Back home and it's

a little reminder

Dear cyberfans
Please scroll to the bottom of the page and read upwards. Sorta like a reverse upside down asian olympic scroll experience.

Go Ball xxxxx

Lee hi. saom ketloy? THE END

Goodbye

Cambodia is such a land of contrast. My last night was spent checking emails and then a steak at a fab French restaurant. It was really early the next day when Kong the tuktuk driver picked me up and I headed to the airport for the end of a great adventure.

One last road stop

We passed a shrine to travellers and stopped at a lovely roadhouse for lunch, then back to PP to pick up some last minute shopping.

heavy hearts

It was with heavy heatrs that we piled into Rit's taxi for our trip home to PP. The trip was nearly over and we had also received word that gorgeous Emily was in a Bangkok hospital with dengue fever. Jeff was being the wonderful friend and keeping us in touch.

What do you mean no pina colada??

We loved our beach villa but the cocktail list was hopeless. We added vodka to the coffee shake and had a few of these after quite a few G&T's, but we needed something more exotic. Ali marched to the kitchen? You got coconut cream? you got pineaplle juice? you got alcohol? YOU HAVE GOT A PINA COLADA!! Took us a few to get the proportions correct, but someone had to do it.

no sharks here

It was wonderful to cool off in the dark velvety water with the lights and fireworks overhead.

night falls

Night fell and the fireworks and firetwirlers started up and still we stayed on our loungers happy

Many hours later!!!!!

We settled onto our loungers and soon were surrounded by the local beauticians who painted our nails, massaged our bodies (6 hands at a time) and ripped our hairs out with a piece of cotton (my beard and moustache caused them to point and laugh so i said yes and it was excrutiatingly painful and i will never do it again).. Local kiddies sold us bangles and practised their english and stroked our hair and said how beautiful we were and loved us in return for money.

What is it about Russians and schlong togs??

We swam and drank and swam and talked and...

w saw a guru.

settling in

Didn't take long for us to settle in and sample their great food and a particlarly wonderful coffe shake.

It was raining as we set off with Rit our taxi driver to the beach resort of sihanoukville. We hadn't booked and it was really busy, but we found a beachside room at Malibu. Perfect for me as there were only 3 steps down from my room to the bar/eating and another 1 to the beach!!

the posse parts!!!!!!

That night I slept in a bed out on the verandah with a view to die for. It was soooooooooo magical and peaceful and wonderful till the obligatory whipper snipper started. Progress follows me everywhere!!

The next day we split up. Emily was still feeling really bad and she and Jeff werer heading back to PP so we waved them off in a taxi and we set off for Sihanoukville.

dinner at the sailing club.

We decided to see how the other half lived and went down the hill to Knai Bang Chatt Resort. We couldn't eat there but ran into mtes Brian and Beth from Brisso. http://www.knaibangchatt.com/
Alongside the resort is the Sailing Club where we sat and dranked and chatted and ate a horrible meal. Note to self: stick to local not foreign

O MY GOD!!!

While we were swanning on the beach the wind had picked up and our boat ride back was terrifying. This is a pic from the first trip cos all we could do was hang on, try and protect our cameras and scream and laugh hysterically. It was exhilkerating in a sorta near death way.

more serenity

Had a wonderful day with even more Kampot crab for lunch.

off to Rabbit Island

Emily wasn't feeling too good so she stayed at our villa and Jeff, Ali and I headed off on a bit of a windy day to Koh Tonsay, or Rabbit Island.

sunset

A drink at sunset and then off for Kampot crab at a little cafe by the sea where they send the kiddie out to catch the crab to order. YUM!

run amok

The food was wonderful and Jeff was really pleased with his choice of Amok.

Verandah Guesthouse

The view from our guesthouse was spectacular. Originally founded as a French colonial retreat in 1908, the seaside resort of Kep-sur-Mer managed to retained its fun-loving and elite flavor with Cambodian high rollers continually flocking to the resort to gamble and indulge in water sports. That is until the Khmer Rouge and the famine of 1979 ended its days of grandeur.

