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