Announcer: Welcome to Joseph Rosendo's "Travelscope," where you join us as we accept the world's invitation to visit.

Ha ha ha!

Joseph Rosendo: Today on "Travelscope," I begin my journey through Cambodia and Vietnam.

From ancient temples and artisan villages to rice fields and killing fields, I follow the Mekong River to Southeast Asia adventures.

Announcer: Joseph Rosendo's "Travelscope" is made possible by EVA Air.

Premium economy class in its own separate cabin serves both business and leisure travel.

EVA Air--a Star Alliance member.

And No-Jet-Lag jet lag prevention.

Rosendo: Angkor Wat is many things-- a UNESCO World Heritage site that is considered the world's largest single religious monument, its temple mountains a representation of the Hindu cosmos.

It stood at the heart of Angkor, the 1,000-square-mile capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of Southeast Asia for 600 years.

It is an icon of the Empire's power, wealth, and artistic culture.

From all over the world, they come to witness the sun's daily homage to its faded glory.

It's interesting to see the different visions of this experience that people are capturing.

And you would think it would all be the same.

I mean, it's sunrise over the towers of Angkor Wat, but it isn't.

Some people concentrate on the water lilies, other people on the reflection.

Some people are just here for the sun.

What's interesting is that many people spend so much time worrying about the picture that they actually don't experience the experience.

And he is the god of...

He is the god of Vishnu.

Oh, Vishnu.

Yes.

So this proves to us that this is a Hindu temple-- Yes.

instead of a Buddhist temple.

This is huge.

How big is Angkor Wat?

Uh, it's 1.3 by 1.5 kilometers.

That's impressive.

So, now we're in the middle of the complex.

Tell me, what does this building have to do with Hinduism?

This main building was situated at exactly center of the universe.

So, this is the Mountain Meru.

Yeah, actually only the kings and royal family were able to go up to the top level.

Well, things have obviously changed 'cause you got a lot of non-kings going up today.

Ha ha!

Did you see the line?

I mean, the line goes around the corner!

Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II at the first half of the 12th centuries, and he is the Hindu king.

Rosendo: Ah!

That is why, in Angkor Wat, we have got 4 gallery.

Each gallery have got two panels.

And on each panel is the Hindu epics.

So it is called "The Churning of the Oceans of Milk."

I know that story!

This is a tug-of-war between the gods and the demons.

And Vishnu, as the king-god, he's mediating this tug-of-war, and whoever wins gets the elixir of immortality.

The demons win-- Yes.

but Vishnu, being a good protector, turns himself into a beautiful woman, steals the elixir from the demons, gives it back to the gods, and that just goes to prove to me that inside every good man is an even better woman.

Ha ha ha!

Ah, Mooni, I see you saved the best for last.

These are beautiful women.

Yes, so all of these womans is called apsara, which mean the female divinity or celestial nymph.

A-ha!

So all of this girl was created from "Churning of Oceans of Milk."

The bas-relief we saw downstairs in the gallery.

Yes.

That it.

You know, a lot has disappeared here in Cambodia since the 12th century when Angkor Wat was built.

Yeah.

But these women have not disappeared.

Visitors can still see them performing.

[Music playing] [Music ends] [Flute-like instrument playing] Rosendo, voice-over: One of the most popular temples in the Angkor complex is Ta Prohm, also called the "Tomb Raider Temple" after the movie where it appeared.

Mooni, there are hundreds of temples and wats in Angkor Archaeological Park, and some people say 1,000?

Yep.

What kind of wat is this?

It was the Royal Monastery that built by King Jayavarman VII-- OK. and dedicated to his mother.

Now, I understand he's the king who built hospitals, or would he call the "diseaseless halls."

Oh, yes, they have 102 hospital built by the king.

He was a good king.

He's very, very good king.

And so when Ta Prohm was "discovered"-- 'cause it was never lost, but it was discovered by the western world in the 19th century-- it kind of looked like this.

You are right.

It looked like this.

The strangler figs and completely-- the walls tumble down.

I kind of like it this way.

Yeah.

Ha ha ha!

Rosendo, voice-over: Of the archaeological park's 1,000 sites, few surpass the majesty of King Jayavarman VII's new capital of Angkor Thom and its Bayon Temple.

