Weather: Windy as hell and cold! Sorry, I know you guys in the UK are suffering from really awful weather at the moment and hate to complain but I’ve just got used to the heat!
Khmer word of the day: tro chek (cold!)
Ok, so it has got really windy here again and after my sleepless night on Saturday, when I was actually concerned about my house taking off, I decided to go into a guest house for the night! I know it is a bit of a cop out but my house rocks all over the place when it gets really windy and scares the bejesus out of me! I have, however, been informed that the windy season is nearly over and after that there is hardly any wind so I think I will stay in my house and stay in a guest house when it gets too scary!
On the plus side it meant that I got a good night’s sleep (concrete buildings don’t rock in the wind!) which was nice. Well, I say that, but another wedding started up at 4:50am this morning so I had seriously loud khmer karaoke as an alarm! I really don’t understand 1) why the weddings start that early 2) why the music is loud enough that the entire town can hear it 3) how the people at the wedding’s ears don’t bleed! Gah. It is wedding season now though so I guess I’ll just have to get used to it!
This morning however, I did manage to make it out on my bike through the wind to Pulong school, where I had a quick meeting with the School Director. I didn’t want to keep him long though as he is teaching 5 grades today as one teacher didn’t turn up, another is giving birth and the other one has a nasty throat infection so has gone to PP for treatment. It is amazing though how all the kids are sat patiently and quietly in the classes, waiting for the teacher to come it. Considering how many kids in the UK would do anything for their teacher not to turn up, for the kids here it means one less day of being able to learn.
Anyway, I have a meeting with him next week to discuss community involvement in the school which I think will be quite positive as he already has good ties with the community and has had successes in getting them to help build a playground.
Just in the office now with the wind blowing around us making some plans for a student support network I am interested in setting up.
Tomorrow morning we are going to Pu Trom school, which is next to our friend Jack’s elephant project so we are going there for lunch. He has his own chef there who he says is great so I am looking forward to it and seeing the elephants in the wild!! I will take lots of pictures and post them on here as soon as I can.
Here’s hoping I don’t blow away...!
C x
Monday, 30 November 2009
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
The Curious Incident of the Motorbike on a Sunday
Khmer word of the day: tummy ache: chew puh
Weather report: No more rain but it has been replaced by cool winds which really aren’t much fun. Especially if your house is on stilts!
I’m sorry for not updating my blog more recently but please accept this following blog entry as way of explanation...
So a couple of Sunday’s ago Jeltje (the other new VSO in Mondulkiri) and I decided to head up to Sen Monorom waterfall with a couple of friends for the afternoon. However, in order to get to the falls you have to go up a really steep hill...which is where we ran into trouble. I was riding pillion behind Jeltje, as I was yet to receive my own bike, and J was trying to shift down the gears but struggling, then it clicked into first and J lost control, opening the throttle up full. This caused the bike to fly straight up in the air and for me to go flying off the back. I was completely winded and rolling about, some Khmer people came running out of a house and carried me inside lying me flat on my back and immediately covering me in tiger balm (which causes your skin to burn like mad!!). This probably helped quite a bit as it probably prevented any more bruising than there was.
So here I was, lying on the floor of a tiny wooden house, everything I feared coming true. Seven hours from any real medical help. Anyway, the friends I was with managed to borrow a 4x4 to take me to the hospital. When I say hospital here, it is a very loose interpretation of what is considered a hospital. The most medical thing about it is the big sign outside and the pictures on the bill boards. When we got there we realised that there was absolutely nothing there, which is very sad as this is supposed to be the entire provinces access to free healthcare. However, we were informed that there is a private clinic in town which has an x-ray machine, so off we went there. Again, this clinic is extremely basic with a pharmacy shop at the front and 3 beds with drips behind. They did have an x-ray machine of kind upstairs though (a really steep, skinny set of stairs...what if you had a broken leg?!). Anyway the x-rays didn’t show any fractures, but got to admit, the doctor really didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t even check me for concussion until we made him. Anyway, we relayed all this info to VSO who informed London as they have to do.
I stayed with J that night just in case, plus I really couldn’t move properly so I just laid where they left me! So that was Sunday, then Tuesday night I get a call from VSO London telling me that I had to go to PP asap for further scans as they always treat neck and back injuries very seriously. Fortunately Veasna (one of the volunteer assistants) managed to arrange travel for me the next morning in a taxi, which only took 6 hours (VERY good!).
So I went to the hospital in PP and had lots of x-rays done again which came back clear. However, by this point the bruising and swelling was really getting going and it was actually more painful then after the accident. So I was quite grateful to get some anti-inflammatory medication and head on back to the Programme Office to lie very still!
