Cambodia Challenge

Day 12 - Our last day in Siem Reap

businesschick — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:44:00 GMT

Its hard to believe that we will be leaving Cambodia soon. But not before seeing the biggest and best of the temples - Angor Wat and Ta Prohm. Well, Mavis and I who had not been late once, overslept and they nearly left without us. We had no time for showers, just dressed and went downstairs where the bikes were waiting. No time for breakfast either. The girls had been waiting for about half an hour. As i had been woken abruptly, and had not had breakfast, i jumped on my bike and it took me a little while to kick the grumpiness that set in. But i soon got over it and apologised. This was the first time Mavis and I had ever been late. Mavis religiously set the alarm every night. I think we just needed the extra sleep. The Casa Angkor Hotel had very plush rooms and nice cosy beds. So we cycled to Ta Prohm first. This was where Tomb Raider was filmed. It was truly a magical place. I was a little disappointed as i forgot to charge my camera the night before and the battery had died. This was a mystical fairyland. Giant trees grow out of rocks. There are lots of carvings. Its the kind of place that a beautiful energy is found. I sat on the rocks to absorb some of it. This was my favourite place out of all the temples. Angor Wat was next and even though it was grand in size, i thought that Ta Prohm was more beautiful. Both places were crawling with tourists. the kind of place that is difficult to get a photo without some tourist's head in the way. I would love to paint Ta Prohm. Hopefully some of the other girls took good pics from it. While we were at Angor Wat, one of the girls left her camera case with a rather expensive lens in it outside. She ran back to see if it was there. There were some people picnicing - all dressed in white nearby. They had seen it and were going to give it to the police if no one came back for it. Luckily she retrieved it. In fact, I learnt that she had a mishap with the photos from the monks blessing. She had accidentally erased them all. They were the only ones we had. She took her camera to a Kodak shop and they were able to restore the photos. It was a lucky day for Beccy - perhaps her monks blessings had set in. Speaking of monks blessings. When i awoke this morning i found that my red cotton thread the monk had tightly tied around my wrist had fallen off into my bed during the night. Apparently one is supposed to wear it until it falls off. I like mine so much that i had Vicky tie it back on. I'm not sure that i am supposed to do that. At Angor Wat, we came across another monk. Vicky decided she was going to get a photo with Billy and a monk. So she approached him. He was really friendly and in his 20's. He was a very giggly shy sort of monk. He has family that live in Sydney. He was touring Angkor Wat with his family. He hopes that one day he will come to Sydney too. Vicky exchanged contact details with him. So sweet. The afternoon was free for us to explore Siem Reap. Mavis and I went shopping for a few last minute items. Mavis wanted to buy a silk dress. We went to the Central Market and seperated. I found a place that sold jewellery, I was interested as to how much it sold for. All gems - rubies, sapphires, emeralds. I was mersmerised. I asked the guy behind the counter to show me a few pieces. They were telling me that these were real. They even had a machine that beeped to say yes its really. Of course, I couldn't believe that. So instead of buying up big, I just purchased a pair of emerald earrings for $5 and a pair of sapphire earrings for $5. I'm going to take them to a jewelry shop and see if they are made of glass or not. I decided to head back to the hotel and started walking then realised i wasn't really sure of where i was. I thought i knew exactly where the hotel was. So i found a tuk tuk driver and told him where to take me. I was way off with my bearings of where the hotel was. oops. tonight was the final night and our cambodia challenge was coming to an end. We went to a fancy restaurant, of which i have no idea where it was or what it was called. The food was great. We sat at two big tables. Had a few margheritas. We finished the night with a drink at another bar called Nest. The slowest service in history. So typical of the laid back way of life in Siem Reap and Cambodia. So sad to leave, but so appreciative to have arrived, explored, cycled and had lots of fun.

