Som Na, Chinam T’mai (Khmer for “Happy New Year”)

So off we troll down to Phnom Penh, our usual journey governed by a number of variables most of which out of our control. However, the weather had been kind during the last couple of months with minimal rainfall, so we expected uneventful travel. So it proved to be - taking about 6.5hrs and the road continues to improve beyond recognition from when we arrived some fifteen months ago.
Phnom Penh was unusually quiet with less than expected traffic and people. We are told that many of the ‘barangs’, an affectionate term for foreigners, had made their exodus home to all parts of the globe for Xmas and New Year.
New Years Eve was most pleasant and we ventured at 1130hrs to the Royal Palace adjacent to the Tonle Bassac (tonle means river in Khmer). As the New Year approached it was really good to see large numbers of people, mainly locals, enjoying themselves waiting for the fireworks at midnight. It was also good to see how good natured people were with not one person showing signs of excessive alcohol. The fireworks were very impressive and with lots of oohhs and aahhs, bursts of massive coloured designs with accompanying reflections across the river. We phoned home which was a bit strange due to the seven hour time difference, a mere five p.m. in Blighty! A shortish cycle ride back, in the dark with no lights, and then to bed ready for our trip!
We arrive at PNH airport, check in pay our ‘escape Cambodia’ fee of $25 each for the privilege (rip off!) Our flight was on time and we left New Year’s Day to experience our closest neighbour, Vietnam, a country that we had wanted to visit for some time – why we are not sure but..... Our first stop was Ho Chi Minh city, formally Saigon. We were a bit dazed and confused here as we had to board an internal flight straight to Hanoi, northern Vietnam. Strange because we had to collect our luggage, go through passport control and customs and leave the airport. There were no signs to help us and our Vietnamese even worse than our Khmer and we felt a bit out of our depth. Eventually we twigged that we had to change terminals for domestic flights.
Safely in Hanoi, we were greeted, on time, by our accompanying guide who ferried us to the hotel. We were already aware of differences between Cambodia and Vietnam e.g. cleanliness, organisation and general feeling of just being more joined up! After checking in we had a wander about to find the tail end of their New Year celebrations with most of Hanoi walking near the lake and viewing all manner of floral presentations, very nice they were to! The weather was also very different, wearing our fleeces and drizzle in the air. Currency was also amusing not only its name, the ‘Dong’, but also the numbers involved e.g. 1$ (U.S.) = 20,000 Dong (or VND) and we became Dong millionaires very quickly (I shall avoid using references to the Leslie Philips’ salacious “Ding-Dong” – oops!)
After a good night’s sleep and breakfast we left for a mere three hour transfer by our own minibus to Halong Bay to board our luxury ‘junk’. On arrival there was a somewhat chaotic rainy scene with people, cars, minibuses, coaches and backpackers all vying for parking spaces and places to unload. We were eventually escorted through the melee to a small jetty and then to our boat. The ‘junk’ only carries a maximum of fifteen to twenty people comfortably and each ‘ensuite’ cabin is well proportioned and warm (well needed and a novel experience for us coming from very warm Cambodia). Food on board was very good (lots of sea food) and as we were served lunch we slow ventured out of port to the world heritage site of limestone outcrops in the Gulf of Tonkin (Jan’s maiden name)! The weather could have been better but that’s the risk at this time of year. The journey was very pleasant and a welcome respite from the constant go of recent weeks. We visited temples, monkey island and a large cave, but it was a bit cold for a swim (except for one loonie – guess what nationality?).. We returned to Hanoi airport for a short flight to Hue (pronounced Hoo ay), a former capital. We enjoyed this visit very much with the usual temple trips but also impressively to the Citadel which encompassed the Royal Palace. This is being restored to its former glory and will be magnificent when complete. Day two saw a Dragon Boat ride down river, yes to another temple which was an interesting journey, seeing a working river and all manner of activities. We were particularly impressed by the industriousness of the locals who were managing to cultivate every useful part of the river bank. Much of the imported fruit and veg in Cambodia comes from Vietnam; they have done wonders to recover from the war as well as they have in such a short time.
The next phase was a three and a half hour journey down the coast to Da Nang by minibus. The scenery was interesting and varied. We climbed up and down mountain passes and stopped briefly outside Da Nang at one pass which reflected American troop activity during the war with a few pill box structures and a look out post.
Da Nang saw a stop for lunch and then a visit to Marble Mountain. As we travelled we saw a terrific amount of building work for Hyatt Villas, a Raffles hotel and new golf courses designed by Greg Norman and Colin Montgomerie. Clearly a place which is attracting lots of investment, even though this coastline regularly gets blasted with typhoons evidenced by sandbags on roofs to hold them on! There was a great deal of ‘rock’ activity, all sorts of carving (generally hideous) and various artifacts. Our guide informed us that none of the stone actually originated there as the marble ran out some year ago! We visited a cave which housed a temple and signs of “occupation” by Vietcong hiding from Americans!
The outside temple was ancient and very serene, quiet and peaceful. Very much a place for thought, meditation and reflection - all part of the Buddhist way.
The rest of the afternoon saw us swimming in the South China Sea and soaking in a few rays on the vast unpopulated beach all but for a professional football team who turned up to train while enjoying the natural facilities and associated glorious scenery.

