We started our day with a minor sleep in until 7am. We enjoyed a sweet breakfast of chocolate croissants and donuts. As we were leaving, Rhonda got her backpack stuck in her door and Mrs Griffiths just laughed, and waved goodbye leaving Rhonda temporarily stranded.
Our journey to the Landmine Museum consisted of a beautiful view of the countryside and makeshift housing surrounding the rice paddy field. Soon after we arrived at the museum we read a short introduction to the life of Aki Ra, who founded the museum. He, along with some of his family, care for children affected by landmines and work tirelessly to clear active ones that are still around today. Along with the information we received at the museum, Kev gave us some direct insight into the types of landmines, due to his expertise in tactical warfare. As we were leaving we noticed a closed off section that depicted a real life situation containing landmines. At first glance we were shocked at our inability to notice any, but after a closer look we saw that there were several hidden landmines scattered around.
On the way to the National Museum, we quickly stopped at a stall selling palm sugar sweets. We saw the process of making the sweets and were given the opportunity to taste them. It's safe to say that everyone enjoyed them.
The National Museum was huge, with seven exhibitions to explore. The favourite exhibition was the one of Angkor Wat, which contained a scaled model of the temple. It was surprising to note that some of the artefacts had lasted since the 6th century with very little damage. Unfortunately we were unable to take photos inside the museum.
Lunch was a winner because it was nice to have a couple of Western dishes amongst the variety.
Kea then surprised us with a quick tour of the Silk Factory. We were shown the process of making the silk garments that everyone knows today. It started with the creation of the cocoon all the way to the patient women weaving the products. After a quick stop at the gift shop we headed to our martial art lesson.
Some of us were introduced to the basics of Bokator. We found out that some people are coordinated while others not so much. Due to Chloe's incredibly long legs some of the stances made her look like a baby emu. We now know not to mess with Lauren and Paige after witnessing their natural talents. Connor was lucky enough to be paired with the instructor during the fighting practice. The two instructors both did a demonstration after the lesson.
Back to the hotel for a very quick freshen up before heading to dinner. After dinner we went to the Phare Circus to experience a Cambodian version of the circuses we all know. The comedic nature made for an eventful night not to forget. Some of the acts seemed impossible, showing the extraordinary core strength of each performer.
It's safe to say we all feel like running away with the circus after tonight. :)
We look forward to our circus workshop tomorrow before flying to Vietnam.
Krystal & Tamsin
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