Nowadays, it has that shabby chic feeling. Located on a small headland, a 6km palm-fringed road runs along the coastline with wonderful artdeco ruins and crab markets on wither side.

off again

first things first, an early morning swim in the river.
brekkie at Bodhi Villa and onto a tuktuk for the next part of our adventure. We called in to Epic Art Cafe so see Jai and Colin run a dance workshop for deaf children. see http://www.kampotinteract.org/epic_arts.html for more on this interesting place. AND THEN WE WERE IN KEP.

sleep like a princess

I slept in a room in my princess bed while the others slept on the pontoon in the river.

Jai and Colin (who live there) and Hannah joined us for a sunset swim before we headed off to Bodhi Villa for dinner and a cocktail (as you do)......starting to see a pattern.

Next day after a slwwp in we were picked up in a taxi and headed for Kampot where some friends of Ali have a house by the side of the river. It is a wonderful typical Khmer house very open, in timber and surrounded by water and plants.......tranquil.

the sistine chapel??

Time to eat so we hopped onto motos (well not me) and headed off to Italian Restaurant Le Duo which had great food and a sistine chapel ceiling. It's easy to get a little confused in Cambodia.

Who would have thunk

Surprise surprise but we all had a few drinks to celebrate Ali's success.

Meta House

A few arvo drinks at Rubies and then it was off to Meta House for another wonderful art exhibition. This was a group show of local artists and international artists and Ali and Punka had contributed a photo work which was a little controversial in its subject matter. go to http://www.meta-house.com/ for more info on this exciting venue.

back at the villa

After brekkie and then a hard hot shop at the Russian Markets, we all headed back to Villa Langka for a well earned relax!!!!!!!!!!!

we go Korean

Back in PP We grabbed Ben and headed off to a Korean restaurant for a few dumplings.

food glorius food

As appetizing as the frogs and bugs were, I declined in favour of a hot roadside baguette. You gotta love the french connection.

on the road again

After a couple of amazing days we were on the bus again for the trip back to PP.

snakes galore

stopped of at a fish farm for a beer.

on to the boat

Despite the best efforts of our lovely crw and guide/driver Mt Pho, I managed to get down the slippery slope but face planted trying to hop onto the boat. A bit of blood and sweat but no tears...............till later.

Tonle Sap

a floating village of mainly Vietnamese people exists on the banks of this amazing lake.

Cambodia's Tonle Sap, or Great Lake, is one of the unique geographical wonders of the world. It offers visitors insights into the centuries-old traditions of riparian life and the natural splendor of the country.
On the banks of the mighty Great Lake and the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers, Khmers have celebrated for over two hundred years the changing of the river's flow. During the rainy season the Tonle Sap River reversed direction, flooding the lake, increasing its size almost tenfold, making it the largest freshwater body in Southeast Asia.
In the flood season, water engulfs surrounding forests, regulating agricultural production by ensuring that the countryside is covered with fresh, fertile silt for rice cultivation.
The rivers and lakes of Cambodia are truly the lifeline for the largely agrarian and fishing society.

last siem reap shop

After a lazy buffet breakfast abd a swim on the pool, it was time to pop in to Siem Reap fro a last minute shop and bite to eat before heading off to the Tonle Sap.

Off to bar street for more fun!!

Siem Reap at night

FCC has a wonderful bar abd restaurant at Siem Reap as well as in PP.
see http://www.fcccambodia.com/ fro more pics.
We had a great meal and quite a few pina coladas.

PPposse: dA EJ

Ta Prohm, my fave

Angelina Jolie is not the only star at the Wats!!!!!

Bayon temple, Angkor

It's Magnificent!!

Angkor Wat, built during the early years of the 12th century by Suryavaram II, honors the Hindu god Vishnu and is a symbolic representation of Hindu cosmology. Consisting of an enormous temple symbolizing the mythic Mt. Meru, its five inter-nested rectangular walls and moats represent chains of mountains and the cosmic ocean. The short dimensions of the vast compound are precisely aligned along a north-south axis, while the east-west axis has been deliberately diverted 0.75 degrees south of east and north of west, seemingly in order to give observers a three day anticipation of the spring equinox.

some locals

Angkor Wat here we come

Our tuktuks arrived early and we headed off to explore the wonder that is Angkor Wat. It has been a dream of mine to see this wonder.

pavilion indochine

Khmer scarf tying 101

on the road from PP to Siem Reap

With quite a hangover we headed off to the bus station to catch our bus to Siem Reap. Ali's advice to book 2 seats each was a godsend. I ot the fron seat on the top floor and it was like watching wide screen TV with Asia Live in full colour. Accompanied by of course bad karoake tv blaring for the locals.

