Hello everybody,
We forgot to mention Angkor Wat in our last post. We were there in early December for the annual marathon which raises money for land mine 'victims' and those affected by HIV/Aids. There are several events and VSO was represented in two of them. Spectators need to leave Siem Reap at 5.30 with the runners in order to avoid high entry fees to the temples but you are rewarded with a beautiful initially misty setting and sunrise over Angkor. Races began promptly at 6.30 and were well organised, with participants from 47 countries. I`m pleased to say that a VSO volunteer from Glossop won the 10k race for women. Perhaps we'll walk briskly round next year! Its whetted our appetite for templing again when friends come to visit in the New Year.
At last there has been a whiff of Christmas in Samraong. Soroth, the son of our landlord, invited us to the service in his "church." There are no churches in Samraong yet so we congregated at the house of the pastor which was decorated with balloons of all colours and shapes. We sat outside in the compound under the house.
Although we did not recognise any of the carols it was a delightful afternoon with many familiar features. The pastor prayed, the youth choir sang, the small children danced (Khmer style, mainly with their hands) and American evangelists preached with a Khmer translation provided. I was asked to introduce Carol and myself so I made my first speech in Khmer. It was warmly applauded, but whether that signified approval or relief that I had stopped I do not know. There was, of course, a lot of local colour. Small children,toddlers,babies,chickens and dogs wandered bemused among the performers and at the end of it all trestle tables were erected and the worshippers were treated to a wonderful meal. Khmer hospitality at its best!
Speaking of dogs,Khmer people do not have pets, but all families seem to have dogs. They do not name them, train them or walk them. They feed them but do not interact with them. The dogs rarely leave the vicinity of the compound and at night they bark and howl. Sometimes, (full moon?)you think that every dog in the village is howling. Nobody ever tries to shut them up.
Last night was a case in point. The dogs barked and howled from 3.00 for a good half hour. When they stopped the cocks began to crow, 2 hours too early. Then a baby screamed. Finally at 4.15 day 2 of a nearby wedding began. They play music through speakers that a large gymkhana would be proud of, and continue to play it till late at night. You can hear wedding music 200 yards away - it`s a sign of wealth so we're told, that the families of the bridal couple have sufficient resources to enable them to party over several days!
So Carol said, "Do the blog today, call it Silent Night." And I did.
We're packed and all ready to 'escape' to a very different Asia and can't wait to see Nic and the family over Christmas via our new toy, Skype. Mincepies and Christmas cake will hopefully come back for a Samraong Christmas tea. I'll forget about our funding problems for a few days and we'll return refreshed and enthused for a new year here! I've found a lovely Phillipino guy with lots of experience of proposal writing who has offered to help me, so it won't quite be the blind leading the blind. On that optimistic note , we'll close. Thanks for all your Christmas greetings. Have a lovely time, wherever you are, and good health and fun in 2010.
Our love and thoughts
Carol and Geoff xx
Sunday 20 December 2009
Thursday 10 December 2009
Ups and Downs of Life in Cambodia
Hi Everyone
Just got back from Sisophon, the provincial capital of Banteay Meachey, the NW province next to us, and as its Human Rights Day and a Public Holiday, I have the day off. Although still dirty and dusty like Samraong, it is a town with a modern hospital, in parts, a large market, a university, wide roads and several reasonable hotels and restaurants which we don't have. Its famous for its karaoke bars as its on the main trucker road to Thailand! Although only 2hrs from us, it felt more modern and part of the world and shows how our region has really suffered from civil war, unrest and a lack of investment. Still, we came home to a surprise farewell lunch for Anne, a volunteer German midwife, who leaves us today after working with Cambodian midwives in health centres for 8 wks and we have had Wanda, a young accountant from Berlin join us for a short while and Pathma has arrived to start her VSO placement. So we enjoyed sweet and sour fish, a beer, and of course, rice, so life feels good!
We met in Sisophon for our 1st NW volunteer 'cluster' meeting and the UK nurses among us laughed afterwards as it felt very much like being back in the NHS - lots of talk about resources, or more precisely, the lack of them - although the setting, a noisy cafe, hot, and with lots of biting insects , I guess was a bit different. The most useful part for me was picking up some tips as to how best to utilise the skills of a volunteer assistant as my best news this blog is that I've appointed Vatanak as my VA. He'll work 2 1/2 days each week from January and will support me with interpretation, translation, teaching and the niceties of Cambodian culture. He starts 2nd Jan.
Another trip away has been to Battambang, Cambodia's 2nd largest city with friends we met on the training course. It is a grand place, falling to bits as usual, but with some wide, leafy boulevards and several beautiful colonial buildings like the Governor's Residence and an elegant and atmospheric hotel dating from the early 1900's which has been sensitively restored to its former glory. The French influence is still evident. Not as touristy as Siem Reap and less cosmopolitan than PP, we really liked it. We stayed at a Khmer hotel - the best shower yet, fluffy white towels, a big pool and of course young, charming staff, all for $30 ( approx £18) per night!
My organisation joined up with a large Cambodian NGO, to organise a community health forum last week in the grounds of the pagoda in Samraong. The idea was that about 350 poor people from some of the villages in which we work would be able to meet with health service providers like the public health and hospital director and ask questions about the quality of care they receive at the local hospital and health centres. The beginnings of accountability I guess, which they call here patient and health provider rights. There was a good representation of women and disabled people which pleased me. There was Emma, the other VSO volunteer, and me up on the pink, green and yellow silk decked stage, with all the' high ranking people' and I couldn't help but smile and reflect on what a privilege it is to be here, well, at least some of the time! We had a great staff post event discussion back at the office and the challenge now is to get them to formulate some constructive feedback which we can communicate back to the organisers.
Another fascinating experience last week was my organisations meeting in Siem Reap at a very grand hotel, with our donors, Malteser, a German international NGO. I was there to support my Executive Director and Programme Manager in their meeting with their partners. The development world is like all others - demands, constraints, project planning. We were given a great DVD on our work in OM Province, which will keep the memory of Samraong alive, should we ever forget this experience!
I've saved the bad news until last - we heard yesterday that CHHRA and its international partners has not had either of its EEC Food Security proposals accepted. We have funding to maintain our community based health insurance scheme hopefully until December 2010 but things look precarious for our health promotion team. So my time for the forseeable future will be taken up trying to support the management team to find a new donor. We don't need a massive amount of money in the big scheme of things as we have a good team, motor bikes and an established office in place. Salaries for 4 health promoters are the major item. People remain cheerful, philosophical and accepting of their lot however. Projects coming to an end and people loosing their jobs are just a way of life here, though an older Cambodian who spent his adolescence in the camps on the Thai border told me recently that he was weary of always asking for money to support basic services. So many services which we take for granted, like a health service available for all, regardless of wealth or social status is just not available here.
On that unhappy note I'll close. We'll be in touch before Christmas and our trip to Singapore which we're so looking forward to. It's hard to imagine you all preparing for Christmas. I don't envy you, but Geoff is missing the frantic activity and the crack amongst great friends at Winos, especially at this time of year!
Please keep in touch and lots of love to you all
Carol and Geoff
Just got back from Sisophon, the provincial capital of Banteay Meachey, the NW province next to us, and as its Human Rights Day and a Public Holiday, I have the day off. Although still dirty and dusty like Samraong, it is a town with a modern hospital, in parts, a large market, a university, wide roads and several reasonable hotels and restaurants which we don't have. Its famous for its karaoke bars as its on the main trucker road to Thailand! Although only 2hrs from us, it felt more modern and part of the world and shows how our region has really suffered from civil war, unrest and a lack of investment. Still, we came home to a surprise farewell lunch for Anne, a volunteer German midwife, who leaves us today after working with Cambodian midwives in health centres for 8 wks and we have had Wanda, a young accountant from Berlin join us for a short while and Pathma has arrived to start her VSO placement. So we enjoyed sweet and sour fish, a beer, and of course, rice, so life feels good!
We met in Sisophon for our 1st NW volunteer 'cluster' meeting and the UK nurses among us laughed afterwards as it felt very much like being back in the NHS - lots of talk about resources, or more precisely, the lack of them - although the setting, a noisy cafe, hot, and with lots of biting insects , I guess was a bit different. The most useful part for me was picking up some tips as to how best to utilise the skills of a volunteer assistant as my best news this blog is that I've appointed Vatanak as my VA. He'll work 2 1/2 days each week from January and will support me with interpretation, translation, teaching and the niceties of Cambodian culture. He starts 2nd Jan.
Another trip away has been to Battambang, Cambodia's 2nd largest city with friends we met on the training course. It is a grand place, falling to bits as usual, but with some wide, leafy boulevards and several beautiful colonial buildings like the Governor's Residence and an elegant and atmospheric hotel dating from the early 1900's which has been sensitively restored to its former glory. The French influence is still evident. Not as touristy as Siem Reap and less cosmopolitan than PP, we really liked it. We stayed at a Khmer hotel - the best shower yet, fluffy white towels, a big pool and of course young, charming staff, all for $30 ( approx £18) per night!
My organisation joined up with a large Cambodian NGO, to organise a community health forum last week in the grounds of the pagoda in Samraong. The idea was that about 350 poor people from some of the villages in which we work would be able to meet with health service providers like the public health and hospital director and ask questions about the quality of care they receive at the local hospital and health centres. The beginnings of accountability I guess, which they call here patient and health provider rights. There was a good representation of women and disabled people which pleased me. There was Emma, the other VSO volunteer, and me up on the pink, green and yellow silk decked stage, with all the' high ranking people' and I couldn't help but smile and reflect on what a privilege it is to be here, well, at least some of the time! We had a great staff post event discussion back at the office and the challenge now is to get them to formulate some constructive feedback which we can communicate back to the organisers.
Another fascinating experience last week was my organisations meeting in Siem Reap at a very grand hotel, with our donors, Malteser, a German international NGO. I was there to support my Executive Director and Programme Manager in their meeting with their partners. The development world is like all others - demands, constraints, project planning. We were given a great DVD on our work in OM Province, which will keep the memory of Samraong alive, should we ever forget this experience!
I've saved the bad news until last - we heard yesterday that CHHRA and its international partners has not had either of its EEC Food Security proposals accepted. We have funding to maintain our community based health insurance scheme hopefully until December 2010 but things look precarious for our health promotion team. So my time for the forseeable future will be taken up trying to support the management team to find a new donor. We don't need a massive amount of money in the big scheme of things as we have a good team, motor bikes and an established office in place. Salaries for 4 health promoters are the major item. People remain cheerful, philosophical and accepting of their lot however. Projects coming to an end and people loosing their jobs are just a way of life here, though an older Cambodian who spent his adolescence in the camps on the Thai border told me recently that he was weary of always asking for money to support basic services. So many services which we take for granted, like a health service available for all, regardless of wealth or social status is just not available here.
On that unhappy note I'll close. We'll be in touch before Christmas and our trip to Singapore which we're so looking forward to. It's hard to imagine you all preparing for Christmas. I don't envy you, but Geoff is missing the frantic activity and the crack amongst great friends at Winos, especially at this time of year!
Please keep in touch and lots of love to you all
Carol and Geoff
Saturday 14 November 2009
November No Christmas
Hello everybody. Although I have been back in Cambodia since October 30th, we have only been home for 6 days as Carol and I met up in Phnom Penh for a few days then went to Siem Reap before returning to Samraong. So the blog was delayed.
Good news is that my Mum is back home and making progress with her walking. While I was there she was using a zimmer indoors and a wheelchair outside. However, in a recent phone call she told me she is walking freely indoors and needs only a stick outside. She is determined to remain as independent as possible.
In PP Carol and I enjoyed the famous Water Festival which lasts for 3 days and symbolizes the end of the rains and the victory of the Angkorian 10th century king Jayavarman VII th over the Chams, a Muslim culture still found in small pockets in Cambodia.There were nearly 400 boats each with 40 or more rowers racing down the Tonle Sap river over the 3 days. With each race having only 2 boats competing, they came thick and fast at 1minute intervals so there was always a race to watch. With over a million visitors PP was heaving and the atmosphere was wonderful. VSO were the only non Khmer boat. They struggled to get straight on the starting line and were well beaten but it was good fun watching them row with the current down the Mekong. They were the only boat wearing life jackets! There was a party at a roof top restaurant afterwards with mostly newly arrived volunteers. We're considered experienced now! Each evening there were fireworks on the river and floating illuminated boats - Blackpool, Asian style. We had a great view from an old colonial building / Tapas bar. The Verdejo went down a treat! On the final afternoon the heavens opened and by nightfall several streets near the river were under a foot of water but apart from that the rains do seem to have come to an end.
We stayed in 2 boutique hotels whilst in PP to decide where to place our visitors early next year. Of course I preferred one and Carol the other. No prizes for guessing where they`ll stay. Both are boutique style and French run, such a contrast to hot and dusty Samraong.
Before finally settling back home we enjoyed a long week-end in Siem Reap thanks to yet another public holiday. Although I spent a pleasant hour and a half with Rhotana ,the highlight had to be the bird-watching trip to Tonle Sap lake. Setting off at 5.30am in a taxi we transferred after 25 minutes to a boat which took us to the bird reserve with breakfast on the way. Here we changed to another boat with a ranger to enter the reserve. It`s not the best time for birds yet we saw a lot, including pelicans in trees, bee eaters, a grey headed fish eagle and lots of Indian cormorants and great and little egrets. We climbed a rickety bamboo ladder up a tree to a hide in the floating forest biosphere area to view a cormorant chick in a nest - quite a challenge for a pair of oldies! TS is the largest lake in SE Asia and at times it felt that we were at sea with a swell and no sight of land. Lunch was provided in a house in a floating village with a Khmer family. We arrived back in SR late afternoon for a swim and smart Khymer/French restaurant.
Here in Samraong there is still no sign of Christmas, yet we are half way through November. Of course you can`t get cards here and we do not have postmen. The shops are no different, nor will they be. This is a Budhist country and Christmas Day is a normal working day. Still, were off to Singapore, where, Laura says, it will be like Florida!