However, being back in PP does offer some advantages...I went to the Pavilion Hotel one day and had a nice swim and hot power shower. I also got to see the new batch of volunteers again, which was nice. The vast choice of food in PP is also great...always somewhere nice to go for dinner relatively cheaply.
I also got to pick up my handmade shoes from ‘Beautiful Shoes’ and they are indeed very nice. Fit really well but my feet just aren’t used to wearing closed in shoes after sandals for so long so the blisters came swiftly. It is amazing that you can get a pair of bespoke shoes here for $18. Love it.
Whilst in PP I have also managed to make contact with friends of a friend from Uni who have just invested in a bar on an island just off the Cambodian coast! Pretty brave step and they only arrived two weeks ago and have been really busy setting everything up. So it was nice to meet up and I have been showing them around PP and helping them to source stuff they need for the bar, which has been quite fun really.
But please, don’t think it has all been fun! I have also had a bout of gastric-enteritis whilst here which has been far from pleasurable but not something a course of antibiotics can’t fix.
So, I am feeling well again and looking forward to getting the go ahead to go back to MDK soon, so that I can really start to get my teeth into things up there again.
Since being in PP has given me some spare time I have done lots of research into a Girls Support Network programme and am really interested in setting one up at a couple of schools as a community project. I now just need to figure out how....!
I promise to update again soon!
Charlotte x
Weather report: No more rain but it has been replaced by cool winds which really aren’t much fun. Especially if your house is on stilts!
I’m sorry for not updating my blog more recently but please accept this following blog entry as way of explanation...
So a couple of Sunday’s ago Jeltje (the other new VSO in Mondulkiri) and I decided to head up to Sen Monorom waterfall with a couple of friends for the afternoon. However, in order to get to the falls you have to go up a really steep hill...which is where we ran into trouble. I was riding pillion behind Jeltje, as I was yet to receive my own bike, and J was trying to shift down the gears but struggling, then it clicked into first and J lost control, opening the throttle up full. This caused the bike to fly straight up in the air and for me to go flying off the back. I was completely winded and rolling about, some Khmer people came running out of a house and carried me inside lying me flat on my back and immediately covering me in tiger balm (which causes your skin to burn like mad!!). This probably helped quite a bit as it probably prevented any more bruising than there was.
So here I was, lying on the floor of a tiny wooden house, everything I feared coming true. Seven hours from any real medical help. Anyway, the friends I was with managed to borrow a 4x4 to take me to the hospital. When I say hospital here, it is a very loose interpretation of what is considered a hospital. The most medical thing about it is the big sign outside and the pictures on the bill boards. When we got there we realised that there was absolutely nothing there, which is very sad as this is supposed to be the entire provinces access to free healthcare. However, we were informed that there is a private clinic in town which has an x-ray machine, so off we went there. Again, this clinic is extremely basic with a pharmacy shop at the front and 3 beds with drips behind. They did have an x-ray machine of kind upstairs though (a really steep, skinny set of stairs...what if you had a broken leg?!). Anyway the x-rays didn’t show any fractures, but got to admit, the doctor really didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t even check me for concussion until we made him. Anyway, we relayed all this info to VSO who informed London as they have to do.
I stayed with J that night just in case, plus I really couldn’t move properly so I just laid where they left me! So that was Sunday, then Tuesday night I get a call from VSO London telling me that I had to go to PP asap for further scans as they always treat neck and back injuries very seriously. Fortunately Veasna (one of the volunteer assistants) managed to arrange travel for me the next morning in a taxi, which only took 6 hours (VERY good!).
So I went to the hospital in PP and had lots of x-rays done again which came back clear. However, by this point the bruising and swelling was really getting going and it was actually more painful then after the accident. So I was quite grateful to get some anti-inflammatory medication and head on back to the Programme Office to lie very still!
However, being back in PP does offer some advantages...I went to the Pavilion Hotel one day and had a nice swim and hot power shower. I also got to see the new batch of volunteers again, which was nice. The vast choice of food in PP is also great...always somewhere nice to go for dinner relatively cheaply.
I also got to pick up my handmade shoes from ‘Beautiful Shoes’ and they are indeed very nice. Fit really well but my feet just aren’t used to wearing closed in shoes after sandals for so long so the blisters came swiftly. It is amazing that you can get a pair of bespoke shoes here for $18. Love it.
Whilst in PP I have also managed to make contact with friends of a friend from Uni who have just invested in a bar on an island just off the Cambodian coast! Pretty brave step and they only arrived two weeks ago and have been really busy setting everything up. So it was nice to meet up and I have been showing them around PP and helping them to source stuff they need for the bar, which has been quite fun really.
But please, don’t think it has all been fun! I have also had a bout of gastric-enteritis whilst here which has been far from pleasurable but not something a course of antibiotics can’t fix.
