The last of Cambodia

As i was lying on my bed the other night flickling the channels on my tv, the movie advertisement for "The Bucket List" screened on HBO. I have watched this movie before while i was back home and even though it is not my favourite movie, i loved it terribly.

So why terribly?

Other than the fact that it was starred Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, the movie struck me deeply for a fact that life even though feels long is in fact very short. I would probably live to 70,80 years old. The last few years with weak health.

The first 20 years of my life has already been spent in school. That leaves about 60 years more. Following the path that is deemed "correct" by everyone else(at least in singapore). I would finish my university at 24/25, start working straight after. Get a girlfriend. Get married at 29/30. Have 2 children(or more) between 31-35. Work even more to buy pampers and milk powder for the next 30 years and retire at 65 to look after my grandchildren or drink coffee at the coffee shop everyday till the day i die.

I start to ponder to myself. Is this the way i want my life to be? If i am lucky perhaps i be like Carter and Edward in the movie and take advantage of my last 3months of my life. Otherwise i will die doing what i just summarize in the paragraph above.

I know myself. If i had a bucket list, it wouldnt be just 18 like them. It would be a whole lot more. Probably pages of them. I am not greedy, i just have so many things i have yet to experience in this world. So many things that even with the rest of my life, i would not be able to complete. Nevertheless, i want to cross off as many of the list as i can.

This is their Bucket List

1.Witness something truly majestic
2.Help a complete stranger for a common good
3.Laugh till I cry
4.Drive a Shelby Mustang
5.Kiss the most beautiful girl in the world
6.Get a tattoo
7.Skydiving
8.Visit Stonehenge
9.Spend a week at the Louvre
10.See Rome
11.Dinner at La Cherie d'Or
12.See the Pyramids
13.Get back in touch (previously "Hunt the big cat")
14.Visit Taj Mahal, India
15.Hong Kong
16.Victoria Falls
17.Serengeti
18.Ride the Great Wall of China

What is yours?
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Cambodia Kampot. Kampot is really a small town in the southeastern edge of cambodia. There is not many things to do here. The only one probably worth mentioning would be Bokor Hill station which was not accessible when i was there due to road repairs.

The rail to nowhere
Lounging by the river
Peacful

Next to Kampot is Kep, a seaside town right beside vietnam(my next destination). An hour ride away, the motor taxi would be the most efficient way to get there. Which is why i am not taking it. If you know me well enough, i like to make things interesting(and difficult) for myself.

I passed by the main town market early in the morning and saw all these trailer parked around with people sitting in it. That was all it tooked to make me tell myself "I am definitely taking that!"Motor trailerMarket ladies

Brushing aside all the persistenly annoying motor taxi driver who kept insisting that there is no moto trailer going to kep, i worked my way through the crowd to ask around. Most of them are heading to other destinations. Fortunately for me, i finally found one and immediately hopped on.

Yay!
Bye moto taxi suckers!

The ride was inevitably slow, taking about 60% more time than motorcycle. The ladies on board were pretty surprised to see me and were very curious about where i came from. Using my inept language ability which i had aquired the last 2.5weeks, we had a pretty good time lauging it out aboard. Kep town, famous for crab. Maybe that expains the number of hands?

Over in kep, i met a "Ya Ya" teacher. His part time job while not teaching is a motor driver taxi. No matter what i say, he will always reply " Ya Ya Ya Ya" in a hilarious way.

Together, we went to Wat Kirisan at Kompong Trach town to see some caves.Proceed beneath the mountain
To this opening

This is one place you are better off with a guide. As soon as your motorcycle pulled into the premise, kids with torches would gladly offer their service. Skinny buddha
Mushroom

The kids will point out to you various rock formations that resembles things like crocodile, turtle, snakes and even a combat boot. You would immediately recognise a couple when you see them. For the rest, you will need a little bit of imagination.

Kep seaside
Naked fisherman's wife(probably turned to stone while waiting for husband to return)

Kep is famous for their crabs. And there are lots of them. Head to the crab market and you will see a long row of restaurant, all offering the same fare at similar prices. Those who like to DIY would find it convenient to walk till the end of the restaurant on the right. At first you would not see the crab, once the few ladies there see you coming, they would run out into the sea and pull up their cages of live crabs all for you to choose. Average price would be US$2.50/kg for the beach ladies and 2-4 times the price in restaurants.Crabs Galore!

Once you have brought the live crabs, you now have a problem. You want to eat them, not watch them run around right?No worries, US$0.50 more they will cook it for you on the spot! TADA!! Bon Appetite
Fresh cheap crab by the seaside, what more can you ask for?

