Siem Reap Day 2

Back in a tuk tuk heading out to the Landmine Museum

Passing scenery on the way out to the museum. We had a fantastic ride out there through the countryside an hours drive out of Siem Reap

Local rural style homes

Roadside stalls selling hand woven things, palm sugar lumps, bags etc

At the Landmine Museum 

The Museum was established by a former soldier who had been involved in laying many landmines during darker times but has since dedicated his life to not only the highly dangerous task of personally clearing landmines but has also set up a small orphanage to care for kids affected by landmines explosions and associated disabilities and loss of family. Most of the items at the museum are things that he has come across over the years as he has worked to be part of the solution to clear it up and make rural villages safe again. An inspiring life.  There is still an awful lot of unexploded ordinance lying around who knows where throughout the country. Still very unsafe for the locals in many areas.

 Next up we stopped in at a recently established Butterfly Farm. It is a small operation but we had an excellent local young guide who showed us everything and explained it all in great detail. they are also providing an income-generating opportunity for local villages to help supply the butterflies and to identify and gather some specimens.

 Tarantula up close - often found fried up for a snack for sale at many roadside stops on the way from Phnom Penh & Siem Reap

  

All sorts of Chrysalids !

Nearby to the butterfly farm, were several raodside stalls, many of them were making palm sugar like this lady. I bought a few packets from her and she happily agreed to be photographed in the process. From what I could see they have these giant iron pots that get heated up over a fire or on top of a big earth oven and someone sits for a long time stirring the mix constantly until it reduces down to the end product. Tastes, sweet, rustic,earthy and  bit smokey

  

Life in rural Cambodia

Back at the hotel

  

Siem Reap Night market - Fish foot 'massage'. 

Very ticklish but quite good once you get used to it and try to forget about what they are doing.

 Enhancing the Foot Massage experience with a massge from the "Seeing Hands" massage stall, operated by blind masseuses to assist with earning a living. She was super powerful and I was doing some serious wincing at times.