Day 11 - Journey to Siem Reap

businesschick — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:21:00 GMT

On the bus again, i just can't wait to get on the bus again. We were on the bus from 7am and arrived in Siem Reap at 1.30pm. The bus ride consisted of some chat, but mostly sleep. We stopped along the way at a tourist spot and toilet stop. I didn't realise what this place was until i saw a girl with a massive tarantula crawling up her shirt. Ewwww !!! And they eat these things. Being vegetarian, i was not going to "try" tarantula. I didn't see anyone else try it. But when i got back to the bus, i was given word that Mavis had eaten tarantula and said it was yummy. again, Ewwww !! Finally got to the hotel at Siem Reap. Siem Reap was very different to Phnom Penh. It was full of massive hotel complex's. It reminded me of Beijing in a way. I have been constantly comparing Cambodia to China. They are worlds apart but in many ways so similar. We are staying at the Casa Angkor Hotel. It is another beautiful hotel with a swimming pool. We didn't have much time to settle in. Lunch was hot chips which were shared between 3 of us. Then we were on our bikes again. It was a great feeling to be on that bike again after being sick. We cycled to Angor Wat, although we wouldn't see that today. Instead we went to Bayon, one of the many temples in the area. I remember it for its many smiling buddha faces carved into the stone. Its quite amazing to see something from the 12th or 13th century. we also went to the terrace of elephants. this was part of a wall to the palace. This is where the king viewed his returning army. There was lots of women there selling pineapple to all the tourists. In fact, at all these sites, there were lots of tourists. There was alot of traffic that we were cycling in along the way to each. the ladies selling pineapple yell at you "Lady, Pineapple. Lady, you want pineapple" as they shove it in your face. We went to one other temple but i can't remember which one it was. By the end of the day we were over temples and just wanted to cycle back to the hotel and jump in the pool as again, it was so hot. Tomorrow we'd being doing more temples anyway. We all went our different ways for dinner because today, dinner was not included. Mavis, Vicky, Sabine and I went to pub street and found a beautiful indian restaurant for dinner. Again we laughed and ate and talked and ate and drank. Lots of fun and good company.

Day 10 - Final day at Sunrise

businesschick — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:21:00 GMT

this morning we started with a blessing from the monks. We went to a temple. None of us really knew what was in store for us. We were given incense that was lit and presented it to buddha under that massive statue. We then sat crossed legged on a mat and waited for the monks. They came out wearing the traditional orange/mustard colour. There was one really old one, one that was probably in his 50's and the other 3 were quite young ones - in their 20's. they had a big bowl that was filled with flowers and another filled with water. we sat cross legged with hands in prayer position. The monks began chanting and then started throwing water on us. I felt like i was being blessed. There was only one time where i had to gold back a giggle because as they tossed the water over us, i had to close my eyes so the water didn't go in. They also tossed flowers on us. It smelt lovely. They continued chanting for ages. It was quite hypnotic and i wondered if i could get a cd of this chanting to listen to. Nak took photos of us while this was happening. When the chanting finished they tied read string around our left wrists. Nak had his tied on his right hand because he is a man. These red cotton thread was a symbol of our blessing of prosperity and happiness. A couple of really old lady monks were there too. They were fascinated with the bigger girls arms. After the blessing, we went to Sunrise for our last day with the kids. First we stopped by Geraldine's house for the tour. she lives in a beautiful house that was donated by the government. It is a house on stilts and is surrounded by water. Its a very serene place. The back verandah had a nice cool breeze. I absolutely love the interior. Hot pink bed covers, exactly what you would expect of Geraldine. The main room is decorated with orange lounges, and orange everything. Its all very tastefully orange. I took some photos as it really inspired me to create a beautiful place like this. We were ready for when the kids came home from school. Nam came straight to me in her uniform. I can't believe how quickly we formed a bond and I'm really going to miss her. Each business chick had been given 6 or 7 kids to buy presents for. Today was the day we would give them out. It was total chaos when we did this after lunch in the dining room. the kids were so excited and so were we. When i gave my presents out, the kids ran off with their presents. I didn't see them open them. Most of them had taken off to their room and hidden their stash of goodies in the locker underneath their bed. One of the older girls came to thank me. She is 16 years old and calls herself Nith, although her full name is Pak Putheanith. She invited me to hang out in their newly painted pink room. I met a few of the older girls. Nith wants to be an accountant. One of the other girls wants to be a rock star. She looked the part too. When i gave the presents out, i was left with one. It was for the 4 year old boy with cerebral palsy. I didn't know what to do. I knew that the presents i bought, colouring pencils and paper, he would not be able to use. I asked other girls who had spare presents if they had anything suitable. They didn't. so i just made the decision to give it to him anyway. I thought maybe Vuthy would like the fact that someone gave him a present, even if he couldn't use it. I took it to him. His carer was there and she unwrapped it for him and showed him, telling him what was happening. I don't know much about kids with cerebral palsy. He is so tiny and looks like a 2 year old. He looked trapped in his body. He had the biggest eyes and the longest eye lashes i have ever seen. I couldn't imagine what life is like for him. The carer took him out of his cot and placed him on the floor. I sat on the ground and talked to him and held his hand. His carer prepared some baby food mush to feed him. She must have so much patience to look after him. He needs someone to look after him constantly. When she was feeding him, she had to grab a hold of his hand as it automatically clenched tight and went up to his throat. she had to hold it down so she could feed him. He is fully aware as he did stretch his arm out. I could see he got quite frustrated. I had to hold back tears but i think he could see it in my eyes. He kept looking at me. Nam came in too and sat with me and Vuthy. Our next activity was making get well cards for Geraldine. The kids were really creative with their cards. It was so amazing to watch them draw and really be creative. On the day that we met Geraldine, i gave her a present too. It was two long beaded necklaces one brown/orange and another green. Both colours i learnt she loved. She loved that present, and ran to the bus waving at me saying thank you and that she loved them. They really suited her. I hope that her operation goes well. She told us that she was going to paint up her boobs before the operation and have photos taken of them before they are removed. What a brave woman. I took photos of some of the kids creation. I hung out with Nam for the rest of the day. We were in the office. She showed me her photo on the office wall. Then she pointed out that she has two older sisters and a young brother that also live at Sunrise. Suddenly i felt differently. I really thought this little girl had no-one. I don't know what happened to their family, but it must be pretty serious for all 4 of them to be living at Sunrise. Although, when i was giving out presents, Nam was hanging around me. One of the carers pointed to her and then pointed to herself as if to say that she is mine. that was quite confusing. I'd like to find out what the story is. Nam introduced me to her two older sisters. Apparently her younger brother, Sola was in hospital with an ear infection. Nakry, one of her sisters couldn't stop hugging me when it was time to go. It was as if Nam had told her about me and she was thankful for me being there too. When it was time to say goodbye i got a bit teary. I just had to get on the bus. All the kids came to see us off and waved at the bus. they are all so gorgeous. I would like to help more especially knowing that Nam's family are all there. Nam's sister gave me a beaded ring that she had on her finger and she tied a pink ribbon around my wrist. I thought this was lovely. Nam also gave me her ring, but this made me cry a little. I gave it back to her because i didn't want to take anything from her. I knew that this meant she was thankful for the time we had spent together. I didn't get to say goodbye to little Sarim. I couldn't find him. Soon we were driving away from Sunrise. Its hard to believe its all over for now. The afternoon we had some free time again. Vicky and I had a bite to eat at Happy Herbs Pizza. Then went to the FCC again for a few drinks. We met up with Sabine and KA. Sabine retired for the night and then Vicky and I took KA back to the pizza place. Our days were so full and busy. I got back to the room and flopped on the bed and fell asleep as Mavis was talking to me. Sorry Mavis.