So, I am feeling well again and looking forward to getting the go ahead to go back to MDK soon, so that I can really start to get my teeth into things up there again.
Since being in PP has given me some spare time I have done lots of research into a Girls Support Network programme and am really interested in setting one up at a couple of schools as a community project. I now just need to figure out how....!
I promise to update again soon!
Charlotte x
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Water Festival (and more!) 4/11/09
So this weekend was the annual water festival in Phnom Penh celebrating the end of the wet season and the change in direction of flow of the Tonle Sap River. It is a very old tradition for hundreds of teams to compete in dragon boat races on the river in front of the king and over 2 million people who travel to the city for the festival. So it is pretty crazy in Phnom Penh as you can imagine.
Anyway, VSO have entered a boat into the race for the past few years and it was up to us to continue this tradition. The VSO boat is the only boat with foreigners on (and women I might add) so we obviously drew quite alot of attention driving through town in an open top lorry in matching bright green t-shirts and caps! I do recall one man in fact just stood pointing and laughing. A great team morale booster there! I mean, we only did 4 hours of training and some of these teams spend all year training for this event as it is a really big deal to win.
As is typical of Cambodian organisation the only thing we knew on the day was that we were racing at some point! At about 9:30am we found out that we were racing at 12:30pm so had some free time on the quay to get suitably burnt. This is a massive issue for me at the moment as my skin has gone photo-sensitive from the anti-malaria tablets I am taking. I had factor 50 on and completely covered but could feel my skin burning through the tree, sunscreen and clothing! Really annoying and when it came to getting in the boat I got into my seat for about a minute before having to get out as my skin was so sore. Later when I got back to my hotel I discovered that I had been burnt though everything which is just crazy and really sore so I was very glad that I got out as the team was in the boat for way over an hour and I would’ve been in agony. I was really disappointed though as I was really looking forward to the experience of rowing in the race. As it turned out though the team didn’t quite make it to the start line as the current was really strong so they let them start with an advantage, though still managed to lose that race and the one after!! I managed to watch from the roof of the Foreign Correspondents Club which was really cool (and shady!).
So after all that action we went back to the guesthouse to prepare for the after-party! It was at this place with a really nice roof terrace not too far from the Royal Palace with a Moroccan theme. So lots of yummy food, a bit of random dancing to cheesy music and happy hour cocktails! Then onto the Heart of Darkness which is an infamous club in Phnom Penh, full of a massive mix of people and really very funny! I had a very enjoyable dance with a hilarious lady boy!
The morning after the night before we headed over the lakeside which is the backpacker district, in search of an English breakfast (it is ok to do this if you are an ex-pat!). So after some eggs and baked beans (to absorb alcohol) and banana shake (for potassium) we were all feeling much better so headed off to the river front to watch the second round of the races (which we obviously didn’t make it into). There was an amazing party atmosphere with the whole area pedestrianised and full of vendors, music and people having fun.
So in the afternoon I did a couple of jobs cruising around on my bike, which was a bit mental considering the heightened weight of traffic and I actually saw my first big accident with two people being knocked clean off their moto by a Lexus.
Anyway, that evening we had planned to meet at a restaurant not too far from the Programme Office and I knew the other guys had taken their bikes there so I hopped on mine and headed in that direction. However, I inadvertently managed to drive into the worst and maddest traffic ever. Everything was completely stationary with a car on fire in the middle, several ambulances trying to make their way through a completely solid mass of people and traffic. It was totally crazy and I was completely jammed in and spent over an hour trying to force myself and the bike through the scrum. So I arrived really really late for dinner and very stressed! It wasn’t long before the traffic had affected nearly every road in the area and we were penned into our restaurant! It calmed down enough after about an hour which meant that we were able to creep our way back to the PO. I have never seen so many Cambodians though, there must have been millions of people on the streets on Phnom Penh, with little to no organisation (other than the police randomly shutting roads and making you pay to go down them!). MENTAL.
So, I have now made it back to Mondulkiri in what was actually our best journey so far. Took about 7 hours so meant we were here at about 3pm which is really good. When we arrived it was a bit windy owing to another typhoon remnant rolling in but it has got worse and worse and I am now writing this at 11:30pm as I am unable to sleep as my house is rocking in the wind. Scary times!! We had a typhoon a few weeks ago and obviously my house survived that but it is still really scary as it is on wooden stilts and the walls and floor are very gappy which means that it is like sitting in a wind tunnel. Oh and just to top it off a rat just ran across my bedroom floor into its little hole. This is definitely not a highlight of my time in Cambodia so far...
Sorry to end on such a downer, hopefully things will pick up soon and I can write about that!!
