Finally, an update from Pursat
Trip Start
Dec 06, 2006
1
10
38
Trip End
Sep 2007
Pursat,
Cambodia
Thursday, March 8, 2007
So what have we been up to over here? Serge is working on a project recording how the wells are drilled in the new area that SC is now working in. It's a really remote area towards the Thai border where the roads are just soft sand and clay, it takes 45 minutes to go 8 kms on a moto
albino buffalo we saw on moto trip
. He comes back to Pursat completely orange in what is known as Cambodian snow! On one visit a few weeks ago, he "discovered" a tribe! A group of relatively small people (smaller than the native Cambodians, who aren't large) with traditional tattoos and jewelry live in the new villages in areas which have just been cleared from landmines. There are signs everywhere for landmines: it takes $5 to lay a mine, and $500 to remove it, so it's really slow progress to clear land. The tribe people were really friendly and pleased to see the barang, offering pumpkin soup and coconuts, which is basically all they have to offer. They drink from green ponds, which are nearly all dry, so are obviously pleased to be getting wells and bio-sand filters (to clean the water). Clare is teaching three hours a day, it takes a long time to plan the lessons between power cuts, a broken printer and expensive internet connections, but its going ok. Some of the kids are really bright, though they are not used to anything interactive where they have to think. They like repeat after me, parrot style lessons, so doing role plays and discussions can make for a very painful lesson! They all want to get scholarships to go to America, understandable, but they could really do with some bright people staying in Cambodia! Also helping to write proposals to get some more cash and organizing a rubbish pick up day
girls at pagoda
! Last Sunday we went on a moto trip with two Canadian volunteers out into the countryside to explore. The moto drivers took us out into the paddy fields, following a river and calling at their families on the way. At each stop the local children took one look at the white faces and ran away as fast as they could. Tried practicing the Khmer we have been learning, but, even when we got it right, the children were too scared to reply! The drivers' families were so excited to see us though, and sent one of the boys up into the coconut tree, they sliced the top off the coconuts and put a straw in for us to drink the coconut milk! They were just so friendly and welcoming.
Its now averaging between 35 and 40, with really high humidity so even with four showers a day, everyone is just a sweaty mess! The power keeps cutting out too, so without the fans, its like an oven! Fine if you're on a beach, but difficult when you're trying to work. We're working long hours now, usually at the school/ office by 8.30am, home at 7pm and then Khmer lessons at 7.30pm for an hour. We only get Sunday's off to explore and play table tennis (the only entertainment we've found in Pursat!) Its still really interesting though frustrating at times as everything is so slow and disorganized (even by Agip standards!)
Serge's garden is blooming
pagoda
! We're close to getting chillies, watermelons, tomatoes and some kind of onion and he is now a master in Composting! There's enough waste food to add (unfortunately) because the cook hasn't mastered any meals beyond fried rice and vegetables or fried noodles and vegetables. Tad repetitive! Occasionally she does make a good curry, though we have to grovel for that!We want to explore a bit more in the next few weeks, hopefully getting to Angkor Wat before we leave here. We also need a visit to Phnom Penh soon to get some western food and chocolate!!!! There is one petrol station here that sells m&ms but they ran out about a month ago, we have cleared the town of any proper chocolate!
Hope you like the photos of our last few weeks here, Cambodia is really beautiful and definitely the friendliest people we've ever met. Would love to come back one day in the wet season when everything is green!
Hopefully we can make another update soon, its really good to get your emails, so keep them coming....