This is something else.

Yeah.

So this is Angkor Thom.

Yes.

A big Angkor.

After Angkor fell, the new king built a new capital.

But I thought this was a Buddhist temple.

And when we came in, I saw the epic story of "The Churning of the Oceans of Milk."

And isn't that the Hindu story we learned in Angkor Wat?

Well, when King Jayavarman VII ascend to the throne, he decide to change religion from Hindu to Buddhist by peaceful.

He combine two religion together.

Is that him?

Yes.

It's the face of the Buddha and also the face of the King himself.

Well, the temple have got 54 tower.

So each tower have got 4 face that could represent to the 4 state of mind: as charity, compassion, sympathy, and equanimity.

That's beautiful.

Yes, yes.

The compassionate face.

Maybe--I feel like I'm seeing the compassionate face.

Yeah.

Ha ha!

[Flute-like instrument playing] Rosendo, voice-over: It's a culture shock to go from a day of exploring the ancient stones of the Khmer Empire to an evening in Siem Reap, the launch pad for visits to Angkor Archaeological Park.

While the park offers a time-traveling trip into Cambodia's past, the town of Siem Reap is definitely 21st century.

Its streets, lanes, and passages are lined with hotels, shops, restaurants, vendors, and bars filled to overflowing by some of the 2 million tourists the Angkor Temples attract each year.

And it's clear how Pub Street got its name.

Chol Muoy!

Siem Reap is more than Pub Street.

In its historic heart, not far from the spider stalls of the old market, Cambodians work to resurrect their ancient arts and crafts lost during the murderous Khmer Rouge cultural revolution of the 1970s.

What they do here at Artisans Angkor is to help people from the countryside who are undereducated, undertrained, and underprivileged to have a craft.

At the same time, therefore, they're supporting and preserving the arts and crafts of Cambodia, while they're helping people help themselves.

Rosendo: What kind of wood is this?

Oh, the rosewood.

Rosewood!

Beautiful.

Now, how long have you been here?

I will been here 15 years ago.

And you came from the countryside here?

Yes.

I live the rural area on the countryside.

OK. Are these your own designs, or are these designs that-- Oh, all that you get from the temple.

The temple designs that you're basically copying.

There's all sorts of different arts and crafts that people are learning here, over 800 artisans.

Do you do anything but woodworking?

Only wood.

Only wood.

That's your talent.

Ha ha ha!

We all have our special talents.

Yeah.

Do you teach others as well?

Oh, sometimes, OK.

Sometimes you have to.

Ha ha ha!

Au kun.

Au kun.

Yes.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Rosendo, voice-over: From Siem Reap, it's a 4-hour drive to hook up with my Mekong River Cruise.

And in Cambodia, every journey is filled with unexpected surprises.

[Grinding] It's been determined that some of the earliest wats and temples and religious monuments of Angkor date back to 800 A.D., and they are monumental, majestic, huge.

And yet, it's the small, intricate, beautiful carvings that you see inside those temples and on those walls that really does capture your attention.

That work is still being done today.

This whole village is devoted to the cutting and the carving of stone.

Look at the work on the back of this Naga, the many-headed serpent.

One the road from Siem Reap to our rendezvous with the Mekong River, there are a number of interesting sites along the way.

And one of them is this stone bridge from the 12th century.

If it looks recognizable, it's because the stone used here is the same stone they used in the wats and temples of Angkor.

And also, it's said that this is one of the benevolent infrastructure improvements done during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, who we met in Angkor Thom.

While 95% of Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists-- it's the official religion of the country-- their Buddhism is highly influenced by Hinduism and Animism--spirit worship.

You'll see spirit houses all over the country, in homes and at businesses.

The thought being that when the home or business was built, the resident land spirits were disturbed, and they need a new place to live.

So, since a happy spirit is a good spirit, hence the spirit houses.

In Cambodian-Chinese communities, you'll see 2 houses-- one for the spirits and one for the ancestors.

Suo stei.

Hi.

This is sticky rice, just 1 of the 20 almost 2 dozen varieties of rice they have in Cambodia.

And about 85% of the farmers here in Cambodia are rice farmers.