Love xx
Anyway, VSO have entered a boat into the race for the past few years and it was up to us to continue this tradition. The VSO boat is the only boat with foreigners on (and women I might add) so we obviously drew quite alot of attention driving through town in an open top lorry in matching bright green t-shirts and caps! I do recall one man in fact just stood pointing and laughing. A great team morale booster there! I mean, we only did 4 hours of training and some of these teams spend all year training for this event as it is a really big deal to win.
As is typical of Cambodian organisation the only thing we knew on the day was that we were racing at some point! At about 9:30am we found out that we were racing at 12:30pm so had some free time on the quay to get suitably burnt. This is a massive issue for me at the moment as my skin has gone photo-sensitive from the anti-malaria tablets I am taking. I had factor 50 on and completely covered but could feel my skin burning through the tree, sunscreen and clothing! Really annoying and when it came to getting in the boat I got into my seat for about a minute before having to get out as my skin was so sore. Later when I got back to my hotel I discovered that I had been burnt though everything which is just crazy and really sore so I was very glad that I got out as the team was in the boat for way over an hour and I would’ve been in agony. I was really disappointed though as I was really looking forward to the experience of rowing in the race. As it turned out though the team didn’t quite make it to the start line as the current was really strong so they let them start with an advantage, though still managed to lose that race and the one after!! I managed to watch from the roof of the Foreign Correspondents Club which was really cool (and shady!).
So after all that action we went back to the guesthouse to prepare for the after-party! It was at this place with a really nice roof terrace not too far from the Royal Palace with a Moroccan theme. So lots of yummy food, a bit of random dancing to cheesy music and happy hour cocktails! Then onto the Heart of Darkness which is an infamous club in Phnom Penh, full of a massive mix of people and really very funny! I had a very enjoyable dance with a hilarious lady boy!
The morning after the night before we headed over the lakeside which is the backpacker district, in search of an English breakfast (it is ok to do this if you are an ex-pat!). So after some eggs and baked beans (to absorb alcohol) and banana shake (for potassium) we were all feeling much better so headed off to the river front to watch the second round of the races (which we obviously didn’t make it into). There was an amazing party atmosphere with the whole area pedestrianised and full of vendors, music and people having fun.
So in the afternoon I did a couple of jobs cruising around on my bike, which was a bit mental considering the heightened weight of traffic and I actually saw my first big accident with two people being knocked clean off their moto by a Lexus.
Anyway, that evening we had planned to meet at a restaurant not too far from the Programme Office and I knew the other guys had taken their bikes there so I hopped on mine and headed in that direction. However, I inadvertently managed to drive into the worst and maddest traffic ever. Everything was completely stationary with a car on fire in the middle, several ambulances trying to make their way through a completely solid mass of people and traffic. It was totally crazy and I was completely jammed in and spent over an hour trying to force myself and the bike through the scrum. So I arrived really really late for dinner and very stressed! It wasn’t long before the traffic had affected nearly every road in the area and we were penned into our restaurant! It calmed down enough after about an hour which meant that we were able to creep our way back to the PO. I have never seen so many Cambodians though, there must have been millions of people on the streets on Phnom Penh, with little to no organisation (other than the police randomly shutting roads and making you pay to go down them!). MENTAL.
So, I have now made it back to Mondulkiri in what was actually our best journey so far. Took about 7 hours so meant we were here at about 3pm which is really good. When we arrived it was a bit windy owing to another typhoon remnant rolling in but it has got worse and worse and I am now writing this at 11:30pm as I am unable to sleep as my house is rocking in the wind. Scary times!! We had a typhoon a few weeks ago and obviously my house survived that but it is still really scary as it is on wooden stilts and the walls and floor are very gappy which means that it is like sitting in a wind tunnel. Oh and just to top it off a rat just ran across my bedroom floor into its little hole. This is definitely not a highlight of my time in Cambodia so far...
Sorry to end on such a downer, hopefully things will pick up soon and I can write about that!!
Love xx
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Moving to Sen Monorom, Modulkiri, Cambodia (At last!!) 28/10/09
Sorry I haven’t updated my blog for quite a while now I have been really busy as you shall see in the following blog...!
Right, so where to start?!
On 23rd October we all headed back to Phnom Penh from Kampong Cham with all of our things ready for the last part of our ICT (In Country Training) and to do a last bit of shopping before heading off to our placements. This was really quite hectic and exhausting but we ate lots of great food (HAS to be done in PP!) before heading off to different parts on Cambodia on the Sunday.
