Shopping with Sihim

Today we went to buy food at the Ward's local market. Sihim - who helps Sheryll - took us. 

If we thought it was hot outside. Not very. Step inside and hold on... 

It was a wonderland of everything food. This picture (above) shows the jackfruit we sampled. Yum. 

Sihim guided us around and showed us where to buy the makings of a green papaya salad, which we are having for lunch. 

Bonus moment was playing peekaboo with one of the local small fry who was lurking in her hammock. 

Also, quelle surprise, Geoffrey bought a chopper. 

Kep

Traveling to Kep and seeing lots of fairly thin Brahmans along the way reminded me of the school production when we sang about the pharaoh's dream: "the thin cows ate the fat cows, which I thought would do them good... But it didn't make them fatter like such a monster supper should."

(For the record it was Joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat; form two, Chisnallwood Intermediate; I was Potiphar.)

Why this song?  I suppose, apart from seeing all those drought-affected cattle, and my endless memory for weird songs, it's about the extremes of wealth and poverty that co-exist here. 

In particular, what it's like to be here as a wealthy tourist, enjoying a luxury holiday, hidden away beneath the palms, on the coast, between the blue sea and the even bluer sky, while so many Cambodian workers hang in there for another long, hot day.

Roxane Gay talks about privacy as a privilege - and it's so very evident here.  Many people live out their daily lives in more or less on the streets.  Privacy is indeed a luxury, held by the few beyond the gaze of the many.  It's uncomfortable and confronting - and something I'll be mulling for a while yet.

Not withstanding all of this, we had the most amazing 24 hours in Kep.  Beautiful house, wonderful people, amazing pools, and a dinner that felt like it fell out of the pages of Vogue traveller.

Yes, that's our table out there at the end of the pier...

There was a candlelit pier, a linen-clad table, more beautiful food and drink than you could shake a stick at, not to mention dancing under the starlit sky.  It was certainly a birthday to remember - a very happy 60th, JT - and many more.

PS - if you don't know about it already, check out Union Aid.  They do awesome work in Asia, supporting workers in their communities: unionaid.org.nz 

A few more pics of our amazing villa - it was even better than you think...

And a couple more party shots, because it was fabulous...

Tuesdays are purple

It was Tuesday so the staff at the palace were wearing purple.  Sundays are red, Mondays yellow, then purple, various greens and blues, until it's Tuesday again and so it goes.

Udom was our palace guide - charming and polite even when Geoff decided it was his job to be in the photos rather than take the photos.

A scarf does not provide sufficient covering to wander the palace grounds and inspect the buildings - sleeves are needed.  I was so pleased with myself, on yet another close-to-40-degrees day, that I thought to wear plenty of black.

There are several buildings in the Royal compound, including the elephant house (relieved of its elephants by Pol Pot), the King's house (where he lives with his mum), the moonlight dancing pavilion, the throne room (lots of gold, etc, no photos please), and the silver pagoda - home of the most incredible emerald Buddha and pure silver tiled floor, engraved with fleur de lis.  As you do.

The King is a great exponent of dancing and the ways of the monk - according to Udom - and it is his birthday on 14th May.  If horoscopes are anything to go by this will make him a teensy bit like Dave.  Thoughts, Mr Rudge?

Nearly 1000 people staff the palace and its grounds.  Not a bad ratio for one King and his mum.

Seeing the Royal stupas in the grounds gave serious pause, following so recently on the heels of our visit to Cheuong Ek.  Each stupa here houses the ashes of one monarch.  At the killing fields one stupa houses the remains of more than 9000 of the Khmer Rouge's victims.  

Eventually we were finished with the murals and palanquins and treasures and gardens, and wandered back through the heat for a spot of shopping.  We found a lovely print that will cost heaps to frame and will, I think, look very nice in the hall.

Walking along the riverside gave minimal relief - just a tiny breeze - so before long we had jumped in a tuk tuk and headed back to the oasis that is our hotel.  Contemplating my truckloads of privilege and reading Roxane Gay's Bad Feminist (fantastic, highly recommend) I lounged by the pool and had a lovely swim.

The afternoon brought a spot of geocaching and some more lolling around the pool - it is a holiday after all.

By six the rest of the group had jetted in from Siem Reap and it was all go at the Ward's home base.  Early waking and warm weather seems to turn me into a cabbage by 9pm, so I finished yet another evening pretty much comatose on the couch.  Time for another tuk tuk and home to bed.

Next stop: Kep

Bearing witness: Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng

The guides tell us that visiting here is a good thing to do - and that we are part of remembering.  

Approximately one in four Cambodians died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge - thousands of them here. 

The killing fields

S21

fat ankles and the FCC

Quite a few of the statues at the national museum have basically no ankles, so they must have found the heat trying back in the day, as well. I live in small hopes that mine will acclimatise and shrink a bit before we jump back on the plane come Saturday. 

After a tiki tour with Simon bravely (even boldly) at the wheel, taking in some key sites around town, we had a wander thru the museum and checked out the post office (postcard alert) and some local artisan shops. 

We also chanced on a local volley ball set up which looked like a lot of fun - even in close to 40 degrees. 

The mix of buildings is fascinating, not least the crumbling colonial ones that, I think, are largely abandoned or used as squats. 

That done we retreated to our hotel pool - a luxury for which we are super grateful. 

After that brief respite we jumped in a tuk tuk and headed for the Foreign Correspondents' Club - down by the river - and a drink before heading out on the river. 

As luck would have it the rains came. Well overdue, while we were drifting along the Ton Le Sap. Also as luck would have it, the rains stopped again after a short while. 

Two more tuk tuks and dinner at the Ward's homebase made for a very good day. 

Football

That's the wifi password for the bar we're in. Apparently there is rugby. All of the places we've been around the world - and all of the pubs we visit to worship at the fields of the great god rugby. Last year St Petersburg and Tallin. This year Phnom Penh. Priorities. 

And by crikey it's hot. So the beer helps. The local brew is called Angkor - ten bucks for a slab or $1.75 for a glass when you're out. Or so I'm told. 

PP - as far as I can tell so far - is a riot of people, bikes, cars, trucks, tuk tuks, wiring, buildings and building work. And tooting. Plenty of that. 

We're also meeting a bunch of people who are variously assembling for John's major birthday party, or otherwise passing thru. Simon and Sheryll are generous and enthusiastic hosts so today's been a solid start to our holiday - Russian markets, tuk tuks, food, friendship and Angkor beer. I feel confident that wine and song cannot be far away...

back row

The koru lounge was a zoo. So, in the

interests of limiting my suffering I swapped row 3 in an hour or so for the back row right now. Yup. Typing this from the back row of the plane. That's row 29 in case you were wondering.

Technically I'm not on holiday til tomorrow - I'm going to work. But I'm feeling festive and a wee bit like the trip to Cambodia starts now.