And that is my last dinner in Cambodia

My home in Chambok

While in cambodia, i found out about this ecotourism project at a national park south of Phnom Penh that i wanted to go. Fortunately for me, there is a head office of the organise in Phnom Penh.
Mlup Baitong

Chambok Eco Tourism Site
www.geocities.com/chambokcbet/

I walked into the office and was greeted by several surprised staffs. They rarely had independent travelers like me turning up at their office just like that. I was attended by lovely sylvie who helped answer all my queries. She told me that some of their staffs are going to the branch office near the national park and she said i could tag along with them! Otherwise going there on my own would be a chore with many change of transport.

My good friend Sylvie email Add
aedmlup@online.com.kh

On the day of departure, i was told we would leave at 2pm. Because of the heavy work load, Rithy, Sunheang and 3 other staff only manage to clear everything at 4.30pm.

Off we go, 5 grown man squeeze into this extremely small car. Since i was the "guest" i got the comfortable front seat. And for the first time in my life, i had 2 drivers!! One person is driving and the other squeezed into the same small seat!

The ride there was very a very pleasant one. I learned alot about the people in cambodia, Mlup Baitong, the way the organisation functions and the many limitations they face while operating.

It was dark and late by the time we arrived at the branch office and for safety reasons, they invited me to stay overnight at their branch office. The people at the office were really very nice, making sure i am well taken care of. The laughter and conversation lasted the whole night, even while lying under the mosquito net. The whole day while being just an ordinary one, exists as a very special experience to me. If you ever do meet these guys, do send my regards to them.

At Chambok, i was introduced to My Phon Thy(pronounced Tee) tel: 017363480, my guide for the stay there. He is a very nice young chap who speaks very good english and really wants to do more for his commune. There are a few activities that you can do there. Waterfall, rivers, lakes, caves etc. However compared to elsewhere in Asia, the experience is rather average. 40m waterfall in the dry season. Measured by Thy personally using a vine!
Bat caves

This commune Chambok is actually very backwards in terms of infrastructure. There is no proper electric or water lines running in the area. For electricity, they depend on fuel generator which can be expensive to maintain and for water, they depend on 1 single pipeline running from the waterfall into the homes in the village. Of course i asked Thy to bring me to see it. This single improvised filter here provides water to the several houses at the foot of the hill. In fact, there are many more villages that do not have proper water supply.1 single important pipeline

In the afternoon, Rebecca a german volunteer from Mlup Baitong comes to the village to teach english and general knowledge to the people here. Students here not only include children but also the village chief as well as my homestay host Cham who is already a father. Spent an afternoon with the kids Tu en(black ass they call him), Ali(shy village girl), Luck(hip dressing 16 year old), Phuck(16 year old sweet girl).

Meals during my stay is had at the Women's restaurant. This is the place where the ladies in the village rotate to work for supplement income. Because for most of the time, i am the only "guest" around, i was always invited to eat with all the people working there. Truly an unique experience. Rice paper in the makingThroughout the 2 days in Chambok, my guide Thy was with me all the time, bringing me to where i want to go Waterfall He told me that there is short cut down the waterfall back to the village and this was it! Slide down a 5m long tree trunk!

On the last day, Thy said he wanted to bring me to do some swimming. Needless to say, i was glad and i merely made a passing remark that it would be great if everyone could go together.

When I arrive at the swimming spot, i was surprised to see EVERYBODY there! From Mlup Baitong, the women's restaurant and even Rebecca gave her class a day off and everybody went to swim with me! The boys from the classEverybody i know was there!Black Ass and PhuckLuck doing our signature chicken dance!Cham my homestay host at the bottomPhuckLady from women restaurant(Also Thy's Aunt)

Singing at the top
Which we have to climb past HUGE red ants infested rocks Chicken dance!
and more chicken dance!

Because it is my last night there, Cham thoughtfully prepared a dinner party for me and what is for dinner? Roast chicken! After so much chicken dance, we ought to have some chick!

After a sad goodbye to all my friends in chambok, i made my way back to the main road with Thy. Thanks to all the people and hospitality i received from the people there. It has made this the highlight of my stay in cambodia. Angkor wat doesnt even come close. I certainly see much hope in the people of this commune.

Total expenses

Homestay: US$3/night
Entrance to Site: US$3
Meals: US$2.5/meal
Guide: US$15/day

Compared to many other villages i have seen in and area cambodia, the price here is actually very inexpensive. And you know that the money will go towards providing a better living environment for the people here. Definitely a MUST DO if you are in the area.

Who says you cant sit in the boot of a car?

Hopeful Cambodia

Ever wondered how did the name Phnom Penh came about?

To put it simply, Phnom in Khmer means Hill and Penh is actually the name of the lady who "discovered" this place. In the center of town, there is a temple hill that houses a figure of this lady. To the locals, this is where you want to go if you would like to strike lottery.
Mrs Penh
Devotees galore

One point to note when visiting Phnom penh, do avoid staying anywhere near the lake. Even though the accommodations there are cheaper than other parts of town. It is a very dodgy and dirty area. I walked in wanting to look for a place to stay and within 5minutes, I had people asking me if i want to special massage, boom boom(whatever that means) and weed. Needless to say, I turned around before even venturing any further.
Street life shots Street life shots

Walking along the streets of Phnom Penh, one thing that you will experience is the harassment of the plentiful moto taxis on the street. Every single corner, every single turn you make, you have people motioning you onto the back of their motorcycles, even if they do not know where you want to go.

