Saturday 17 March 2012

After the drama of the genocide museum we retreated to the countryside for a home-stay. We were welcomed by the people from a rural village who served us fresh coconuts (we watched as the man of the house scaled the palm tree in his back yard to get us coconuts).

3 little brothers at the homestay

the kitchen

the owner of the homestay high up in the tree getting us coconuts

yummy coconut juice


We learned how they make gas for cooking and light from the methyl produced from cow dung, and were then taken to the community centre. Here they explained how the village tries to be independent, how they get money by providing the tourists with accommodation in the home-stays and by the women coming to the community centre to cook for the tourists. The kids are kept from begging by being taught traditional dancing and we were entertained by the kids who showed us 4 dances and then sang for us.



Little girls at the community centre dancing apsara for us


A delicious supper of curry, steamed rice, noodles with vegetables and spinach with pork awaited us after which some of the other people in our group got tipsy on rice wine while the rest of us went to face a night with no aircon. We shared the room with 3other couples, but we had a big room and a big bed with mosquito nets and slept with the windows and doors open and the sounds of crickets and roosters...


Sihanoukville: the beach
We took another 4 hour bus drive on our way to the beach. We stopped at spider city and tasted deep fried tarantulas….crunchy!!

 Then spent the day lazing on the beach with the group. Cambodia’s beaches are pretty dirty and once again filled with the notorious kids selling bangles or ladies selling massages or manicures. The kids here work in the afternoon and go to school in the morning, or some do it the other way around.
The next day we took a boat ride with the group and did some snorkeling-saw the most beautiful coral, and then had a private island to ourselves where we lazed around and had a fish barbecue.



that blob is me snorkelling at sunset

this is our captain and yes that is a beer in his hand and no it was not his first!



Today we returned to Phnom Penh the capital and tomorrow we are off to work with the elephants!!

2 comments:

  1. Omw the first thing I saw was that spider eeeeeek, so you getting them back for building a nest in your jersey at the Baths, hehe, I am so envious of you spending all that time with the elephants, please send them my love :), I hope the kids on the beach didn't give you a hard time. Miss you guys a lot, I will check out the video soon, enjoy all the coconuts and rice wine :).

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  2. Hello. Loving the new haircut. You guys seem to be having so much fun. Missing you guys.

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