Blogs from Kampot, South, Cambodia, Asia - page 15

Sunday 28th Up for 8 'o' clock minibus. Actually it was at hotel by 7:50am. It was a ancient old battered minibus and we were the first passengers. There was of course no aircon and the standard air blowers didn't work. I was immediately regretting booking in haste last minute at the hotel reception rather than wandering up the street last night to the reputable company called G'Day Mate tours. This realisation increased when we spent the next 1 hour 10 minutes cruising around town picking up other passengers in the stifling heat. The most intriguing passenger was a local woman who sad beside the driver clad in jumper, hat, fac mask and wolly gloves. She didn't open the window either. We in the back were melting. Finally we left town at 9am. By this time ... read more

So, Morgan and I successfully made it to Kep. Kep is a VERY sleepy fishing village. At its height in the mid 1900's it was the seaside resort of the Khmer elite. These days it boasts a population of about 4000 and not much else. There are ton of abandoned villas that look like they were probably pretty nice back in the 60's. I suppose if you love seafood there are some good eats, but as I don't love seafood I was out of luck. I ordered the only non-seafood thing on the menu, chicken soup, only to be served a tureen full of chicken parts. I was a little put off when I went to ladle some soup on top of my rice and got a chicken foot. Anyway... I wasn't feeling so hot in ... read more

. One thousand rainwater tanks to supply safe drinking water. Extra classes to help kids and adults who have missed education to catch up. Free distribution of soap powder, toothbrushes, toothpaste and condoms. Sewing classes for women who want to become dressmakers, classes in IT, and lots of English classes because everybody in Cambodia needs English to get ahead. The Sydney Buddhist Library, NSW, Australia (henceforth SBL) works to support urgent needs in Cambodia. I visited the SBL’s flagship project on Cambodia’s south coast. My tuk-tuk driver took me along an unsurfaced side road, through some monastery grounds and pulled up in front of a row of classrooms. It was beginning to rain. Students were everywhere: students on bicycles, students under umbrellas, students lining up to register for classes at the start of a new term. ... read more

A drive around Kampot gives an insight into the developing economy of the Cambodian countryside. Go there quickly while there is still little tourist infrastructure! Technically this is a poor area, but the amount of work being done and the cheerfulness of the people make it hard to believe that it can remain so for long. So three of us set out in a tuk-tuk, the national flag waving behind us ... my apologies to friends who know what a durian looks like and have seen half a million papaya trees in fruit: these are exotic things for other people I know. Anyway ... an attempt at a photo essay and two videos: Music in a Cave Boys Showing Off Travel Notes The guest house posted a list of items of interest,... read more

If I remember correctly, when we last left off we were hanging our bug nets to save ourselves from the mice invasion. There were no computers at our visit to Kampot, so I took notes to fill you in on the highlights of the last several days. We stayed one last night in our "mouse" room, but with very little sleep decided to upgrade to a beautiful little bungalow over looking the ocean. I wish I could say that we slept in peace but with every little sound we were reminded of past events. Sleep may never be the same again. Tuesday we sat at the beach and hoped our bodies would begin to turn the golden brown of the Cambodian people. When I am able to download more photos you will see how wrong we ... read more