Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Hi everyone We are a bit late starting this because we were trying to use a new site called Off exploring but we havent been able to upload photos etc... so have given up.In previous years this site has benn a little slow and troublesome but hopefully those hiccups have been ironed out.So ...here goes ....We left the Uk on the 25th January 2011 and after a great flight with Jetair (Indian airline baggage allowance 35k !!!!)...we landed in Bangkok.We stayed at Sam Sen Sam Place which was lovely for a couple of nights.Managed to catch up with Dan Wood and Nong (apologies for my spelling if its wrong)....just have to add that' Woodies Tours in Asia' is a little inexperienced compared to 'Woodies Tours of Hayes ' but hey..... We booked a bus to Trat on our way to Koh Chang and the usual crap ensued ...they dont take you where YOU want to go but drop you 10 miles away and make you wait around...WHY ??? Who knows.Trat was very sweet.We spent the night in the night market and ended up chatting with a lovely family who hardly spoke any English but we got by and ate some fab street food.There is a big expat community here of all nationalities but they tend to spend all day and night in Oscars Bar.....ok for a few hours but not ready to write off the rest of our lives just yet....Next day we headed for the island of Koh Chang where thank god we were staying on the other side of the island in Bang Baoa quiet fishing village. Dont get me wrong but it was so touristy and not what we were looking for but Bang Bao was perfect.Cliff cottage was great and Ewan looked after us really well .The whole idea was to study hard and get acclimatised as much as possible and thats what we did.Had some fab seafood too.Booked our onward trip to Siem Reap....crap info Ewan cos we were completely stung but hey ho..Anyone else planning this trip sort it yourself.We did koh Chang to the Poi pet border (had the best Singapore noodles ever ever at a restaurant called Market Fresh).It took 2 1/2 hours to get through due to queueing and then as we got through we were made to wait for the bus to take us to the bus station(completely crazy !!) Where we waited for more hours for the bus to fill up ?????The scams here are
a.We paid 850 baht and most people paid 4 to 500baht!!!
b.They normally take you to a s*** cafe ...we were lucky.
c. They keep you waiting at the bus stop in the hope that you get so pissed off you pay extra for a private taxi !!!!!
d.When you do eventually get to Siem Reap they make sure you arrive late at night, they drop you at the nasty bus station miles away where you have to pay an arm and a leg to a skanky tuk tuk driver to take you to your hostel.They tell you that its closed/full/not nice etc....so that they can take you to their friends overpriced hostel.
e.We call this "excess tipping "
They got there come uppance in the end because they knew we had been there before,luckily Blob had his cambodian scarf on and we told as many people as poss on the bus , that they were lying and they had to insist that they took them to where they wanted to go.I think it helped that Thailand had invaded Cambodia and were trying to claim some land at the next border along.That border got closed fighting broke out and 2 Cambodian soldiers were killed.I think they were worried that it could escalate.Although the fighting continues and more Cambodians and Thais have been killed we very rarely hear anything about it.
At this point I do have to add that due to the lack of news, the Egypt episode is constantly on the world news and we watched it unfold last night. At the moment we are amazed and so proud that a peaceful protest actually changed the life of a whole nation. I think this will have a huge effect on how other nations who have suffered in silence in the past may behave in the future.We dont know how this will all pan out, but hopefully it will be for the good of us all.Ok thats my political rant over.
And so we arrived at Rosy's Guesthouse thank god Blob had booked.We stayed for 3 nights and it was fab.Studying hard and retracing our steps around Siem Reap.In only one year it has changed quite a bit but its mostly as we remember it.Blob loves the fact that all the tuk tuk drivers are constantly waving and shouting 'Hello' at him,he's astounded that they all recognise him from last year....yeh right
On Monday 7th February we were picked up by Rose and taken to our home for the next month Globalteer House.Its lovely and was previously a hotel .Its very clean and modern .We all share a small kitchen and lots of tiny fridges .There are over 20 volunteers of all ages and abilities. I am currently sat in the foyer/ living area with Pete and Roz from Oz( retired) Marilyn from Canada Retired headmistress,and Alan and Alison Retired headmaster from the wirrall and his wife now a part time teacher .All the younger kids are at the pool in a hotel up the road chillin We can stay there all day for 5 dollars.I would have been there but not feelin so great today.Blob has gone out with Bob and Lyn on the bikes to a village miles away to see one of Lyns students from last year who invited her to go and meet her family and have a tour round their village. They were only going to be 2 hours but I forget we're on Cambodian time.
So we started our teaching at Grace House on Tuesday.My class is aged 5 to 11 ish and they are known as the Dolphins and Lions.They have a basic knowledge of English and are varying skill levels.I am trying so hard to learn all of their names but its not so easy.One of my little girls is called Srey pra I'm not sure of the spelling so I will type phonetically.She is 10 and resembles something out of Slum Dog Millionnaire. She seems to be a bit of a loner and keeps herself to herself but we were at the puppet project yesterday and she helped me all afternoon and she chatted with me all the time . Her english is very good.Then there is Sayed !!!!! Yes the child from hell!!!He is 5 and his english is extremely good . He wont sit still and occasionally takes great delight in rabbit punching me in the kidneys but I think we may have cured that. I have 2 classes in the morning and then a different group in the afternoon for 2 hours.Dani is the khmer teacher who takes the first class and then I take the second class,although she hasnt been around much this week and she isnt here next week so I just get on with it . We have a 2 hour lunch break and have found anice little authentic cafe over the road where we go and drink iced coffee. Sayeds mum is called Mom !!! She cooks our lunch (only the staff eat , the kids go home) its not bad as she cooks it on a little calor gas stove on the gravel and usually is rice,morning glory (THE VEGETABLE !!!), fish stew, and a 'meat'? curry.Blob and I do an extra class after school .I teach with Piseth who is extremely handsome and he teaches with lung.Mom is in my class and its a fabulous hour that we both enjoy.Blobs class are about 20 ish and mine are from 22 to 37.They work incredibly hard and are so enthusiastic.We also laugh a lot....usually at me.
Well I need lunch so will continue to bore you later xx
- comments