I should be so lucky (Mekong River, Angkor Ban, Cambodia)

Good morning, dear reader, and what a delightful start to the day! We had a sleep-in because we had many kilometres to travel up the Mekong River. The reason behind it was irrelevant in my world, I was just glad of the time to relax and linger over breakfast.

The morning would be spent on the ship, so Jayne booked a facial. I know, her first ever. The experience was described as being pleasant enough, but I’m not sure that is enough to see her as a return customer. While Jayne was being pampered, I caught up with my homework: sorting the photos and catching up on the blog.

Thee mooring was a bit ordinary.

There was also some administrivia to be dealt with. First, passports had to be collected. There were those amongst us who were uncomfortable being away from their passports. I found this fretting both pointless and curious. Pointless because there was nothing we could do about it and curious because we had actually surrendered our passports on day 1. The only difference in the interim was the Cambodian authorities were the current custodians, and not the ship’s purser.

This works better when the river is high.

Passports secured, resplendent with a Cambodian visa and a document for leaving the country, the next stop was Long, the cruise director. He was checking departure details to ensure we had transport to the airport organised for the correct time and date.

Stupas. Big, expensive stupas.

The information session today, dear reader, was, unsurprisingly on Cambodia. Theany, pronounced Tinny, our guide, had drawn the short straw and was the presenter. We were provided with a potted history of Cambodia, early history through French colonisation, the Pol Pot period, Vietnamese occupation to independence. Following Theany’s talk, one the other guides demonstrated the many uses of a traditional Cambodian scarf. A most timely demonstration because we were about to visit a village where they made and sold these scarves. What a coincidence!

Green bananas. They don't go yellow.

Lunch preceded the village visit to Angkor Ban. When too much food is barely enough. There was a concrete bank below the village to facilitate easy access for the cruise passengers. It was only partially effective because the water level has been dropping quickly after the wet season ended.

One of the temples.

Theany escorted us around the village, talking us through the Cambodian subsistence lifestyle. Gardens are full of vegetables and herbs that can be used as required on a daily basis. We also saw green bananas and various edible leaves used to make soups. Jayne was very excited by this. Not. This village appeared to be more wealthy than those previously visited. There was a number of large stupas, a sign of wealth, just beyond the bank of the river. Another sign of wealth is the number of cattle a household owns. One house we passed had 5 cattle. Very wealthy.

Just watering the garden. Nothing suss here.

The houses are all on stilts. This serves the dual purpose of assisting with cooling as well as providing a work space or shelter area for the cattle and chickens. Cock fighting is still a thing here. I was going to write sport, but it is definitely not a sport. The fighting cocks are kept in cages to allow prospective buyers to view the opposition. The activity is actually illegal but the roosters still command a high price - $200 USD. I know it’s a cultural thing, but I don’t get it.

Looking for a fight.

The temples were, as you would expect, ornate and lavish. There were statues scattered throughout the temple area where the ground was concrete. The roads through the village were also concrete and the ubiquitous scooters buzzed around us as we walked.

They appear to be doing OK.

Heading back to the ship, we stopped to overlook an area of community land. It is not owned by any individual because it is flood prone and so the community decides on its use. Generally, it provides more cropping areas in the dry season. We could see a large group of teenagers across the way and Theany was not sure what they were doing, until they moved en masse to the river and boarded a dragon boat. It was practice time for the upcoming races.  The colourful dragon boats are very long and narrow and the teams stand in a line along the boat’s length. Some boats can hold 80 paddlers and they build long sheds to house these prized possessions.

Training.

Dinner that night was followed by “Serenity’s Got Talent”, a talent show put on by the staff. Having sat through it for an hour, I might challenge the veracity of the title. It was, however, amusing and the chef staff’s version of YMCA, with some risqué dance moves, was the winner on the night. The “international” judging panel comprised of a Kiwi, an Aussie and a Pom. Judging (oh, I’m too funny) by their commentary, there was a commonality of preparation, shared by the judges and the performers.

Reclining Buddha.

Two final observations before I bring this post to a conclusion.

(1) There are people on board who drink their already chilled white wine with ice cubes. Totally unacceptable behaviour, dear reader. And it occurs in an air-conditioned room. Philistines. Brits actually.

(2) The Cambodian people constantly refer to luck, meaning good fortune, for which they should feel grateful. It may have something to do with the fact that they survived the Pol Pot regime or it may have a connection to their Buddhist background I guess, but they appear genuinely thankful for any small thing. They are always happy, so maybe there is something in it as a life option; choosing to be happy and grateful.

And that of course brings us to the title of today’s post. I should be so lucky, the 1987 hit for the first lady of Australian music, Kylie Minogue. I know, I’m surprised too, dear reader, but the title just presented itself and could not be ignored.

Until next time.