And you see rice fields all along when you're in the countryside along the Mekong and the Mekong River.

Look at that.

Mm-hmm.

So, as you're traveling from Siem Reap and if you ever need for a snack... there's always rice.

Born in the Tibetan Highlands, the Mekong River flows for 2,700 miles through 6 countries on the way to the South China Sea.

Although it's not the longest river in the world, more than 60 million people depend on it for their food, transportation, and livelihood.

Up to a mile wide, it makes its way through Cambodia for 300 miles.

In Vietnam, it's called Cu'u Long, Nine Dragons River because of its tributaries, which together form the expansive Mekong Delta.

The ship, in its stops along the river, give me access to Cambodian life, from the spiritual to the tragic and everything in between.

[Gong sounds] I'm in Wat Hanchey, overlooking the Mekong River.

Beautiful views of the river from here.

This is an historic place.

There are structures here that have been here since the 7th century.

In Cambodia, this would be called a pagoda.

It has 3 important elements: a place where monks can live, a place where monks can pray, and a place where monks can dine.

We might think of it as a monastery.

And if you were visiting a Buddhist monastery, you'd really want to speak to a Buddhist monk.

In Cambodia, the monk community has been very important.

They were activists during the Pol Pot genocide.

Many monks were persecuted and killed.

What is the role of the monk community today?

[Speaking native language] Why did you decide to follow the monk path?

Well, au kun.

Au kun.

Rosendo, voice-over: With Laty's words in mind, I visit nearby Phnom Pros, "Man Hill," where along with playful monkeys, shining temples, and golden Buddhas, I'm confronted by Cambodia's terrible past.

I'm on Man Hill on the grounds of Wat Phnom Pros, noted for its teaching, begging, and reclining Buddha images.

It is also the site of one of the 343 killing fields in existence during Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge Communist regime.

The killing field adjacent to this memorial was discovered when children found clothes with gold sewed into the lining.

As they dug into the ground, they uncovered some of the 500 human skulls that had been excavated from here... so far.

From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge persecuted, tortured, starved, and murdered between 1.7 and 2.5 million Cambodians.

Among them, Muslims and other ethnic groups.

Journalists, political rivals, teachers, artists, writers, and even people who wore glasses.

We'll never really know how many died.

And the Cambodians will never forget this dark chapter in their country's story.

Healing Khmer Rouge wounds takes time, but Cambodians are resilient people, and they are rebuilding with a little help from their friends.

Rosendo: Was this village affected from the wars and Khmer Rouge and all that?

Yeah, you know, it was destroyed from the Khmer Rouge, that they have burned the village here.

And so they had to start from nothing.

Yeah.

Have things improved now with the support and help?

Yeah, yeah, it really, really improves in our community.

So, in this village, we have 700 people.

Before the NGO come, people here, they are big farmer, that they do the rice field one times a year and depend on the rainfalls.

They just get time to feed their animal, like water buffalo, cows, duck, and grouse.

Some just walk around their house.

Is this your new garden?

Yes, it is the new garden that we grow in the mulberry tree.

Oh, for silk.

Now we don't have silk weaving, but we do have cotton weaving-- Fabulous.

This is a cotton?

Now, are you doing weaving, incorporating some of the traditional patterns of Cambodia?

Yeah.

That Cambodian traditional scarf it a square, red-and-white color.

OK.

So the next loom, you will see the traditional one.

Men and women can wear Kramas.

Yes, men and woman can wear.

Yeah, of course.

This is one of the new crafts that they're teaching the farmers.

Yeah.

They only have one season that they can grow.

In that off-season, they have some way to support themselves.

Yes, yes.

That's fabulous.

That's fabulous.

Rosendo: Now, how many different ways can this be folded for different uses?

We could use many, many way-- I think around 100 ways at least.

100!

Yeah.

OK, show me the big ones.

So I gonna show you with the lady, so would you mind to take off your hat?

Oh, absolutely.

OK.

So this is ladies.

For the lady, yeah.

OK.

So we fold a ...

They use this style to protect them from the sun-- Oh, OK!

also from the wind.

It's for ladies.

And the sun gets really hot here, so you need protecting.

I could see.

That's nice.

Yes.

Yes, so now I'm protected, and I look good.

