Chhen took us to Palm Tree Village, his home town, and it was the perfect supplement to our visit to the temples. Chhen has obviously put a lot of time and energy into creating a day trip that vastly broadens the experience of the tourist who takes the time to break away from the pack, and one that also helps his fellow villagers immensely, I am sure. Everyone was so friendly, just really psyched to see us and demonstrate their talents in relation to their culture. We were lucky to be there at rice planting season, and got to spend an hour or so in the shallows of the baray – one of the huge reservoirs of ancient Angkor – planting “baby rice” with some teenage girls. We also had the opportunity to talk with some very old women who showed us how they prepare and chew betel nut. I tried some myself, and though it was a bit like crunching on twigs and bark (I guess that’s what it is, actually, now that I think about it) I’m glad I got to experience it. There’s a whole ritual, a kind of white paste smeared on leaves that are then wrapped up around the betel in little pouches. Super, super cool. Chhen also arranged for us to listen to two different village bands play, and that experience was the high point. We first were able to watch a performance of a trio of older men play wedding music, and then a band of maybe eight teenage boys play funeral music. The difference between the two is profound, and talking to the musicians really gave me insight into a part of Khmer culture that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. I enjoyed the Khmer pop music we heard at the discos in Siem Reap, but this felt much older and organic. The wedding music was twangy and zipped along and the funeral music was lush and absolutely beautiful. These folks have made serious sacrifices to spend their lives restoring and preserving the music traditions almost lost, and watching them play felt like an opportunity to experience a part of the human tradition that is still very much endangered. Chhen said something about hoping to create a way for his tourists to learn to play the instruments. I don’t know if he has yet or not, but you should definitely ask if that’s something you’d like.
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