Wedding Banquet, back in Phloev Trei

Video #1 - Getting off the ferry in Phloev Trei

Video #2 - Main street in Phloev Trei

Video #3 - Wedding banquet in Phloev Trei

THE WEDDING BANQUET INVITATION came from Dorn Khat. He was the gentlemen i had mentioned in a previous post. Dorn was the Reception Manager at the Salita Hotel, which happened to be my home base in Phnom Penh. A week earlier, i had accompanied him on a visit to see his family, in the village of Phloev Trei. Now we were going back to his parent's home in Kandal Province because a relative was getting married. 

The marriage had taken place earlier in the day with the banquet scheduled to begin later. By mid-afternoon were on the far bank of the Mekong River before proceeding to his parent's house. Later we joined the other guests, under a big tent, set up by a local caterering outfit. The festivities took place right on the edge of the dirt road that ran the length of Phloev Trei. It was a relaxed and friendly gathering, with tables set up, right on the the dusty ground. 

An assortment of dishes were provided, along with alcohol and pop. At one point the bride and groom, now husband and wife, went from table to table to greet everybody. Dorn and i stayed with the other banquet guests for an hour or so. Because he and few others, from Phnom Penh area, had to catch the last ferry at sunset, we were not able to stay longer.

Unfortunately, pictures taken here were among those that were burned on CDs, that were damaged on the flight home.

The White Building, Phnom Penh

Video #1 - The White Building, Phnom Penh

Video #2 - The White Building, Phnom Penh

Video #3 - The White Building, Phnom Penh

Video #4 - The White Building, Phnom Penh

THE WORN STEPS led us up, from floor to floor. Off each landing, dark corridors stretched left and right, to the next series of stairwells. My friend Chhonn and i, made our way past women playing cards, someone by a hallway entrance with a tiny stall and also past children playing up and down the stairs. During the afternoon this was the picture of communal life – at night the mood shifted presumably to more murky and less safe activities. This time i was with my Phnom Penh friend on the second of two visits here.

Out on the street we passed a group of locals, relaxing in the shade. Men and women were drinking beer and having a lively conversation. When i stopped to look, they invited us over, so we obliged. Chhonn translated questions and answers that flew back and forth. All this added insight to our visit to the neighbourhood.

The White Building often surfaces in my memories of Phnom Penh. On those afternoon visits, it seemed so hauntingly interesting. As a tourist with no reason to be here, entering the building might have seemed a bit like slumming – hopefully it was really about learning and observing the life here. Initially, it was the iconic modern design that drew me to this place. The complex also seemed like such a microcosm of Phnom Penh life. Metaphorically too, the White Building was a crumbling witness to modern Cambodian history. These were perhaps the reasons that tugged me to this place.

Back in it's day the housing complex had been the brainchild of King Norodom Sihanouk. It was one of 1,300 such projects, large and small, that took place over two decades, here in the Kingdom's Capital. At the time, Cambodia was the most developed country to emerge from the former Indochine, due in part to Sihanouk's feverish planning. Two French trained architects, Lu Ban Hap and Vann Molyvann, were instrumental in developing this vision for a new urban life. Several years later, in 1963, the Bassac Municipal Apartments were inaugurated. This forward looking project succeed in bringing the language of modern architecture together with a Khmer heart and soul. With 468 apartments, the housing complex made use of open stairways, concrete screens and other features, that increased natural ventilation and added shade. The White Building was a stunning achievement and source of national pride, in a nation emerging from colonial servitude.

This multi-storey, low-cost housing community, was originally home to city workers and those working in the arts. Fifty years later, the White Building was a decayed and mildewed slum with over 3,000 inhabitants. It was also a microcosm of urban Cambodian life: for those engaged in regular work, others in cultural activities as well as some who were marginalized and living from from drugs and prostitution.

My friend Chhonn once said to me, "90% of Cambodians struggle," and that observation was never far from my thoughts, while travelling in his country.

