Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Had a quite a poor sleep last night, I did notice that the bed sheets were irritating me. I had slept in the same bed for two nights and the sheets were fresh each day so I'm not sure why it started on the last night in siem reap. I also was having weird dreams which didn't help, i spoke to the pharmacist on my tour and he reckons that it may be the anti malarials.
Caught the public bus to kampung Cham which was a 6 hour bus ride (in luxury) with stops inbetween at little service stations...somewhat different to Knutsford service station believe me. The one thing that has come apparent is the amount of rubbish that is dumped outside people's homes. Its the probably the worst that i recall seeing out of all the countries i have so far visited. I know that they don't have the council to do the bins but most of the rubbish looks burnable so why don't they burn it. At kampong Cham we are going to be doing a bike ride to a island and to check out some bamboo bridge. I'm quite concerned as I haven't ridden a bike for at least 10 years maybe more and if the bikes are similar to the ones that the locals ride I could be walking like John Wayne tomorrow.
I really enjoyed the bike ride, although the bike had definitely seen better days, it was way too small with ineffective breaks, but on the whole the actual activity exceeded my expectations. First of all i was expecting some kind of rope bridge make from bamboo, abit like something out of indiana jones and the temple of doom, but it was a proper bridge that was used by the locals to get from the mainland to an island offshore from kampong cham. At first it looked like a death trap but when I saw cars traveling along it I knew it would be reasonably safe. The island was friendly and the people, mostly the children are the friendliest I've met since I arrived here...it was nice to see kids that weren't soliciting and only thinking of the dollar. We all got our first glimpse of a Cambodian wedding which looked a bit bizarre, the people were all dressed up nice but the function was a typical slum/shack, although they did have a quality sound system banging out some Cambodian music. At one of our rests the tour guide got one of those duck eggs/foetuses. It looked absolutely horrendous and when he broke it up with his spoon you could see the resemblance of a duck...it was proper grim. He offered it around so I had a small mouthful and it was really nice, something that I really wasn't expecting, but that is the beauty of travel things will amaze you when you least expect it. Returned back from the island and watched the sunset before arriving back at the hotel. Im dreading how my legs are going to feel in morning.
For our meal tonight the tour guide asked us if we wanted to go to a Cambodian family that used to get money from the tour company but now doesnt work for them anymore, we said yes and it was brilliant, best food I've had since ive been here. The guy picked us up in his tuk tuk and drove us to his house that cost him $8000 to build from timber...he now reckons that it is worth 3 times that now so i reckon the boom hit Cambodia too. We ate on the floor on a tarporlen sheet and we had chicken and vegetable curry with rice, noodles and salad, it was very nice. He had 4 boys, 2 of which were young children who were the really cool and playful. One of the children was performing renditions of "gangnam style" which I amazed me, I couldn't believe a tune that dire could reach the ears of a child in the back end of nowhere in Cambodia...poor child. After dinner the guy pulled out his home brew whiskey with added tarantula, I'm not sure what the added tarantula does but I tried a bit and it was ok...as home brew goes. His youngest child then decided to put the leg of the tarantula in his mouth and pose for photo whilst running around with this giant spider in its mouth. The kid was probably only 3 years old, but it was great entertainment.
Anyway it is another early start tomorrow to catch another public bus to Phnom Penh to see the killing fields. If the public bus is like the one we caught today then that should be great as that was luxury, but I shouldn't get me hopes up to soon.
- comments
Rob O I'm really not sure how you can say eating duck egg foetuses are nice! Your like the bus driver in the china episode of idiot abroad, he loved them!
stevennokes That actually not that bad, they look horrendous but taste alright. I'll try most things once
Ralpheristus Great post Steve. How do you keep it up? That gangnam style this is so incredibly soul destroying though.
stevennokes Thanks Ralph. Yes gangnam style should be banned.