Back to the villages

No tai chi for the injured, but Yvonne and Ian start their day partaking. When we first started every movement sounded like gristle breaking up, but ian assures me things are loosening up, so I gotta get back to this.

This morning involved a trip by ox cart to a local school. I was not looking forward to this “local” experience, and yet it turned into the most charming experience – but first we had to get there.

And now on to the school. It opened in 2012 and was initially sponsored by Lindbland and National Geographic.

There are 320 students in the school and they have morning, afternoon and evening classes. The children were so charming. They had to write as many English words as they knew in three minutes – they wrote 36 perfectly spelled words. We sang a song for them and they sang for us – unfortunately we sang Old MacDonald had a farm…and that was the same song they sang for us. Their version was much more elaborate and animated. Then they were required to come one on one and talk to us. A little boy who was 10 came to talk to us. I told him my grandson was also almost 10 and shared a picture of Nate….his eyes lit up. Unfortunately we were so involved with our little boy, that we missed the gaggle of children surrounding Ian.

Time to return to the boat – not sure what this is called, other than a large trailer pulled by a motorcycle.

Now back to the boat and on to the next stop Kampong Chhnang – we are going to the village to see their local pottery making area.

This woman makes $2.50 a day making cooking pots.

This woman makes $1.35 a day shaping the grills.

Then we watched a woman shape an entire pot – all by hand..

And now we watch a 67 year old man climb a palm tree – where he collects the nectar from the blossoms and makes a sugar and type of very strong rum.

Now back to the tender and on to visit a Vietnamese fishing village….yes we are deep into Cambodia and here is a Vietnamese community on the water.

Jim again captured my favorite picture and you really have to look closely to take in all the action. These families live over fish huts, and the family below is taking some of their live fish to market.

And then this evening we learned how to tie scarves for tomorrow night’s “scarf dinner”. Ian is practicing.

And with that we call it a night.