About poor youth gaining strength through art forms, by Tim Johnson, a Canadian journalist living in Toronto:

http://www.universityaffairs.ca/the-art-of-resilience.aspx Sa Sa Art Projects is a not-for-profit artist-operated space in the White Building: http://www.sasaart.info/about.htm Cambodia's new Khmer architecture by Ron Gluckman, an American journalist: http://www.gluckman.com/Cambodian%20Architecture.htm An interesting video on the art scene in the White Building: The Phnom Penh Post - Fostering an artistic community in The White Building

Kampot, a riverside town

The Columns Hotel, Kampot

French colonial architecture, Kampot

Bokor National Park, Southern Cambodia

Kampot in the south of Cambodia

IT WAS ALREADY TWILIGHT when the tuk-tuk reached Kampot. Our brief search brought us to the Columns Hotel, located on a quiet side street and in the historical quarter. The accommodations had been repurposed from several shop buildings. My lodgings, which overlooked the street, were very comfortable. The atmosphere, which was almost austere,  featured tiled floors and attractive wooden shutters, the width of my room. The breakfasts served downstairs, in the colonnaded area, were amongst the best of the whole trip.

On my first golden morning in Kampot, i rented a little motorcycle, through the hotel manager. My destination was Bokor National Park (officially Monivong N.P.) First i had to locate a gas station, which turned out to be a tiny store front operation, on a side street. Old water bottles, filled with fuel, were used to tank up my rental. Soon the under-powered bike, was whining it's way through town, across the Kampot River bridge and then westwards on National Highway #3. Fifteen minutes from town the new road appeared on the right, that led up the hill station. It snaked it's way up the mountain side, through tropical forest, and was an impressive engineering feat. The ride to 1,100 (3,430 ft) metres was really very exhilarating but there were some disappointments in store too. Near the end of the 40 km ride, from Kampot, i crossed a heavily forested on top before the countryside opened up – there stood a cavernous new casino hotel with fountains out front. Fortunately, the golf course was out of sight. I proceeded a short distance further, past a small French church and a big hill station too, both of which had been badly shot up in the 1980s, due to fighting with the Khmer Rouge. In the cool morning air, the views from the limestone plateau were totally sublime. The colonial hill station, dating back to the 1920s, was now being restored. 
With care, i stepped out on a huge boulder. It was perched atop vertical cliffs, that plunged into the dense jungle below – to the South was the Gulf of Thailand. 

Developing the national park, especially for the rich, will have a profound impact on this tropical wilderness. Here too, a unique jungle habitat, with endangered tigers and gibbons was making way for rounds of golf and roulette tables.

Back in Kampot, i had the time to linger in the old quarter. The blocks of old buildings, which dated back to the French colonial era, provided lots of faded charm and beauty. No wonder this riverport was drawing more and more travellers. Throughout this area, there were some nice places to eat or drink in too. Kampot offered terrific Cambodian seafood or  a good cup of mocha. One of my favourite places was the Epic Café, which employed deaf and disabled people. It was a little magnet for me, on account of the lovely coffee, tasty vegetarian fare, wickedly fast wifi and some attractive little gifts for a few folks back home. 

Before i forgot, i picked up those legendary Kampot pepper. Near the edge of town i dropped in on a small store and processing facility, where woman were sorting peppercorns. Unfortunately i was not able to visit the actual farms were the product came from but i did buy several small packages of black and red peppercorns.

Sadly, on this leg of my journey, my photos were lost. That was because several burned discs of photo files, were crushed on the flight home.


