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Hi
I am on holiday again, but this time only for two days as is it is the festival of 'Bon Om Tuek' the water festival which celebrates the full moon and the reversing of the flow of the Tonle Sap river. Last year, at this festival 300 people were trampled and/or electrocuted as they all tried to cross on a narrow bridge in PP. As there is a substantial government financial input the festiva the gov have cancelled it this year due to the flooding problems and their supposed support for their people in such awful times. However, it is such an important celebration for Cambodians they still wants bits to happen, so many locals are either travelling to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, but nobody really knows anything. However, last night when we came back from town the river looked beautiful as there were so many lit offerings floating along and the full moon made everywhere look wonderful. Hopefully tonight we can find where the offerings are being launched and watch for a while. In school every child made an offering boat and on Wed we set off to launch them. As the river level is still very high we had to invent a tool to use to lower two candle lit boats into the water at a time. It was a shame that the children couldn't launch their own boats but everywhere was too dangerous - that is for us Westerners who are led by Health and Safety. The previous night we had torrential rain, so the roads had turned, yet again, into a quagmire of thick, bright red and were treacherous, but we managed to get all the children there and back without mishap. By the end of the day my legs and feet and blue trousers were bright orange and the stains very difficult to remove.
It has been wonderful cycling to school again this week, but in parts a difficult one. I didn't realise that I had the ability to be a BMX rider, but after the terrain I've cycled over this week I could easily qualify. I can proudly say that I have not fallen off once, but new tyres and damages to the bike have had to be made. The coccyx isn't complaining yet, but I'm sure it soon will be.
We have had to cycle a diiferent way for part of the journey because of the roads, but it has been worth it to see the mixture of town, village and rural sights. Unfortunately, much of the rice crop we pass has been ruined so it has been very sda to see the folks pulling up rice plants and then having to cultivate the land again. After the very heavy rain of the other night I saw a man and a woman trying to clear the small area they had prepared of water by using a small bowl - a never ending and fruitless task I would imagine. The yoked bullocks pull a single furrow plough. The majority of the hard work is still done by hand. There is still alot of water lying so at all times many folk are fishing using their ingenious range of tools. Much of the time their whole body is submerged in the water - not too sure that it would pass any health control now that there is very little fresh water running into it. Another sight which really amiused me, but I didn't like to photograph was of a lady repairing the main road into town large boulder type rocks with rough edges are used to fill potholes - the one she was in was so large she was sitting in the middle of it and placing the rocks around her like a jigsaw puzzle - main roads but road repairs are largely manual - the vehicles which use them are posh, so how long the axles, wheels etc can sustain such conditions I do not know. Poor tuk drivers, cyclists and moto riders must be having hell of a time too.
As I have already said the wedding season is in full flow, and every day a new canopy appears covering at least half of the road and the loudspeakers keep spewing out the music from dawn until late. It is very unfortunate one a wedding one is set up next to a funeral one which I have seen a couple of times - colour on canaopy is different and I suppose the music is although it all sounds the same to me!
Wherever you go at the moment you see men, women, children having their heads inspected and headlice/eggs removed, many people while away the hours in this occupation - frequently they are so bad the only way to get rid of them is to shave the head, so that is a common sight too. However, that can sometimes be confusing as ladies who have just been widowed shave their heads too. I feel ashamed of the photo I took through the window here, but I suspect that lady has been widowed a long while and it is the style she keeps, but who knows - I don't!
Also wherever you look there a newly born puppies, they are all very appealing but their future and standard of it questionable. 'My dog' has now got a very sore open wound on the back of her neck, I'm sure she has created it from the constant scratching they do, I'm not sure how long she can continue in the state she is in - I'm absolutely certain she won't be here if and when I come again. The food she gets from me will soon end and ...
Last Sat when we called in to a very secluded posh hotel for a drink on our bike ride I very cheekily asked if we could visit for a swim and lunch, it is against their policy to allow visitors like that but the manager said he would make an exception if they were not too busy - it only has ten rooms! Earlier this morning he has honoured his part by ringing me and saying that we can go today as their visitors will not be arriving until after 5pm, so we will cycle through idyllic rural scenes seeing poverty and then in the middle of rice straw stacks, mud, dirty kids and wallowing buffalo we will enter Sojourn and have a relaxing swim and very pleasant lunch in beautiful surroundings before cycling back.
Tomorrow there is an Arts Festival in the Royal Gardens, GH has got a stand so we take turns to man it and experience whatever else happens, but will certainly be tomorrows surprise.
Enjoy your weekend and take care all.
Jenny x
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