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Hi all
This has been a very busy and interesting week, and for me great fun as I love showing people around this very special place. Fortunately, the end of the rainy season seems to nigh and so we haven't been unduly hampered by weather related conditions, although it has had an impact on things. With Mati and Geoff we have experienced the rich and extremely poor side of this area. Monday began slowly as they were coming to terms with the new time zone, tremendous heat and humidity and the early start of the previous day and the hard climbing and looking that needs to done when one visits the Angkor temples. A tuk was requested and we set off to an area on the outskirts of Siem Reap that is seldom visited by tourists and wandered around a local market looking and trying to converse with some of the sellers there. The heat mixed with the good and bad aromas stimulates all the senses, but other than the wonderful looking fruit and veg there is little else one would be tempted to buy, although as fish is so plentiful at the moment it is very fresh and a wide variety available. It is fascinating looking at the clothes, none of which we would ever consider buying, but neither would any of it fit us westerners, even those of a size 8 disposition. As we wandered along the roads they were fascinated to see all the Johnie Walker and Gordon's gin bottles lined up full of petrol and diesel for the local moto and car owners to buy, however, full scale petrol stations are beginning to appear, and I'm sure the quality from their pumps is much better. Guys welding things next to babies in chairs, next to petrol - all goes here, and for Geoff and his Health and Safety it was a different model to consider! Who knows best us or the Cambodians? Mati and I were fascinated watching two women prepare taro and bananas ready for chips and then frying - although they were working on the edge of a very dusty lane they did their best to keep everything clean. The oil they cooked the crisps in was very hot and was over a small homemade furnace. We succumbed and bought a deep fried fried banana each - delicious they were too. As we were so close to ABC's and Rice, a project volunteers from here work at I decided to show them it, as I didn't expect us to get out to Grace House. Fortunately, Tammy arrived at the same time as us and was only too pleased to show us around and talk about her project, of which she is inordinately proud and has worked so hard to build up. She explained her ambitious plans and hopes for the families of the villages she supports with rice and education. Then it was into town to discover more in the Old Market and see what goodies there were there to buy. First impressions are encouraging but the more you look you realise that everyone sells exactly the same and that all in all there are about 10 different products on hundreds of stalls. Dinner was a khmer curry at the Khmer Kitchen and was enjoyed by all of us, its claim to fame is that Mick Jagger ate there many years ago, so did I on my first visit. There is such a lively atmosphere around in the evenings that you can't help but enjoy yourself and it. The persistent tuk drivers are great on days when you can cope with it. I was keen to introduce them to my favourite, Mr Butterfly. The 50 cent beers go down well with me and Geoff and they certainly help replace some of the fluid lost during the day! Although you are pestered by the kids selling books, flowers and paintings and tuk drivers wanting your custom, but most take 'no' in good grace. Although there are tourists about there are not enough to keep everyone happy - and according to hoteliers they are not staying as long as usual and now with the floods in Bangkok others are staying away altogether.
Wed after another slow start, but one we spent trying to find a hotel to stay in Phnom Penh. The Bourgainvillier which Jon and Meryl had recommended was fully booked, but we were able to find another good one at a much reduced price for two nights so we booked for Wed and Thurs night. We set off for lunch at Rosy's as M and G wanted to see it as it was somewhere they had considered staying, but as it is on the river bank it was not a good idea. We were disloyal to Cambodia and had egg and chips for lunch, they were excellent and a pleasant change from our limited local selection of food. Another walk and a different commune was visited, equally as poor as the last one, but with an interesting market and plenty of small businesses operating from their meagre huts- the endeavour from some is amazing and the lack of it from others very sad. The sewing businesses were fascinating, the craftsmanship wonderful and the sewing machines different! The wedding season begins in Nov when the rainy season ends, so many ladies were making bodices with intricate embroidery detail and sequins ready for the ladies to wear with their traditional Khmer long skirt. The walk was very hot and dusty, so we decided to walk as far as the Royal Gardens and then get a tuk into town, but as we past Raffles Hotel we decided in our dirt and sweat to go in there for a Singapore Sling! Poverty immediately next to the great wealth of the west. In we went and found a calm, cool oasis and decided whilst we were there to have afternoon tea too! Singapore Slings enjoyed - so much cheaper than the ones in Raffles, Singapore whilst we just watched the comings and goings of staff and clients. Then it was time for tea - the western one we had settled on - rolls, scones, madelaines, muffins and the top layer the delicacies - very enjoyable and the one for one person did all three of us. Our cocktail was 6$ and the tea 18$ against 25 pounds and 44 pounds the going price the last time I was in Singapore. Eventually we persuaded ourselves to leave and go into town to book our transport to PP the following morning. A tuk from the hotel was keen to have our custom, but he did not like the price I was prepared to pay - he thought that we were Raffles clients and not locals who really know the cost of tuk rides! He swore very loudly when he dropped us off and I hastily retreated into the market in case he came after me! We did stop to look at a local pagoda and watched a man turning in the petals of a lotus flower to make it pretty and enable it to last slightly longer. The locals seem to buy them whenever they visit to pray. Geoff manage d to buy his Patak Phillipe and Armani watches in the market and then it was on to World travel for bus tickets. Nick had recommended the mini bus service as it is supposed to take an hour less than the big buses, we were successful, but had to wait until the 9 am departure as the earlier one was full. The return ticket cost 16$ each and each leg of the journey would take between 5 and 6 hrs or longer! We couldn't justify eating out again so returned here for beans on toast and to prepare for our 8am pick up the following morning.