The Columns Hotel links:
The Columns
The Columns - Hotel Reviews, Deals - Kampot, Cambodia - TripAdvisor

Bokor National Park:
‎wikitravel.org/en/Bokor_National_Park

The Epic Arts Café was a lovely place to hang, connect to wifi and purchase gifts:
Epic Arts - Epic Arts Café

Kampot's legendary peppercorns:
Kampot Pepper Cambodia
Cambodia's Comeback Spice - TIME

Takéo City and Province

Video #1 - Wedding celebration across the field from 

the Meas Family Home Stay, Ang To Som

Video #2 - video from a moving bike, with panting soundtrack, 

Family Home Stay, Ang To Som

Video #3 - cycling near the Meas Family Home Stay, Ang To Som

Passengers on a rural taxi, Psar Thmei (New Market), Takeo City

Farming couple, Psar Thmei (New Market), Takéo City

Father and son, Psar Thmei (New Market), Takéo City

Traditional Cambodian boat, Takéo City

Pre-angorian figure (Vishnu?), Provincial Museum, Takéo City

Pre-angorian figures, Provincial Museum, Takéo City

Pre-Angkorian figures Lingam (stone Phallus) representing 

the Hindu god Shiva, Provincial Museum, Takeo City

 On a bicycle tour near the Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

 On a bicycle tour near the Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

 On a bicycle tour near the Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

  Village men enjoying beer and rice spirits, Ang Ta Som

  On a bicycle tour near the Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

 On a bicycle tour near the Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

BEYOND THE COMPOUND the fertile plain rolled on towards a low horizon. Using the Meas Family Home Stay as a base, one could set off by tuk-tuk to Takéo City or simply take one of the bicycles, that were always handy. On the first morning i caught a ride with Mach, to nearby Ang Ta Som. That was for purely practical reasons. With no access to an internet signal, here at the home stay, i tracked down a puddle of wifi at the town's biggest restaurant/hotel. 

For a tuk-tuk tour to nearby Takéo City, i shared transportation with a New Zealand couple. From the post office, old fashioned postcards were mailed off before we all went to the Provincial Museum. We also lingered for awhile in the Psar Thmei (New Market). At the museum, the collection was all contained in one room. It included however some remarkable sculptures that reflected not only Buddhist but also earlier Hindu worship. Many of them were from the time of the Angkor Empire but other pieces dated back even further, to the Funan (2nd-6th Centuries AD) and Chenla Kingdoms (6th-9th Centuries AD). Particularly prominent were the stone phalluses or lingam, used for Shaivism or Shiva worship. This god was considered both benevolent and destructive. Interestingly, i had written a post about the fertility temple in Bangkok, where similiar objects were honoured. All through the region this potent symbol has been worshipped over eons. Shiva, after all, brought not only the threat of cosmic collapse but also the hope of rebirth and abundance.

Exploring the countryside by bicycle was a endlessly interesting. Later in the day came somewhat lower temperatures along with the amber light. One was able to interact to some extent with friendly country folk, which made all the pedalling even more rewarding. Especially enjoyable were the the children who were both shy and curious all at the same time.

Meagre entry on Takéo City:
Takéo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Meagre entry on Takéo Province:
Takéo Province - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Overview of local history:
Takeo Province - Cambodia Travel Guides | Tourism Cambodia

Meas Family Home Stay in rural Cambodia

Video #1 - lunch was served shortly after i arrived,

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Video #2 - the focus here on carbs does not actually reflect reality,

given the varied menu, Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Video #3 - a peaceful escape, grove behind the 

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Video #4 - these bright kids are high school students, mostly from 

farming families and are learning English after school, 

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Video #5 - leaving the Meas Family Home Stay,

taxi ride from Ang Ta Som to Phnom Penh 

The friendly and gracious hosts, Siphen Meas and Im Mach,

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

 Im Mach resting at midday, Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Siphen Meas at the stove, Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Entrance to my room, facing the yard,

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Back-up water tanks, outside my room,

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Fresh coconut being shredded for Amok (Cambodian fish curry), 

a fabulous national dish, Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Fish being prepared for Amok and at my request, 

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som


 Spring roll batch production, Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Spring rolls, part of another memorable meal,

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Stir-fried instant noodles, with fly protection,

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Orchids and pond, created from a crater, US B-52 bomb drop 1973-75, 

