Metamorphosis

Complete metamorphosis of butterflies involves four stages: the egg, the caterpillar, the cocoon, and the adult. 

The egg

I left my story without ending the day with Mathieu, right before everything changed drastically.

Adventures with Mathieu

In the heart of Siem Reap, Mathieu’s visit sparked a reunion filled with laughter and adventure. Amidst the chaos of city life, our friendship thrived, weaving together memories of shared experiences and cherished moments. Stay tuned for more tales from our escapades together.

Dries DeconynckDries Deconynck

We just got back from a few days off in Kratié, the minute we stepped out of the tuk-tuk, changed clothes, and hopped on his rental bike - ready to explore the temples together. We went to the big loop, the lesser-known temples. That was precisely the reason. It was my first time seeing those temples, as well.

After getting lost at Prasat Preah Khan, we rode to the last temple we would visit together: Neak Poan. In Cambodia's middle of the dry season, visiting the temples made of heat-trapping stone is a hot and energy-draining endeavor. To recharge our batteries, we had a refreshing coconut near Neak Poan. The owner of the shop was the nicest lady offering to cut the coconut in pieces so we were able to eat the meat inside. We talked about our experiences in the temple area, how people must've lived back then, and reflected on our own lives. Mathieu shared his dreams and the steps he is taking to reach them.

Neak Poan

The long shadows marked the last couple hours of daylight when we crossed the bridge to see this temple. The coconut lady described it as a miniature Angkor Wat, so we had high hopes. There weren't a lot of tourists. The seemingly floating bridge connects the small island where the temple stands proud to the road meandering through the temple area. Whilst crossing the bridge, the scenery changes drastically. In the lake are hundreds of dead trees standing tall, creating a magical scenery.

Once on the island, the track split in two. either you walk onto the temple, or you can see and walk on the ancient dyke around the island. The guard told us to hurry, as the temple was about to close for the public.

Neak Poan is a very small sanctuary, you can only look at it, and it is too small to walk on. However, even though it is rather small compared to other temples, the scenery, the nature, and the surroundings add a magical touch to the experience. This temple left a mark.

As dusk was about to set, and the guards were telling us that it was time to go, we took a quick little detour to get a glimpse of the ancient dyke. Mathieu was telling me about his meditation practices and the time he spend in a temple with monks for two weeks before coming to Cambodia. A fascinating story.

Before everything changed

During our visit to the temples, I talked about my -then current- job, teaching online. We also talked about the changes in Kulen Outreach. Kiki told me in the weeks and months before how things were developing, how the relationship with her colleagues was changing, and that problems were piling up more and more without people trying to manage these problems at the root.

I could feel, that things were starting to change.

The Metamorphosis had started.