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Published: March 12th 2013
Here at last!
At last Petra is here! This was taken at the airport outside the arrivals hall.Just as well we didn't move back to Globalteer House last Sunday afternoon as the power went off again early in the evening and we would have had another hot, uncomfortable night.
Monday was a fairly routine day at school. We have started another mural on the other side of the building, this one having a boat, a mermaid and an underwater scene. The children from my class will be helping out by painting all the fish and any other marine life they may wish to try their hand at. Laura, the lovely Welsh girl, who is such a great artist and a major contributor to the first mural, is leaving ABC's this week. All we need her to do is paint that mermaid before she goes....
When we returned to The Golden Village after school, we found the power had been on all day. All going well, we will return to Globalteer House in the morning. We got through the night without any power cuts so the big move back to Globalteer House
Tuk tuk ride
On the way into town from the airport. is carried out without a hitch first thing Tuesday morning. We are giving school a miss as we have more important things to do! My daughter Petra arrives from London today. She will be with us for the next five weeks, working as a volunteer as well, until our placement finishes on the 8th April.
So, we are standing outside the airport waiting for her arrival at 10.00am. You can't get into the arrivals hall at Siem Reap airport. There is a small coffee shop, a departure/arrivals screen, and a few officials sitting around in an open area outside, were everyone waits for passengers to finally walk through that door!
And, of course, Petra finally did! Weighed down with a huge backpack, a cardboard tube full of wall stickers and a small suitcase full of resources for school. It was great to see her again, and we will be living and working together for the next five weeks, which will be the longest length of time we have spent together in fifteen years. Our driver was quickly on hand, he heaved Pet's heavy backpack onto his own back and lead the way to our waiting tuk tuk.
First Day Out
We rode to school on Pet's first morning. That was a dreadful bike, it was exchanged. Pet quickly settled into her room at Globalteer House, did the half hour orientation and then we were free to head downtown and show her around. We ended up at The Blue Pumpkin for lunch (surprise!), and then we headed out to ABC's. Ginny decided to stay and do some more painting on the wall, but Pet and I went back into town. We purchased another $15 Phare Circus ticket for Thursday night's show, and return mini van tickets to Phnom Penh for $18 each, departing 6.30am Friday. We have a three day weekend coming up, and decided to make it a four day one by taking Monday off as well. We are heading to the capital to be tourists for a few days.
On Tuesday night we headed out on foot to find dinner. We have plenty of places to choose from on Wat Bo Road, as no one particularly felt like going to Pub Street. We ended up at Viroth's Restaurant, which has fabulous reviews on Trip Advisor. The food was excellent, served in lovely garden surroundings with water ponds. Main meals were all between $5-6 and we were even tempted by the dessert menu. After leaving
Painters
The kids are adding their mark to the wall, painting fish and sea horses. there we walked home again, being unable to agree on a tuk tuk price with one of the drivers hovering outside. They will try and rip you off if they can and we weren't paying $2 to be taken around the corner.
Wednesday is Petra's first day at school and she is in Sareth's class with me. We did the English comprehension class together and spent the rest of our time working on the new mural. Same routine for Thursday, we did our two classes, painted the mural and went home at 5.00pm. That night we went to Viva Mexican Restaurant for dinner and then onto the open-air performance of Phare Circus. This is the first production for this circus and is an allegory about 'couple' relationships in Cambodia. The show included tight rope walking, contortion and arobatics and was okay, but we would have preferred a show without the romantic storyline. We went to see circus performers doing breath taking routines, not young men mooning about the stage trying to win a girl's heart. Not something we'd rush to see again.
Friday morning and we're up and ready to go by 6.00am. To our amazement, our pick-up
Markets
Pet reviewing the markets. Not over impressed, I think. tuk tuk, supplied by the bus company, was right on time. We were at the bus office in plenty of time for the 6.30am departure to Phnon Penh. Our mode of transport was a Ford Transit van, which seated 14 passengers. A clean, modern van with air conditioning and a driver who seemed to be set on getting to Phnom Penh in record time. The trip took us five hours, which included two twenty minute rest stops. The road is bitumen all the way, barely two lanes with faded white lines. Our driver had no problem seeing the white line, as he drove on it most of the way and had some terrifyingly close encounters with other road users. Maybe it was just as well we occupied the back seats and couldn't see the road ahead too closely.
It was an interesting trip, just the same. The sheer variety of traffic and the villages we passed through were enough to keep me awake. Everything from tourist buses to homemade carts pulled by oxen or tiny ponies shared the road. We saw a man on a motorcycle with two huge pigs tied on his pillion seat, feet in the air.
Another Painter!
Petra adds her touch... Not sure if they were dead or alive. Another man had lots of those glitzy character balloons tied to his cycle. Where on earth was he going? Oxen roamed the roadside and we had to slow down at one point while two of them locked horns in the middle of the highway, sorting out who was boss! Definitely the most interesting road trip I've had for a while!
We reached Phnom Penh on schedule at 11.30am, and tuk tukked to our accomodation for the next three nights, The Willow Boutique Hotel. We have a spacious three bed room for $60 per night, $20 each. There is a bar and small restaurant and a lovely casual sitdown and eating area not far from our groundfloor room. Free wifi is included so we have everything we need for a comfortable stay.