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som

Gate, grove and rice fields, back of the 

Meas Family Home Stay, Ang Ta Som


Meas Family Home Stay, 3 kilometres East of Ang Ta Som

IT WAS MAYHEM HERE, but polite mayhem, at the terminal near the Central Market. The big highway hulk backed out ever so carefully. For the second time on this trip, i was leaving Phnom Penh by bus. The Sorya Transport double decker was filled with travellers heading for Bangkok, with the exception of this one, writing the blog post. Down National Highway #3, i got off in Ang Ta Som. From there it was only a few kilometres, by tuk-tuk, to the next destination. A secondary highway took us East towards Takéo City, but then we turned off to cross dry rice fields. The dirt lane became a driveway and the ruts led us to a gate. Within the compound walls were a collection of buildings, a garden and even a rectangular pond. I had arrived at the Meas Family Home Stay.

Now, i had been forewarned that my room would be very basic and that turned out to be no exaggeration. I could not even lock my door, if you can believe that, yet i felt safe here. Normally, i would have been offered a better room, except the home stay was almost full. An educational tour had arrived, consisting of university students from the USA and Canada. The young people, who had just flown here from North America, were jumping right into a new culture. In the open air seminars and lectures, they seemed to be learning not only a lot about the Mekong River, but the curriculum was supported by studies in the Khmer language and customs as well.

Im Mach was a kind and gentle host. He was also quite willing to share stories with me about his past. As the Deputy Director of the nearby secondary school, his knowledge of history, geography and English was extensive, so of course i found myself with a real teacher. Im lived through the American B-52 bombings, the brutality of the Khmer Rouge years and the subsequent Vietnamese occupation. He also told me that the picturesque pond, mentioned earlier, was extended and built upon, from a large 1970s era bomb crater. By contrast to Im, his wife Siphen Meas, was an outgoing and take charge kind of soul. Not only did she run the kitchen and household, but also taught at a nearby elementary school. 

There was also an informal school house, out at the front and beside the gate to the compound. Teenagers from nearby schools, would come to the Meas property, for some extra-curricular English practice. The home stay guests were encouraged to interact with the young Cambodians, which seemed like a brilliant concept. Everybody came away from that, having learned something in the process. The small classroom had art supplies and a small library of donated English books including a vintage edition about Vancouver, of all places. The sessions, that ran after school, ended by 6 pm.

The Meas Family provided the guests with delicious meals, made from scratch, and from their outdoor kitchen. Apart from bottled sauces, the packaged noodles, condiments, instant coffee, etc, the fare seemed to made from local ingredients. The food was delicious, well balanced and the guests were well fed.

A particularly beautiful feature of the Meas Family Home Stay was the grove beyond the pond and the back gate. A short distance out in the rice fields, was a tiled concrete table and benches, beneath a canopy of trees. I went there a few times to read and reflect. Often when the breeze played through the leaves and palm fronds above, and then the wind came up, the fallen leaves would begin to rustle too. To add to this soundscape was the occasional tethered cow bellowing nearby or the distant sound of music. Dreamy moments like this were a total tonic to one's soul.

After getting around the last few days, by bus, tuk-tuk and bicycle (see the post that follows), i decided to return to Phnom Penh by car. After breakfast, on the morning of February 13, a driver in his old black Toyota Camry, was waiting in the driveway. After a few farewells, it was 77 km (48 miles) back to the Capital. As we drove off, it crossed my mind that the Meas Family Home Stay would certainly be worth returning to, if i ever found myself back in Cambodia again. Mach and Siphen had been the ultimate hosts.