A night in Dan Nang then off to Hoi An, a small ancient village on the coast. Again temples were prominent but had a Chinese influence together with small streets and charming shops. We were route marched down to an old market area to be sung and danced to which was charming, with some very strange accompanying instruments. Keith did some very good deals in the market to procure some ‘genuine’ Polo shirts and we spent a couple of pleasant hours in a port-side bar with a guy from the Harrogate Parks department who was on his quest in Asia to find the cheapest beer (here, overlooking a charming canal we found good value at 2.5 litres for a dollar!).
We flew back from Hoi An to Hanoi for another night. This time however, we had a bit more time and our guide showed us most of the important places, architecture and general view of this bustling city, which we enjoyed very much. We did not however ‘do’ Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum which looked very foreboding. The evening saw us trek around for bits and pieces after experiencing the unique water puppets which is one of the most bizarre theatrical experiences ever but very charming. I then treated Jan to another ‘luxury’ bar selling beer for about 15p a glass. Here we sat on plastic stools on the corner of a busy, traffic congested street, next to two brothers from Peru. Conversation concentrated on travel and experiences and they were very interested in what we had been doing and keen to get “inside” information on travel in Cambodia, their next stop.

‘Tis the season to be …….windy! Dec 2009

Well here we still are - our second Xmas in Cambodia. It sometimes feels like an age and other times like we arrived only yesterday. Current weather conditions include very dry, nice and warm during the day, cool at night and windy. Oh yes and very, very, very dusty! It’s a bit like California except its dusty and not by the sea and very different people!
However life here is never boring. There’s always some twit (spelt with an a!) waiting to throw a spanner in the works. For example……
The road widening scheme continues. Now they have hacked up the entire tarmac road through the town / city, leaving the debris to be collected sometime and dumped somewhere, hopefully somewhere far away, he writes optimistically. The road is now treacherous, very stony and bumpy with lashings of extra dust and no contingency for traffic use. So, everyone is battling for whatever piece of uneven pathway they can find. The motor bikes are taking some even more hammering at present.
We now live in a modest little wooden combo, some might even call it a lake side duplex. All seems well; the new landlord is very nice and helpful. Then, at the, let’s relax after the weeks’ toil, weekend, we are treated to the saw mill symphony. Yes, the next door neighbour has a part-time business – a bloody sawmill! The concerto signs begin with a chuff – chuff opener when the diesel generator starts. Then we are treated to a cacophony of delights punctuated by virtuoso performances on the big brassy buzz saw and the more melodic planer. We do show our appreciation for the performance by loudly cheering and applauding whenever there is an interlude.
Perhaps I should record it and release it as ‘cutting’ edge composition for MP3 download on the inter-net! (I’m not sure who called it a buzz saw – I can reliably inform you that it definitely does not buzz). The noise is absolutely horrendous, so much so that we may seek solitude at our former abode during weekends (as they are returning to Sweden for eight months!) There is some respite however when new timber arrives and the completed score departs. We have made representations to said owner but as a policeman he seems to be able to do as he likes. One disturbing observation is that he may go stone deaf very soon as no credence is taken re: health and safety – a much misunderstood term here, as no ear protection is worn by any of the workers – I fear he is already there as he feels there is no problem! Hark! the herald cutters begin as I write – magic!
Work projects seem to be proceeding well for both Jan and I. I have continued to work closely with four science teachers at the local secondary school. Last week they tried out some of the practical activities with small groups of twenty pupils in the new lab. All went well and it gave the teachers a well deserved confidence boost without their safety net – the text book! Pupils also had a great time, their first experiment in a very differently organized classroom (as you can see from the photos). The lab is still a work in progress, but progress nonetheless. We are approaching completion re: electrical wiring and desk fabrication. All that is left to do is a really good clean out, walls painted and to lay the floor covering.