We settled in and unpacked, then decided to venture out for lunch. We ended up in the river front area, upstairs at the Foreign Correspondent's Club (the FCC) with views of the river on one side and temples filling the skyline on the other. This venue is rather famous, people seem to think it's been around a lot longer
Laura
Laura and a student admirer paint that mermaid! than it actually has. It was opened in 1992 by a British man. Originally called the Gecko Bar, and situated near the Central Market, it became the hangout of foreign officials, diplomats and reporters. It was the first bar to be opened in Cambodia since 1967. The FCC moved to it's current location a year after opening and is the place from where reporters filed the news of Pol Pot's last stand.
After lunch we decided to check out the Russian Markets. They were similar to the Old Market in Siem Reap - hot, over crowded, and full of the same products aimed at the tourist market. The heat got the better of us and we left, returning to our air conditioned room for a break.
Later Ginny and Petra headed out for a massage which I wasn't interested in having. I went for a walk to Independence Monument and was relaxing in the chillout area with a Barcardi & Coke when they come back. Dinner tonight was ordered from The Willow's restaurant and we had a quiet evening in.
It's Saturday morning and we're moving slowly. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast, which was included in our
Markets
I took Pet on a tour of the markets in the village near the school. room rate. We had a small menu to choose from and ended up having fruit salad followed by poached eggs, toast and super hot cups of tea. A good start to the day!
Afterwards, we jumped into a tuk tuk and headed to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda which are in the same complex but separated by a walled walkway. I expected more grandeur, something on par with The Grand Palace in Bangkok, so was a little disappointed. We couldn't get into a lot of the buildings and had to be satisfied with a peek through the doors, and of course, no photos were allowed inside. There was many buddha inspired objects d'art on display in The Silver Pagoda, but very little information provided about them. This pagoda is famous for it's 5000 silver floor tiles, each weighing over a kilo, but we were not impressed as we could only see those around the walls. The floors are covered with mats, obviously to protect the tiles from the many tourist feet that pass over them every day.
The staircase leading to the Silver Pagoda is made of Italian marble. Inside, the Emerald Buddha, said to be
Dinner Anyone?
We saw these ducks and never even though about buying one to cook for dinner. made of Baccarat crystal, sits on a gilt pedestal high atop a dais. In front of the dais stands a life size gold Buddha decorated with 9584 diamonds, the largest of which weighs 25 carats. Created in the palace workshops during 1906 and1907, the gold Buddha weighs some 90kg. Again, no information provided. Thankfully we had a Lonely Planet book to keep us up to scratch.
After leaving here, we headed to Street 240, recommended by Elisa, our Aussie hostess at The Willow Hotel, as a nice place to shop. We enjoyed ducking in and out of the boutique shops, including Mekong Quilts, where the most gorgeous hand made quilts were sold at bargain prices. There is a sister store in Siem Reap which we will track down...
Next stop was Central Market, better known for the lovely Art Deco building it occupies, rather than the products sold there. Just another market with the usual stuff. We had a quick look around and then headed back to The Willow Hotel for a cold drink and some down time. Tonight we have a booking at Friends Restaurant for dinner. This establishment is getting Number One reviews on Trip Advisor,
Happy Fish Worker
Not hard to see who does all the hard work in this family. so expectations are high!
Mith Samlanh ('Friends' in English) is a local organization working with Cambodian street children, their families and the community to develop creative projects that effectively support the children to become independent and productive members of the community. From its brightly painted centre behind Friends Restaurant, Mith Samlanh offers food, shelter, medical care, training and educational facilities for over 1,800 homeless, vulnerable or abandoned children each day.
Friends Restaurant is one of the projects Mith Samlanh has created. It is well supported by tourists and expats alike, and the meal we ate was beautifully presented, very enjoyable, and cost under $10. Next door to the restaurant is 'Friends 'n Stuff', a lovely shop selling items made by women trained in some of their other projects. Wallets made from tyres, handbags made from food wrappers or recycled rice bags, silk scarves, paper jewellery, soft toys, hand painted cards etc, all at unbelievably cheap prices. You could spend up big here. Only problem is getting it home....
After dinner Petra decided a quiet night was on the cards for her, so she returned to The Willow in a tuk tuk, whilst Ginny and I walked to
Man Cave
This is the local barber shop. Not too busy today. the riverfront and spent a couple of hours wandering the streets and checking out the Night Market.
On Sunday morning, after another good breakfast, we're ready to head out to The Killing Fields and the S21 Genicide Museum. Petra has decided to give them a miss and will spend the morning doing her own thing.
Situated 14.5 klms from Phnom Penh, the 'killing fields' of Choeung Ek are horrifying and fascinating. Choeung Ek is one of thousands of similar sites around the country, including the Killing Caves we visited in Battambang, where the Khmer Rouge practiced genocide during the late 1970s. From 1975 to 1979, Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge soldiers killed 1.7 million Cambodians, or over 20% of the population. A soccer-field-sized area surrounded by farmland, the killing fields contain slightly sunken mass graves, for perhaps 20,000 Cambodians, many of whom were tortured at S-21, before being killed here.