We were collected by tuk and taken to the departure place, but very quickly set off through Siem Reap's nightmare traffic, but very soon we were into the countryside/ocean. I have spent many years training myself NOT to be a back seat driver, but I failed dismally on both Wed and Fri. The drivers cannot follow another vehicle, tuk. moto, truck, bike, ox cart etc, so my language was not great each time they pulled out to overtake. All these issues were compounded by the fact that all the cattle. water buffalo, pigs etc were having to live on the single carriageway road as it was/is the only dry land for them. Plastic shelters had been built to protect them from the sun/rain and people were looking after them and feeding with grass they had managed to cut - they cycle miles to find it. Coming back in the dark was even worse as no one has thought to put lights or reflectors on any of the means of transport I have mentioned, or on people/livestock. Also the flooding has caused major damage to the road surface, so nobody cares which side of the road they drive on as long as they avoid all the potholes. I am describing one of the major roads in Cambodia! I'm sure the other two or three in exactly the same condition.
Phnom Penh has certainly developed since I was here a few years ago and is now looking more like a capital city. The volume of traffic has increased tremendously and there are some new roads in the city, but congestion is a problem - interesting as there is still all the old modes of transport too, much severely over loaded. I do wonder about the future of the tuk, as at times I did feel vunerable as we wove our way through and across all the traffic at junctions.
Our hotel, King Grand Boutique Hotel was very good and came at a good price through Agoda, very new, clean and white with very attentive and polite staff. We walked past the palace to walk along the Tonle Sap river, it was level with the top, with a strong current carrying lots of debris and ripped up greenery. We could see the confluence with the Mekong and were watching large ships and fishing boats go about their business as black clouds came, the winds blew and the storm began. Fortunately, we were opposite the hotel recommended by J and Meryl so hastily crossed the road into it. It was 'Happy Hour' so Singapore Slings were quickly ordered - this is the first time I have enjoyed them. After two we decided to stay there for the Khmer buffet they were having and enjoyed watching people hustling about in the heavy rain and the keen ones using the trim track on the promenade. Later exercise groups started their too. After an enjoyable dinner it was time to retire for the night, so a tuk was called and took us back past the royal palace in all its glory.
Thursday was amixture of Cambodia's past with a visit to the Killing Field and S-21 Genocide Museum. These were as awful as my last visit, but a new audio system takes you around the field, explaining everything in a very effective way - something Cambodia has done well. Then it was time for the Russian and Central markets - a mecca for spenders, but so hot and cramped. Geoff opted out of the second one as he was suffering from a nasty cough and cold. Mati was able to spend in peace! After a quick trip to Wat Phnom - the founding site of PP we went back to Bourgainvillier for a drink and then called Geoff to come and join us and we ate excellent pizzas along with the cocktails!
Friday was left for the royal palace, silver pagoda and the museum. Everywhere was frantic activity as they were preparing for the King Father's Birthday and the celebration of the present king's inaugration day 20 years earlier. Flags were flying with 20 and 90 on them to remember age and years on throne. The poor king's father is an ailing 90 yr old who lives in Beijing, but was brought back for the occasion!
Hoardings showing his and his wife's pictures were being erected everywhere and decorated with beautiful plastic flowers, fresh would die too quickly. Red carpets were being laid and licks of paint to parts of the palace - no thought given to H and Safety. I have only seen bits on the TV and it looked like cruelty to the old man. The people are very reverent and defferential to the family. The buildings were beautiful. but some not so old. The weather was very hot and so draining that the musuem didn't get the full attention that it deserves. You know about the journey back! The hotel comes recommended. The poverty of PP is not obvious from the city centre, but it is there as soon as you leave it and hidden in the centre behind modernity.
Tonle Sap will be the next entry!
Take care and love to all. Hope the next term is a good one, J x
- comments
Jon Thanks for the update and its really pleasing to hear that things are slowly returning to a more normal (if that is possible) routine. PP was quite extraordinary in the way that the poverty is concealed but our route to the Killing Fields was really depressing in terms of the squalor that people have to endure. Both museums are the places of nightmares and horror. They have that unbridled look of awfulness and to think that people inflicted such appalling cruelty on others is truly horrifying. I would still go again to remind myself of what people can do to others. Hope that rest of the stay for G and M is rewarding!
Mati & Geoff Thank you for being such a super guide for our visit to Cambodia. What a memorable week!! I'm sure the people of Cambodia will stay in our thoughts for a very long time - the way they always smile when coping with the terrible conditions around them. You've done a super job of recalling our adventures and we look forward to the next episode with the crocs and snakes of Tonle Sap. We hope it's all going well at Grace House. Take care.
Jon Hi Jenny Just been looking at the photographs of PP and I have seen your comment about the death of Van Nath. I recall being somewhat suspicious of the Cambodian political system so I wonder what the PM could have said. Can't find anything on the internet.
Marg Jenny you continue to exhaust me!