Carol here - work has been busy in that we've had Hans, a Dutch VSO Health Programme Placement Manager to visit. He's resposible for selecting all health volunteers to Cambodia so it was interesting to hear his take on things. We've also had Pathma, a 71 yr old Sri Lankan hospital management advisor, also with VSO, who will come to live in Samraong in December. We've helped her open a bank account - took 1 1/2hrs! - and find a house, a newish 4 b. place full of traditional, heavy Khymer furniture and by the lake, so she'll be able to walk to the hospital.
Its quite nice to have a quiet wkend, though weve spent a fair amount of time sweeping up dead insects in the house which seem to have been much worse than usual - dont know why this should be but we've had 2 incredibly hot days -36c which have really made me wilt. Its hard to concentrate and be motivated when I'm constantly wet! I've organised training on how the field staff can use the stuff they've learned on dengue and malaria in their work with village people and we're now starting to look at facilitation skills to help them deliver health messages to the community. CHHRA have had an extension of funding to April from contingency funds and we should hear soon as to whether our application to the EC for a food security project has been succesful, or not!
C'est la vie - don't feel you have to bother with a Christmas card to us! Carol, our neighbour at 4 Heathfields rd will gather up any that arrive though and save them for Geoff's visit in the New Year. We still want to hear all your news though, so keep the emails flowing.
With love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
Good news is that my Mum is back home and making progress with her walking. While I was there she was using a zimmer indoors and a wheelchair outside. However, in a recent phone call she told me she is walking freely indoors and needs only a stick outside. She is determined to remain as independent as possible.
In PP Carol and I enjoyed the famous Water Festival which lasts for 3 days and symbolizes the end of the rains and the victory of the Angkorian 10th century king Jayavarman VII th over the Chams, a Muslim culture still found in small pockets in Cambodia.There were nearly 400 boats each with 40 or more rowers racing down the Tonle Sap river over the 3 days. With each race having only 2 boats competing, they came thick and fast at 1minute intervals so there was always a race to watch. With over a million visitors PP was heaving and the atmosphere was wonderful. VSO were the only non Khmer boat. They struggled to get straight on the starting line and were well beaten but it was good fun watching them row with the current down the Mekong. They were the only boat wearing life jackets! There was a party at a roof top restaurant afterwards with mostly newly arrived volunteers. We're considered experienced now! Each evening there were fireworks on the river and floating illuminated boats - Blackpool, Asian style. We had a great view from an old colonial building / Tapas bar. The Verdejo went down a treat! On the final afternoon the heavens opened and by nightfall several streets near the river were under a foot of water but apart from that the rains do seem to have come to an end.
We stayed in 2 boutique hotels whilst in PP to decide where to place our visitors early next year. Of course I preferred one and Carol the other. No prizes for guessing where they`ll stay. Both are boutique style and French run, such a contrast to hot and dusty Samraong.
Before finally settling back home we enjoyed a long week-end in Siem Reap thanks to yet another public holiday. Although I spent a pleasant hour and a half with Rhotana ,the highlight had to be the bird-watching trip to Tonle Sap lake. Setting off at 5.30am in a taxi we transferred after 25 minutes to a boat which took us to the bird reserve with breakfast on the way. Here we changed to another boat with a ranger to enter the reserve. It`s not the best time for birds yet we saw a lot, including pelicans in trees, bee eaters, a grey headed fish eagle and lots of Indian cormorants and great and little egrets. We climbed a rickety bamboo ladder up a tree to a hide in the floating forest biosphere area to view a cormorant chick in a nest - quite a challenge for a pair of oldies! TS is the largest lake in SE Asia and at times it felt that we were at sea with a swell and no sight of land. Lunch was provided in a house in a floating village with a Khmer family. We arrived back in SR late afternoon for a swim and smart Khymer/French restaurant.
Here in Samraong there is still no sign of Christmas, yet we are half way through November. Of course you can`t get cards here and we do not have postmen. The shops are no different, nor will they be. This is a Budhist country and Christmas Day is a normal working day. Still, were off to Singapore, where, Laura says, it will be like Florida!
Carol here - work has been busy in that we've had Hans, a Dutch VSO Health Programme Placement Manager to visit. He's resposible for selecting all health volunteers to Cambodia so it was interesting to hear his take on things. We've also had Pathma, a 71 yr old Sri Lankan hospital management advisor, also with VSO, who will come to live in Samraong in December. We've helped her open a bank account - took 1 1/2hrs! - and find a house, a newish 4 b. place full of traditional, heavy Khymer furniture and by the lake, so she'll be able to walk to the hospital.
Its quite nice to have a quiet wkend, though weve spent a fair amount of time sweeping up dead insects in the house which seem to have been much worse than usual - dont know why this should be but we've had 2 incredibly hot days -36c which have really made me wilt. Its hard to concentrate and be motivated when I'm constantly wet! I've organised training on how the field staff can use the stuff they've learned on dengue and malaria in their work with village people and we're now starting to look at facilitation skills to help them deliver health messages to the community. CHHRA have had an extension of funding to April from contingency funds and we should hear soon as to whether our application to the EC for a food security project has been succesful, or not!
C'est la vie - don't feel you have to bother with a Christmas card to us! Carol, our neighbour at 4 Heathfields rd will gather up any that arrive though and save them for Geoff's visit in the New Year. We still want to hear all your news though, so keep the emails flowing.
With love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
Saturday 24 October 2009
Festivities in Samraong
Hi Everyone
Only 1 more week before a holiday in PP and Geoff's return. Hope it won't be too hard for Joan not having him around. She's doing well but is frustrated by how long its taking to becoming independnt again. Nic is in Newcastle too this weekend, so they are off to the match. Hope they win.
My best news is that VSO have agreed to provide me with a volunteer assistant for 2 1/2 days a week. This will make me much more independent as I will have interpreter support when I need it and help with cultural stuff.It is likely to be difficult to get someone with good enough English here, but there will be no lack of applicants as jobs with a regular salary even of $100 are hard to come by.
I've had a quiet weekend although works kept me busy and I've actually brought work home a couple of nights. I've been preparing a days staff training on malaria. I have to educate myself first, get it int a format which the staff can follow and understand how they can best protect their own families, and then I try to come up with some health messages which we can use in village meetings and when working with individual familes. The driver, guards and cleaner join in too - its hard to know at what level to pitch things and with all the talk of drug resistance to the malaria parasite, one of the highest in the world here in our area, there's loads of info. to look at. So many people still go to private clinics or the market to buy medicines which may be fake or not the correct regime. They feel better after a couple of days so don't complete the course and don't have a follow up blood test and remain a source of infection in their communities. Its made me a bit paranoid - tucking in our mossy net, spraying the shower room and closing the house doors in the evenings in spite of the heat!
My last field trip was the best yet. I go off with an open mind and sometimes find it really difficult to see any opportunities to bring about change which is sustainable. I met a great Cambodian midwife at at a health cetre who was keen for our respective staff to work together and Vatanar, the health promoter I spent 3 days with is tryng hard to reach the poorest of families. He introduced me to a young chap who had lost an eye and both arms to a land mine. With the help of neighbours he was able to grow a small amount of rice and had made a fish pond in the hope of feeding his family and having something to sell.With a little bit of financial support from our organisation, he'd built a food cabinet and a hen house. Such families are inspirational and will encourage me to work with the staff on ways in which we can identify and support disabled people in our target villages.I'll also look at some joint training with the HCenre staff.
We have a new volunteer with us, Anne, a young German midwife who is here for 10 wks. It's good to have new people around.Also had a visit from Lonely Planet last week though I don't think the write up about Samraong will be much better than last time! I have to say though, the place is looking better, at least around the lake. The provincial government have spent a lot of money building a park area with grass, shrubs, 2 huge black elephants, a shrine with sparkly lights and surprisingly, no litter. We have a fair here, similar to the fairs I remember as a child, and next week we will celebrate Water Festival, a celebration of Jayavarman v11 over the Chams who occupied Angkor in 1177! Its great to see these ancient traditions flourishing again, after being totally supressed by Pol Pot. Long canoes, brightly hand painted, race along one side of the lake with up to 40 paddlers in each. CHHRA has a boat and we've all been out to watch them practice this week. Our lot are not natural sailors but love it, even the soakings in mucky lake water. Some of the girls from work took me to the fair on Friday night. I think they feel they need to look after me whilst Geoff is away! Went on the big wheel, a bit rickety and of course no H and S rules, ate popcorn and won a bowl at a darts stall.
I've also been to my 1st wedding this week, another colourful occasion and reminiscent of Pakistani weddings in UK. There were about 400 guests and even though I wore one of my 'wedding ' dresses I felt very under dressed! Lots of food and beer, loud music but no dancing,and us each presenting an envelope containing $10 to the bride and groom as we left, seems the typical format. All work staff were invited .The bride was a staff member's sister in law whom I'd never met before! Everyone was smiley and gracious and there were lots of formal greetings and photos.
Must go now as Anne is coming round for tea - pomelo and fish salad with bean sprouts. I'm really getting in to the food, especially since I treated myself to a cook book written by a French chef resident here who gives the Khymer words for the herbs and spices which are readily available and incredibly cheap at our local market.
Please email us soon!
Lots of love to you all
Carol, and Geoff of course xx
Only 1 more week before a holiday in PP and Geoff's return. Hope it won't be too hard for Joan not having him around. She's doing well but is frustrated by how long its taking to becoming independnt again. Nic is in Newcastle too this weekend, so they are off to the match. Hope they win.
My best news is that VSO have agreed to provide me with a volunteer assistant for 2 1/2 days a week. This will make me much more independent as I will have interpreter support when I need it and help with cultural stuff.It is likely to be difficult to get someone with good enough English here, but there will be no lack of applicants as jobs with a regular salary even of $100 are hard to come by.
I've had a quiet weekend although works kept me busy and I've actually brought work home a couple of nights. I've been preparing a days staff training on malaria. I have to educate myself first, get it int a format which the staff can follow and understand how they can best protect their own families, and then I try to come up with some health messages which we can use in village meetings and when working with individual familes. The driver, guards and cleaner join in too - its hard to know at what level to pitch things and with all the talk of drug resistance to the malaria parasite, one of the highest in the world here in our area, there's loads of info. to look at. So many people still go to private clinics or the market to buy medicines which may be fake or not the correct regime. They feel better after a couple of days so don't complete the course and don't have a follow up blood test and remain a source of infection in their communities. Its made me a bit paranoid - tucking in our mossy net, spraying the shower room and closing the house doors in the evenings in spite of the heat!
My last field trip was the best yet. I go off with an open mind and sometimes find it really difficult to see any opportunities to bring about change which is sustainable. I met a great Cambodian midwife at at a health cetre who was keen for our respective staff to work together and Vatanar, the health promoter I spent 3 days with is tryng hard to reach the poorest of families. He introduced me to a young chap who had lost an eye and both arms to a land mine. With the help of neighbours he was able to grow a small amount of rice and had made a fish pond in the hope of feeding his family and having something to sell.With a little bit of financial support from our organisation, he'd built a food cabinet and a hen house. Such families are inspirational and will encourage me to work with the staff on ways in which we can identify and support disabled people in our target villages.I'll also look at some joint training with the HCenre staff.
We have a new volunteer with us, Anne, a young German midwife who is here for 10 wks. It's good to have new people around.Also had a visit from Lonely Planet last week though I don't think the write up about Samraong will be much better than last time! I have to say though, the place is looking better, at least around the lake. The provincial government have spent a lot of money building a park area with grass, shrubs, 2 huge black elephants, a shrine with sparkly lights and surprisingly, no litter. We have a fair here, similar to the fairs I remember as a child, and next week we will celebrate Water Festival, a celebration of Jayavarman v11 over the Chams who occupied Angkor in 1177! Its great to see these ancient traditions flourishing again, after being totally supressed by Pol Pot. Long canoes, brightly hand painted, race along one side of the lake with up to 40 paddlers in each. CHHRA has a boat and we've all been out to watch them practice this week. Our lot are not natural sailors but love it, even the soakings in mucky lake water. Some of the girls from work took me to the fair on Friday night. I think they feel they need to look after me whilst Geoff is away! Went on the big wheel, a bit rickety and of course no H and S rules, ate popcorn and won a bowl at a darts stall.
I've also been to my 1st wedding this week, another colourful occasion and reminiscent of Pakistani weddings in UK. There were about 400 guests and even though I wore one of my 'wedding ' dresses I felt very under dressed! Lots of food and beer, loud music but no dancing,and us each presenting an envelope containing $10 to the bride and groom as we left, seems the typical format. All work staff were invited .The bride was a staff member's sister in law whom I'd never met before! Everyone was smiley and gracious and there were lots of formal greetings and photos.
Must go now as Anne is coming round for tea - pomelo and fish salad with bean sprouts. I'm really getting in to the food, especially since I treated myself to a cook book written by a French chef resident here who gives the Khymer words for the herbs and spices which are readily available and incredibly cheap at our local market.
Please email us soon!
Lots of love to you all
Carol, and Geoff of course xx
Sunday 11 October 2009
Home Alone!
Hi Everyone
It's late but as I'm away from Samraong for 3 days this week, visiting yet more remote villages, I felt it would be good to be in touch with you all. Geoff left for UK yesterday for 3 wks, to support his Mum as she adjusts to life at home after a long spell in hospital following a fracture to her ankle. She has a good care package in place but hopefully Geoff will be able to provide great company, some trips out and enable Peter and Avril to have a break. He's looking forward to seeing Nic too and might even manage a trip to Winos!
