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Sihanoukville is also renowned for its excellent cuisine featuring superb seafood. We embarked on the most popular shore excursion offered by Princess Cruises, Wat Krom, Villages & Market. This is a land of contrasts with old and new mixed together in close proximity.
After an early breakfast we met at the Wheelhouse Lounge at 7:30 am. Our motor coach drove through the streets of Cambodia to our first stop at Khmer village to see a typical house. We toured the kitchen, which was on the lower level, and then climbed some rickety stairs to the upper level, which houses the living / sleeping area. This stop really showed the poverty of typical families.
Khmer Fishing Village
Our guide pointed out the spirit house, a shrine to the protective spirit of a place that is found in the Southeast Asian countries of Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Most houses and businesses have a spirit house placed in an auspicious spot, most often in a corner of the property. The location may be chosen after consultation with a Brahmin priest. The spirit house is normally in the form of a miniature house or temple, and is mounted on a pillar or on a dais.
The house is intended to provide a shelter for spirits that could cause problems for the people if not appeased. The shrines often include images of people and animals. Votive offerings are left at the house to propitiate the spirits. More elaborate installations include an altar for this purpose.
Local Grammar School Visit
Next we stopped at a grammar school to visit with some local children. They sang "If you are happy and you know it clap your hands" in their native tongue. We learned that gifts of pens would be a special treat for the children. We wish we'd known that ahead of time as we would have packed some school supplies. Just across the street from the school is new construction of a high-rise.
You don't need to understand the language to get the meaning of this song. During our cruise vacation to Southeast Asia, we stopped in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. We visited a local grammar school where we were greeted with this song.
Psar Lu Market &
War Memorial
Sihanoukville's marketplace, Psar Lu Market, was the third stop on our tour. Our guide led the way through the many stalls and then we had free time to shop or simply roam. The marketplace is quite dirty and congested, with cars and motorcycles attempting to get through the pedestrian traffic.
Police attempted to control traffic at the main street, but it was pretty hopeless. Our guide bought flowers to bring as a gift for Buddha at the temple.
Wat Krom
Wat Krom, the Buddhist temple at the base of Sihanouk Mountain was the main attraction on this tour. Its name is a literal description of its location as "Wat" means temple and "Krom" means "lower." The temple features excellent views of the sea and a small chapel dedicated to Ya-Mao, a local deity.
Sihanoukville BeachFinally we had an hour to swim, explore, or have some refreshments at Sihanoukville Beach resort hotel. Some people went to the main building for a meal, others had a massage on the beach, while others relaxed with a drink or went for a refreshing swim. A bonus was they had free Wi-fi for those interested in catching up with emails or sharing on their social media sites.
This was an enjoyable excursion. It showed the many faces of Cambodia, from the poor to the new wealth. There are many construction projects underway, funded mainly by China investments.
Related Album:
Khmer Village
Cambodia School
Psar Lu Market
Cambodia War Memorial
Wat Krom
Sihanoukville Beach
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