A typical situation works like this.

You turn a corner and see several men sitting on their motorcycle at the corner. One raises his hand and waves to me. "Hey you, yo, where you go?"

Shakes head "No where , just taking a walk"
Driver "Ok, you come, I bring you"

As I walked on and ignore the man, another man on motorcycle 5paces away, observing the whole thing raises his hand and waves to me again...

I decided to do an experiment one of the days and I was approached a total of 61 times in a period of just a few hours!!

In cambodia, there is this special cloth that you will see many locals donning. Karma, the name of this cloth is especially popular with the older generations and the people from the countryside. To the modern day youngsters, it has lost its appeal. What makes Karma special is the numerous ways to use it. It can be a used as a scarf, a face mask, a handkerchief, a hat, a temporary skirt, to carry a baby, to carry groceries, to use as a ground mat, a towel, a table cloth, to wipe your nose, to clean up after toilet if you forget to bring paper and to strangle anybody who tries a fast one on you.

Alright, I made up the last 2. Nevertheless, the possibilities are endless with this. Anything and everything will be used with this. If you ever fancy getting one to use(or for souvenir) you can easily purchase one for US$1-3 at any market.
Popular with females
And with males

To cover your head which is already covered by a hat

Close to 2 months of traveling, i am in need of a haircut. Not that my hair was very long. It is just too impractical for traveling. I was very tempted to go to a traditional hole in the wall with old man shop but after thinking, decided it is too much of a risk. I walked past a high school and saw a chic and modern place with posters of pop stars and young lad cutting. I decided to give it a try and i have to say, he is not bad at handling his tools. In the end, i was shocked when he told me it is just $1!! Even though it is just 1 US and the cheapest cut i ever got, it turned out pretty alright.

I had some time to spare and with suggestions from my cambodian friend, i was directed to the olympic stadium in the evening.

The moment i walked in, i was handed a flyer and this girl wearing a red shirt started talking very quickly in khmer. She talked with such passion and enthusiasm that i just couldn't bear to cut her speech so i kept nodding and acted like i understood what she said!! After a minute or so, she stopped and i shyly told her "sorry i dont understand khmer". She let out a huge laugh and repeated everything in english again!

Turns out she and her friends from university are here to sell some food items and the sales results would determine their grades. After the hilarious moment, how could i not help them out, especially since i would be in the same shoes a few months later.

As the whole stadium starts to unfold before me, i saw lots and lots of people dancing in unison at on the perimeter of the grandstand. Believe me, the number of people is simple astonishing and with their actions unified, i stood there for a few minutes just amazed by what i saw.

Dancing in the sunset

The music they are dancing to includes many modern day songs, chinese techno and traditional khmer music. People regardless of gender and age were dancing to the lead of a instructor of sort. Unlike aerobics or exercise, they are actually doing modern dance, those that you see on tv or performances!!

I would rate this place a MUST SEE if you ever come to Phnom PenhIt is so interesting, it kept me there till the sky turned dark
Young and old, you can be the next Rain
Other than dancing, many people are also there to jog

Compared to the depressing past of the country, this side of cambodia is now full of energy and brimming with hope for the future, just like the fireflies dancing amidst the rubbish that i saw on the way out.

In Phnom Penh, there are a couple of markets worth checking out. The first would be the central market, not to buy anything since the prices are higher than others, rather to admire the dome architectural of the building. The dome shape center actually allows a very good ventilation in the hot city.

2nd would be The russian market. This is where you would want to get all your souvenirs, karmas and knock offs branded clothing at a fraction of the original price. As usual, expect to bargain hard as many tourist pass by here everyday. It is also near S21 Tuol Sleng museum which makes it an easy day trip for both.

Last would be Psar O Russay located smack in the middle of the city. This place is built by locals for locals. Photographers would find this place especially interesting.
The first floor where household items can be found. Anything you would ever need is here, plus all the groceries, meat, fruits and cooked food.
The 2nd floor is stocked with many shoes, stationary, books and dictionary.
More impressive is the 3rd floor which many clothing and fashion items with many shops selling prom like dresses. In fact, if you are going to a prom, everything you would ever need is here. Dress, shoe, make up services, accessories, jewels, sequins, hair cut and style, facial products to make your skin pearly white, nails service, hand bags, inner garments, watches, soft toy to carry around the dance floor and even a whole new set for the after prom party. Guys be warned, do not bring your girls here unless you are willing to be stuck for more than 2 hours.

What happens if there is no space in the vehicle? Tie it outside!
On my last day, 1week after Chinese new year, they have this lion dance event, similar to the one in singapore.
Recognize him?
Picture of the post