He left here a day early as the road to Siem Reap is flooded - the taxis are transferring their passengers to a tractor and trailer to take them across about a 4oo mtre stretch of water and then another taxi completes the trip to SR. It has almost doubled the journey time. We caught the end of the storm which hit the Phillipines and had torrential rain, no sun and cooler temps for 3 days. It felt strange but it was great to sleep without a fan. Many of the dirt roads around Samraong have been 'cut'-they have deep gullies full of water, there are large holes on either side of wooden bridges where the rain has washed the road away, and there are cars and trucks stuck or keeled over in what look like rivers of mud. The locals take it all in their stride. Nobody seems to get upset or angry and farmers make a bit of extra money towing vehichles out. We had to abandon a field trip last week as our land cruiser ended up nose down in a hole, just before a bridge over a river. We were all fine - somehow, wading through mud in merrell sandals in the heat feels no hardship. We had blocked the road, so children going to school on their bikes had great fun deciding what to do. It was a team effort - school uniforms off and carried high on one arm whilst they swam across the river, somehow managing to hold on to their bikes. Then uniforms on again, big smiles and lots of laughter, and they were back on their way to school.
Life here is full of simple but heart warming experiences like this.Last weekend we went about 20kms north of here to O'Smach, a remote and quiet border crossing into Thailand, the place I'd been on a motorbike with Bona and her 2 young friends during the Pchum Bhen holiday. We offered to pay the taxi fare but because we were taking 4 staff, Hing, my programme manager , said it was a team building experience, we should take the organisation's truck, and that CHHRA would pay for the petrol! In spite of awful road conditions - we had to be towed out of a gulley at one point -we had music and laughter, a trip to the Thai market where fruit, handbags and toiletries seemed even cheaper than they are here and then the biggest treat for the staff, a visit to the casino on the Cambodian side of the border, full of Thais as gambling is illegal in Thailand.They are young 20 somethings. Their eyes were out on stalks as they'd never been into a 'posh' hotel before or seen slot machines and gambling tables.They stuck close to Geoff - they looked like chicks following the 'mother' hen! All a bit bizarre but then this is Cambodia!
I worked last Saturday, which is unusual, at Malteser, a German International NGO. It was an inspiring day as I was asked to observe and give feedback to a 'natural' trainer, a young chap from Myamar who led a workshop for staff on facilitation skills.I came away with lots of ideas for our staff training. My next session is on malaria which I don't know a lot about yet, except that its pretty common here and can be lethal. The Dengue fever training, my first, went surprisingly well, in spite of the interpreter going off sick at the last minute.The staff are like sponges, so keen to soak up whatever is on offer, that it is a pleasure to work with them. They treat me, but particularly Geoff ,with great respect and are proud to have a native English speaker as their teacher - they call him, lecrue -my teacher!
All this is such a far cry from your sophisticated world of theatre,art, books and music. All is not lost, however, as I've recently worked out how to access I Player, so listened to my 1st Archer's omnibus on Sunday morning! It's going to be hard to resist Radio 4 but it will be great company whilst Geoff is away. It makes me feel closer to you all, particularly those of you who are Archer's addicts! Must pack my rucksack now for tomorrow's trip and get to bed. Our days still start early with the cock crowing at 5.30 so I need to be in bed for about 10.
Keep in touch -Its important that we don't become country bumpkins whilst we're out here!
Much love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
It's late but as I'm away from Samraong for 3 days this week, visiting yet more remote villages, I felt it would be good to be in touch with you all. Geoff left for UK yesterday for 3 wks, to support his Mum as she adjusts to life at home after a long spell in hospital following a fracture to her ankle. She has a good care package in place but hopefully Geoff will be able to provide great company, some trips out and enable Peter and Avril to have a break. He's looking forward to seeing Nic too and might even manage a trip to Winos!
He left here a day early as the road to Siem Reap is flooded - the taxis are transferring their passengers to a tractor and trailer to take them across about a 4oo mtre stretch of water and then another taxi completes the trip to SR. It has almost doubled the journey time. We caught the end of the storm which hit the Phillipines and had torrential rain, no sun and cooler temps for 3 days. It felt strange but it was great to sleep without a fan. Many of the dirt roads around Samraong have been 'cut'-they have deep gullies full of water, there are large holes on either side of wooden bridges where the rain has washed the road away, and there are cars and trucks stuck or keeled over in what look like rivers of mud. The locals take it all in their stride. Nobody seems to get upset or angry and farmers make a bit of extra money towing vehichles out. We had to abandon a field trip last week as our land cruiser ended up nose down in a hole, just before a bridge over a river. We were all fine - somehow, wading through mud in merrell sandals in the heat feels no hardship. We had blocked the road, so children going to school on their bikes had great fun deciding what to do. It was a team effort - school uniforms off and carried high on one arm whilst they swam across the river, somehow managing to hold on to their bikes. Then uniforms on again, big smiles and lots of laughter, and they were back on their way to school.
Life here is full of simple but heart warming experiences like this.Last weekend we went about 20kms north of here to O'Smach, a remote and quiet border crossing into Thailand, the place I'd been on a motorbike with Bona and her 2 young friends during the Pchum Bhen holiday. We offered to pay the taxi fare but because we were taking 4 staff, Hing, my programme manager , said it was a team building experience, we should take the organisation's truck, and that CHHRA would pay for the petrol! In spite of awful road conditions - we had to be towed out of a gulley at one point -we had music and laughter, a trip to the Thai market where fruit, handbags and toiletries seemed even cheaper than they are here and then the biggest treat for the staff, a visit to the casino on the Cambodian side of the border, full of Thais as gambling is illegal in Thailand.They are young 20 somethings. Their eyes were out on stalks as they'd never been into a 'posh' hotel before or seen slot machines and gambling tables.They stuck close to Geoff - they looked like chicks following the 'mother' hen! All a bit bizarre but then this is Cambodia!
I worked last Saturday, which is unusual, at Malteser, a German International NGO. It was an inspiring day as I was asked to observe and give feedback to a 'natural' trainer, a young chap from Myamar who led a workshop for staff on facilitation skills.I came away with lots of ideas for our staff training. My next session is on malaria which I don't know a lot about yet, except that its pretty common here and can be lethal. The Dengue fever training, my first, went surprisingly well, in spite of the interpreter going off sick at the last minute.The staff are like sponges, so keen to soak up whatever is on offer, that it is a pleasure to work with them. They treat me, but particularly Geoff ,with great respect and are proud to have a native English speaker as their teacher - they call him, lecrue -my teacher!
All this is such a far cry from your sophisticated world of theatre,art, books and music. All is not lost, however, as I've recently worked out how to access I Player, so listened to my 1st Archer's omnibus on Sunday morning! It's going to be hard to resist Radio 4 but it will be great company whilst Geoff is away. It makes me feel closer to you all, particularly those of you who are Archer's addicts! Must pack my rucksack now for tomorrow's trip and get to bed. Our days still start early with the cock crowing at 5.30 so I need to be in bed for about 10.
Keep in touch -Its important that we don't become country bumpkins whilst we're out here!
Much love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
Thursday 24 September 2009
September in the rain
Hi everyone.
What an eventful month this has been. Carol `s review over, we turned our attention to social matters. An unexpected invitation to a birthday party took Carol off into the countryside,while I took the opportunity to spend a couple of days in Siem Reap, my classes being on holiday.
VSO people can be very intense and discuss their experiences with each other non-stop. I can sympathize so much then I need to break free!Siem Reap is ideal. Two hours by taxi and you have a wide range of hotels, restaurants, bars and shops to suit all tastes. The town is small and most destinations are walkable, but I enjoy riding the tuk-tuks.
We seem to have decided on one hotel in Siem Reap and staying there is a pleasure. The staff have got to know us and are charming. There is a good pool and the rooms are almost Bali style.
Carol came straight to the hotel from her party and we had the last two days together. A Dutch VSO girl threw a surprise 40th birthday party for her partner in a village without electricity and with even fewer amenities than Samraong! Met a couple from Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales.
Back to Geoff -
I trawled the bookshops as there are none in Samraong, nor is there a library. I tend to take home ten at a time. We both had pedicures while in SR and I had a massage too by Rothana who seems to have become my personal masseuse and pedicurist at the Spa we use. As well as relaxing by the pool we also tried some different restaurants including one owned jointly by a Frenchman and his Vietnamese wife. There was time too, to stock up on goods not found in Samraong, like milk, cereal, brown bread, orange juice and white wine. As you can see we are not typical volunteers as we have more disposable income - our pensions go a long way here.
A few days later we were off to Singapore to spend six days with Laura and Alberto. It was Laura`s birthday while we were there and a school holiday too. However the holiday was most noteworthy for Carol`s haircut. My hair has been such a frizzy mess since arriving in Cambodia, that drastic action needed to be taken, and I was duly marched off to Laura's hairdresser and colourist at Tony and Guys. 3 hrs later, I emerged with short curly hair which I can just scrunch up and leave to dry. Well, thats the theory. Will soon see what 90% humidity does to posh styling!
Laura and Alberto are in great form and entertained us royally. Started off at the Shangrila - remember Sue and Howard?- for a 'brunch' style dinner with lots of school friends.Visited a new country park with a canopy walk, the pictures to see 'Inglorious Basterds', an exhibition celebrating Prehanakan culture, (chinese/malay/indian) a couple more stunning restaurants and of course, shopping.It felt restorative if not other worldly, but it was great to spend time together. Such a different Asia! We're booked in for Christmas.
Back to work today which is quiet as most people are still on holiday. I was in the office on my own for 3 days last week, but I had a lovely experience on day 2 when Bona, 19, and the youngest of the health promoters ,turned up to take me on the back of her boyfriend's moto to O Smach, a Cambodian town on the Thai border. She travelled on the back of another friend's moto and even though we had a 3hr round trip on a muddy, slippery road and came home through the afternoon monsoon, it felt great to be out with 3 young Cambodians who were full of fun. We went to some water falls and had a meal in the local market. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take my pasport, so we couldn't walk into Thailand, so we'll have to do the trip again! I haven't heard yet as to whether VSO will fund a volunteer assistant for me. This would make me more independent as I would have my own interpreter/translator and it would be good for cultural stuff. James, the 3rd volunteer here has just finished his placement so his VA is available. We'll miss him - he worked on a sustainable forestry project and had a wry sense of humour.
Back to Geoff - On our flat roof, which is where we usually entertain guests, there are ten exit pipes so that the rain can run off during the monsoon. Our landlord places large containers at each one to collect the rainwater. This month he has garnered a rich harvest. It has rained, and how, most days and the water containers are full. But fortunately the rain has not spoiled the unmade roads as in past years, although enough has gathered by the roadsides for children to swim in.
Good news from Newcastle this week in that Geoff's Mum has had her long leg plaster reduced to a foot plaster. He will come home this side of Christmas, hopefully to help her adjust to life at home. Hope all is well with you all.
With much love from us both
Carol and Geoff xx
What an eventful month this has been. Carol `s review over, we turned our attention to social matters. An unexpected invitation to a birthday party took Carol off into the countryside,while I took the opportunity to spend a couple of days in Siem Reap, my classes being on holiday.
VSO people can be very intense and discuss their experiences with each other non-stop. I can sympathize so much then I need to break free!Siem Reap is ideal. Two hours by taxi and you have a wide range of hotels, restaurants, bars and shops to suit all tastes. The town is small and most destinations are walkable, but I enjoy riding the tuk-tuks.
We seem to have decided on one hotel in Siem Reap and staying there is a pleasure. The staff have got to know us and are charming. There is a good pool and the rooms are almost Bali style.
Carol came straight to the hotel from her party and we had the last two days together. A Dutch VSO girl threw a surprise 40th birthday party for her partner in a village without electricity and with even fewer amenities than Samraong! Met a couple from Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales.
Back to Geoff -
I trawled the bookshops as there are none in Samraong, nor is there a library. I tend to take home ten at a time. We both had pedicures while in SR and I had a massage too by Rothana who seems to have become my personal masseuse and pedicurist at the Spa we use. As well as relaxing by the pool we also tried some different restaurants including one owned jointly by a Frenchman and his Vietnamese wife. There was time too, to stock up on goods not found in Samraong, like milk, cereal, brown bread, orange juice and white wine. As you can see we are not typical volunteers as we have more disposable income - our pensions go a long way here.
A few days later we were off to Singapore to spend six days with Laura and Alberto. It was Laura`s birthday while we were there and a school holiday too. However the holiday was most noteworthy for Carol`s haircut. My hair has been such a frizzy mess since arriving in Cambodia, that drastic action needed to be taken, and I was duly marched off to Laura's hairdresser and colourist at Tony and Guys. 3 hrs later, I emerged with short curly hair which I can just scrunch up and leave to dry. Well, thats the theory. Will soon see what 90% humidity does to posh styling!
Laura and Alberto are in great form and entertained us royally. Started off at the Shangrila - remember Sue and Howard?- for a 'brunch' style dinner with lots of school friends.Visited a new country park with a canopy walk, the pictures to see 'Inglorious Basterds', an exhibition celebrating Prehanakan culture, (chinese/malay/indian) a couple more stunning restaurants and of course, shopping.It felt restorative if not other worldly, but it was great to spend time together. Such a different Asia! We're booked in for Christmas.
Back to work today which is quiet as most people are still on holiday. I was in the office on my own for 3 days last week, but I had a lovely experience on day 2 when Bona, 19, and the youngest of the health promoters ,turned up to take me on the back of her boyfriend's moto to O Smach, a Cambodian town on the Thai border. She travelled on the back of another friend's moto and even though we had a 3hr round trip on a muddy, slippery road and came home through the afternoon monsoon, it felt great to be out with 3 young Cambodians who were full of fun. We went to some water falls and had a meal in the local market. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take my pasport, so we couldn't walk into Thailand, so we'll have to do the trip again! I haven't heard yet as to whether VSO will fund a volunteer assistant for me. This would make me more independent as I would have my own interpreter/translator and it would be good for cultural stuff. James, the 3rd volunteer here has just finished his placement so his VA is available. We'll miss him - he worked on a sustainable forestry project and had a wry sense of humour.