So the plan was that Jeltje and I were going to get a truck to take us and our stuff up to MDK however the truck driver decided that he didn’t want to come into the city as he was worried about police fines or something. Anyway, he sent this big tuk tuk to get us and all our things to take us out of town where our stuff would be loaded onto the truck. VSO had arranged to hire us the entire truck, which meant no other passengers of things however when we arrived the truck already had stuff on it but never mind, this is Cambodia and really not much we could do about it. So we managed to leave about 8:30am and made amazing time until our driver decided to help tow a mini bus out of a flood. Then proceed to wait there just watching and chatting on his mobile phone for THREE HOURS. Jeltje and I asked him several times when we were leaving to which he said ‘two minutes’ after about an hour we told him we wanted to leave NOW and he just ignored us completely. At the two hour mark we rang our translator who spoke to the driver who said he was waiting for his father or something...anyway after three hours a van did turn up and a man got into our truck. No-one else was supposed to be in the truck but we were so grateful to be leaving by this point that we just went along with it. By now, after a lovely sunny afternoon, a massive storm was rolling in. Obviously this didn’t exactly improve the state of the roads. At 5pm he stopped again to eat which seriously pissed us off as he had stopped so much and could’ve eaten in the three hours we had to sit by the edge of the road in the sun!! Grrr. Anyway, by the time we left again it was 5:30 pm and it was practically dark which is obviously when you want to be travelling on the most deserted, dangerous and remote roads in Cambodia...!
The long and short of this section of the journey was that Jeltje and I were scared witless, sliding sideways down roads towards ditches and landslides. It was really way beyond being even remotely fun. Especially as we kept having to stop to tow others out. Anyway, I’m trying not to think about it!! So eventually we made it 14 hours later! Over double what it should take, even at the moment. Turns out the driver wanted to wait for his brother so he could give him a free lift. Needless to say he will not be used again. As we arrived so late on Sunday I spent the night in a hotel and moved into my house on the Monday morning.
My VA (volunteer assistant, that is my assistant, he’s not a volunteer)Tak has been completely amazing completely sorting my house out and everything is great. Now I have unpacked and moved all my things in it is really starting to feel like my home.
After doing a bit of unpacking on Monday morning we headed out of town for our first school visit. Larka school is set in a beautiful position at the top of one of the many hills in MDK. There are two classrooms in the school and it is dire need of a spruce up and a playground for the children. So lots of work for me to do there and I’ve got loads of ideas to share with the community. The main teacher there called Lavi is great, really keen to develop the school and it has come a long way in the short time that VSO have been working there.
So after the school visit we headed up to the Pegoda on the top of the biggest hill in SM where there are amazing views all around the area. We have had amazing weather since we arrived with temps about 25 during the day and clear blue sky’s which means we can do lots and certainly better than the typhoon we had last time...!
So back on the motorbikes and into town for some dinner at Meg’s place and an early night!
Yesterday we had another very productive day visiting a school in another amazing location. On the way I just couldn’t believe that this is now my office! Amazing. I have taken lots of pictures so have a look on facebook as I can’t put them all on here, sorry! The teachers here are also amazing and the school director very keen to have some help. However, his daughter is very sick so he is frequently absent from the school. The students there are also almost entirely Pulong and speak very little Khmer which makes it very hard for the teachers. This is not helped by almost no community involvement in the school. In fact many of the local people have no idea what happens in a school as they never went themselves...I feel a community open day coming on...!
On the way back we had a break on a hillside overlooking the most amazing and unspoilt country I have ever seen. Then as we were chatting I gasped very loudly which gave Meg quite a start and her immediate reaction was ‘what’s on me’?! However, I had just seen an elephant approaching! The Pulong people still use them as transport and it was carrying a range of goods and people. Very cool. My first elephant!
We had a lovely lunch at the Nature Lodge, which is down a very scary track which meant some serious bum hurtage! We also went into a bush at one point which really hurt! That is saying nothing about Tak’s driving, he’s been on a bike since the day he was born, but rather the awful state of the roads here. Nature Lodge is very swiss family Robinson with huts built into the trees and little wooden lodges for people to stay in. The food is great there too but a little pricey now that I am used to eating for less than $2 a meal!
Last night it was my turn to cook dinner for everyone so I thought ‘when in Rome’ and made curry. The only problem is that i’m not entirely sure how to make a Cambodian curry, neither is Tak. So it was generally a fun shopping in the market/cooking experiment! I let Tak cook the rice as he says barang don’t know how to do it properly and to be honest I kind of agree with him...! Anyway, it tasted great (my own curry paste too, made in my new massive stone motar and pestle!) and everyone left very happy!
So today we headed off to Pulong school which is down another bumpy muddy track so much bum/back cracking there too! However, it was well worth it as the school is amazing. It has a great playground and the school director is very involved with the community. Saying that, they still need some help and support with some aspects so I really think I can help them take their work forward.
