Boat Trip Down The Mekong!

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Hello family, friends, lovers and enemies!

How are we all? I hope that you are happy and healthy.

Well, Saturday night bought a new experience to my life...a Ka'mai nightclub! Seriously, two of the most surreal, funny, bizarre and disturbing hours of my life! But, that's a story for another time!

Yesterday we spent the afternoon on a boat trip, venturing North up the Mekong...think less Apocalypse Now, and more country dandy up the Mississippi! We set off at about 14:30, with the plan to be heading home for the sunset....lovely! We boarded our raft down the most rickety gangplank you can ever imagine - suffice to say, the swaying boat, lapping waves and nervousness did make for some amusing embarkations!

I was able to sit at the very front of the boat (Kate-Winslet-Titanic-esque!), making the most of the spectacular views and river breeze...35 degrees and counting baby! I was sat on the edge of the boat, feet in the water as we headed upstream, watching the world go by. By the river's edge, there are micro-communities living on floating huts, which rise and fall with the water levels – mostly, these are the families that provide the fish for the local area.

Our destination was an island in the middle of the river, that only become habitable in the dry season - the Mekong raises by as much as 15m/20m during the rains.

On the way up river I saw some amazing sights; how people fish, families having an afternoon dip, washing their clothes and the various plants and foods grown by the river...mmmm, bushes of lemongrass within reaching distance! We arrived in at the island, and had a little walkabout the village – we were instantly the talk of the town!

About a dozen kids or so came over to greet us, chatting to us, wanting their photo taken and laughing and joking – suffice to say that when we pulled out the bags of sweets, we became even more popular! Walking around the village, seeing how people live in huts, no running water, electricity or health services, it just made it even more stark in my mind as to how happy people can be, even when they have absolutely nothing.

We were able to speak to tobacco farmers, see the local school (literally, a wall-less hut with a roof), meet with the village elder and head out into the fields to see the farm land – tobacco as far as the eye can see! We then headed down to the river's edge, where we took a dip in the river, ate some island-grown watermelon and chillaxed for an hour or so, was complete bliss.

We then headed back to the boat en route home, enjoying the sunset and cool evening air, landing home in Kompang Cham about 6pm. So, was of course straight to the nearest bar for a bevvie! Dinner followed where I was able to practise my developing Ka'mai with the owner of a food stall by the market. I chatted to him for about 20mins, in broken Ka'mai matched by his broken English, but between us we made it work!

My language teacher, Dara, has taught us some local Ka'mai sayings, and as soon as I dropped them into the conversation the whole place erupted! Two of my favourites, always said with a wink and a smile, translate as “Much money, many problems”, with the second one regardings girlfriends! The Ka'mai for girlfriend/boyfriend/sweetheart/special one is pronounced as “Song-saa”, the word for much/many is “charran”, and the word for problem is “pan-yaa-haa”....so a saying mainly used by blokes (very misogynistic I know!), goes “Song-saa Charran, Pan-yaa-haa Charran” - “Many Girlfriends, Many Problems!”

My Sunday finished with watching Man U get the whooping they deserved – yes, it was the Scousers that beat, but hey-ho, at least the Mancs got thrashed!

Alas, my one-day weekend was over and I was back to school today!

Speak soon I hope. Also, just to say it's been wonderful to be able to speak to some of you on Skype. If you are one Skype and fancy some face to face banter, please email me and I'll get us connected!

Big love,



Pete

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Photos

Riverbank
Can you see the wall at the top? The river is up against this wall during the rains

Tourboat
This boat is a week long crusie, sailing from Vietnam to the Tonne-Lay Sap...£2.5k a week apparently!

Traditional Fishing Boat
Not quite Deadlest Catch!

Refreshing....
...sorry for my fat legs, but it was beautiful water!

Comments

[Kage industries]

is that a tug boat?
Another great pugblog entry,lookslike a fine vessel. Maybe you could adopt it for the entry into summerslam 2011 carried by topless dudes? True Horninglow style. x

[mum]

Sunday Boat Trip
Hi Peter it all sounds and looks amazing, are you sure its work or did you join the gap year queue at Phnom Penh airport? Its great to see what you are actually doing and I'd recognise those knees anywhere! Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences, you do not seem so far away. Ian was here for the weekend and experienced the dawn wake up call and Little Rascals with the little rascals. He took it all in his stride and has even agreed to look after them whilst I go to Tascha's wedding in June provided he does not have to deal with yack in bobs. Guess we will have to have a stern word with the perp of the yack! Its a lovely day here and the little one went up to school on his bike, he is now riding round the patio. I phoned the gp about the jabs for my travels, they undertook to check my records and get back to me in two weeks, not bad eh? Take really good care, love you loads Mum

[Jean Sharland]

Lovely pictures Peter
How lovely to see those pictures from the other side of the world. Be careful how you use your new language as you might ask someone to marry you by mistake. Jean