Back to Geoff - On our flat roof, which is where we usually entertain guests, there are ten exit pipes so that the rain can run off during the monsoon. Our landlord places large containers at each one to collect the rainwater. This month he has garnered a rich harvest. It has rained, and how, most days and the water containers are full. But fortunately the rain has not spoiled the unmade roads as in past years, although enough has gathered by the roadsides for children to swim in.
Good news from Newcastle this week in that Geoff's Mum has had her long leg plaster reduced to a foot plaster. He will come home this side of Christmas, hopefully to help her adjust to life at home. Hope all is well with you all.
With much love from us both
Carol and Geoff xx
Sunday 6 September 2009
Working Hard!
Hi Everyone
A quiet Sunday here and as hot as ever, even though we've had some proper rain this week which hopefully will help the rice. Some of the new rice has died because of the lack of rain and people are worried that the drought will cause food shortages and higher food prices. One of our proposals - as a small organisation we have partnered with 2 international NGO's and applied to the EC's food security programme - is to support poor people to diversify their food supply to things like mushroom farms and peanut butter production so that as well as being better nourished themselves, they might have a surplus to sell and so generate some income.
Not that we have had a lack of food this week - we had a staff party to celebrate the beginning of Pchum Bhen, a time in the Budhist calendar when people return to their villages to remember their ancestors and visit the pagoda. A small ox was bought and killed in the office garden, thankfully before I arrived at work and the day was spent roasting it over a charcoal fire with staff taking it in turns to turn the pole. Eating, dancing Khmer style, karaoke and lots of beer seem the order of the day with everyone joining in. One of the health promoters has built a new, traditional wooden house, on stilts and invited us to the house warming party. Here we had what they called ' cow on the mountain' - beef barbecued on a small barbecue on each table with a mound of a grass like vegetable. Stir fry veg and rice with lemon grass, galangel and garlic was served too. All delicious.
Geoff now has classes every day except Friday and has offered to teach English to senior staff of local NGO's over lunchtime. There's a big demand for teaching, especially from a native speaker as in order to get promotion in the Aid world you have to be able to speak and write in English to a high level. Our landlord's son has just come back from a week in Holland, training with his organisation, International Child Support.
My VSO meeting went well. The Health Programme Team spent the morning with CHHRA and I gave my impressions of the organisation, its strengths and challenges, and then presented my work plan. I felt a bit daunted as people are very direct here but the programme manager said some complementary things and VSO were happy with my plans. We had a smile earlier, as Hing my manager, asked Geoff to correct his written report about me! My work, I think, will be largely staff training, and mentoring and support to the management team. We were all taken out for lunch, including Geoff, so it felt a very supportive and encouraging day. Unfortunately, we've had a slight damper on this over the wkend as Sophy, our newest appointment as a communith based health insurance manager, has emailed to say that he has resigned as his family has problems and need him in PP. He's young, talented and very personable and I think could have done great things for the organisation and himself, but this sort of thing seems to happen a lot.
I've spent quite a bit of this weekend taking in clothes as I think I've stopped loosing weight We both feel very well here.I've also got the sketch pad out and taken my 1st faltering steps at drawing a coconut palm! Geoff's Mum, after a rocky few days seems to be improving and is looking forward to her full length cast being reduced in 3 weeks. Hope you enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend. Looking forward to catching up with your news.
Lots of love
Carol and Geoff xx
A quiet Sunday here and as hot as ever, even though we've had some proper rain this week which hopefully will help the rice. Some of the new rice has died because of the lack of rain and people are worried that the drought will cause food shortages and higher food prices. One of our proposals - as a small organisation we have partnered with 2 international NGO's and applied to the EC's food security programme - is to support poor people to diversify their food supply to things like mushroom farms and peanut butter production so that as well as being better nourished themselves, they might have a surplus to sell and so generate some income.
Not that we have had a lack of food this week - we had a staff party to celebrate the beginning of Pchum Bhen, a time in the Budhist calendar when people return to their villages to remember their ancestors and visit the pagoda. A small ox was bought and killed in the office garden, thankfully before I arrived at work and the day was spent roasting it over a charcoal fire with staff taking it in turns to turn the pole. Eating, dancing Khmer style, karaoke and lots of beer seem the order of the day with everyone joining in. One of the health promoters has built a new, traditional wooden house, on stilts and invited us to the house warming party. Here we had what they called ' cow on the mountain' - beef barbecued on a small barbecue on each table with a mound of a grass like vegetable. Stir fry veg and rice with lemon grass, galangel and garlic was served too. All delicious.
Geoff now has classes every day except Friday and has offered to teach English to senior staff of local NGO's over lunchtime. There's a big demand for teaching, especially from a native speaker as in order to get promotion in the Aid world you have to be able to speak and write in English to a high level. Our landlord's son has just come back from a week in Holland, training with his organisation, International Child Support.
My VSO meeting went well. The Health Programme Team spent the morning with CHHRA and I gave my impressions of the organisation, its strengths and challenges, and then presented my work plan. I felt a bit daunted as people are very direct here but the programme manager said some complementary things and VSO were happy with my plans. We had a smile earlier, as Hing my manager, asked Geoff to correct his written report about me! My work, I think, will be largely staff training, and mentoring and support to the management team. We were all taken out for lunch, including Geoff, so it felt a very supportive and encouraging day. Unfortunately, we've had a slight damper on this over the wkend as Sophy, our newest appointment as a communith based health insurance manager, has emailed to say that he has resigned as his family has problems and need him in PP. He's young, talented and very personable and I think could have done great things for the organisation and himself, but this sort of thing seems to happen a lot.
I've spent quite a bit of this weekend taking in clothes as I think I've stopped loosing weight We both feel very well here.I've also got the sketch pad out and taken my 1st faltering steps at drawing a coconut palm! Geoff's Mum, after a rocky few days seems to be improving and is looking forward to her full length cast being reduced in 3 weeks. Hope you enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend. Looking forward to catching up with your news.
Lots of love
Carol and Geoff xx
Monday 24 August 2009
News from Rural Cambodia
Hi Everyone
We've actually been busy this last couple of weeks and time seems to be passing more quickly.I have my 3 month review with VSO in 2 weeks and have had to get my brain in gear and write of my general impressions of my partner organisation, its strengths and challenges , and come up with a work plan. I meet with the managers of CHHRA tomorrow so hopefully we'll agree on what is feasible for me to try and achieve. It still feels a very humbling experience here - the staff work hard, out on their motos in scorching heat and often muddy, dirt roads, visiting remote villages, all for about $150 a month. I've been out with all the health promoters now. A big part of my work will be improving their basic understanding of the commonest diseases here - malaria, diarrhoea, dengue fever etc and supporting them to become confident in organising village health workshops.
Shortly after the last blog, I went to the remotest and poorest area yet, about 1hr off the main road. The truck struggled on the narrow sandy road with deep potholes and pools of water. 2 of the staff had gone ahead on their mbikes and were there to welcome us, having made breakfast of roasted corn cobs on a fire by the roadside! These villages were in the forest, such as is left in Cambodia. Illegal logging still happens and many poor people have had their land 'stolen' by rich and influential people. No such thing as land rights here.
Geoff's busy too with his English classes. We've found a young teacher to teach us Khymie. He didn't want payment, just wanted Geoff to take one of his English conversation classes, a group of 10 adolescents at the private school next door! We're giving it a month's trial - our 1st lesson on Sunday, me dreading it, and Geoff relishing the thought!
We've just had a lovely weekend, on a boat from Battambang to Sim Reap.It took 7 hrs in hot sun but we passed floating villages and saw egrets and storks. James, one of the VSOers in Samraong is coming to the end of his time here, so it was his leaving do. We'll miss him. He's just 25, very witty and has been working with a forestry NGO. His girlfriend, also with VSO, is here this week. She's from Horsforth! Its a small world - another volunteer was telling me about her holiday job before coming out here, a waitress at the 'Angel' at Hetton!
Sadly, Geoff's Mum fell in the bathroom last week and is in hospital with a fracture to her ankle. We feel pretty helpless here but Geoff will be home before Christmas and we just hope that she will make a good recovery.We're very much looking forward to our next break, a long weekend in Singapore for Laura's birthday.
Keep the emails coming - we miss you all!
With lots of love from us both
Carol xx
We've actually been busy this last couple of weeks and time seems to be passing more quickly.I have my 3 month review with VSO in 2 weeks and have had to get my brain in gear and write of my general impressions of my partner organisation, its strengths and challenges , and come up with a work plan. I meet with the managers of CHHRA tomorrow so hopefully we'll agree on what is feasible for me to try and achieve. It still feels a very humbling experience here - the staff work hard, out on their motos in scorching heat and often muddy, dirt roads, visiting remote villages, all for about $150 a month. I've been out with all the health promoters now. A big part of my work will be improving their basic understanding of the commonest diseases here - malaria, diarrhoea, dengue fever etc and supporting them to become confident in organising village health workshops.
Shortly after the last blog, I went to the remotest and poorest area yet, about 1hr off the main road. The truck struggled on the narrow sandy road with deep potholes and pools of water. 2 of the staff had gone ahead on their mbikes and were there to welcome us, having made breakfast of roasted corn cobs on a fire by the roadside! These villages were in the forest, such as is left in Cambodia. Illegal logging still happens and many poor people have had their land 'stolen' by rich and influential people. No such thing as land rights here.
Geoff's busy too with his English classes. We've found a young teacher to teach us Khymie. He didn't want payment, just wanted Geoff to take one of his English conversation classes, a group of 10 adolescents at the private school next door! We're giving it a month's trial - our 1st lesson on Sunday, me dreading it, and Geoff relishing the thought!
We've just had a lovely weekend, on a boat from Battambang to Sim Reap.It took 7 hrs in hot sun but we passed floating villages and saw egrets and storks. James, one of the VSOers in Samraong is coming to the end of his time here, so it was his leaving do. We'll miss him. He's just 25, very witty and has been working with a forestry NGO. His girlfriend, also with VSO, is here this week. She's from Horsforth! Its a small world - another volunteer was telling me about her holiday job before coming out here, a waitress at the 'Angel' at Hetton!
Sadly, Geoff's Mum fell in the bathroom last week and is in hospital with a fracture to her ankle. We feel pretty helpless here but Geoff will be home before Christmas and we just hope that she will make a good recovery.We're very much looking forward to our next break, a long weekend in Singapore for Laura's birthday.
Keep the emails coming - we miss you all!
With lots of love from us both
Carol xx
Sunday 9 August 2009
Hello everyone.
I am writing the blog this time perhaps to give a different perspective on life in Samraong. Since I have no NGO or public service department as employer and no colleagues to get along with ,I am in charge of my own destiny. I have taken my time before deciding whom to teach, when I could have filled a timetable from day one. Carol`s staff wanted English teaching from her but she was pleased to accept my offer to replace her. Then I got together a small group that I teach at home, all of whom are far from beginners. Tomorrow I`m meeting a group from Malteser, one of the prominent NGOs, with a view to taking an advanced class for some of their staff.
As you know I have recently been back to England. This was not at all unsettling. The weather was wonderful, friends and family were well and I had a great time in Newcastle and Manchester. However I had no difficulty in coming home to Cambodia. For after five months I do feel at home here. Our house is really nice and I haven`t seen one I`d rather live in. To make things even better we now have the Internet installed in our lounge. I made enquiries on Tuesday and it was installed on Thusday morning for 35 dollars.
Another example of Cambodian service; our gas container ran out at 6.45 on Wednesday night and after a quick call to the company was replaced at 7.00. We are so used to a very efficient service industry here. Yet we still have unfinished business with npower after five months away.
Next week I`m staying in Samraong on my own while Carol goes off with her Health Promotion team to Anglong Venh, former Khmer Rouge stronghold. She will be away for three nights working in remote villages.
Now that we are back home we can enjoy the simple life for a while. We had a bbq with the other VSOs at the weekend and we are hosting a curry night next Saturday with food coming up from an Indian restaurant in SiemReap by taxi. I`m hoping to play badminton on Monday dodgy knee permitting.
I know this is a shorter post than usual, but Carol will more than make up for it next time with news from Anglong Venh.
Regards to all of you,
Geoff
I am writing the blog this time perhaps to give a different perspective on life in Samraong. Since I have no NGO or public service department as employer and no colleagues to get along with ,I am in charge of my own destiny. I have taken my time before deciding whom to teach, when I could have filled a timetable from day one. Carol`s staff wanted English teaching from her but she was pleased to accept my offer to replace her. Then I got together a small group that I teach at home, all of whom are far from beginners. Tomorrow I`m meeting a group from Malteser, one of the prominent NGOs, with a view to taking an advanced class for some of their staff.
As you know I have recently been back to England. This was not at all unsettling. The weather was wonderful, friends and family were well and I had a great time in Newcastle and Manchester. However I had no difficulty in coming home to Cambodia. For after five months I do feel at home here. Our house is really nice and I haven`t seen one I`d rather live in. To make things even better we now have the Internet installed in our lounge. I made enquiries on Tuesday and it was installed on Thusday morning for 35 dollars.
Another example of Cambodian service; our gas container ran out at 6.45 on Wednesday night and after a quick call to the company was replaced at 7.00. We are so used to a very efficient service industry here. Yet we still have unfinished business with npower after five months away.
Next week I`m staying in Samraong on my own while Carol goes off with her Health Promotion team to Anglong Venh, former Khmer Rouge stronghold. She will be away for three nights working in remote villages.
Now that we are back home we can enjoy the simple life for a while. We had a bbq with the other VSOs at the weekend and we are hosting a curry night next Saturday with food coming up from an Indian restaurant in SiemReap by taxi. I`m hoping to play badminton on Monday dodgy knee permitting.
I know this is a shorter post than usual, but Carol will more than make up for it next time with news from Anglong Venh.
Regards to all of you,
Geoff
Saturday 1 August 2009
Fully Fledged Volunteers!
Hi Everyone
Our in service training is over and we're on our way back to Samraong, with our usual stop over in Siem Reap at the Golden Banana. It's a good feeling to have the language training behind us - I've learnt a bit, Geoff has learned loads, and now we need to put it all into practice! VSO give us a grant to carry on with lessons locally, so now we need to find a teacher to meet both our needs.