After the school visit we went to a waterfall to go swimming. WOW. I cannot believe I live somewhere where I can go swimming in a tropical waterfall after work! It goes without saying that the waterfall was beautiful and it was great to swim in the really cool water after the trek through the jungle to get there.
So, then back to base for lunch and an afternoon meeting with the District Director of Education in MDK who is great and very supportive of VSO. We have arranged to go on a visit to the schools together so we can discuss what to work on with each school.
Anyway, at the end of my 3rd day of living here I am completely loving it. I really think there is alot of work I can do here and I can’t wait to start. I also really like my house and the fact that it is so much cooler here. At night I sleep under a quilt and actually considered wearing a jumper in bed too last night...! However, it is back to the sauna of PP tomorrow. Hopefully won’t take 14 hours this time! Tak has arranged a truck and one of his friend’s is driving so at least there won’t be a 3 hour pointless stop and it hasn’t rained for 3 days so the road will be good which will be the first time for me!
I am going to have to wrap this up now as I need to get ready for Meg’s leaving party this evening. I will really try and update early next week when I get back from water festival (I’m rowing, shopping, dancing and drinking!). I also believe that it is quite traditional...you can even watch it on-line. We will be the boat about 3 races behind!!
Love J xx
Right, so where to start?!
On 23rd October we all headed back to Phnom Penh from Kampong Cham with all of our things ready for the last part of our ICT (In Country Training) and to do a last bit of shopping before heading off to our placements. This was really quite hectic and exhausting but we ate lots of great food (HAS to be done in PP!) before heading off to different parts on Cambodia on the Sunday.
So the plan was that Jeltje and I were going to get a truck to take us and our stuff up to MDK however the truck driver decided that he didn’t want to come into the city as he was worried about police fines or something. Anyway, he sent this big tuk tuk to get us and all our things to take us out of town where our stuff would be loaded onto the truck. VSO had arranged to hire us the entire truck, which meant no other passengers of things however when we arrived the truck already had stuff on it but never mind, this is Cambodia and really not much we could do about it. So we managed to leave about 8:30am and made amazing time until our driver decided to help tow a mini bus out of a flood. Then proceed to wait there just watching and chatting on his mobile phone for THREE HOURS. Jeltje and I asked him several times when we were leaving to which he said ‘two minutes’ after about an hour we told him we wanted to leave NOW and he just ignored us completely. At the two hour mark we rang our translator who spoke to the driver who said he was waiting for his father or something...anyway after three hours a van did turn up and a man got into our truck. No-one else was supposed to be in the truck but we were so grateful to be leaving by this point that we just went along with it. By now, after a lovely sunny afternoon, a massive storm was rolling in. Obviously this didn’t exactly improve the state of the roads. At 5pm he stopped again to eat which seriously pissed us off as he had stopped so much and could’ve eaten in the three hours we had to sit by the edge of the road in the sun!! Grrr. Anyway, by the time we left again it was 5:30 pm and it was practically dark which is obviously when you want to be travelling on the most deserted, dangerous and remote roads in Cambodia...!
The long and short of this section of the journey was that Jeltje and I were scared witless, sliding sideways down roads towards ditches and landslides. It was really way beyond being even remotely fun. Especially as we kept having to stop to tow others out. Anyway, I’m trying not to think about it!! So eventually we made it 14 hours later! Over double what it should take, even at the moment. Turns out the driver wanted to wait for his brother so he could give him a free lift. Needless to say he will not be used again. As we arrived so late on Sunday I spent the night in a hotel and moved into my house on the Monday morning.
My VA (volunteer assistant, that is my assistant, he’s not a volunteer)Tak has been completely amazing completely sorting my house out and everything is great. Now I have unpacked and moved all my things in it is really starting to feel like my home.
After doing a bit of unpacking on Monday morning we headed out of town for our first school visit. Larka school is set in a beautiful position at the top of one of the many hills in MDK. There are two classrooms in the school and it is dire need of a spruce up and a playground for the children. So lots of work for me to do there and I’ve got loads of ideas to share with the community. The main teacher there called Lavi is great, really keen to develop the school and it has come a long way in the short time that VSO have been working there.
So after the school visit we headed up to the Pegoda on the top of the biggest hill in SM where there are amazing views all around the area. We have had amazing weather since we arrived with temps about 25 during the day and clear blue sky’s which means we can do lots and certainly better than the typhoon we had last time...!
So back on the motorbikes and into town for some dinner at Meg’s place and an early night!
Yesterday we had another very productive day visiting a school in another amazing location. On the way I just couldn’t believe that this is now my office! Amazing. I have taken lots of pictures so have a look on facebook as I can’t put them all on here, sorry! The teachers here are also amazing and the school director very keen to have some help. However, his daughter is very sick so he is frequently absent from the school. The students there are also almost entirely Pulong and speak very little Khmer which makes it very hard for the teachers. This is not helped by almost no community involvement in the school. In fact many of the local people have no idea what happens in a school as they never went themselves...I feel a community open day coming on...!