Chow Down

After many wines at the opening, we all hopped into tuktuks and headed off to ubersexy PP bar CHOW.

gorgeous guests

I am not sure the gals at Sheena's Institute de Beaute quite understand my instructions as to how I wanted my nails hair and makeup and so i ended up looking more Imelda Marcos than Debbie Harry.

There were gueats all the way from LA!!!!!!!!!!!

the ALL STARS

Two of PP's major singing stars were there to support Ali and they LOVED THE SHOW!! Great prais indeed and the flashligts were flashing as locals flocked to see their idols.

A STAR IS BORN

Java Cafe and Art Gallery is a great venue in PP and it was buzzing for the opening of Ali's first solo show entitled "airs and graces". It made reference to Khmer pop culture and hinted at the horrible truth of how many artistic/cultural people were now dead. Many people turned up and the show was really well received!!

off again

Ali's private tuktuk driver Kong was summonsed and we were whisked off across the Tonle Sap to Maxine's Bar (or Snowie's bar as it is affectionately known). Overlooking and i mean over or on the water, it was a bit of peace and quiet with et another exquisite cocktail.

the posse

Ben and Ali join us and the posse is complete.

Tonle Sap

I think it was the passionfruit mint lime caprivoska that made the boat blurry. It is on Tonle Sap

The amazing lake and river system of the Tonle Sap is quite unique. This vast lake; the largest in SE Asia, fills with the waters of the Mekong each year, bringing vast numbers of fish and irrigation during the dry season.
The Mekong starts its journey in the Himalayas, flowing through China, Laos and Cambodia before discharging into the sea at its delta in South Vietnam. The Mekong Delta cannot absorb all the river water; so in May, the river reverses its normal seaward flow and begins for flow back up the Tonle Sap River.
The 160km long lake fills with water and, expands to 250kms long by up to 100kms wide over a period of 3 months. The lake rises and progressively floods the surrounding forests and rice fields.

FCC

The Foreign Correspondent's Club (or FCC) is the place to be at happy hour, but don't expect journalists in chinos tapping away at laptops. Just happy people drinkin and smokin and eatin.

the view from FCC

Jemily

Ali's friends Jeff and Emily have arrived and we set off for an afternoon coctkail by the Mekong.

cafe java

After the sadness of Tuol Sleng, I needed a stiff drink so it was off to Java Cafe to see Ali. She was busy installing her show but stopped for a minute to say Hi.

no words

It's the numbers that blow me away. So Many people killed. PP was left a ghost town and there was not one family left intact. The photos are extraordinary. Go to http://www.tuolsleng.com/

Toul Sleng

It was time to learn about the horros this lovely country endured under the time of Pol Pot.

from Wikipedia

Formerly the Tuol Svay Prey High School[1], named after a Royal ancestor of King Norodom Sihanouk, the five buildings of the complex were converted in August 1975, four months after the Khmer Rouge won the civil war[2], into a prison and interrogation centre. The Khmer Rouge renamed the complex "Security Prison 21" (S-21) and construction began to adapt the prison to the inmates: the buildings were enclosed in electrified barbed wire, the classrooms converted into tiny prison and torture chambers, and all windows were covered with iron bars and barbed wire to prevent escapes.
From 1975 to 1979, an estimated 17,000 people were imprisoned at Tuol Sleng (some estimates suggest a number as high as 20,000, though the real number is unknown). The prisoners were selected from all around the country, and usually were former Khmer Rouge members and soldiers, accused of betraying the party or revolution.[1] Those arrested included some of the highest ranking communist politicians such as Khoy Thoun, Vorn Vet and Hu Nim. Although the official reason for their arrest was "espionage," these men may have been viewed by Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot as potential leaders of a coup against him. Prisoners' families were often brought en masse to be interrogated and later murdered at the Choeung Ek extermination centre.

another hard day

brekkie then a swim and a then a massage. Looks like another hard day in PP.

Pirun always has a smile

It's a great way to greet the morning.

YOU CALL THAT A LANDMINE??

