what was going on. And they got 2 guy audience to participate in their celebration of getting a good harvest.
Waterfall!
A miniature version of the royal palace in Phnom Penh.
We went for dinner at the Tonle Mekong where we had a very, very, very nice and heavy dinner! It was a buffet dinner and this place was where many tourists from all over the country would gather to watch the cultural show that was later in the night. So, we had Japanese, Korean, Western, Cambodian, Thai and Chinese dishes! We were there at 630pm. But the cultural show didnt start till 830pm. You can just imagine the amount of food we ate!
The cultural shows were about the stories of their gods and beliefs. We missed the story on the beautiful goddess - Apsara. And that was suppose to be the best. Well, keep the best for the last!
We were really tired that day after all that travelling and sight seeing! And eating too! 9pm, we were back in the hotel, much as I wanted to sleep, I was still in my Singapore timing (10pm). It was a bit early, so I surfed the TV. There were 80 over channels!! Many repeated but still! I just sat there and pressed the up button. There was MTV China, Hollywood chn, Star Plus, Star world, AXN, National Geographic, Cambodian channels that were showing Lu Guang Sen Lin in Cambodian!! And Channel 8 shows that showed our local actors like Chen Han Wei speaking Cambodian! So you see, in such a country, they have so many SCV channels!
People there do have TVs. Some with black and white, and some with coloured. And many have internet! They are developing, so watch out!
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~Rach~
*Note: If the pictures are too small, please double click on them to have a better look.
Tues - 12 Dec 2006 (am)
From left, Mummy, Nigel, Ah Ma, Ah Kong and me!
This is the airplane that we took! Silkair plane. Flight no. MI 622. It's a small plane with 3 seats on each side of the aisle.
Look at the luggages going up!
This is the all-excited me waiting to board the plane after filling in the immigration form to Cambodia.
Ah kong, ah ma and me on the left side of the aisle!
Nike, Mum and Dad on the other side of the plane.
My dearest grandmother with lots of wisdom.
A Singapore Airlines plane next to ours. I took this picture from my window. By the way, we were seated near the wing.
Another picture of the Singapore Airlines plane. I couldn't help but wonder why the flag was in the other direction. Anyone knows?
That was the morning and the events leading up to the long awaited flight! We started taking off at 840am. I felt a bit nauseous probably because I haven't flew for a long time! And I kept looking out of the window to see the magnificent view of Singapore from the sky. I began to feel giddy and almost wanted to puke. I terribly regretted not bringing my sweets.
Breakfast was served on board even though we had some in the staff canteen. It was egg omelette with some vegetable in it, a chicken sausage, some brocolli and carrots, a bun and orange juice.
We were on the plane to SIEM REAP!
(We would spend 3 days and 2 nights at Siem Reap before flying off on the 14th to Phnom Penh and spend another 3 days and 2 nights there, before flying back to Singapore. Refer to picture below.)
http://gocambodia.co.kr/map/image/cambodia_map.jpg
2 hours and 50 mins later, we arrived in Siem Reap International Airport. It was 940am (Cambodia time. Cambodia is an hour behind Singapore.) We had to walk on the road from the airplane into the airport.
Siem Reap International Airport. Just opened 3 months ago! Pretty new!
Anyone who is interested in going to Cambodia and need a tour guide can ask me and I would introduce Thona to you! He would make your trip really enjoyable! And he can joke! We all loved his company and treated him like one of our friends even though we only met him!
By the way, most of the young people there would work in the day and study in the night. Those who are able to afford school will learn as much as they can and work in the service industries. That's because by working in the service industries, they are able to earn extra cash from the tips their clients give them. And that tip is more than what they actually earn in a day! They are then able to fund their studies.
Besides that, I heard from a 21 year old girl who is working in the hotel at Phnom Penh that they have to work at least 4 years to gain experience before they are allowed to go to university! And that girl only completed 1 year of working experience. So, by the time she goes to U, she would be about 24 years old. But! That would only be if she has the money to fund her studies. U studies isn't cheap there! So, even if you have the experience but no money, you can't go to the U and it is difficult for them to take loans.
Thona works in the day and sometimes into the evening. He would then ride his Honda motorbike to night class to study IT. And it seems that he is going to learn another language so that he can take on more foreign tourists. The people learn another skill and language like no one's business!!
On the 2nd night that he took us around, 13 Dec, he had a programming mid term exam, yet he still took us around without us knowing he had an exam. It was only before dinner that he told us he had to leave us and head to the school for his exam. He confessed that he didn't study much and was not sure of what was even to be tested! My dad could have crashed course on the way but Thona declined. (Alright, I am digressing...)
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The timing from now on would be Cambodia's time.
After we met Thona, it was about 10+am. It was too early to head to the hotel because they were still preparing the rooms. It's the peak season now so they have to wait for people to check out before they could get new clients. So, we went for a tour at the Silk Factory (Artisan D'Angkor). Cambodia is as famous as Thailand for their silk products! The tour was conducted by guides at the silk factory. Below are some pics from the tour.
This is the Mulberry tree that silkworms eat.
There was another Singaporean family that joined us on this tour in the silk factory because there weren't enough guides. Along this whole trip, we met this family wherever we went because they were on the same tour and itinerary as us just that we were moving in separate groups. There were 5 of them (Parents, 1 teenage girl and 2 teenage boys who look older than me).
The guide at Artisan D'Angkor explaining to us the process of the rearing silkworms.
Silkworms in a basket. Silkworm species in Cambodia produce yellow coloured silk. China one's produce white.
Silkworms eating the mulberry leaves and some sleeping.
Drying of silkworms under the hot sun to kill them and then to take the cacoon for the silk. Cambodia is a buddhists country and like to leave it to nature to kill the silkworms instead of straight boiling the silkworms to get the cacoon. (But purposely leaving the silkworms out in the hot sun and killing it in a slow process??? Stunned!)
After sunning the silkworms, they are boiled to obtain the silk.
weaving.
Dyes
Boiling the silk together with the dye.
Weaving into a big piece of cloth. These workers are trained in the school for a year plus and then will start working there. 
My brother with the "sewing machine".
These are the traditional wedding suits for the bride and groom made from SILK! The white one in the center is for the priests. The colour that the bride and groom wear is the day that they get married on. Different days of the week has a different colour.
After this, we went for lunch at a Chinese restaurant, passing many stone carvings on the way. And after filling our stomachs with the sumptuous meal, we headed for the hotel!
I just came across this website and I think it's a good site to get to know more about Cambodia. http://www.leisurecambodia.com/Leisure_Cambodia/No.22/No.22.html
There would be more updates! And many more pretty pics!! Till then, take cares!!
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~Rach~