Yeah.

OK. OK. And another style.

So another one is for the men during the summertime that it really hot.

Yes?

They don't want to use pant and trousers.

They could do the Kramas instead of pant and trouser like this.

Really?

It would be really breezy.

You've taught these people a new craft.

Yeah.

This is something they never did before, and this is how the community benefits.

Yes.

Rosendo, voice-over: There's more to preserving culture than artisan crafts.

Back on the ship, the children introduce the passengers to Cambodia's traditional songs and dances.

[Singing in native language] Cambodia's silversmiths are another example of its people using their creative hands and minds to better themselves and their country.

[Tapping] The silversmith village of Koh Chen is noted for its finely crafted silver bowls.

which were favorite gifts of the Cambodian kings.

You can hear the hammering quite a distance away from the village.

The silversmiths are really husband-and-wife teams.

The husband does the forging and the shaping of the metal, and the women do the intricate carving on the bronze-and-silver pieces, which can range from the kingly bowls to fish and chicken boxes.

[Crowing] These are one of the local Cambodian crafts.

They're being supported by NGOs and tourists.

[People speaking indistinctly] The bronze alms bowls are right at home at Oudong Temple.

A former Cambodian capital, Oudong's Temple complex was founded in 1601, enhanced in 1841, destroyed by the Khmer Rouge in 1977, and reconstructed in the 21st century.

Monk blessings take place in its Buddhist Center.

The heart of Buddhism are the 4 noble truths: Human life is suffering, suffering is caused by desire, suffering can end and the cycle of rebirth be broken, suffering can cease by following the middle way between sensual excess and denial of our humanity.

The eight-fold path is right understanding, right thoughts, right action, right speech, right livelihood, right efforts, right concentration, and, in my opinion, most important and most difficult, right mindfulness.

[Monks chanting, echoing] [Visitors respond indistinctly] [Birds chirping] [Boys chanting] Satu, satu, satu.

Rosendo, voice-over: It's the journey, not only the arrival that matters when you travel in Cambodia.

Motoring between villages, there's always something to catch your eye and your heart, like traditional stilt homes, flooded rice fields, or families hanging out and just doing what comes naturally.

I'm gonna practice this.

[Barking] Show me how you do that.

Ha ha ha!

Agh...

Au kun.

Au kun.

It's always nice when you're traveling between your destination.

Sometimes the best destination is in the middle.

And here we are, stopped in a little village where they have traditional stilt houses, and the people have their livestock right under their house.

You know, I looked around.

I said, "Boy, there must be a lot of flooding here"-- 'cause there is a rainy season, there's a dry season-- but their houses are up on stilts because it's better ventilation.

[Speaking native language] My girlfriend?

OK. [Laughter] Rosendo, voice-over: Join me on "Travelscope" for Part 2 of my Mekong River adventure, when I continue to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, with its old and new palaces, colorful markets, and genocide museum.

And then my water-borne home goes with the Mekong's flow into Vietnam for cultural exploits and riverside villages, floating markets, and the vast Mekong Delta.

Until next time, this is Joseph Rosendo reminding you of the words of Mark Twain: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

Happy traveling!

Announcer: Joseph Rosendo's "Travelscope" is made possible by EVA Air.

Premium economy class in its own separate cabin serves both business and leisure travel.

EVA Air--a Star Alliance member.

And No-Jet-Lag jet lag prevention.

For a DVD of today's show, or any of Joseph's "Travelscope" adventures, call 888-876-3399 or order online at Travelscope.net.

You can also e-mail us at TV@Travelscope.net.

Rosendo, voice-over: Now that we've explored Cambodia and the Mekong River, learn more at Travelscope.net, where you can follow my worldwide adventures through my e-magazine, blog, podcast, and on social media.

Stay in touch-- 888-876-3399 or TV@Travelscope.net.

[Slapping] Man: Uh!

Uh!

Uh!

Uh!

Rosendo: Look at this.

Mooni: Yeah, ha!

This is very big one.

All around down here, up on the top of the galleries.

Working its way into the rocks.

Yeah, ha ha!

Fish are eating the dead skin off of our feet right now.

How are you sure that they're gonna stop with the dead skin and not start eating the live skin?

We're not sure.