Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Siem Reap, Cambodia - Blogging World Tour

30 Day Blogging Challenge

We;re staying at the Viroth Hotel
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297390-d9514361-Reviews-Viroth_s_Hotel...
Siem Reap is the capital of the province Siem Reap in Cambodia. One of their most famous sites to visit is the Angkor Wat temple. Besides that, they have many more temples, museums, the Old Market and the Cambodian Cultural Village.
Explore the different options and discuss. Make us envious.
https://inspitrip.com/blog/8949/things-to-do-in-angkor-wat-and-siem-reap
https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g297390-d11466657-Private_Fu...

I know so very little about Cambodia. I spent a good portion of my morning just watching travel videos from a couple - James and Tah - Divert Living.

Here's a taste. This is visiting the fishing villages.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5cOHU_E4sE
This is the markets and general feel of the place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSfBetSN_es

I also checked out the map to get a sense of place. https://www.google.com/maps/@12.7267172,105.1633634,6.74z

That puts things into perspective. Adds a realness to the place and gets me out of any of my thoughts... that are probably skewed.

The hotel is very beautiful. In a country that seems so poor, it seems almost too much to be living in such luxury. In one video I watched, the guy said that the tourist section of the city has lights at night, but in the area where the locals live, it is dark - no street lights. That couple had rented an apartment in the local side and found getting home after dark a challenge. Shows you where the money goes.

I found myself wanting to explore as much as I could. Much of the day tripping has to be done in the morning due to rain in the afternoons, so I headed out to the Sunrise tour of Angkor Wat.

Watching the sunrise over Angkor Wat was a truly unforgettable experience. I got some amazing photos as I soaked up the place. We enjoyed a guided tour of the ancient ruins, and visited the temples of Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom, and Bayon Temple. Because our group was small, we had plenty of time for questions. I took my sketchbook as well and managed a few sketches.

In the afternoon, after a dip in the pool and a nap, I wandered off to the Made in Cambodia Market (see below). I got to experience some Cambodian cuisine. A very different sort of thing, but good. Probably healthier than my usual... or it looks that way anyway. I just have to be careful there are no peanuts in anything. Thankfully I have my epipen if I need it.

Blogging Circle of Friends

Day 2822
BCoF:Educate us about famous musicians from Cambodia. I've given you one resource, feel free to expand with more information for us. Make us want to see one of the artists.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/cambodia/articles/11-cambodian-musicians-you-nee...
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/cambodia/ this link worked better and then I just scrolled down for the musicians link.
...or discuss a shopping experience. Shopping Siem Reap can be as rewarding as exploring Angkor Archaeological Park’s exquisite temples—and there’s no need to wake at the crack of dawn. Siem Reap is home to craft markets, stylish boutiques, artisanal workshops, and artist’s ateliers, all filled with treasures that you can take back home. They're open well into the night for those who made it to Angkor Wat at sunrise.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g297390-Activities-c26-Siem_Reap_Siem_Re...

Shopping. I decided to venture out to the Made In Cambodia Market for a taste of authentic Cambodia. I was not disappointed.

I had to buy a Krama - a woven scarf. My biggest problem was choosing only one and which colour?
Whether you’re in the countryside or the city, the krama can be seen everywhere and is undoubtedly Cambodia’s signature fabric. To the untrained eye, the checked cloth is solely used as a fashion item, hanging around the neck like a scarf. Of course, this is one of its uses, but there are a multitude more, with the krama forming an essential item to any household. I would love one of these.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/827896984/krama-khmer-scarf?ref=pla_similar_list...
The Made in Cambodia Market... https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g297390-d4066214-Reviews-Made_in_Ca...

There was so much to see.... and buy! I am normally not one for picking up souvenirs, but the market had lots of interesting things that I could see myself using, not just putting out to capture dust.
The market itself also had some musicians playing. The music was good, different in some ways.

I did check out the link for the musicians and was intrigued. I really liked the SmallWorld SmallBand group. They were fun and had lots of energy and they incorporated the language into their music. Nikki Nikki was great too, but as I listened to her ,I just kept thinking how western influences seemed to colour her music - or at least that piece.

SmallWorld SmallBand: https://youtu.be/UoXek1rDLW8
Nikki Nikki https://youtu.be/trIdWoN8MEk

Looking into more traditional Khmer music - https://asiasociety.org/education/khmer-music
by Sam-Ang Sam -
"Khmer music is an important aspect of Cambodian life and culture. It is a significant component in religious and traditional ceremonies such as weddings or temple celebrations. Khmer civilization reached its peak during the Angkor period, from the ninth to fifteenth centuries when great monuments were built, with elaborate carvings depicting myths, gods and aspects of daily life. The carvings musical ensembles on bas-reliefs are nearly identical to the ensembles performing in Cambodia today, where virtually every village in Cambodia possesses a music ensemble. This continuity is testimonial to the strength of this ancient tradition.

Khmer music consists of polyphonic stratification and is based predominantly on the pentatonic (five-tone) scale. It is built linearly, devoid of harmony in the Western sense. Musicians in a music ensemble have a collective melody in mind that no single musician actually plays. Rather melody provides a kind of road map that directs the musicians to a common destination and serves as a guideline around which musical embellishment or ornamentation takes place. It up to the drummer to regulates the pace of the ensemble. Cambodian music. "

Here is some Khmer Traditional music - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7X7UjHo9z4
Khmer Classical Music - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaAox5PZk2w
It has a relaxing quality, though I could only listen for awhile before I needed a break.