Kompang Cham

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Hello everyone, first and foremost I'd like to say thank you very much to everyone who has left comments and sent me messages – it really means a lot to hear from you. I'll do a posting this week to respond to the various questions and queries people have asked. Please do send me an email to let me know what you are up to, and if you are on Skype, let me know your Skype Name and I'll find and add you so that we can have some face-to-face banter.

So last night my fellow volunteers and I arrived safe and sound in Kampong Cham....despite the best efforts of the bus driver I must add! Quick tip for anyone ever travelling in a Cambodian bus - never sit at the front, ignorance is bliss when it comes to the proximity of oncoming traffic! The driving is mental. Mental. Drivers basically use their horns to alert people they are coming from behind them, from the side, from the front or from above! My favourite moment of the 4hr journey was passing within (literally) 1ft of a convoy of moto's who at the lead was a bloke holding a phone in one hand and a baby in another - meaning his 8yr old son who was riding shotgun was doing the steering from the back!

The Cambodian people are an enterprising bunch, evidenced by our bus driver's entrepreneurial spirit. After leaving Phnom Penh with a bus fully booked, with every seat taken, the driver and his mate were constantly on their mobile phones – at one stage, the driver was changing gear whilst on the phone, using his left elbow to steer as his mate honked the horn! The cause of all of this phone chat became clear about halfway through the journey, as we made an 'unofficial' stop pick up more passengers...who dutifully came onto the bus holding their own little plastic stools and proceeded to sit in a line in the aisle! Brilliant stuff.

Once we arrived in a Kompang Cham the plan was to get a Tuk Tuk to the hotel, but there were only 3 waiting for us. As we are here for 5 weeks, we all have quite a lot of stuff so no way are 11 people plus luggage going to fit....so, after loading up to the brim 1 Tuk Tuk with our bags, people headed to the 2 remaining Tuk Tuks....alas no space left for me and Neil :-( But no fear, for there is always a solution – the “Cambodian Way” according to our driver....to ride on the luggage Tuk Tuk, standing on the side foot plate holding onto the roof for dear life and leaning out of the corners to make sure we didn't tip over! We kinda looked like a very slow and not so stealthy version of when the SAS stand on the footplates of Range Rovers at a hijacking!

So, wish me luck in my language training, 1st lesson in about an hour, so I'll sign off and we'll speak soon.

Big love,


Pete

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Comments

[Hi Pete]

Can't wait to see the photos on your return
Hope your carrying your St. Christopher with you to keep you safe