We had classes for half the day and were then free to explore Pnomh Penh, which has got better for knowing. We've walked a lot, in the several French quarters and the colonial area - its all somewhat second division compared to the grandeur of many European cities, but it has its charms, and we've found charming cafees and restaurants , many in beautiful gardens, with stunning food.There are faded French villas and wide boulevards choked with motos and 4 wheel drive Lexus' with no traffic rules, which we're now used to. You just have to step out into it all and hope that the traffic will avoid you, which it generally does!
We stayed in the Programme Office which was hot but convenient and free. Good to see all our group again too. On the last evening the Phillipino group organised a phillipino meal for us to say goodbye to Dara, our superb Cambodian teacher, who is one of the most inspirational characters I've ever met. He survived the Killing Fields, has the most infectious laugh, and is a great Man. U fan. He might come to stay in Uppermill, a promise to take him to a match and their museum being a big draw. How will Geoff cope with all of that! We all then went dancing to the Cambodiana, a grand hotel on the river front, and of course, the live band was Phillipino!
Geoff and I are generally the oldest at most social gatherings but it doesn't seem to matter. It's one of the best things here - we meet so many people from very different cultures and nationalities who all seem to have lots to say! So now its time for a quick swim, a supermarket shop, lunch and our taxi back to Samraong. Work starts in earnest tomorrow - I wonder what surprises await and how I'll get on trying to find a donor.
Laura and Alberto are in Europe at the moment visiting friends and family. Nic is looking forward to starting his new job in September after a short break for much needed rest and recuperation! Hope you've all had good summer breaks and as usual, looking forward to hearing all your news!
With much love
Carol and Geoff xx
Our in service training is over and we're on our way back to Samraong, with our usual stop over in Siem Reap at the Golden Banana. It's a good feeling to have the language training behind us - I've learnt a bit, Geoff has learned loads, and now we need to put it all into practice! VSO give us a grant to carry on with lessons locally, so now we need to find a teacher to meet both our needs.
We had classes for half the day and were then free to explore Pnomh Penh, which has got better for knowing. We've walked a lot, in the several French quarters and the colonial area - its all somewhat second division compared to the grandeur of many European cities, but it has its charms, and we've found charming cafees and restaurants , many in beautiful gardens, with stunning food.There are faded French villas and wide boulevards choked with motos and 4 wheel drive Lexus' with no traffic rules, which we're now used to. You just have to step out into it all and hope that the traffic will avoid you, which it generally does!
We stayed in the Programme Office which was hot but convenient and free. Good to see all our group again too. On the last evening the Phillipino group organised a phillipino meal for us to say goodbye to Dara, our superb Cambodian teacher, who is one of the most inspirational characters I've ever met. He survived the Killing Fields, has the most infectious laugh, and is a great Man. U fan. He might come to stay in Uppermill, a promise to take him to a match and their museum being a big draw. How will Geoff cope with all of that! We all then went dancing to the Cambodiana, a grand hotel on the river front, and of course, the live band was Phillipino!
Geoff and I are generally the oldest at most social gatherings but it doesn't seem to matter. It's one of the best things here - we meet so many people from very different cultures and nationalities who all seem to have lots to say! So now its time for a quick swim, a supermarket shop, lunch and our taxi back to Samraong. Work starts in earnest tomorrow - I wonder what surprises await and how I'll get on trying to find a donor.
Laura and Alberto are in Europe at the moment visiting friends and family. Nic is looking forward to starting his new job in September after a short break for much needed rest and recuperation! Hope you've all had good summer breaks and as usual, looking forward to hearing all your news!
With much love
Carol and Geoff xx
Sunday 19 July 2009
A Quiet Time in Samraong
Hi Everyone
I'm speaking to you from a poolside of a lovely garden hotel in PP. It's cloudy and breezy so perhaps there is rain on the way. We're here to start our last bit of language training at the VSO Programme Office tomorrow. The blog is a welcome diversion from learning vocab!
Geoff arrived back safely from UK via Singapore last night and I travelled south on the bus from a Health Workshop in Siem Reap yesterday. It was great - lively, informative and friendly and largely presented by volunteers. I sat next to a hospital management adviser from Broadbottom, near Glossop who said that a volunteer coming out in the October batch to work in the province next to us, has parents who live in Saddleworth! He is called Oliver Shipp for those Saddleworthians reading this. The world is a small place.
Geoff has had a good time and says to say sorry to all those he was unable to speak to.He spent most of the time with Nick and his Mum and saw the Farne Islands and Bamburgh in the sunshine.Our house is still in one piece and I'm looking forward to getting onto our roof with my new paints. It's been very quiet without him but I've been busy at work teaching his 3 English classes, supporting the Project Manager in writing his quarterly report and interviewing for a new manager for the Project's community based health insurance scheme. The next big priority is to look for a new donor as the present funding ends in April 09. There seems to be no sense of urgency even though everyone could be out of a job in 9 mths, including me! Today we said goodbye to an Indian couple in our group who are returning home as their placement has not worked out - I think they have found it difficult to adapt to the very different work culture here.
We have a good social life to look forward to for 2 weeks, especially good as there are few treats in Samraong. I've survived though with the company of the other 2 volunteers - bike rides, coffee in the market, lunch in a lean too shed costing all of 70p, and lots of reading has helped to pass the time, but its good to have Geoff back.
Hope the Summer sunshine continues and that those of you going away have a lovely time. Keep us posted!
Much love from us both
Carol and Geoff xx
I'm speaking to you from a poolside of a lovely garden hotel in PP. It's cloudy and breezy so perhaps there is rain on the way. We're here to start our last bit of language training at the VSO Programme Office tomorrow. The blog is a welcome diversion from learning vocab!
Geoff arrived back safely from UK via Singapore last night and I travelled south on the bus from a Health Workshop in Siem Reap yesterday. It was great - lively, informative and friendly and largely presented by volunteers. I sat next to a hospital management adviser from Broadbottom, near Glossop who said that a volunteer coming out in the October batch to work in the province next to us, has parents who live in Saddleworth! He is called Oliver Shipp for those Saddleworthians reading this. The world is a small place.
Geoff has had a good time and says to say sorry to all those he was unable to speak to.He spent most of the time with Nick and his Mum and saw the Farne Islands and Bamburgh in the sunshine.Our house is still in one piece and I'm looking forward to getting onto our roof with my new paints. It's been very quiet without him but I've been busy at work teaching his 3 English classes, supporting the Project Manager in writing his quarterly report and interviewing for a new manager for the Project's community based health insurance scheme. The next big priority is to look for a new donor as the present funding ends in April 09. There seems to be no sense of urgency even though everyone could be out of a job in 9 mths, including me! Today we said goodbye to an Indian couple in our group who are returning home as their placement has not worked out - I think they have found it difficult to adapt to the very different work culture here.
We have a good social life to look forward to for 2 weeks, especially good as there are few treats in Samraong. I've survived though with the company of the other 2 volunteers - bike rides, coffee in the market, lunch in a lean too shed costing all of 70p, and lots of reading has helped to pass the time, but its good to have Geoff back.
Hope the Summer sunshine continues and that those of you going away have a lovely time. Keep us posted!
Much love from us both
Carol and Geoff xx
Friday 3 July 2009
Buddy Week in Kratie
Hi Everyone
We've been back almost a week from our trip to the SE of Cambodia - 1 1/2 days of buses and an overnight stay en route each way.We're getting used to feeling saddle - sore but I'm so grateful for Yoga and the Alexander technique which I have plenty of time to practice and which seem to sort us both out. Geoff arrives in the UK today, for 2 weeks, having booked a flight via Singapore so as to have a night with Laura and Alberto.He's spending time largely with his Mum and Nick.
We stayed with 2 volunteers in Kratie, our age, the wife, a doctor, working in health promotion and her accompanying husband, teaching english to young people recruited to work in the tourist industry. They made us feel very welcome in their large wooden house in spite of the heat and frequent power cuts. I visited villages with her and her health promotion team, spent time with a volunteer working as a maternal and child health adviser, and also a Kenyan volunteer who works as a health adviser to a small NGO like me but is having a really difficult time with inadequate funding and poor organisation.Kratie is a poor, small town, very much in need of building repairs and a general clean - up, like so many places in Cambodia, but the sunsets over the Mekong were stunning, they had a couple of western restaurants, and it felt good to meet new people. We then had a stunning day watching the Irawaddy dolphins from a small boat on the Mekong. We saw lots, swimming in the deep pools , but their numbers are falling and the WWF in Kratie feel that their nos, about 70, are nearly unsustainable. Pollution from the likes of China and Laos seem to be the major culprits.
We had a night of luxury on the way home - we've found a great boutique hotel in Siem Reap, Golden Banana, which we would recommend to any of you planning to visit us and Angkor Wat.It's run by a couple of guys, Thai and New Zealand, with a great pool, stylish rooms, and of course, a/c. Very friendly staff too. So all this along with massage, pedicure, 2nd hand bookshops and a lovely French restaurant set us up well for our return to Samraong. The road is still good inspite of heavy rain and we were home in 2hrs.
It feels good to be home. I think that I have turned a little corner in that I feel more settled and time seems to be passing more quickly. Geoff has really settled in well - I wonder how he'll feel about the UK? I've begun to work on my activities which I need to come up with for my VSO review visit in August/Sept. and we've heard this week that we are getting 3 more health volunteers in October. So then we'll be 6!.
I've just come back to the office from a day's celebration to mark the completion of a village irrigation scheme and a new bridge. A crowd of about a 100 villagers, lots of speeches from the likes of the district governor and the programme coordinator of ZOA, a Dutch international NGO, - she's Irish, married to a Cambodian, speaks fluent Kamai and has lived here for 15 years! - and followed by a big party with food, lots of beer and whiskey, and dancing to a live band. These people know how to enjoy themselves - Dad, in his younger days , would have loved it!
On that happy note I'll close - keep the comments and emails rolling!
With lots of love
Carol and Geoff xx
We've been back almost a week from our trip to the SE of Cambodia - 1 1/2 days of buses and an overnight stay en route each way.We're getting used to feeling saddle - sore but I'm so grateful for Yoga and the Alexander technique which I have plenty of time to practice and which seem to sort us both out. Geoff arrives in the UK today, for 2 weeks, having booked a flight via Singapore so as to have a night with Laura and Alberto.He's spending time largely with his Mum and Nick.
We stayed with 2 volunteers in Kratie, our age, the wife, a doctor, working in health promotion and her accompanying husband, teaching english to young people recruited to work in the tourist industry. They made us feel very welcome in their large wooden house in spite of the heat and frequent power cuts. I visited villages with her and her health promotion team, spent time with a volunteer working as a maternal and child health adviser, and also a Kenyan volunteer who works as a health adviser to a small NGO like me but is having a really difficult time with inadequate funding and poor organisation.Kratie is a poor, small town, very much in need of building repairs and a general clean - up, like so many places in Cambodia, but the sunsets over the Mekong were stunning, they had a couple of western restaurants, and it felt good to meet new people. We then had a stunning day watching the Irawaddy dolphins from a small boat on the Mekong. We saw lots, swimming in the deep pools , but their numbers are falling and the WWF in Kratie feel that their nos, about 70, are nearly unsustainable. Pollution from the likes of China and Laos seem to be the major culprits.
We had a night of luxury on the way home - we've found a great boutique hotel in Siem Reap, Golden Banana, which we would recommend to any of you planning to visit us and Angkor Wat.It's run by a couple of guys, Thai and New Zealand, with a great pool, stylish rooms, and of course, a/c. Very friendly staff too. So all this along with massage, pedicure, 2nd hand bookshops and a lovely French restaurant set us up well for our return to Samraong. The road is still good inspite of heavy rain and we were home in 2hrs.
It feels good to be home. I think that I have turned a little corner in that I feel more settled and time seems to be passing more quickly. Geoff has really settled in well - I wonder how he'll feel about the UK? I've begun to work on my activities which I need to come up with for my VSO review visit in August/Sept. and we've heard this week that we are getting 3 more health volunteers in October. So then we'll be 6!.
I've just come back to the office from a day's celebration to mark the completion of a village irrigation scheme and a new bridge. A crowd of about a 100 villagers, lots of speeches from the likes of the district governor and the programme coordinator of ZOA, a Dutch international NGO, - she's Irish, married to a Cambodian, speaks fluent Kamai and has lived here for 15 years! - and followed by a big party with food, lots of beer and whiskey, and dancing to a live band. These people know how to enjoy themselves - Dad, in his younger days , would have loved it!
On that happy note I'll close - keep the comments and emails rolling!
With lots of love
Carol and Geoff xx
Friday 19 June 2009
Field Trip to Anlong Veng
Hi Everyone
We've had an adventure since last being in touch as last week Geoff and I travelled 2hrs east of Samraong in work's land cruiser to visit several villages. It was a remote and poor part of the province and the idea was to support some motivated villages who with the support of our project team have improved the health of themselves and their families by for eg. covering water jars to prevent mosquitoes breeding, started to boil water and possibly built a pig house to keep people and animals separate!
We had large meetings of about 30 villagers with the village chief and village health support workers, who work voluntarily to improve their community's health.People from unmotivated villages were invited to hear and then we all walked around the village, the idea being that everyone would see what was good and bad and come up with an action plan as to how they could bring about change in their own place. These people are a tough lot, living in the middle of nowhere, in the most basic of houses, eating what they grow, in an area still being cleared of landmines and with the sun beating down. We sat under thatched shelters though, had tea and biscuits as a snack, and a lunch of rice and a leafy vegetable soup provided by our project. There was lots of laughter too which is typical of life here and people listened intently even to the session on domestic violence!