On the way back we had a break on a hillside overlooking the most amazing and unspoilt country I have ever seen. Then as we were chatting I gasped very loudly which gave Meg quite a start and her immediate reaction was ‘what’s on me’?! However, I had just seen an elephant approaching! The Pulong people still use them as transport and it was carrying a range of goods and people. Very cool. My first elephant!
We had a lovely lunch at the Nature Lodge, which is down a very scary track which meant some serious bum hurtage! We also went into a bush at one point which really hurt! That is saying nothing about Tak’s driving, he’s been on a bike since the day he was born, but rather the awful state of the roads here. Nature Lodge is very swiss family Robinson with huts built into the trees and little wooden lodges for people to stay in. The food is great there too but a little pricey now that I am used to eating for less than $2 a meal!
Last night it was my turn to cook dinner for everyone so I thought ‘when in Rome’ and made curry. The only problem is that i’m not entirely sure how to make a Cambodian curry, neither is Tak. So it was generally a fun shopping in the market/cooking experiment! I let Tak cook the rice as he says barang don’t know how to do it properly and to be honest I kind of agree with him...! Anyway, it tasted great (my own curry paste too, made in my new massive stone motar and pestle!) and everyone left very happy!
So today we headed off to Pulong school which is down another bumpy muddy track so much bum/back cracking there too! However, it was well worth it as the school is amazing. It has a great playground and the school director is very involved with the community. Saying that, they still need some help and support with some aspects so I really think I can help them take their work forward.
After the school visit we went to a waterfall to go swimming. WOW. I cannot believe I live somewhere where I can go swimming in a tropical waterfall after work! It goes without saying that the waterfall was beautiful and it was great to swim in the really cool water after the trek through the jungle to get there.
So, then back to base for lunch and an afternoon meeting with the District Director of Education in MDK who is great and very supportive of VSO. We have arranged to go on a visit to the schools together so we can discuss what to work on with each school.
Anyway, at the end of my 3rd day of living here I am completely loving it. I really think there is alot of work I can do here and I can’t wait to start. I also really like my house and the fact that it is so much cooler here. At night I sleep under a quilt and actually considered wearing a jumper in bed too last night...! However, it is back to the sauna of PP tomorrow. Hopefully won’t take 14 hours this time! Tak has arranged a truck and one of his friend’s is driving so at least there won’t be a 3 hour pointless stop and it hasn’t rained for 3 days so the road will be good which will be the first time for me!
I am going to have to wrap this up now as I need to get ready for Meg’s leaving party this evening. I will really try and update early next week when I get back from water festival (I’m rowing, shopping, dancing and drinking!). I also believe that it is quite traditional...you can even watch it on-line. We will be the boat about 3 races behind!!
Love J xx
Saturday, 10 October 2009
Nausea and vomiting...are symptoms of everything! 09/10/09
So today I’ve been hit really hard by a vomiting bug. Was up at about 5am feeling seriously dodge and had some really bad stomach pain but managed to get back to sleep. However, by morning it was starting to become clear that something was really wrong ...
Anyway, to cut a long (boring) story short I have been vomiting all day with serious stomach pains and nausea. Can’t even keep water down so am attempting some re-hydration salts but the thought is making the nausea even worse (if possible). Still, it was bound to happen at some point and at least I have my own toilet.
So I’ll see if it gets any better tonight and if not by tomorrow then I think I may have to see a doctor as these are symptoms of a whole range of cheerful illnesses.
I shall now share some more cheerful stuff as I haven’t updated in a little while. Whilst back in Phnom Penh we had the opportunity to do some shopping which was lovely. I got some furniture for my house and cushions and things like that. Still need to do the practical shopping though, for things like cooking utensils and blankets! I really want one of these quilts I’ve seen which are made by local communities and sold in PP. I saw the shop whilst out on one of my epic bike rides around PP and now can’t remember where it was, so that’ll be another epic bike ride!
Jean has also promised to show me how to make yoghurt which will be ace. Dairy is not that big here and in MDK impossible to buy. Apparently all I need is live yoghurt and a thermos flask! It is very exciting!
Ok going to have to go now, typing is actually really sapping me of what little energy I have left. Urgh. Re-hydration salts.
Ta ta xx
Anyway, to cut a long (boring) story short I have been vomiting all day with serious stomach pains and nausea. Can’t even keep water down so am attempting some re-hydration salts but the thought is making the nausea even worse (if possible). Still, it was bound to happen at some point and at least I have my own toilet.