Jan seems to have forged some excellent relationships with her schools and they are taking on board some ideas and suggestions. Evidence of resources being used with children and actually enjoying it!
On Thursday we were informed that a proposed inspection at schools in one of Jan’s districts was postponed (a euphemism for cancellation in Cambodia). We arrived at work on Friday, 0730 hrs as usual, and were informed again, still postponed. Ten minutes later it was back on again! They had received a phone call from the boss to say that money was suddenly now available for it to go ahead. Jan and I hurriedly gathered tool and repair kits, eventually leaving at 0845hrs and arriving at the school at approx 1000hrs and 35km later covered in dust and the beginnings of ‘inspectors arse’ , a condition caused by long motor bike rides on very difficult bumpy tracks.
We were asked to observe a contract teacher to look at technical matters e.g. quality of teaching and learning. Unusually, we reconvened at 1300hrs for a debrief meeting with the cluster director and the inspection team (the teachers finish the morning shift at 1100hrs and so were then unavailable for the meeting.) Please note that contract teachers are very young and educated to year seven or eight at best, received no training at all, have little or no support, often get no money for six months and are on a year’s contract. I leave you to imagine what we observed in the lesson.
Jan also returned from another visit where the school director was absent only to be told by the children that he is always drunk!
Talking of drink, we were in our (only) favourite local restaurant which was incredibly busy, full of locals and an influx of tourists when two young English things arrived. They presented the stereotypical image of two girls from privileged backgrounds, dressed in ethnically inspired garb, on their ‘finding themselves’ gap year trip funded by Daddy (I hope this biased comment paints the appropriate picture and no doubt totally wrong but what the heck…). They made a bit of a fuss re: the menu which is easy to read and in English. They then proceeded to ask about a bottle of wine. Dutifully, the young lad, Somm Nah, rushed away and returned with the one bottle of red they had to be greeted with “Oh we don’t drink red do you have any white wine?” We almost expected them to ask to see the wine list or to send out the sommelier to discuss cellar options!
Now for the foodie bit! We held a joint celebration for Jan and Veasna’s birthdays. It was a great evening with Jan’s magnificent sautéed potatoes or big chips / roasties, grill your own pork kebabs, crudités with home made dips (humus + roasted sesame seeds and kidney bean + cumin, fresh fruit salad and booze, Xmas lights, balloons and decorations! We also cooked a mountain of rice as the VAs say it’s in their culture and that they will die if they don’t eat rice with every meal. Surprise of surprises, we found all the fried potatoes went very quickly and most of the rice was left uneaten. Yet another Khmer myth put to rest culture when it suits! The photo shows Jan with her homemade passionfruit curd 'breakfast' pancake!
We had another get together Xmas eve. Jan baked some mince pies, shortbreadmulled wine, with vegetable samosas, savory couscus, onion bhajis and coleslaw, whilst our neighbours Ross & Gabi, did sweet balls. All delights home made of course!
Xmas day started with pressies from secret santa with nibbles. Lunch was a veritable feast of stuffed turkey and pork with roasties, cauliflower cheese, tomato and aubergine bake with cheese topping, sweet potato mash, beans, carrots and lots of wine. Then we had Xmas pudding (brought from the UK during our summer visit) and custard followed by cup cakes. Eventually managed to squeeze in an afternoon nap, shame we had no Queen’s Speech to sleep through but just goes to prove you can’t have everything even in paradise!

MERRY XMAS AND A FANTASTIC NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS

Jan’s tours - Planes and boats and trains and ……..elephants!

November 2009.
After being very big and brave receiving my dental treatment in Phnom Penh we awaited the visit of Sophie, Jan’s youngest.

