Siem Reap Boat Race
I attended the Water Festival in Phnom Penh in 2005 but found it so overwhelming (nearly 2 million people come to that over two days) that I cannot honestly say that I enjoyed it. The Siem Reap boat races are small scale in comparison ; perhaps 25,000 people attended over the two days and while certain areas (the finish line) were crowded, it was never unpleasant. People come in from the country for the races and many of them were wearing their best clothes. Clinging to each other the way country bumpkins do the same way they do when they go to New York or Cairo, their enjoyment was infectious. There were lots of food stalls (and beer tents), live music and a general sense of fun. A lady selling face masks seemed to be doing well (SARS and Bird Flu being a concern) but my favourites were the people selling small model houses which could be floated on the river as offerings later that evening.
The serious races were held Sunday at 3pm and at that time some 40 to 50 boats gather near the bridge. They are then paired off in twos to race down the river (which was high this year due to excessive rains earlier in the month). The part I liked best was the chanting and singing as the boats gathered .. they seemed to be working themselves up to a fighting spirit .. but in a fairly good natured way. Some of the most enthusiastic teams were the all lady boats. Fireworks finished off the festival and topped off a great weekend.
More information : Cambodia Boat Race
http://goseasia.about.com/od/eventsfestivals/a/waterfest.htm
The serious races were held Sunday at 3pm and at that time some 40 to 50 boats gather near the bridge. They are then paired off in twos to race down the river (which was high this year due to excessive rains earlier in the month). The part I liked best was the chanting and singing as the boats gathered .. they seemed to be working themselves up to a fighting spirit .. but in a fairly good natured way. Some of the most enthusiastic teams were the all lady boats. Fireworks finished off the festival and topped off a great weekend.
More information : Cambodia Boat Race
http://goseasia.about.com/od/eventsfestivals/a/waterfest.htm
Photo Gallery
Siem Reap Boat Race
To see a full version of the slide show, double click on the image to the right.
To see a full version of the slide show, double click on the image to the right.
Angkor Butterfly Center
After dealing with the crowds at the temples, it was relief to go to the Angkor Butterfly Center for some peace and quiet. This in a privately funded project based on a similar successful NGO project in Tanzania. Local farmers (or to be precise, the wives of local farmers) are taught to collect and nurture butterfly eggs. The project then buys them for display or export. It is trying to achieve two goals - providing a small source of income to the locals, but also get them to respect both the butterflies and the environments in which they flourish. It is small but very interesting and I was most impressed with the charming young woman who explained the life cycle of the butterflies and moths, how they were cared for, etc.
This centre has no connection with the Butterfly Restaurant in Siem Reap (but I can recommend that place as a venue for a pleasant peaceful lunch ; good food and not expensive.
This centre has no connection with the Butterfly Restaurant in Siem Reap (but I can recommend that place as a venue for a pleasant peaceful lunch ; good food and not expensive.
The fine print
Angkor Butterly Center
A new tourist attraction said to open in October 09, the Angkor Butterfly Centre, is being built on the outskirts of Siem Reap and will double as a poverty alleviation project, with rural families trained to breed butterflies and harvest pupae, organisers say.
The privately funded centre is an offshoot of a similar venture in Tanzania, the Zanzibar Butterfly Centre, which opened to the public in January 2008. The Angkor centre, in Sanday village, about 25 kilometres from Siem Reap, is run by some former staff from Zanzibar and is headed by director Ben Hayes, a founder of the Zanzibar centre. Also from Zanzibar is Project Manager Alistair Mould, and representing Cambodian interests is Tek-Sakana Savuth, executive director of local NGO Angkor Participatory Development Organisation. Involved in an advisory capacity is WWF stalwart Mike Baltzer.
"In Zanzibar, we are working with just one village, but here we want to work with more, especially in areas that as yet don’t have any income from tourism." Mould explained. Director Hayes said: "Initially, we’ll work with 10 families spread out over a number of areas including Phnom Kulen and here in this village. But we hope to expand that. Plus, we’ll do farming of pupae within the exhibition and on site."
Like Zanzibar, revenue for the Siem Reap centre will initially be generated by tourism admissions, but in time income will also come from the sale of butterflies and butterfly pupae to collectors, zoos and other centres mainly in Europe and the United States. Hayes said there were several reasons why Siem Reap was chosen for the new centre, including the tourism potential, communities to work with and the richness of butterfly fauna. "The butterfly fauna of Cambodia is not as well-studied as that of Thailand and Vietnam, but it’s very high in diversity; and for the project, we will probably deal with 20 to 30 species. Those species are local to the Siem Reap region."
Edited from the Phnom Penh Post (9-4-09)
ABC's website : http://www.angkorbutterfly.com/abchome.html
A new tourist attraction said to open in October 09, the Angkor Butterfly Centre, is being built on the outskirts of Siem Reap and will double as a poverty alleviation project, with rural families trained to breed butterflies and harvest pupae, organisers say.
The privately funded centre is an offshoot of a similar venture in Tanzania, the Zanzibar Butterfly Centre, which opened to the public in January 2008. The Angkor centre, in Sanday village, about 25 kilometres from Siem Reap, is run by some former staff from Zanzibar and is headed by director Ben Hayes, a founder of the Zanzibar centre. Also from Zanzibar is Project Manager Alistair Mould, and representing Cambodian interests is Tek-Sakana Savuth, executive director of local NGO Angkor Participatory Development Organisation. Involved in an advisory capacity is WWF stalwart Mike Baltzer.
"In Zanzibar, we are working with just one village, but here we want to work with more, especially in areas that as yet don’t have any income from tourism." Mould explained. Director Hayes said: "Initially, we’ll work with 10 families spread out over a number of areas including Phnom Kulen and here in this village. But we hope to expand that. Plus, we’ll do farming of pupae within the exhibition and on site."
Like Zanzibar, revenue for the Siem Reap centre will initially be generated by tourism admissions, but in time income will also come from the sale of butterflies and butterfly pupae to collectors, zoos and other centres mainly in Europe and the United States. Hayes said there were several reasons why Siem Reap was chosen for the new centre, including the tourism potential, communities to work with and the richness of butterfly fauna. "The butterfly fauna of Cambodia is not as well-studied as that of Thailand and Vietnam, but it’s very high in diversity; and for the project, we will probably deal with 20 to 30 species. Those species are local to the Siem Reap region."
Edited from the Phnom Penh Post (9-4-09)
ABC's website : http://www.angkorbutterfly.com/abchome.html