So I’ll see if it gets any better tonight and if not by tomorrow then I think I may have to see a doctor as these are symptoms of a whole range of cheerful illnesses.
I shall now share some more cheerful stuff as I haven’t updated in a little while. Whilst back in Phnom Penh we had the opportunity to do some shopping which was lovely. I got some furniture for my house and cushions and things like that. Still need to do the practical shopping though, for things like cooking utensils and blankets! I really want one of these quilts I’ve seen which are made by local communities and sold in PP. I saw the shop whilst out on one of my epic bike rides around PP and now can’t remember where it was, so that’ll be another epic bike ride!
Jean has also promised to show me how to make yoghurt which will be ace. Dairy is not that big here and in MDK impossible to buy. Apparently all I need is live yoghurt and a thermos flask! It is very exciting!
Ok going to have to go now, typing is actually really sapping me of what little energy I have left. Urgh. Re-hydration salts.
Ta ta xx
Saturday, 3 October 2009
Pictures
CRAZY ROADS!!
Tail back as a hi-lux's wheels got glued by mud! To put it in context, this is where there was a 6ft pass between two sheer land-slides...talk about 'sense of adventure needed'!
View from my balcony/veranda (incl. hanging basket!)
Sen Monorom Falls
MY HOUSE :) Traditional Khmer style, on stilts. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 balconies. Also, it is surrounded by lots of fruit trees which I'm welcome to pick!!
My First Cyclone (or typhoon, I’m not sure which it is called in SE Asia!)... 30/09/09
So yesterday we woke up to very substantial winds and even more rain (if that is possible) then started to hear stories from other people in the town that the Cyclone, which has caused havoc and many deaths in the Philippines, was heading our way. It seemed as though it was going to hit Vietnam about 200km north of us and move up through Laos, so we were only ever going to get the tails. However, I have now decided that this is more than enough to ever get of a Cyclone!
In the afternoon we went on the bikes (eek) down to Meg’s house and had the handover meeting, having to bellow over the howling wind and rain. Was almost amusing apart from the fact that a) soaking wet b) freezing cold c) in a Cyclone!!
We then decided that we should maybe inform VSO about said storm heading towards us, just in case. Also, all the locals had never seen anything like it (this is the worst weather here for about 70 years!) so not really sure what to do. VSO then got on to the Embassy and the advice came back that we were to get ourselves into low concrete accommodation. Problem was, by this point it was getting very dodge to leave Jan and Keith’s (and they had made an amazing dinner for us all, including two different kinds of cake!) so we decided to stay there and wait it out. Their house is wood but not on stilts, as it has been built to the landlord can live under it. Also, by this point the electricity had come back on so we could watch CNN (we were on it quite a lot actually!) and play video games.
I notice how Cambodians can fix the electricity in about 2 hours in a Cyclone but our electricity was off for nearly two days at home when a tree fell on a power line, thank you South West Electric.
So anyway, we had an amazing dinner with mashed potato, yummy casserole and veg followed by carrot cake and raisin cake WITH CUSTARD. There was also plenty of wine, which may have helped. So we had a jolly good time really whilst the storm raged around us.
At about 9:30pm the worst of it had past and we were able to get a moto lift from the boys back to our (concrete) hotel.
So all is well! Just the other 3 cyclones forming at the moment to worry about...!!
Love xx
In the afternoon we went on the bikes (eek) down to Meg’s house and had the handover meeting, having to bellow over the howling wind and rain. Was almost amusing apart from the fact that a) soaking wet b) freezing cold c) in a Cyclone!!
We then decided that we should maybe inform VSO about said storm heading towards us, just in case. Also, all the locals had never seen anything like it (this is the worst weather here for about 70 years!) so not really sure what to do. VSO then got on to the Embassy and the advice came back that we were to get ourselves into low concrete accommodation. Problem was, by this point it was getting very dodge to leave Jan and Keith’s (and they had made an amazing dinner for us all, including two different kinds of cake!) so we decided to stay there and wait it out. Their house is wood but not on stilts, as it has been built to the landlord can live under it. Also, by this point the electricity had come back on so we could watch CNN (we were on it quite a lot actually!) and play video games.
I notice how Cambodians can fix the electricity in about 2 hours in a Cyclone but our electricity was off for nearly two days at home when a tree fell on a power line, thank you South West Electric.
So anyway, we had an amazing dinner with mashed potato, yummy casserole and veg followed by carrot cake and raisin cake WITH CUSTARD. There was also plenty of wine, which may have helped. So we had a jolly good time really whilst the storm raged around us.
At about 9:30pm the worst of it had past and we were able to get a moto lift from the boys back to our (concrete) hotel.
So all is well! Just the other 3 cyclones forming at the moment to worry about...!!
Love xx
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