We are in Siem Reap and have arranged for a day’s tour with our tuk-tuk driver, Bunlong, who has previously taken us to see the temples of Angkor Wat. Early morning and he is waiting for us with his distinctive white sunglasses and a smile that welcomes us. As we board the tuk-tuk, we ask not to be taken to the usual tourist places but for him to show us what life is like off the tourist trail. “Can you show us your Cambodia, the one that you know so well?” we ask as we renegotiate our tour price. And with that we head off through the streets of Siem Reap with no idea where we are going.

Before long we are jostling along the main highway with tourist buses, motor bikes, bicycles, trucks, cars and other tuk-tuks as our tour heads to the Puok district, one of twelve districts of Siem Reap Province in north-western Cambodia. We begin with a visit to the water lily ponds which are blooming with delicate pink flowers before heading to one of the largest markets in the area that is bursting at the seams with everything you could possibly imagine.

We are the only Westerners in the market. Bunlong asks us to be discreet as the market sellers don’t speak English. It is fortunate that we are with him as he explains in detail the cultural practices and cooking traditions of foods that we are not familiar with. And there is an endless variety of foods in common with most Asian markets, although it’s the lady with the fried silkworms, roasting cockroaches and fried crickets that caught our attention.

As we inspect the array of cooked insects, Bunlong says these 'foods' are eaten as snacks when drinking beer – although his experience of eating the crickets was that their legs were bony and got stuck in your throat making you gag, cough and splutter to dislodge the legs. But nothing is wasted. Poverty is all pervasive so whatever the women need to do to put food on plates for their children, that is what they will do. We decline a sample and decide on some purchases from the colourful fruit stand instead.

Leaving the busy market, we turn off the highway and our tour continues along a dusty track into the rural areas. Bouncing along in the tuk-tuk, we are surrounded by a sea of emerald green rice fields which extend to the horizon. A woman is bringing her water buffaloes into the rice field, loosely tethered together; they follow her placidly through the field.

Further on another woman is standing in an irrigation channel, splashing her buffaloes with water. The rice fields are busy today as Bunlong explains the importance of the water buffalo for ploughing the fields. It is hard work, he says.

Watching the young boys with their own small water buffalo, Bunlong says that he was once one of them, “A cow boy,” he recalls, tending his rice patch with his own water buffalo. He tells of the rice seasons, ploughing the soil, planting and harvesting. This was once his life. But he had another vision for life – one that was not attached to a rice field; he had a different future in mind. Raised only by his aunt, he was determined to learn English, save enough money to buy a tuk-tuk and create a life away from the rice fields.

Before long we are in a small hamlet of modest houses where the Buddhist monastery is the most striking feature with its golden lions at the temple door. The rich colours of the ornate and elaborate design of the temple contrast noticeably with the poverty of the surrounding area.

We are curious as to the animal statues that dominate the driveway to the temple – oversized stone grey and white monkeys with the faces of humans are set on columns, some standing, some sitting, some alone, some with smaller monkeys, all lining the entrance to the monastery, along with an enormous elephant statue. They are an intriguing spectacle.

Monkeys have long been part of the mythology of the Buddhist tradition and in meditation practices training the ‘monkey mind’ to overcome restlessness, scattered, impulsive and obsessive thinking is a central focus in being able to quieten and train the mind. The monkey, once portrayed as foolish and mischievous, represents the possibility of transformation to ultimate salvation for dedicated followers.

It is lunch time, and the monks are taking a break from their studies. We watch them casually walking across the dry compound as Bunlong finds a shady tree at the edge of the monastery for us to have a break. He goes to the back of his tuk-tuk and appears with cold face towels and bottles of iced water as we share the fruits we have bought in the market.

We discuss Buddhism and the impact on the Buddhist communities during the time of the Pol Pot regime in the 1970s, the ruthless destruction of the monasteries, the sadness of the monks who lost their lives or fled to become refugees, and the regime’s concentrated efforts to annihilate Buddhism. It is a harrowing history to contemplate.

Since then, it has not been an easy progression for the monks to restore their religion, their monasteries and temples as they have had to overcome many obstacles. However, Buddhism is now protected by the Constitution and is recognised as the official religion of Cambodia with approximately 95 percent of the Cambodian population practicing Therevada Buddhism according to a recent report.

School children appear along the dusty track, some on bikes, others chatting and laughing, arm-in-arm, waving to us and calling “hello” as they return home from early lessons. They are smartly dressed in their navy-blue uniforms and as immaculately groomed as they were when they left home in the early morning. Their appearance too seems at odds with the surrounding environment, the dusty tracks, the modest homes, the lack of opportunities in these rural areas, and our discussion turns to the importance of education.

Bunlong confirms what we know; that education is vital for young people to have a chance at a better life for without it, their life will be one of ongoing hardship – and this is particularly so for children in the more remote areas that don’t have access to schools. He tells us he has four children; the last birth resulted in triplets. He is teaching his children English; he wants them to have opportunities in life. He is also teaching himself Spanish as that will increase his work opportunities, and when his children have mastered English, he says he will teach them Spanish too.

As we continue to meander along the track, we pass a group of men and boys clustered around a water hole throwing nets into the waterway. They wave to us. They are fishing for eels with some success as one man emerges from the waterhole holding a large eel wrapped in his net. Grilled and steamed, eels are a staple part of the Khmer diet.

Eventually we come to a fork in the road where a little open-air hairdressing shop has been designed out of left-over pieces of wood and tin. A small chair for the customer is positioned in front of a tiny mirror propped on a wooden ledge. Next door, sitting on the front porch is the hairdresser with two others. They call out, inviting us all to come and share their lunch.

Bunlong explains that we are on a time schedule and not able to stay as he thanks them for their kind offer. He is sensitive in introducing us and explains the differences of the lives of the people in rural communities to those who live in the cities. Many rural people live with the bare essentials, yet these people who have so little are prepared to share their lunch with us. We are complete strangers to them and I wonder, in reflection, would I be as generous in the same situation. It is a humbling experience.

From the noise level, there is no mistaking the nearby duck farm as we stop to watch the happenings in the pens which have been loosely fenced, although the chickens have escaped and are meticulously picking away at the dry earth. Duck eggs are an important saleable item for the local people, although for many farmers difficulties occur from imported duck eggs which cut out the local market for eggs and place added financial pressure on the duck farmers to find money to feed their ducks and to keep their farms going. Nearby, a group of white milking cows are resting near a colourful red and blue spirit house.

Our last stop on this rural tour is to the Angkor Silk Farm, a social business enterprise, with a focus on reviving Khmer cultural heritage and giving young Cambodians who live in rural areas, opportunities for employment. A guide is waiting to introduce us to the art of silk production.

We see the mulberry tree orchards, the silkworm breeding program through to the painstaking process of the collection of the silk threads, and the spinning and weaving processes. Seeing the final products, the beautifully crafted silk fabrics, is a reminder of just how much work goes into creating these pieces when it is all done by hand.  Beautiful items are displayed in their gift shop, and we leave with some exquisite buys.

In the late afternoon we return to Siem Reap. It is a day we won’t forget; the beauty and the poverty, the cultural understandings, the warm hearts of the people and most of all the kindness of Bunlong, who so generously shared his Cambodia and his life with us.

All images: © Vin Coffey