Still dubious that all arrangements were going to work, as nothing is ever written down, we waited outside VSO central at the allotted time for our taxi. Eventually it turned up only a few minutes late to being our next adventure!

We duly arrived at the airport expecting a lengthy wait for Sophie to clear baggage, medical screening, due to swine flu, visa purchase and baggage retrieval but there she was waiting for us with a great big smile!

We board the taxi and begin our five hour transfer to Siem Reap, which is home to the temple capital of the world including the famous world heritage site of Angkor Wat. The journey seemed to pass fairly quickly with Sophie asleep, snoring and drooling in the back of the car (fair enough after a 14 hour flight from the U.K.) She occasionally lapsed into consciousness to comment on the road conditions, animal life on and off the road, the lush rice paddies, the Wats, in all general scenes of bucolic bliss! So, we arrive at Siem Reap and headed towards the hotel. At first it filled us with dread. The road (I use the word loosely) was terrible, a dusty unkempt strip of dried mud, reminding me of holidays in Greece! All does not bode well thought I, but once again proved wrong – we entered a gateway to be greeted by very friendly and helpful staff who took luggage to our very smart air conditioned rooms overlooking a great pool surrounded by tropical palms and other flora, just the job for a bit / lot of R&R!

As part of Jan’s all inclusive tours she had arranged a Tuk-Tuk (a motor bike drawn four seater) to ferry us about to all manner of temples (whether we like it or not!). In true form, with guide book, we ventured off next morning to begin our designated visits. I fancied cycling, as it is flat and it would be a good way of getting a healthy dose of exercise, fresh air, and scenery whilst taking in the history. To my relief I was once again overruled as it soon became clear that the temple complex covered a huge area, with our first one some 30km away. Not a fun pootle on a bike in 35+ Celsius!

During our stay we did get to many of the temples and were pleasantly surprised to find that they were different in design, architecture and grandeur. This should not have been a surprise as they were built over many centuries. We did get up at 0400hrs one morning to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, but have to say it was awesome and a huge bonus was that we even managed to get a few shots which didn’t have hordes of tour groups in. Our tuk-tuk driver was a bit grumpy when we insisted on returning to the hotel for breakfast but he has no idea of how even more miserable he would have been if Jan had not been fed!


Next stop - Battam Bang (or BTB), a former capital of Cambodia. This journey we undertook by ‘express boat’ which turned out to be a Khmer misnomer with a seven hour journey in constant driving rain. Initially we crossed the north western corner of the Tonle Sap lake, a vast expanse of water which supports an incredible amount of fishing activity and floating villages. The lake is so large that it fills to maximum during the rainy season from the mighty Mekong and then backflows into the Mekong thus maintaining the main river all year round – both impressive and awesome! We then left the lake to follow the river via cloth, plastic bag or polystyrene markers, as the flooding obliterated the banks, down to BTB. This is supposed to be the most picturesque river journey in Cambodia but just goes to show that the Lonely Planet is not to be trusted all the time. While in BTB we took Sophie on the unusual Bamboo Train (see earlier blog entry for more details) and Jan and Sophie had a day’s Khmer cookery course at the Smoking Pot restaurant – be warned as she is desperate to try out the traditional fish Amok and has become a dab hand at bashing spices with a stone pestle and mortar. They had to choose a total of three dishes to prepare, go to the market and buy ingredients and then cook (but not gut the fish) and eat them all! I was the recording photographer for the day (and food sampler!)

We decided that we had done all the visits necessary and to go to back to Phnom Penh for further exploration. Once again we were duped by the term ‘express coach’. The highlight, reported by Sophie, was when one of the two adjacent Khmer lads blew his nose on the bus curtains! Otherwise the trip seemed to pass reasonably quickly and we eventually checked in at the Pavilion Hotel, a well known VSO venue for some R&R. Sophie and Jan really went for the R and R big-time with having shoes made, nails done, pool lounging, silk shopping and the requisite Khmer massage which involves being stood on – Jan reports that her masseuse has a bit of a job keeping upright on her wobbly bits!

