07/11/07 – Mondulkiri.
When I came to Mondulkiri I wasn’t expecting such a stark difference to the rest of the provinces that I’ve been in so far. Mondulkiri has a landscape all its own – setting it aside from the rest of the country and making it a sheer joy to visit. Quite frankly it’s breathtaking and for anyone who is drawn to country living should absolutely come here.
What makes it so spectacularly awesome? Firstly there is the climate. I know I’ve commented on the cold in Stung Treng – but that’s nothing compared to here. I swear to the King Of Chocolate herself, that this – this is cold. Like a mid October day in the UK, I’ve had goose-pimples and cold hands and feet where my circulation has retreated. Unfortunately I haven’t a thermometer here – but it’s surely about 18°C. Woolly jumpers and socks next time for sure!Having said about the weather, boy is it worth it! A backdrop of rolling green hills provides a breeding ground for umpteen trees; their combined greenery creating a stark contrast against the warm russet dust roads meandering through the hills.
Mondulkiri is a definitive stopping point on the itinerary for anyone coming over to “da-laying” Cambodia – for not only is the scenery beautiful, but who could turn down elephant rides and trekking through the jungle; sleeping in a hammock under the stars? (not to mention the fab French restaurant serving ice-cream and…wait for it… Chocolate brownies!! Elephants, trekking and chocolate brownies, now what else could you possibly ask for in life
eh?
17/11/07 – Ma-rien pee-a-sar Onglais*! (*English language lessons)
Phew (wiping sweat from my brow). That’s week one of my English lessons completed and all seems to be going well… thank goodness. I was really worried about running these but now that I have started I am really enjoying it. I have two groups; beginners and intermediates, with 6-8 students in each group. I was more worried about running the beginners group; how was I going to make myself understood when I can’t explain myself in their language?? It seems I was worried about nothing though as it went amazingly well. In fact at the end of the session I was on a real high and reminded how much I thoroughly enjoy teaching. So of course, the most logical thing to do was to congratulate myself with a nice cold beer…. J
26/11/07 - Waterfall trip
Well its another public holiday here guys, so some more free time to fill you in on the comings and goings in Stinky. I have managed to avoid the throngs crowded into Phnom Penh this weekend, by staying in Stinky. Instead I spent the weekend with a volunteer from Kratie and her 2 young Cambodian friends. We booked a overnight trip and travelled by slow boat up to the border of Laos to the waterfall there. Cruising over the Mekong on a rustic wooden slow-boat, gazing over the vastness of the river with the steady drone of the engine in your ears is a sure-fire method of relaxation. It took 4½ hours to reach the guesthouse, hours filled with idle chat, contemplation and a few lazy zzz’s perched on the side of the boat soaking in the warm winter sun. The guesthouse was basic, but the view was fantastic.
Eventually we reached the border crossing and descended from the boat; embarking on a short trek through dense undergrowth to the top of a small hill from where we were rewarded with a view over the 4000 islands in Laos and the Cambodian hillside. On the way back down, I’m sure it wasn’t that the guide got lost; he knew where he was just not where everything else (the path in particular!) was, so we ended up hacking our way through the trees and spiky bushes until we eventually found the path again! Proper Indiana Jones stuff – following a guide who’s hacking his way through the undergrowth with a machete!
Back onto a smaller boat to travel up to the waterfall. This boat was a narrow wooden vessel resembling a hollowed tree trunk with only enough room to sit single file; knees resting against the side. Hills soared up from the river banks, we craning our necks; scanning the summit, taking in the dense trees. Although the river is immensely wide, it seems smaller as trees, growing under the water vie for space on the river making their own flooded islands, their roots and branches demonstrating the force of the water and making intriguing patterns.
We leave the boat and trek over rocks to reach the thundering falls. What was a small fall back in May has now become a roar of churning mocha in a milk frother. Gallons of water have engulfed the rocky landscape and now cascades down the gorge it has carved out for its self over the years. I perched myself near the edge, admiring the sheer torrent and force of the water while enjoying a juicy chunk of pineapple – this is the life! Photos just couldn’t portray the atmosphere to you, such is the magnificence and sheer expanse of it, which is just as well as my batteries ran out!
If that wasn’t breathtaking enough, on the way home we were treated to a stunning sunset over the Mekong. A giant ball of flame slipping into the horizon, spinning a long spool of golden, shimmering silk over the water, which had now turned into a rippling surface of molten silver – reflecting perfectly the scene above. To me, the sunset has a power so wonderful, it seems to reach out and grab the senses, refusing to let go until it has you mesmerised. A moment when you can excuse yourself from life and all its petty concerns, slipping into another dimension where there is only beauty and peace – then feeling somehow a little empty and sad when the sun disappears and you are left only with darkness or man made light.
28/11/07 - Ho,Ho-bloody-Ho
Wherever you are in the world it seems you just can not escape christmaas fever (with the exception of Stinky Trong maybe). Here in Phnom Penh I have been accosted by Christmas parephalia again! Tinsel, cards, fake trees and gaudy pink fuzzy reindeer. Oh dear is so sad - Chrsitmas does not belong in Cambodia, it just doesn't feel right! It's not cold, there's no snow, no roaring fire.... no, no, no I say!!