After 2 days of these activities, the project manager took us off for a bit of macabre tourism - this area was the last stronghold of the Kymer Rouge in the late 80's. We saw Pol Pot's grave and the house of his 2nd in command, Ou Moc. It was up a mountain, the first hill we'd seen in 3mths, and the views south over a flat, largely deforested Cambodia were stunning.
On the home front, our landlord has built us a thatched shelter on the flat roof which is lovely to escape the sun and get a breeze in the evenings. It's difficult to tolerate being in the house during the day as it is so hot and humid, usually about 33c. Geoff has got going with his teaching, 3 sessions each week at my work place, at 7am! and an advanced english language group at home 3 times a week. He'll be home 2nd July for 2wks to see Nic and his Mum.
I'm rushing this as we're out tonight at a friend's leaving do, a lovely German Girl whose been here for 6 mths building the admin. capacity of an international NGO. We leave for Kratie tomorrow, a town on the Mekong, where we hope to see the rare irrawaddy dolphins. Its a buddy week, arranged by VSO to see how other volunteers work.
Hope all's well with you all and that the sunshine is still with you!
With much love from us both
Carol and Geoff xx
We've had an adventure since last being in touch as last week Geoff and I travelled 2hrs east of Samraong in work's land cruiser to visit several villages. It was a remote and poor part of the province and the idea was to support some motivated villages who with the support of our project team have improved the health of themselves and their families by for eg. covering water jars to prevent mosquitoes breeding, started to boil water and possibly built a pig house to keep people and animals separate!
We had large meetings of about 30 villagers with the village chief and village health support workers, who work voluntarily to improve their community's health.People from unmotivated villages were invited to hear and then we all walked around the village, the idea being that everyone would see what was good and bad and come up with an action plan as to how they could bring about change in their own place. These people are a tough lot, living in the middle of nowhere, in the most basic of houses, eating what they grow, in an area still being cleared of landmines and with the sun beating down. We sat under thatched shelters though, had tea and biscuits as a snack, and a lunch of rice and a leafy vegetable soup provided by our project. There was lots of laughter too which is typical of life here and people listened intently even to the session on domestic violence!
After 2 days of these activities, the project manager took us off for a bit of macabre tourism - this area was the last stronghold of the Kymer Rouge in the late 80's. We saw Pol Pot's grave and the house of his 2nd in command, Ou Moc. It was up a mountain, the first hill we'd seen in 3mths, and the views south over a flat, largely deforested Cambodia were stunning.
On the home front, our landlord has built us a thatched shelter on the flat roof which is lovely to escape the sun and get a breeze in the evenings. It's difficult to tolerate being in the house during the day as it is so hot and humid, usually about 33c. Geoff has got going with his teaching, 3 sessions each week at my work place, at 7am! and an advanced english language group at home 3 times a week. He'll be home 2nd July for 2wks to see Nic and his Mum.
I'm rushing this as we're out tonight at a friend's leaving do, a lovely German Girl whose been here for 6 mths building the admin. capacity of an international NGO. We leave for Kratie tomorrow, a town on the Mekong, where we hope to see the rare irrawaddy dolphins. Its a buddy week, arranged by VSO to see how other volunteers work.
Hope all's well with you all and that the sunshine is still with you!
With much love from us both
Carol and Geoff xx
Friday 5 June 2009
Our First Visitors!
Hi Everyone
Laura and Alberto came to stay, over half term week.The flight to Siem Reap from Singapore takes just 2 1/2 hrs; its then the dirt road up here in a taxi, which, because the road is good just now, as there hasn't been too much rain, takes approx. 2 1/2 hrs. They came loaded with goodies - blue tac, quality dusters and dishcloths, books, DVD's, M & S nibbles, good wine and biscuits! The best thing for Geoff was a DVD machine which plays DVD's through the television screen. We really appreciate our simple pleasures.
2 German friends offered to take us all in their NGO Land Cruiser to a remote temple of the Angkor era, well off the tourist route. It was very impressive, if not a bit daunting, as there were huge stone door ways which looked as if they were about to topple over and huge trees growing through the masonery. Some beautiful carvings too. We had a great picnic under the trees - ratatouille, salad nicoise, roast loin of pork and tortilla. You have to be inventive here!
The next day we hired bikes and cycled around the sights of Samraong - the market, my office, the wat, Enfant De Mekong, the charity that Geoff is to work for, the hospital and the lake. Alberto said it reminded him of rural Italy in the 60's! We escaped the heat by watching the film "Milk", Sean Penn, which was excellent, in their ac. hotel room, and enjoyed the relative cool of the evening on our flat roof with good wine and food. Then we went off to Siem Reap to enjoy a lazy time at a boutique hotel with a lovely pool.Hopefully, we'll meet up with them again in Singapore in September.
Clive has asked us via post a comment about the mossies here and how we deal with them. Peter G. also referred to them after hearing a "Today"article, so I thought more of you might be interested! We do have mosquitoes which carry maleria - these bite at night, and denque fever - these bite during the day, but particularly during the rainy season. We always wear anti- repellant cream, sleep under a net which has been impregnated with some chemical whose name I can't remember, and we take anti- malerial medication daily. So far so good - we both feel very healthy, sleep and eat well and we've both lost some weight - me more than Geoff, big surprise! It's hard to take exercise though as it is always hot and there are few facilities for sport. We really enjoy our bikes and have begun to bird watch around the lake as the water rises.
Our big news this week is a straw and wood shelter which our landlord has erected on the roof to give us some shade! This will make such a difference to the quality of our lives as we could only sit outside up their after about 5.30pm. So think about us this weekend sipping our iced Ricard, which retails here for $5 a litre, surrounded by coconut palms, and views of the lake and Thai mountains.That actually sounds more beautiful than it actually is but never mind! Geoff's gone to SReap today to collect some cushions for our heavy wooden lounge furniture and buy a connection to enable us to post some photos on the blog.How is it we still manage to lose only useful things!
Please keep emailing or posting comments. If you'd like to write - we get post sent up once a week - our address is: VSO Cambodia Programme Office. PO Box 912. Phnom Penh. Cambodia
Lots of love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
Laura and Alberto came to stay, over half term week.The flight to Siem Reap from Singapore takes just 2 1/2 hrs; its then the dirt road up here in a taxi, which, because the road is good just now, as there hasn't been too much rain, takes approx. 2 1/2 hrs. They came loaded with goodies - blue tac, quality dusters and dishcloths, books, DVD's, M & S nibbles, good wine and biscuits! The best thing for Geoff was a DVD machine which plays DVD's through the television screen. We really appreciate our simple pleasures.
2 German friends offered to take us all in their NGO Land Cruiser to a remote temple of the Angkor era, well off the tourist route. It was very impressive, if not a bit daunting, as there were huge stone door ways which looked as if they were about to topple over and huge trees growing through the masonery. Some beautiful carvings too. We had a great picnic under the trees - ratatouille, salad nicoise, roast loin of pork and tortilla. You have to be inventive here!
The next day we hired bikes and cycled around the sights of Samraong - the market, my office, the wat, Enfant De Mekong, the charity that Geoff is to work for, the hospital and the lake. Alberto said it reminded him of rural Italy in the 60's! We escaped the heat by watching the film "Milk", Sean Penn, which was excellent, in their ac. hotel room, and enjoyed the relative cool of the evening on our flat roof with good wine and food. Then we went off to Siem Reap to enjoy a lazy time at a boutique hotel with a lovely pool.Hopefully, we'll meet up with them again in Singapore in September.
Clive has asked us via post a comment about the mossies here and how we deal with them. Peter G. also referred to them after hearing a "Today"article, so I thought more of you might be interested! We do have mosquitoes which carry maleria - these bite at night, and denque fever - these bite during the day, but particularly during the rainy season. We always wear anti- repellant cream, sleep under a net which has been impregnated with some chemical whose name I can't remember, and we take anti- malerial medication daily. So far so good - we both feel very healthy, sleep and eat well and we've both lost some weight - me more than Geoff, big surprise! It's hard to take exercise though as it is always hot and there are few facilities for sport. We really enjoy our bikes and have begun to bird watch around the lake as the water rises.
Our big news this week is a straw and wood shelter which our landlord has erected on the roof to give us some shade! This will make such a difference to the quality of our lives as we could only sit outside up their after about 5.30pm. So think about us this weekend sipping our iced Ricard, which retails here for $5 a litre, surrounded by coconut palms, and views of the lake and Thai mountains.That actually sounds more beautiful than it actually is but never mind! Geoff's gone to SReap today to collect some cushions for our heavy wooden lounge furniture and buy a connection to enable us to post some photos on the blog.How is it we still manage to lose only useful things!
Please keep emailing or posting comments. If you'd like to write - we get post sent up once a week - our address is: VSO Cambodia Programme Office. PO Box 912. Phnom Penh. Cambodia
Lots of love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
Thursday 28 May 2009
Holiday In Kep
Hi everyone
Sorry for the gap in postings! The internet has been down a lot recently and we've been away. We travelled 12 hrs over 2 days to reach the SE coast,not too far from the Vietnam border. We had 4 days public holiday to celebrate the king's birthday and stayed at the Verandah Resort, high on a hillside surrounded by blossom and tropical foliage and overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.It was worth the hot and bumpy treck - quiet, clean and undeveloped, but with a very distinctive feel.The area was used by the French in colonial times for rest and recreation.Magnificent villas built in the 19th century with flat roofs and straight lines survive as bombed out ruins, destroyed by the Khmer Rouge army in the 70's as they wiped out any vestige of colonialism. In typical Cambodian style some of these are now occupied and even have electricity! The scene helped us to appreciate the reality of Cambodia's recent history.
The province is famous for sea food and in particular crab and shrimp, cooked with Kampot pepper and chilli - the best seafood we've had and the cheapest! All served in wooden shacks overlooking the sea. One day we took a half hour boat trip to Rabbit Island and spent a few hours swimming off a lovely beach. Cambodia is really a small place - we met 4 other VSOs staying in the same hotel, 2 of whom we'd emailed from the UK as they were our age and the husband was an accompanying partner like Geoff.
It was back to Samraong for a few days and then another break for our 1st guests, Laura and Alberto. We'll keep their brave venture for next time! Geoff starts teaching English at my organisation next week, I carry on meeting people and attending meetings and wondering how on earth I'm going to help make even the smallest of changes!
Geoff's home July 2nd - 16th primarily to see his Mum.
Lots of love from us both
Geoff and Carol xx
Sorry for the gap in postings! The internet has been down a lot recently and we've been away. We travelled 12 hrs over 2 days to reach the SE coast,not too far from the Vietnam border. We had 4 days public holiday to celebrate the king's birthday and stayed at the Verandah Resort, high on a hillside surrounded by blossom and tropical foliage and overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.It was worth the hot and bumpy treck - quiet, clean and undeveloped, but with a very distinctive feel.The area was used by the French in colonial times for rest and recreation.Magnificent villas built in the 19th century with flat roofs and straight lines survive as bombed out ruins, destroyed by the Khmer Rouge army in the 70's as they wiped out any vestige of colonialism. In typical Cambodian style some of these are now occupied and even have electricity! The scene helped us to appreciate the reality of Cambodia's recent history.
The province is famous for sea food and in particular crab and shrimp, cooked with Kampot pepper and chilli - the best seafood we've had and the cheapest! All served in wooden shacks overlooking the sea. One day we took a half hour boat trip to Rabbit Island and spent a few hours swimming off a lovely beach. Cambodia is really a small place - we met 4 other VSOs staying in the same hotel, 2 of whom we'd emailed from the UK as they were our age and the husband was an accompanying partner like Geoff.
It was back to Samraong for a few days and then another break for our 1st guests, Laura and Alberto. We'll keep their brave venture for next time! Geoff starts teaching English at my organisation next week, I carry on meeting people and attending meetings and wondering how on earth I'm going to help make even the smallest of changes!
Geoff's home July 2nd - 16th primarily to see his Mum.
Lots of love from us both
Geoff and Carol xx
Thursday 7 May 2009
Hi everyone. After the wedding we returned to Kampong Cham to finish the language course before moving to Phnom Penh for the end of In-Country Training. Here we were able to find several items of furniture for our new house and VSO provided a truck to take us to Samraong.It was decrepid, dusty and old - the middle part of the steering wheel came off 2hrs in - but with a good driver, we arrived safely 9hrs later, feeling very much our age and no hot bath to soak in!
There were still 5 days to spend in a hotel, then at last we moved into the house where we put our suitcases well out of sight.
Our landlord had installed a posh fridge, cable TV, a new bed, gas cooker and settee and chairs. Within a couple of days came new curtains. The house is made of pink stone and has 4 rooms and a rooftop space. There is a kitchen, a shower room/toilet, a bedroom and a lounge/dining room. The lounge has a high ceiling and a shop-house entrance which means you could drive a bus through. We have installed the largest mosquito screen in Samraong across this front space.
Carol started work on the 27th of April.Geoff has now handed over to me. I'm almost at the end of my 2nd week and it all feels very strange after the frenetic pace of the NHS. The days are long, 7.30 -12 and 1.30 - 5 and there's plenty of time to stand and stare! I'm shadowing the Project Manager who is typically Cambodian - small, smiley and generous of spirit. He told me yesterday that his parents and 7 brothers and sisters had been killed by the Khmer Rouge and that he and his 3 surviving siblings had spent their teenage years in a refugee camp on the Thai border. It is only 10 yrs since the civil war to drive Pol Pot out ended in these parts, electricity arrived 2yrs ago and the internet last year. I try to remember this as I complain at the lack of things like orange juice, cheese and white wine!
I've attended meetings with the Public Health Dept and the main funder of our organization, Malteser, a German Aid organization.I've been on a field trip to several villages to look at the reasons why so many families there have dropped out of the community based health insurance scheme which CHHRA - Cambodian Health and Human Rights Alliance , the organisation I work for also manages. I sat in on a days interviews to select a new health promoter and was impressed by the organization's professionalism in spite of the chickens clucking around which didn't seem to bother anyone! VSO say that it takes about 3mths to settle in to the job and I know that I will have to be patient. I'm still at the stage of meeting lots of people - looking for opportunities to make small changes will hopefully come later.
