Whilst in Saigon I had tried to get Rod to do a 'Back of a scooter tour' around the city, without successful. So when I had the chance of getting a scooter to the top of the hill, I jumped at it. The last method of transport on the list. And Rod did as well.
He doesn't looks happy about it
It was a bright, colourful place with Monk school and lots of orange clad novices playing around. Some of them seemed so young. But we spoke to one of the teachers who said that some of the boys were orphans and there was nowhere else for themy to go to be educated and be looked after. But he did tell us that they could at any time leave if they decided not to continue the monks life. But it must be difficult for them if that's the life they have always known since childhood.
Views from the terrace.
The school
We walked down the 303 steps back to the ship, followed by two monks who performed a blessing on the ship for safety and good wishes to the crew and passengers.
After lunch the ship headed on up to the provincial town of Kampong Cham where we were visited by a group of school children from the OBT, organisation for basic training, a charity sponsored by the Heritage Line. It basically sponsors education, uniforms, books etc for children from the poorest families, mainly farmers.
And to some of children Heritage offers jobs on their boats. We had four of them working on our ship. I was quite impressed that the company seemed genuine and did something to benefit the communities they travelled through.
Up and on. This afternoon we visited WaT Nokor a colourful monastery built in the ruins of a pre Ankorian temple. It was wonderful place and so sad to see it in such a state of decay. We all thought that it was too near Siem Reap for the government to spend any money of it, and will probably fall down before long. It was built in the 12th century.
If this is a taster of what we are going to see at Angkor, I am so excited.
I bet this stranger fig could tell some tales. The reckoned it was a thousand years old.
Inside the Buddhist temple inside the Hindu temple.
The Old Hindu shrine, now a Buddhist shrine.
A little nap was needed.
Our last tripette was see a bamboo bridge used by the locals to get across to an island. We had seen a few of these in Laos, but nothing so big and long. It is built in the dry season and you are charged a small fee to cross it on your scooter, bikes and cars. In the rainy season it is taken down otherwise it was be swept away with the rising waters.
Cham family loaded up and ready to go home up river.
In the evening our staff gave us a presentation and the crew said a big good bye. We've had a brilliant week.
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