Blogs from West, Cambodia, Asia - page 3

I'm enjoying a morning bicycle ride through Chi Phat and nearby villages, when off to the side I notice a great commotion in the fronds of a palm tree. A couple people are looking up, so something is happening. A monkey, it's got to be a monkey, raiding the tree for coconuts! Then a big coconut flies through the air and thuds heavily as it bounces on the ground. That's no monkey. That's a man. I see his toes way up there, prying more coconuts from their attachments, and then more coconut bombs fly. Better stay clear, I think, but this is worthy of closer observation. There's no ladder up the trunk, no ropes, no big poles. He climbed that tree, like a monkey. All I can see clearly are his toes now, and flashes of ... read more

Hello tout le monde ! Non, on n'a pas oublié le blog ! Mais c'est vrai qu'on a de plus en plus la flemme de rédiger et on commence à avoir du mal à se souvenir de tout... On est au Cambodge depuis 2 semaines et il ne reste plus beaucoup d'étapes avant de boucler la boucle et de retrouver Ho Chi Minh (et Bruxelles)! Le Cambodge, c'est le retour de la chaleur lourde comme en Inde (en moins exagéré quand même), des grandes villes, du harcèlement par les chauffeurs de tuk-tuks et autres vendeurs ("Want fruits? Want room? Want weed? Want girl?"), le retour des centres de massages douteux,des couples tout aussi douteux "papy occidental + petite asiat en mini-jupe" des supermarchés, des fast foods, des ladyboys, et j'en passe. Il y a 2 monnaies ... read more

It is an important day here for the residents of the small villages comprising the bigger area around Chi Phat. Today the people vote for seven people to fill the positions that work for the Community Based Ecotourism Committee. This is the first election in five years. Voters have been informed of the election by their respective village chiefs, written posters, and loudspeaker traveling the roads by vehicle for the last two days. The positions include director, accountant, 2 positions for receptionist, mechanic and supply clerk, head cook, and booking agent. Voters are looking for the best candidates to lead their community forward as it grows as a popular ecotourism destination for thousands of visitors seeking an authentic jungle experience. The nine member election committee, with the assistance of employees from the Wildlife Alliance, have worked ... read more

I've made it to the inner sanctum, where gustatory delights are birthed in a small smokey womb--the kitchen. My Cambodian son Savin and his wife Srey Mom resisted my previous requests to help prepare food. But I finally triumphed, and now I sit on the slatted wood floor, peeling the crusts away from bongaong, river lobster. The small village of Chi Phat hugs the Piphot River. Fisherman harvest river lobsters from its placid waters at night when the water is lowest, using the light of a head lamp and a small pitch fork-like spear called a s'naw. I've cleaned shrimp at home, but these critters are several times larger and have beady big eyes and long stiff legs. Srey Mom shows me how to pull the shell away from the head, remove a pea sized organ ... read more

I have been eating meals at the headquarters office, where cooks fry and steam breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the guests who come to Chi Phat to experience this special place. All the ingredients they must buy fresh daily from the tiny market. Food items are seasonal and vary from day to day. Some days fish is available, some days it is not. The project here employs several teams of many cooks. The additional income gives them just enough so that their family members do not have to go to the forest to cut trees or hunt animals, thus supporting the goals of the conservation and reforestation project based here. The committee of community members tries hard to distribute the income gaining opportunities among as many people as possible. We get unusual breakfast items. The fried ... read more