Everyone who visits here, does so in silence. There are signs up asking for quiet, but they're not necessary. The entrance fee of $5 includes an audio tour, so all visitors have headphones on as they walk around. There are 17 stops along the walk with
Roadworks
An update on the roadworks on Thea Chamrat Rd. These rocks were put in place by women. They were sleeping in the machinery when we first came past. The rock will be crushed by the roller and mixed with the gravel under them. Road finished! It will all wash away in the next wet season. the audio telling us the history of each. The final stop is a memorial stupa which houses seventeen levels of human skulls and bones which have been collected from exhumed mass graves here. A depressing and sad place to visit, but necessary, to understand Cambodia's recent history.
Next stop was S-21, formerly the Chao Ponhea Yat High School. The five buildings of the complex were converted into a prison and interrogation centre in August 1975. The Khmer Rouge renamed the complex "Security Prison 21" (S-21) and construction began to adapt the prison to the inmates. The buildings were enclosed in electrified barbed wire, the classrooms converted into tiny prison and torture chambers, and all windows were covered with iron bars and barbed wire to prevent escapes. An estimated 17,000 people were imprisoned here, many ending up at Choeung Ek, where they were killed. There are some disturbing old photos in the cells of the last victims who died here, taken before and after death. Shocking to look at but they really hit home and make you realise how brutal the atrocities were. Equally shocking is the realisation that you are standing in a room where many people were tortured
Road workers
These are two of the women workers. Bet they're glad to get home after work. and probably died.
We'd seen enough so found our waiting tuk tuk driver and returned to our hotel. Petra was there, comfortably seated in a lounge with a cold drink and her laptop. We had a late lunch from the restaurant then decided to go to the waterfront for a walk. We wandered around, exploring the back streets and found some interesting little shops. We ended up down on the wharf so decided to take a sunset cruise on the Mekong River. There were lots of small boats taking tourists out. We bought tickets for $5 each and boarded the 'Love Boat' for a pleasant 45 minute trip on the water.
Monday morning after breakfast we're all at a loose end, knowing we have to check out by midday, we settled our bill and left our backpacks behind the main desk. I decided to visit Wat Phnom whilst Ginny and Petra looked at some shops. So we took separate tuk tuks and will meet up later.
Wat Phnom, meaning Mountain Pagoda in Khmer, is a Buddhist temple and is situated on top of a 27m-high tree-covered knoll, which is the only ‘hill’ in town. According to legend,
Departing Volunteers
More sad goodbyes for the kids. Laura and a Canadian family of four finished their volunteering on Thursday. Three year old Remy would have to be the youngest volunteer ever! the first pagoda on this site was erected in 1373 to house four statues of Buddha deposited here by the waters of the Mekong River and discovered by Madame Penh. The main entrance to Wat Phnom is via the grand eastern staircase, which is guarded by lions and naga (mythical serpent) balustrades.
I am always in awe of the wall murals that cover the walls, ceilings, columns and shutters of the Buddhist Wats. Not a inch left unpainted, and the work is faultless. Wat Phnom was no exception. I have included several photos of the murals here.
I returned to The Willows but Ginny and Petra hadn't got back yet. Not to worry, I headed to the bar and ordered myself a drink and a late lunch. We were being picked up from here for our return trip to Siem Reap pm, so I settled down to blogging to pass the time. Finally Ginny and Petra arrived back, ordered drinks and lunch and did the same.
Promptly at 3.20, a tuk tuk arrived to take us to our departure point. Another modern, clean, air conditioned Ford Transit van was waiting for the return trip. We left on
Where's Long?
Long, the school principal, has disappeared under six kids all trying to see the Angry Bird game he has on his laptop. time but the trip rapidly went down hill from there. Ginny and I were sitting behind the driver and could see the road ahead clearly. He drove like a man possessed! Hand constantly on the horn, blasting drivers who wouldn't get out of his way quick enough, he drove over the white line for most of the way. We had so many near misses, approaching vehicles flashing lights, he swerved in and out of the traffic, dodging scooters and bicycles and forcing them off the road. We passed approaching vehicles so closely I found myself instinctively pulling back from the window. We reached our first stop half an hour ahead of schedule - surprise! Ginny and I spoke to the driver and told him he was driving too fast and we felt unsafe. I also asked the other passengers what their opinion of his driving was, within his hearing, and another woman agreed with us.
For the second part of the trip he slowed down, but he drove with his lights on high beam the whole time, blinding other drivers. Many flashed their lights but were ignored. Thankfully, there weren't many scooters or cycles on the road once darkness
The Willows Boutique Hotel
Our accomodation in Phnom Penh. A large 3 bed room. fell so we didn't have to listen to the constant blaring of the horn. But there were still village people in their makeshift vehicles on the road, many who used a household torch as a rear light, which can't be seen from a distance. We got back to Siem Reap in one piece and were happy to reach Globalteer House, have a shower and a cuppa and hit the bed. It's been a big weekend.
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