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Published: November 20th 2009
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Not a huge amount of Big Things To Write Home About have happened yet but it has been an eventful week or so. Phnom Penh was big. Met so many cool people, locals and a number of ex-pats, alot of whom are complete idiots who are literally intolerable but some are gems. Job offers keep flowing in, looks like I will be able to teach History here as well as English, and maybe another course if I'm lucky. Bar jobs are easy to come by too. Very good stuff.
Now were in Kampot which is in the south, its pretty pretty here. Much more rural and relaxed. Spending a day on a rented moto, cruising around the surrounding countryside is a treat I dont imagine I shall tire of any time soon. The serenety coupled with the explosive greenery creates such a wonderful atmosphere, its bliss just standing about or coasting along on the moto. Having a motor vehicle again is lovely for me, especially one like my darling honda. 125ccs of pure freedom, any more power or bulk and it starts to be detrimental to your journey.
We were lucky enough to hook up with the owner of a
guest house we stayed at before and he took us out in his speed boat to a sand bar out at sea where he set up a little shack to base his kite surfing trips on. Watching the fishermen slowly tramp about all day with their huge nets, like a whales jaws, was a bit trippy. The water is very shallow where they fish so they just march about slowly all day hoping for a random catch, kinda like soldiers marching to a war they have fought many times before. I think the insane kite surfing might have caused some excitement amongst them as you can reach stupid speeds with a kite and they were surfing in and out of the fishermen and probably didnt help boost their catch.
Time here in the south is much slower, things are not so hectic and crazy which is what I needed, people dont really work too hard out in the country, very little cash is needed to get by and very little opportunities arise to make any, plus its too hot to go outside during midday so sitting about is very popular.
Theres alot of fishing and shipping that goes
through here, and all the boats are insane constructions and designs. The freighters get filled right up so that the deck is inches from the water. As I was sitting by the river reading my daily dose of Hemmingway a small fishing fleet went by. Each boat was painted pale green and had 2 men aboard. Around them were the small canoes from which a guy might net some small goodies. Following slowly were the larger deep sea beasts, looking for some big hauls. Of course by the time any of these guys got to sea the walkers will have been there half the day, stomping about with their huge netted jaws. Good times.
For reasons I cant explain, we felt it to be a reasonable idae to visit the local 'zoo'. I hate zoos. they suck, the world over. This one was no different. The premesis were massive and alot of walking was required but the animals were all in tiny crappy cages alone and hungry. The animals were all listless and depressed and most either huddled in the corner or paced back and forth on one side of the cage. For some of the animals this amounted
to a few paces then an about turn, a few paces, about turn.......
didnt like it. There were even wildcats there. A baby tiger, alone and sad. A young mountain lion lookin cat who had an absolutely stupidly small cage. It was about the size of a double bed. For a wildcat. The peacocks had an enclosure at least 10 times the size. HATE. There was even a lonely lion who was starved so much you could count his vertebre and he just paced back and forth bellowing a horribly sad bellow, calling out for any other lions.
boo.
All in all Kampots been very good to us though and we will be spending xmas and new year here I think. The place we're staying is awesome and we love the couple who run it so itl be awesome coming back again.Its also only like 2 hours from where we'll be living and teaching so it makes sense.
Next stop, the beach!
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mum
non-member comment
relaxing
Hi Pat you sound so happy and relaxed and really enjoying the scenery and lifestyle in Cambodia. The pictures illustrate how lovely it is there, though I am sorry about the zoo. I personally never liked zoos and have been to very few in my life and only because I felt I should go! Not a good place to be. I also dislike birds in cages. That aside, it is lovely to hear from you and see that you are really enjoying yourself and catching up with old friends and meeting new. Everything haws been hectic here tiles are now laid and the bathrooms are being tiles now, cartpenters, electricans and plumbers generally in and out of the house. Weather has been awfully wet and windy though today was pleasant. Trees are amazing all different colours of bronze, gold and yellow. Interesting to hear that you have had job offers from the other side of the world. I hope that your journeys continue to be interesting and beautiful. I am glad you are happy. Take care and lots of love mum