Angkor Ban is a small village on the Mekong River. Walking through gave us a glimpse into a different way of life, like walking into the past. We entered by passing through a temple. The entryway was lined with the different animals of the zodiac.

We passed by traditional houses on stilts, many of which had a spirit house in front. Spirit houses keep bad spirits from entering the home. The wealthy have their own spirit house so that their ancestors’ spirits don’t have to co-mingle with neighbors that they might not get along with. Food is placed in front of the house to feed the spirits. In Thailand, red Fanta soda is very popular among the local ghosts. I don’t know what Cambodian spirits prefer!

Each family grows rice on a hectare of land (about 2.5 acres). The rice is dried and sent to the local miller who skims some off the top but processes the rice for “free”. They then sell the rice husks to make more money. Many are also pig farmers.

We stopped by a business that dyes and weaves indigo fabric. Many in the villages have moved away, so the Ministry of Culture pays students to come here to learn to weave. Pay is $70/month.

We were also able to go upstairs to see what the house was like.

We walked back along a main road, stopping briefly at a local market.

We walked back through the temple area before boarding the boat to our final stop.