Geoff has met a French girl who is a teacher, working with a French charity trying to add value to secondary school age children's education. He's offered English teaching, a couple of times per week and has also agreed to teach English to CHHRA staff, beginners and more advanced. Meanwhile, he's content to shop daily at the local market for meat and veg which are of surprisngly good quality, wash clothes by hand, read, enjoy his music and cook for me. Nothing changes!
The 8 or so Aid workers here have been very welcoming. We've been out to dinner twice and a local restaurant last night to say goodbye to 2 medical students who have spent their elective at Samraong Hospital - one of them comes from Leeds!
We have 4 days public holiday next week to celebrate the King's birthday so we're making the long trek south to Kep to find some unspoilt beaches and a boutique hotel with ac. Laura and Alberto are also coming to visit the end of May so we have lots to look forward to!
Please keep trying to post a comment! Our address if you'd like to write is -
VSO Cambodia Programme Office. PO Box 912
#19, Street214. SangatBoeung Rang. Khan Daun Penh. Phnom Penh. Cambodia.
Good to know that you're having a beautiful Spring .
Love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
There were still 5 days to spend in a hotel, then at last we moved into the house where we put our suitcases well out of sight.
Our landlord had installed a posh fridge, cable TV, a new bed, gas cooker and settee and chairs. Within a couple of days came new curtains. The house is made of pink stone and has 4 rooms and a rooftop space. There is a kitchen, a shower room/toilet, a bedroom and a lounge/dining room. The lounge has a high ceiling and a shop-house entrance which means you could drive a bus through. We have installed the largest mosquito screen in Samraong across this front space.
Carol started work on the 27th of April.Geoff has now handed over to me. I'm almost at the end of my 2nd week and it all feels very strange after the frenetic pace of the NHS. The days are long, 7.30 -12 and 1.30 - 5 and there's plenty of time to stand and stare! I'm shadowing the Project Manager who is typically Cambodian - small, smiley and generous of spirit. He told me yesterday that his parents and 7 brothers and sisters had been killed by the Khmer Rouge and that he and his 3 surviving siblings had spent their teenage years in a refugee camp on the Thai border. It is only 10 yrs since the civil war to drive Pol Pot out ended in these parts, electricity arrived 2yrs ago and the internet last year. I try to remember this as I complain at the lack of things like orange juice, cheese and white wine!
I've attended meetings with the Public Health Dept and the main funder of our organization, Malteser, a German Aid organization.I've been on a field trip to several villages to look at the reasons why so many families there have dropped out of the community based health insurance scheme which CHHRA - Cambodian Health and Human Rights Alliance , the organisation I work for also manages. I sat in on a days interviews to select a new health promoter and was impressed by the organization's professionalism in spite of the chickens clucking around which didn't seem to bother anyone! VSO say that it takes about 3mths to settle in to the job and I know that I will have to be patient. I'm still at the stage of meeting lots of people - looking for opportunities to make small changes will hopefully come later.
Geoff has met a French girl who is a teacher, working with a French charity trying to add value to secondary school age children's education. He's offered English teaching, a couple of times per week and has also agreed to teach English to CHHRA staff, beginners and more advanced. Meanwhile, he's content to shop daily at the local market for meat and veg which are of surprisngly good quality, wash clothes by hand, read, enjoy his music and cook for me. Nothing changes!
The 8 or so Aid workers here have been very welcoming. We've been out to dinner twice and a local restaurant last night to say goodbye to 2 medical students who have spent their elective at Samraong Hospital - one of them comes from Leeds!
We have 4 days public holiday next week to celebrate the King's birthday so we're making the long trek south to Kep to find some unspoilt beaches and a boutique hotel with ac. Laura and Alberto are also coming to visit the end of May so we have lots to look forward to!
Please keep trying to post a comment! Our address if you'd like to write is -
VSO Cambodia Programme Office. PO Box 912
#19, Street214. SangatBoeung Rang. Khan Daun Penh. Phnom Penh. Cambodia.
Good to know that you're having a beautiful Spring .
Love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
Monday 13 April 2009
Laura and Alberto's wedding day: April 13th.
Hi Everyone
We had a fabulous day yesterday. Everything went to plan, starting off with the monks who arrived at dawn to pray that there would be no rain! The setting was magnificent, a white thatched roof villa in a beautiful garden overlooking the beach.We're staying here for a week of treats - a boat trip,nature walk,surfing lessons (not!)and lots of fine dining.
We had a traditional Britsh wedding with Italian and Balinese additions - buttonholes only for the men and lots of references to the sea!Laura and Alberto had their civil wedding in Singapore the previous week. What was planned as a simple affair with just Alberto's Mum and brother and us,grew to include Jen's family.An elder from the local Chinese community married them by the pool at their condo and then we walked to a nearby Italian restaurant for a blow-out meal.We have pictures which eventually we'll post to you!
Now back to the day - the wedding was at 5pm in a large grassy garden with an empty beach and crashing surf at the front.They were married under a gazebo decked out in white satin, white lilies and roses and lots of greenery. The seating was white with green sashes and the 'aisle' was strewn with yellow frangipani flowers.Laura and Geoff walked through here with Balinese children in traditional dress and Lucy and Helen, the bridesmaids in sea green dresses.Frankie, their wedding organiser,a handsome,smiley and very efficient Balinese guy married them under the gazebo. Auntie Jen and Paulo, Alberto's brother, read from Captain Correlli's Mandolin and L and A wrote their own very personal wedding vows.It was all very romantic.As you'll see in the photos L's dress was simple but stunning.
We then moved on to fizz and canapes and a traditional Italian meal,complete with Italian chef and team brought in for the occasion.Italian meats, 2 pasta dishes, beef, salad, cheese,and fruit were delicious with speeches from Geoff, Alberto, and Terry, the best man interspersed throughout.He had produced a video with pictures of L and A as they grew up.He somehow managed to compare the villages of Lugano and Uppermill!
We had a Balinese band for the ceremony and afterwards, which played all our favourite pop tunes, somewhat surprisingly, and then we danced the night away under a moonlight sky to pop standards and 'clubbing' music.We eventually ate the wedding cake - cup cakes topped,with a model of L and A on their motorbike,expertly crafted by Charles!
It has been a week we will always remember, in spite of the heat, which caused us all to wilt at times, and we are only sorry that so many of you we're unable to be with us to share Laura's special day.You were all in our thoughts!
Lots of love
Geoff and Carol xx
Saturday 4 April 2009
In Service Training continues
Hi everyone
We left Samraong last Saturday and had a night in Siem Reap, about 2 1/2 hrs south and the gateway town to Anghor Watt.Stayed at a very stylish small boutique hotel and rejuvenated ourselves with a swim,pedicure and massage!Siem Reap will be our bolt hole, a place to escape to when the simplicity of life becomes too much!
The folks of Samraong gave us a good week though - the office laid on a welcome party for me,combined with a farewell to Ruchin and a celebration of the Khmer New Year.We return April 27th.
We then went on to the VSO Programme office in PP for more training - child protection, corruption and HIV/Aids.Gloomy topics but followed by a bit of light relief with a visit to the British Embassy and time with the Ambassador. The garment industry, construction, tourism and agriculture are the biggest earners but these are all being affected by the recession.No afternoon tea on the lawn, I'm afraid but a fascinating hour nonetheless!
We're now back in Kampong Cham learning more Khmer. Went to a beer garden with traditional live Khmer music last night.Hope to have a trip on a tuc tuc to a wooden pagoda tomorrow.
Speak to you again soon
Lots of love
Carol and Geoff xx
We left Samraong last Saturday and had a night in Siem Reap, about 2 1/2 hrs south and the gateway town to Anghor Watt.Stayed at a very stylish small boutique hotel and rejuvenated ourselves with a swim,pedicure and massage!Siem Reap will be our bolt hole, a place to escape to when the simplicity of life becomes too much!
The folks of Samraong gave us a good week though - the office laid on a welcome party for me,combined with a farewell to Ruchin and a celebration of the Khmer New Year.We return April 27th.
We then went on to the VSO Programme office in PP for more training - child protection, corruption and HIV/Aids.Gloomy topics but followed by a bit of light relief with a visit to the British Embassy and time with the Ambassador. The garment industry, construction, tourism and agriculture are the biggest earners but these are all being affected by the recession.No afternoon tea on the lawn, I'm afraid but a fascinating hour nonetheless!
We're now back in Kampong Cham learning more Khmer. Went to a beer garden with traditional live Khmer music last night.Hope to have a trip on a tuc tuc to a wooden pagoda tomorrow.
Speak to you again soon
Lots of love
Carol and Geoff xx
Thursday 26 March 2009
Samrong - our new place!
Hi everyone
We arrived here last Sunday for our Placement week. It took 9hrs via coach and taxi to get to this remote little place and, as usual in Cambodia, we have been greeted with smiles and friendliness.VSO pays for 2 seats for each of us so we were allright in the back of the taxi for the last leg -80 km on a dirt road with 1 other person.The taxi then filled the front seat with a girl and her 3 children,the youngest of whom shared the driver's seat.The driver put his arm around the little boy to get at the gear stick and when he fell asleep he told the girl to lay him down across the driver's lap.It made us smile; so much for health and safety but a plus for human kindness.
We're staying in a surprisingly nice hotel - new, with a/c and wi-fi but with no staff who speak English!I have met my employer, a non government organisation called CHHRA - Cambodian Health and Human Rights Alliance and the 3 VSO's already here have had us round to their places.They had found 3 houses for us to look at and we've chosen one of them to rent. It`s new,made of cement,pink,tiled beautifully throughout and with a balcony from where we can see the lake and the hills of Thailand.There is a large lounge and a kitchen downstairs and a bedroom upstairs,so not too much to clean. The family who own it are charming and have 2 other houses on the same plot,one for mother and father and one the for their son.
We now have a bicycle each and this is a real bonus because Samraong is strung out over quite an area but is very flat.I can cycle to work in 10 minutes down a country road with traditional wooden houses on stilts, cows, ducks and chickens on the road, a few bikes and motorbikes and lots of little children calling 'hello'. Beats the M60!
Today I went out on the back of a motorbike with Bona, one of the health promotion workers,to several villages.She talked about clean water, covered food cupboards and the value of village vegetable gardens but none of the villages had latrines.I was treated with great respect,fed breakfast of rice,ground green beans with chillies and garlic and then coconut milk. Had a rest in a hammock and was given 2 coconuts to bring home.We sat on a raised wooden platform under a thatched roof.It was cool
and airy and I felt very privileged to share these peoples' lives for a short while.
Hopefully we'll sign the contract on the house tomorrow. Then it's back to PP for more training.Not long now to Laura and Alberto's wedding, April 13th. I'll need a masssive make - over as helmets do nothing for my now very curly hair!
We'll speak again soon. Hope all's well with you all.
Lots of love
Carol and Geoff xx
We arrived here last Sunday for our Placement week. It took 9hrs via coach and taxi to get to this remote little place and, as usual in Cambodia, we have been greeted with smiles and friendliness.VSO pays for 2 seats for each of us so we were allright in the back of the taxi for the last leg -80 km on a dirt road with 1 other person.The taxi then filled the front seat with a girl and her 3 children,the youngest of whom shared the driver's seat.The driver put his arm around the little boy to get at the gear stick and when he fell asleep he told the girl to lay him down across the driver's lap.It made us smile; so much for health and safety but a plus for human kindness.
We're staying in a surprisingly nice hotel - new, with a/c and wi-fi but with no staff who speak English!I have met my employer, a non government organisation called CHHRA - Cambodian Health and Human Rights Alliance and the 3 VSO's already here have had us round to their places.They had found 3 houses for us to look at and we've chosen one of them to rent. It`s new,made of cement,pink,tiled beautifully throughout and with a balcony from where we can see the lake and the hills of Thailand.There is a large lounge and a kitchen downstairs and a bedroom upstairs,so not too much to clean. The family who own it are charming and have 2 other houses on the same plot,one for mother and father and one the for their son.
We now have a bicycle each and this is a real bonus because Samraong is strung out over quite an area but is very flat.I can cycle to work in 10 minutes down a country road with traditional wooden houses on stilts, cows, ducks and chickens on the road, a few bikes and motorbikes and lots of little children calling 'hello'. Beats the M60!
Today I went out on the back of a motorbike with Bona, one of the health promotion workers,to several villages.She talked about clean water, covered food cupboards and the value of village vegetable gardens but none of the villages had latrines.I was treated with great respect,fed breakfast of rice,ground green beans with chillies and garlic and then coconut milk. Had a rest in a hammock and was given 2 coconuts to bring home.We sat on a raised wooden platform under a thatched roof.It was cool
and airy and I felt very privileged to share these peoples' lives for a short while.
Hopefully we'll sign the contract on the house tomorrow. Then it's back to PP for more training.Not long now to Laura and Alberto's wedding, April 13th. I'll need a masssive make - over as helmets do nothing for my now very curly hair!
We'll speak again soon. Hope all's well with you all.
Lots of love
Carol and Geoff xx
Thursday 19 March 2009
Island hopping in Cambodia
Hi there - hope you are both well - saw this on the Guardian last week and thought you might like to see - book me in for two weeks! Nick xxx
Cambodia's south coast is littered with pristine tropical islands offering the peaceful beach shack living of Thailand 20 years ago....
Cambodia's south coast has more than 60 pristine tropical islands nestling in the sapphire waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Easily reached from the coastal centres of Sihanoukville, Kep and Koh Kong, they're largely undiscovered with tourism taking its first tentative steps. If you stick to the local or small ex-pat run concerns, the Cambodian islands offer everything from palm fringed deserted beaches, traditional village life to the peaceful beach shack living found in Thailand 20 years ago.