Stumpee is at home here in a land where so much killing had taken place. I am sitting over breakfast sunning stumpee and trying to get the lympho under control. I have a massage booked for later, and then off to Tuol Sleng Museum. But it gives pause for thought about degrees of difficulty. For all my complaining and fussing, I am really very lucky. Sokna asked me why I would want to visit such a sad place as Tuol Sleng, and i said that it is important for people like me to see so that it can NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

the PP chef

Ben cooked us a wonderful meal and treated Ali and I as royalty as we caought up on gossip. His finishing touch of caramelized bananas with hot real chocolate and cream bouht squeals of delight from us gals.

slipping into PP life

Benali

Cambodia's answer to Brangelina, Benali, relax on the deck of their home. I was over for a lovely dinner and catch up.

night falls

Sitting on the large balconies as night falls is a fitting end to the day before a fun filled night.

I CROSSED A ROAD ON MY OWN!!!!!!!

This is the independent monument and it is in the centre of a large roundabout near where i had to cross a road on my own for the first time. The traffic is mental and the only rule is the big one goes first. So trucks win over cars over tuktuks over motos over bicylcles in the madness. The centre line is for decoration.

Rules for crossing road: channel every bit if buddhist karma in your being and step from the kerb. Walk slowly forward and show no fear. They will stop.........THEY DID.

tuk tuk individuality

Every tuktuk had its own style and decor.

techno cock stall

With apologies to the beautiful cabana boys who are very patiently attempting to help me with the Khmer language, i am finding it a little difficult to grasp some words. Teckno cock is the closest i can get to describing the coffee drink that we had at this stall in the Russian Markets. It is lots of ice, black coffee and condensed milk............heaven!! you are supplied with a tin of condensed milk and a spoon and endless little jugs of extra coffee until you scream te ae kohn, miet howie.

a place of contrast

PP is full od laneways and stalls and industry and people and traffic and wonderment.

i wonder

I wonder if i could finish my DiVA here??????????????????

another day another fruit drink

Another day another glorius friut juice. This is a ladybug consisting of watermelon juice and lime juice and is at a lovely cafe called JAVA which is also an art gallery.

breakfast by the pool

say no more!!

PP night lights

It may have been the martisaki cocktail but the night life was buzzing.

out on the town

Ali and Ben and I tuktuk'd it down to the waterfront to meet up with Naomi who edits a local free mag with style called AsianLife. We had a half price gorgeous cocktail on the roof bar of a hip minimal bar/restaurant called Chow before heading of for a bit of Italian.

learning khmer

Sokna is trying to teach me Khmer but I am a bit of a slow learner over brekkie and not much better over a mohito. But he is very patient.

i DO love a bath

Settling in

a picture speaks a thousand words.

my room with a view

Standing on the verandah outside my room at Villa Langka I could be excused for thinking I have died and gone to heaven. Singapore is sooooooooo yesterday.

met at the airport

The gorgeous Ali and Ben met me at PP airport and had their favourite tuk tuk driver waiting for me. We pile on and set off to my accomodation across town. I was startled as to why everyone was beeping at me but Ben explained it is just another aspect to Khmer language. Wasn't totally sure what side of road we were on or indeed if there were any traffic rules. Ben again expalined the concept of Buddhism. You just go where you want to and no one will hit you. Great as a life idea but very scary when in traffic.

goddbye Singapore, hello Cambodia

The day started badly....well the night before to be exact. I had gone to bed early as my taxi was booked for 3 am. I had been lulled to sleep by the bass beat of the Pussycat Dolls who were playing at the Fort Canning Park but at 11pm the phone rang. A stupid little man from reception was riniging to check that I wanted a taxi for 3 am. YES! What flight? I AM ASLEEP! What Terminal? I DON'T BLOODY KNOW AND I AM NOT GETTING UP TO FIND MY TICKET!! I will come to your room at 2.45am and get your bags. GOOD. Couldn't et back to sleep so watched some bad singlish TV.

At 2.50am I took my bags to the lift and went to reception to check out but not before I woke the sleping bloody concierge who was meant to get my bags. At least he got some sleep. Got to Changi way too early becasue the reception had overcalculated the need for time, but was first in the queue and through like a shot and managed to nab one of the free foot massage machines. Considering I was practically the only one at the airport that wasn't hard.

Had a lovely Jetstar Asia flight.........it left on time with no obvious hassles. That doesn't happen often!