Of course, you cannot really visit Cambodia and Phnom Penh without taking in some of the recent harrowing history. This mainly involves visiting the Genocide museum of Tuol Sleng which was the prison where any one (including children, academics, people with ‘foreign’ names) could be tortured and then taken to the ‘Killing Fields’ just outside PNH to be murdered. Both places are somber and give a grim reminder of what the population went through; they were starved, cruelly treated with little or no family contact, no culture, no fun – no wonder they go mad at weddings and any social activities.
Veasna one of our VAs arranged a taxi for our return to Sen Monorom. He is currently studying part time in PNH for his masters in development. The taxi arrived promptly and we arrived back at our Cambodian home a mere seven hours later. The road crews are already busy after the rainy season with changes evident compared to only ten days previously. If last year is anything to go on we expect a lot of work to be finished this season with major bridges completed and much more hard surfacing laid.
Sophie managed a couple of days rest while we were back at work but Jan insisted on the compulsory Mondulkiri elephant trek (probably one of the most uncomfortable modes of transport ever). The stay also included waterfalls and some extreme motor biking. One last reminder of the ‘Khmer Way’ was that the taxi we had booked days in advance for 0700hrs, called to say at 0730hrs that he was not going because he did not have enough passengers! After some wrangling (by Veasna and the taxi driver) Sophie did get away by mini bus – texting at 0900hrs that she had finally left Sen Menorom and was sharing the ‘madness’ with some other travelers.
As for work, we have been ensconced in various activities. Jan has been busy visiting schools and has experienced extremes of emotion ranging from depression to elation. Depression as some schools seem to have gone backwards in terms of progress whilst at the other end of the rainbow the odd success where teachers have taken on board suggestions and are trying out new ideas with their pupils. One of our new volunteers, Jeljie (from Holland) actually saw one of our workshop attendees using a bottle ‘pooter’ with her pupils collecting all manner of beasties for identification and discussion – WOW (perhaps we should quit whilst we are ahead?)

Throughout the month we have held a workshop per week covering science practical activities. We even surprise ourselves with the versatility of the ubiquitous plastic bottle. We can always be advisors for the Blue Peter team on our return to the UK without the ‘sticky-back plastic’.
The ‘new lab’ project continues but not at the pace I would like but nevertheless we are now starting to install the electrics and then we have only a few desks to make. We need to re-varnish the ‘new’ desks, paint the walls and lay the floor covering and we will be nearly there! Then we might be in a position to import the equipment from the UK and actually use the lab for training teachers and get it in use before we return home!
The adventures of Clouseau, the local cat who seems to have adopted us, continue. The other night he left after his evening meal, as usual, only to be spotted by one of the many marauding muts. As one mut approached I wondered what cat would do? Within a felixsecond cat had attacked with teeth and claw producing an instant withdrawal by said mut (I noticed that cat lead with his right, thus making him a southpaw!) All other dogs parted like the red sea as he sauntered away on for his evening dalliance. In general, he seems to have settled down a bit more. However, last night he was using my feet as hunting target practice which I wasn’t too happy about. After the third time we had a serious ‘chat’ – manno-a-cato. Since then things have improved and I now do exactly what he wants!

I wonder what next month will bring?

Cyclone, teeth and holiday!