Best for day trips from the mainland: Koh Ru
Approaching from Sihanoukville, the long gold beaches of Koh Ru (Bamboo Island) take the breath away. One of the first islands to capitalise on tourism, you might not be the only one on its two beaches, but you certainly won't be sharing with many. There's a small path through the middle of the island so you can hop between the two in only a few minutes should the crowds of 10 or so overwhelm you. If you decide you'd rather not drag yourself away at sundown, there are a few bungalows on both sides of the island, but it's better to reserve in advance as these can get booked up.
Stay at: BimBamboo Bungalows, pretty turquoise painted bungalows on the beach (double rooms $12 (£8.65) a night) or Coaster bungalows (double rooms $10 a night). Koh Ru Bungalows on the south side have the added bonus of being quieter and it's the place to be for watching spectacular sunsets (double rooms $10 a night; bookings@barrusihanoukville.com).
Getting there: Ana's travel agency in Sihanoukville will pick you up from your hotel ($15 for a day of island hopping including Koh Ru) or Coasters boat leaves every morning at 9.30am from Ochheuteal beach in Sihanoukville ($10 return to Koh Ru).
Best for diving and snorkelling: Koh Tang
The waters around the uninhabited Koh Tang island are known as the site of the infamous Mayagüez incident of 1975 in which the Khmer Rouge captured a US ship. They also offer world-class diving, unspoilt by crowds. Five hours from the mainland and best visited as part of a live-aboard trip, divers are rewarded with a stunning diversity of corals and rocky reef dives where you're likely to see barracudas, octopus and seahorses. Nearby Koh Prins has two wrecks to dive. If you don't fancy a live-aboard, head to Koh Rong Saloem, much closer to Sihanoukville. Here you'll dive with kingfish, moray eels and a wide variety of nudibranch. The island is pretty enough to warrant a few nights of post-dive chilling.
Stay at: The sumptuous Lazy Beach (doubles rooms $25 a night) on Koh Rong Saloem for total relaxation or Eco Sea Dive has simple bungalows (double rooms $30 a night; +855 12 606646).
Getting there: Several tour operators based in Sihanoukville offer overnight trips. Try the friendly Dive Shop which has a stunning new live-aboard boat or the long established Dive Cambodia (Full day trip with two dives costs about US$85 (GBP41 or Euro58).
Best for traditional village life: Koh Sdach
Koh Sdach (King's Island) is a bustling fishing community off the coast of Koh Kong on the Thai-Cambodian border. Mostly made up of Khmers and Vietnamese, the village is centred around the rickety wooden dock you have to hop on to from the ferry. You can wander around the ramshackle town made up of huts on stilts or sit and watch the fishermen head out to sea in their long tail boats - and then enjoy their catch at one of the restaurants in the town. There's also some great snorkelling from the beaches.
Stay at: Mean Chey Guesthouse (double rooms $5 a night; +855 011 788 852).
Getting there: The Koh Kong to Sihanoukville ferry costs $20 and leaves every morning at 8am, stopping halfway at Koh Sdach (departs Sihanoukville to Koh Kong at 1pm).
Best for beachside bungalows: Koh Tonsay
premier resort in the 1920s, and is now inhabited by only half-a-dozen Khmer families who run the beach-side huts and restaurants. The two palm-fringed beaches both have shallow waters perfect for snorkelling and there's nothing more demanding to do all day but swing in your hammock with a cold beer. Generator electricity is available only between 6pm and 9pm, but that's all the better for listening to the night cicadas and gazing at the starry skies.
Stay at: Nyan Voyet Mai bungalows (double rooms $5 a night; +855 (0)12 893 102). Guesthouses in Kep also arrange stays at the island, try Botanica Guesthouse (double rooms $10 a night) or the pleasant Kep Lodge (double rooms $30 a night).
Getting there: Boats leave from Koh Tonsay pier in Kep for $10 return.
Best for a deserted island experience: Koh Rong
If you want to be literally the only person on the beach, then head to Koh Rong. Two-and-a-half hours by boat from Sihanoukville, it's arguably the most magnificent island off the coast. Dumbbell shaped with a dense jungle interior, Koh Rong is a pristine island rarely visited by other travellers. The beach on the southwest side is known as "Snowdrift Bay" and for good reason, its talcum-soft sand squeaks under foot and goes on for miles. There's no path to it, however, so get dropped off there or charter a boat from the fishing village where there's a shop to stock up on supplies.
Stay at: There are no guesthouses on the island, so take a tent, torch and provisions.
Getting there: Charter a boat from Sihanoukville ($50-$80 depending on bargaining skills) or hitch a ride with a dive boat ($40).
Getting there
When to go: Year round. Dry seasons: November to March. Further information: www.tourismcambodia.com Country code 00 855Time difference: +7hrs£1 = 5900 riel although prices are often quoted in US dollars
Cambodia's south coast is littered with pristine tropical islands offering the peaceful beach shack living of Thailand 20 years ago....
Cambodia's south coast has more than 60 pristine tropical islands nestling in the sapphire waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Easily reached from the coastal centres of Sihanoukville, Kep and Koh Kong, they're largely undiscovered with tourism taking its first tentative steps. If you stick to the local or small ex-pat run concerns, the Cambodian islands offer everything from palm fringed deserted beaches, traditional village life to the peaceful beach shack living found in Thailand 20 years ago.
Best for day trips from the mainland: Koh Ru
Approaching from Sihanoukville, the long gold beaches of Koh Ru (Bamboo Island) take the breath away. One of the first islands to capitalise on tourism, you might not be the only one on its two beaches, but you certainly won't be sharing with many. There's a small path through the middle of the island so you can hop between the two in only a few minutes should the crowds of 10 or so overwhelm you. If you decide you'd rather not drag yourself away at sundown, there are a few bungalows on both sides of the island, but it's better to reserve in advance as these can get booked up.
Stay at: BimBamboo Bungalows, pretty turquoise painted bungalows on the beach (double rooms $12 (£8.65) a night) or Coaster bungalows (double rooms $10 a night). Koh Ru Bungalows on the south side have the added bonus of being quieter and it's the place to be for watching spectacular sunsets (double rooms $10 a night; bookings@barrusihanoukville.com).
Getting there: Ana's travel agency in Sihanoukville will pick you up from your hotel ($15 for a day of island hopping including Koh Ru) or Coasters boat leaves every morning at 9.30am from Ochheuteal beach in Sihanoukville ($10 return to Koh Ru).
Best for diving and snorkelling: Koh Tang
The waters around the uninhabited Koh Tang island are known as the site of the infamous Mayagüez incident of 1975 in which the Khmer Rouge captured a US ship. They also offer world-class diving, unspoilt by crowds. Five hours from the mainland and best visited as part of a live-aboard trip, divers are rewarded with a stunning diversity of corals and rocky reef dives where you're likely to see barracudas, octopus and seahorses. Nearby Koh Prins has two wrecks to dive. If you don't fancy a live-aboard, head to Koh Rong Saloem, much closer to Sihanoukville. Here you'll dive with kingfish, moray eels and a wide variety of nudibranch. The island is pretty enough to warrant a few nights of post-dive chilling.
Stay at: The sumptuous Lazy Beach (doubles rooms $25 a night) on Koh Rong Saloem for total relaxation or Eco Sea Dive has simple bungalows (double rooms $30 a night; +855 12 606646).
Getting there: Several tour operators based in Sihanoukville offer overnight trips. Try the friendly Dive Shop which has a stunning new live-aboard boat or the long established Dive Cambodia (Full day trip with two dives costs about US$85 (GBP41 or Euro58).
Best for traditional village life: Koh Sdach
Koh Sdach (King's Island) is a bustling fishing community off the coast of Koh Kong on the Thai-Cambodian border. Mostly made up of Khmers and Vietnamese, the village is centred around the rickety wooden dock you have to hop on to from the ferry. You can wander around the ramshackle town made up of huts on stilts or sit and watch the fishermen head out to sea in their long tail boats - and then enjoy their catch at one of the restaurants in the town. There's also some great snorkelling from the beaches.
Stay at: Mean Chey Guesthouse (double rooms $5 a night; +855 011 788 852).
Getting there: The Koh Kong to Sihanoukville ferry costs $20 and leaves every morning at 8am, stopping halfway at Koh Sdach (departs Sihanoukville to Koh Kong at 1pm).
Best for beachside bungalows: Koh Tonsay
premier resort in the 1920s, and is now inhabited by only half-a-dozen Khmer families who run the beach-side huts and restaurants. The two palm-fringed beaches both have shallow waters perfect for snorkelling and there's nothing more demanding to do all day but swing in your hammock with a cold beer. Generator electricity is available only between 6pm and 9pm, but that's all the better for listening to the night cicadas and gazing at the starry skies.
Stay at: Nyan Voyet Mai bungalows (double rooms $5 a night; +855 (0)12 893 102). Guesthouses in Kep also arrange stays at the island, try Botanica Guesthouse (double rooms $10 a night) or the pleasant Kep Lodge (double rooms $30 a night).
Getting there: Boats leave from Koh Tonsay pier in Kep for $10 return.
Best for a deserted island experience: Koh Rong
If you want to be literally the only person on the beach, then head to Koh Rong. Two-and-a-half hours by boat from Sihanoukville, it's arguably the most magnificent island off the coast. Dumbbell shaped with a dense jungle interior, Koh Rong is a pristine island rarely visited by other travellers. The beach on the southwest side is known as "Snowdrift Bay" and for good reason, its talcum-soft sand squeaks under foot and goes on for miles. There's no path to it, however, so get dropped off there or charter a boat from the fishing village where there's a shop to stock up on supplies.
Stay at: There are no guesthouses on the island, so take a tent, torch and provisions.
Getting there: Charter a boat from Sihanoukville ($50-$80 depending on bargaining skills) or hitch a ride with a dive boat ($40).
Getting there
When to go: Year round. Dry seasons: November to March. Further information: www.tourismcambodia.com Country code 00 855Time difference: +7hrs£1 = 5900 riel although prices are often quoted in US dollars
Saturday 14 March 2009
Kampong Cham
Hi everyone
Now into our 2nd week. It's still very hot and humid but our hotel room has air con and a fan which helps a lot! We came from PP on public transport with Bollywood type videos to entertain us! We're 120 km north of PP in a small town on the banks of the Mekong. The language training happens every day except Sunday, 8 - 12 noon.Our teacher, Dara is lovely- friendly, knows his stuff and is keen for us to learn.We're all levels of abilities from Geoff to me!
I'm finding it very difficult but will keep going. It's a language with simple structures but difficult sounds and not related to anything we know but at least its not tonal, like Chinese! Dara works us quite hard with homework and lots of vocab to learn each day so time passes quickly but we're finding it tiring.
K Cham has 2 western style cafes where we eat. It's not a touristy place. Not particularly scenic but the river is impressive and everyone is curious and friendly. So its an easy place to be, but there's no entertainment except the Premier League which is on TV everywhere. As a treat tonight we're taking a tuk tuk over the Mekong to a beer garden!
1 more week here and then we move on to our place, Samrong, to meet my employer and look for somewhere to live.Thanks to you all who have signed in. We're not sure of the technology either but hope we'll learn as we go along!
Love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
Now into our 2nd week. It's still very hot and humid but our hotel room has air con and a fan which helps a lot! We came from PP on public transport with Bollywood type videos to entertain us! We're 120 km north of PP in a small town on the banks of the Mekong. The language training happens every day except Sunday, 8 - 12 noon.Our teacher, Dara is lovely- friendly, knows his stuff and is keen for us to learn.We're all levels of abilities from Geoff to me!
I'm finding it very difficult but will keep going. It's a language with simple structures but difficult sounds and not related to anything we know but at least its not tonal, like Chinese! Dara works us quite hard with homework and lots of vocab to learn each day so time passes quickly but we're finding it tiring.
K Cham has 2 western style cafes where we eat. It's not a touristy place. Not particularly scenic but the river is impressive and everyone is curious and friendly. So its an easy place to be, but there's no entertainment except the Premier League which is on TV everywhere. As a treat tonight we're taking a tuk tuk over the Mekong to a beer garden!
1 more week here and then we move on to our place, Samrong, to meet my employer and look for somewhere to live.Thanks to you all who have signed in. We're not sure of the technology either but hope we'll learn as we go along!
Love to you all
Carol and Geoff xx
Tuesday 10 March 2009
Arrival in Cambodia!
We've been here a week and its been a massive culture shock even tho we've been to Asia before. We both arrived with heavy colds and felt very stressed and tired. Packing up a house with all its largely unnecessary chattels and saying good-bye to all our friends and family has taken it's toll but getting our mobiles and laptop sorted has helped us to feel connected. We've also begun to acclimatise to this very hot and humid climate.
VSO have been great - very welcoming with lots of nice things organised to help us settle in. We've had a welcome reception to meet all the staff and other volunteers. Had a cyclo tour of Phnom Penh - an old man on a push bike with a deck chair on the front with us in it! Yesterday we visited a disability project with a young chap in a wheelchair who was inspirational, and with absolutely nothing in the way of support or adaptations, was making a difference. Meanwhile, Geoff was learning about landmines with MAG - remember the t shirt! - a land mine clearing charity based in Manchester!
We're off to Kampong Cham today to begin language training. This will be fun!!
Looking forward to hearing from you all
xx
VSO have been great - very welcoming with lots of nice things organised to help us settle in. We've had a welcome reception to meet all the staff and other volunteers. Had a cyclo tour of Phnom Penh - an old man on a push bike with a deck chair on the front with us in it! Yesterday we visited a disability project with a young chap in a wheelchair who was inspirational, and with absolutely nothing in the way of support or adaptations, was making a difference. Meanwhile, Geoff was learning about landmines with MAG - remember the t shirt! - a land mine clearing charity based in Manchester!
We're off to Kampong Cham today to begin language training. This will be fun!!
Looking forward to hearing from you all
xx
Saturday 7 February 2009
Carol the IT Whizzz!
Nick the blue eyed boy has set up this blog for us so that we can keep in touch with you all whilst we're away!
Hope you like it...!
Hope you like it...!
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