Vietnam/Cambodia Day 8: Rural Cambodia

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Today began early with a pre-dawn departure to see a rice field close-up. We experienced yet another mode of transportation today: an oxcart. Kenna and I rode in the back of a cart that was pulled by two cattle and driven by a local resident. It was a bumpy ride but an interesting experience. At the rice field, we learned a bit about rice farming: they get 2 or 3 crops per year in each field, and there are several different strategies for planting and managing the crop. We also saw some fields for growing lotus flowers, an important cultural symbol.

A further oxcart ride took us to the Kampong Tralach Green School. This nonprofit was founded in 2016 to teach English and computer skills to students from elementary through high school. We met at a school assembly, where they sang to us and we also sang for them. We then had a few minutes to meet with some of the students in small groups to give them a chance to practice their English.

We returned to the Jahan, where we had a delayed breakfast followed by a fashion show of Khmer dress. Kenna volunteered to be the female model and was dressed in beautiful fabrics in the local style. This was followed by a presentation on the Tonle Sap river system. Soon after, we were back in Phnom Penh at the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers and could see a sharp dividing line between the water from each river.

After lunch, we had a presentation on Cambodia in the 1990s from Doug Crispin, our historian guide, followed by an excursion to a silk-making shop in the town of Prek Bangkong. This was a small, family-run operation covering the entire process from growing the silk worms, harvesting and spinning the silk, and weaving the fabric. Quite a few of the tour members, including us, took advantage of the opportunity to buy some of the fabric.

This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.