Cambodia: Day 4, Sunrise to Circus

We were out of on the road at 4:45am to get to Bakong Temple, a beautiful old temple (with elephant statues on the corners) dedicated to Shiva. We climbed the the steep steps of the central sandstone tower to watch the sunrise over the trees and fields. In a wonderful representation of the ways different religions co-exist and intertwine in Cambodia, we climbed down the Hindu temple and entered the adjoining Buddhist monastery. Under the watchful gaze of the monks, we listened to music by Sounds of Angkor, a group of young men who perform in traditional ceremonies. We had the opportunity to try some of the instruments before heading to a small classroom in a local community to hear a master class by Man Men, where we again were able try our hands at the instruments including a six- foot long instrument similar to a guitar and an amazingly intricate violin-type instrument. After the performance we were able to play soccer with some very young children before heading out.

Master class by Man Men

Mr. Powers

At TiaiTno Association. Advanced learning for graduates from the school of Arts

Tara writes in her journal at sunrise at the temple

In the afternoon we had some free time to explore Siem Riep and our options included bargaining in the Old Market, a quick dip in the hotel pool, and a trip to a horror movie! After dinner we had an amazing evening watching Phare, the Cambodian Circus, a combination of acrobatics and theater. Accompanied by many of the musical instruments we have been learning about, we saw an incredibly moving story of a group of young people in the time of the Khmer Rouge. It was the story of one of the women who helped found Phare, an organization using music an visual arts to transform the lives of young Cambodians.

NK-C