We’re in Cambodia, on a boat on the Mekong river. Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, is within sight. But before docking at Phnom Penh, we’re going to make a stop at Koh Dach – an island known for silk production. Let’s go!
When we docked at Koh Dach island, a line of tuk tuks and their welcoming drivers were waiting to greet us. They’d transport us to a silk weaving center, then to an elementary school for a visit, then back to the boat. That’s the plan.
Tuk Tuk Caravan
We disembarked and joined the tuk tuk caravan, on our way to Oknhatey Silk Village. There’s something about riding in a tuk tuk that makes people smile. Passengers smile because riding in a tuk tuk is just plain fun. Drivers are happy, maybe because they have some paying customers today. Or maybe just because Cambodian people seem to be happy all the time, no matter what.
Textile production at Oknhatey Silk Village is end-to-end. It starts with silk worms munching on leaves from mulberry trees growing on the island. It ends with a wide array of beautiful silk products. A guide led us through the age-old process, step by step.
Livin’ the Good Life
A mama silk moth lays 100’s of eggs that hatch and grow into silk worms. Lounging around in wide, flat baskets, they munch away on a steady supply of mulberry leaves. So far, so good for the little silk worms.
After living the good life for a month or so, a silk worm will start secreting silk thread and spinning it into a cocoon. It will build its cocoon from one long, single strand of silk thread. By the time the cocoon is finished, that piece of thread will be hundreds or even thousands of feet long!
Silk worms make cocoons for protection and maybe for some privacy while they magically transform themselves from caterpillars into moths. When it’s time to come out, they have to tear a big hole in it.
It Was Good While It Lasted
Unfortunately for the soon-to-be moths, the highest-quality silk comes from long, unbroken strands of thread, so silk harvesters dunk the cocoons into boiling water before the moths are ready to come out.
Workers carefully unwind the silk thread, spinning it onto reels. Then, after washing, bleaching, and dying, it’s ready for the loom. Weavers here work with their hands and feet, using the same type of wooden looms that have been in use for thousands of years. Watching them work is mesmerizing.
After the tour, visitors can stop at a silk shop with a large selection of silk goods in a rainbow of colors. The day we were there, business was good.
School’s in Session
After leaving Oknhatey Silk Village, our tuk tuk caravan moved on to an elementary school on the island. We entered a classroom full of kids listening attentively – at least until we walked in – to their teacher as she wrote on the blackboard.
They looked to me to be a mix of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. The teacher introduced us to the class and invited us to pair up with kids sitting at their desks, where we could have a short conversation.
They’d been learning english, so this was their chance to practice with some real live english-speaking foreigners. They clearly had some scripted questions and answers… “Hello! Where are you from? How old are you? I’m nine years old!”
Some had mastered their phrases better than others, but they were all well-behaved, polite, and cute! A memorable experience for us, for sure. Maybe for them, too.
To be continued…
Featured Image: Hands Working Silk Thread-. Credit: istockphoto/ackmalipan