As the new school year opening approached we were subjected to a cyclone. Ketsana, as it was named, wreaked havoc and left death and destruction in its wake as it traversed Vietnam. It lost much of its potency as it swept into Cambodia. However, it still killed eleven and caused extensive flooding in low lying areas before we were caught by the tail end of it. VSO managed to email us the day after (so we eventually found out as the service was down!) informing us of the coming maelstrom - not much use, nor very impressive.
The days passed and the weather was very, very rainy which meant no school visits due to impassable roads. We busied ourselves with various tasks and planning activities. Funds are now very restricted due to the demise of the former project and with it we have had our Volunteer Assistant support reduced by fifty percent. Another sagacious decision by VSO to save money. We have expressed grave concern to them and that such action really means that we are now effectively part-time also due to communication issues!
Two new volunteers, Jeltje (from Holland), and Chlarlotte (from the U.K, a replacement for Meg who finishes her youth placement early November) had arrived for their placement visit to join the rest of the resident VSO team
We had been invited to attend the ‘school year opening ceremony’. The weather the previous day was awful with copious rain - but no mention of alternative plans in case of bad weather (no surprise there then!). The day dawned heralding beautiful sun with a clear blue sky. I’m not sure how they do it but things tend to happen very last minute, very frustrating but they do - where’s the incentive to change?
The Provincial Office of Education was lined with school children, seating for the impending dignitaries dutifully laid out, microphone and PA system tested. Even the flag raising ceremony was subjected to practice, twice! One or two minor adjustments were made e.g. sending out via motor bike to fetch some petrol, subsequently delivered in a plastic bottle, to feed the industrial size strimmer. This was revved up and put into action near the seating area with dust, grass and stones being projected at great velocity at the assembling attendees, including yours truly. Meg, our youth volunteer, actually received a small piece of stone shrapnel to the face which required a comforting tissue to stem the flow of (a little) blood!
Soon after, the provincial governor arrived and walked with other dignitaries through the ‘pupil lined’ avenue to rousing applause. The flag was raised without a hitch to the sounds of the Cambodian anthem and all sat ready for the ceremony. We were entertained by pupils performing national dance routines and the inevitable speeches from the Provincial Governor and the Director of the Provincial Office for Education. These were about the right length and the whole episode most enjoyable. At the end most of the pupils scarpered home instead of attending school but………
One new venture this year is to convert one room in the local Secondary school into a science laboratory. Ambitious perhaps and definitely a challenge but that’s why we are here. So, I raised the idea with all concerned and they loved it but I’m also sure they had no idea what it actually meant and it would never match the abject luxury found in the U.K. The school director was delighted to be involved and made all the right noises re: support etc, etc. A meeting was called involving local community members, teachers, and pupils where I presented our ideas and an outline plan of what could be done. Since then despite a few irritations we have built over twenty desks and are in negotiations to upgrade lighting and install a few electrical sockets before we repaint the walls. We hope to use the lab for teacher training for both primary and secondary teachers but we will see……….
At the beginning of October disaster struck – one of my molars started to fall apart. For those that know me I’m not a great fan of visiting the dentist or molar mechanics, so the thought of visiting a dentist filled me with dread, so much so that it took me a week to tell Jan. However, I was comforted to some extent in that Jan had also received excellent (private) dental treatment in Phnom Penh. As I arrived the sign outside of a huge molar wrapped in a bandage did little to assuage my anxiety. The place was absolutely spotless. I was received by competent and well dressed reception staff then I was ushered into the treatment room. Now very anxious and hoping that there was an emergency exit to make a dash for it but alas not. What made me a little more nervous (if that was possible) was that one of the nurses stood blocking the door – arghh.
However, the Khmer dentist spoke immaculate English and after an X-ray, and some pain-free probing, announced that the tooth was beyond help and it would require a crown after some preparatory work Oh and some root canal work – What?!! I nearly fainted and my hear rate must have soared However, not wishing to highlight the fact that I’m a dentist phobic or woosie I calmly replied ‘No problem!’ He then said that I would need approx four or five visits to complete the treatment and to make an appointment for the next day. As I left I must have looked like a cartoon character on avoiding some rabid dog bent on attack, leaning against the door with the beast behind you! Composing myself I calmly walked to my luxury VSO transport and cycled back to bore Jan with the tale. When he needed to take a tooth imptression he said I had a very high gad reflex! I thought he meant that I was good at telling jokes but I then relised that it was because I nearly threw up every time he put this moulding devise into my mouth!
Five visits in total passed without issue and I am now the proud owner of a new crown (see photo) and without any discomfort. Oh I nearly forgot, I came away with the impression that the molar mechanic wasn’t too impressed by the dental work I had received in the U.K! There’s a turn up for the blog!
Whilst in Phnom Penh we made the most of the opportunity. We did some extreme market shopping at Oryssey market. It’s a bit wild and whacky but you can buy almost anything provided you can find it! We brought a few kilos of plastic fruit, narrow bore plastic tubing, marbles, balloons sulphuric acid and torches all for science workshops and a toaster for us. We also brought a box of syringes and thermometers from medical suppliers and lots of story books for some Primary schools. Why were we in Phnom Pen in the first place I hear you ask? It was a double whammy – one, for me to receive the dental treatment, and two, for us to meet Sophie who was about to visit but that is for next months’ blog!