Recommend the Sihanoukville bound Sorya Transport express bus:
Welcome to Phnom Penh Sorya Transpot :: 2011

Wonderful home stay experience with Im Mach and Siphen Meas:

Cambodian Home Stay

Glowing reviews on the Meas Family Home Stay:

Meas Family Homestay - Guesthouse Reviews, Deals - Cambodia/Takeo - TripAdvisor

Koh Thonsáy or Rabbit Island

 Boat to Koh Thonsáy

 Boat on west side of Koh Thonsáy

 Boat on east side of Koh Thonsáy

Home of thatch and wood, Koh Thonsáy

 Couple processing coconuts, Koh Thonsáy

 Police post, Koh Thonsáy

 Jackfruit, Koh Thonsáy

 banana tree, Koh Thonsáy

 Papaya, Koh Thonsáy

Instant coconut juice,  Koh Thonsáy

Tree flower, Koh Thonsáy

 Tree flower, Koh Thonsáy

Mangroves, Koh Thonsáy

 Drying squid, Koh Thonsáy

Koh Thonsáy at the bottom of the map

Video #1 - Village on the westside of Koh Thonsáy

Video #2- Leaving Koh Thonsáy on the boat for Kep

Video #3 - Loading up on water for the tuk tuk, 

IT WAS STILL DARK as i picked my way carefully through the garden. Here at the resort, the staff in the kitchen were just waking up. My pre-coffee grumpiness was eased by the sheer tranquility of the setting. At about the same time as tinges of light revealed the Gulf of Thailand below, a cup of the morning brew was placed in front of me.

It was going to be a touristy kind of day. My backpack would stay at the hotel while i visited Koh Tonsáy (or Rabbit Island). After breakfast, a tuk tuk was waiting outside, which ferried several of us travellers to a busy pier. There, the visitors boarded open wooden boats. Noisy engines with extra long propeller shafts, protruding out the back, coughed and stuttered to life. One by one the ragged flotilla set off from Kep. It was a gentle crossing of 4.5 km (3 mile) in morning sunshine. A long beach came into sight, with a few boats already pulled up on the shore. Thatch roofed huts, scattered about a grassy area, peeked through the screen of trees. Then the prow of the boat bumped up at the sandy shore.

We were told "Remember the number of this boat," With six hours to explore i was on my own till 4pm. I lingered to look at a few fruit trees before following a path out of the settlement. I was hoping to go around the island. There was no chance to cross the middle of Koh Tonsáy as the centre was a couple of hills covered in dense jungle. Soon i was in a tiny hamlet near a point of land. People were mending nets or shelling coconuts. The thatched roof huts had woven rattan sides, dirt floors and no electricity. Moments like these reminded me of how encumbered life was back home, with so much stuff in our lives.

This was turning into a hike now, as the trail alternated between stretches of beach, then sections of forest. The odd thorny surprise, awaited one here, in the understory. Occasionally overgrown observation posts appeared in the ground between the trail and the shore – nothing more then shallow, stone-lined foxholes, from the Sihanouk or Khmer Rouge eras. At times one was slowed down by a patch of mangrove swamp or a low headland of jagged rock. I met the occasional tourists and passed only a few fisherman's huts. This was not turning out to be so popular for most visitors. Finally, a police post appeared and i found myself back in the settlement. The walk had taken about three hours. My late lunch, in a beach hut, was a delicious squid stir fry (for about $2.00) and steamed rice (and additional 25¢). The afternoon, here amongst a scattering of other tourists, passed quietly. A slight breeze off the gulf and a canopy of palm fronds, kept the heat away.

It would have been nice to stay here but i had already made other plans, back on the mainland. The tiny grass shacks went for $5 a night and $10 if you wanted a bathroom included. I could see spending a few days here and living the simple life. Maybe the so-called all day Happy Hour and a good book, might have been a nice break from the travails of serious sightseeing.

At the end of the afternoon i was back at Vanna Hill Resort, to pickup my backpack. When one tuk tuk dropped me off, another was waiting to take me on to Kampot. I spent an hour in the back of my next ride, a distance of 25 km. En route the driver picked up water from a duck pond to cool the tiny motorcycle engine.

An overview of Koh Tansáy:

Koh Thonsáy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Another overview of Koh Tansáy:

Koh Tonsay Travel Information and Travel Guide - Cambodia ...