Oct 15, 2009 - Silk Island
My search for legitimate, truly handmade scarves in Cambodia led me to Preah Bong Kong Village, better known as “Silk Island.” Silk Island is a small island up the Mekong River merely an hour outside of Phnom Penh. My Australian neighbor, a horticulturalist/ English teacher who has lived in Cambodia for five years named Skinny, led the way over the Japanese friendship bridge. Cruising on our motos, the wind cooled the heat soaked afternoon sun as it scorched down against our open faces. We worked our way across the peninsula which cut the Tonle Sap River and the Mekong apart. The gaping potholes and fist sized gravel obstacles kept me hopping on the pleather seats which clathed my trusty Dailim bike.
We jumped on the local fierry among smiling Cambodians; they were fighting for any shade from the hot sun they could find. Not a long boat ride and we were soon cruising onto the island. After asking a few of the locals where the silk (sote) was made, we were informed to drive up along the dirt river road about 5 km to find Prek Bongkong Village. This place really impressed me; a short adventure from the city and we were in the country; it felt like we were in the heart of the most rural province.
Soon we started to see the weathered wooden looms in almost every other stilted village home. We pulled into a home that had a few looms and seemed interesting. The silk was shimmering from where I parked my moto; the glowing reds, yellows, greens, pinks, and oranges reflected like jewels. We were greeted by an English speaking girl named Naysim. Naysim and her family specialize in hand weaving silk for scarves, sarongs, ceremonial attire, and decoration. I watched as her family members worked. Their hands swiftly moved through their medium with such concentration and talent. It was amazing seeing them produce their art, and it really made me appreciate the final product that much more. Naysim brought out a handful of silk from a tin roofed shack connected to their open aired workshop, both under their stilted house. She put the silk out on the table and began telling us which of her family members made each piece. “My aunt make this one… and this one, purple one, my sister make… this one very beautiful my mom make.” I asked her various questions trying to get as much information as possible without seeming disrespectful. She said that none of the silk is actually grown on the island but that it comes from Takeo Province, Siam Reap Province, and other parts of Cambodia. The raw threads are then dyed by the locals and woven accordingly. We bought a couple scarves for a reasonable price and kept moving down the dusty village road. We stopped in a few other homes, some working on wedding dresses and some actually dyeing the silk. We left the island late in the afternoon and I felt very happy to find a product that is legitimately hand-made and fair traded. It gives me great hope for Cambodian Threads.
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