Day 9 - second day of visiting Sunrise

businesschick — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:03:00 GMT

We commenced the day with painting the outside of the building yellow. This was the hottest work to do. We all had sweat pouring out of our bodies. The kids arrived at Sunrise quite late. A school group had come to visit from Hong Kong. They were cooking fried chicken and chips for the kids. they had alot of preparation and cooking to do. We did alot of mucking about with the kids. Nam attached herself again to me. The kids put on another performance for the school group. This time they put on their costumes. I sat up on the stage on the side as instructed by the dance teacher. These kids really are remarkable with the dances, and their dance teachers are very very good. I love watching the kids dance. Its so special. It was only today that i realised that Nam was one of the dancers in the coconut dance. I took a photo of her in her outfit. I took a few pics of all of them. Another little boy, whom i don't know his name came and sat in my lap. He was very amused with taking photos with my camera. So i let him do it until the battery died. We were all exhausted again so Sabine, Vicky, Mavis & I headed out for a bite to eat at the FCC. http://www.fcccambodia.com/phnom_penh/ This is where all the journalists used to meet up. It in a french colonial looking building. Lots of foreigners were there enjoying dinner and drinks. The cocktails were delicious.

Gallery: Day 9 Sunrise Children's Village

businesschick — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:12:00 GMT

paint outside building, watch performance, make cards for geraldine

Day 8 - First day of visiting Sunrise

businesschick — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:30:00 GMT

We were supposed to start the day with a blessing for geraldine by the monks, but her operation is happening a bit later now. We all chipped in to buy paint so we could paint the kids rooms and the outside building. This morning we focussed on the rooms. There wasn't enough paint brushes or rollers for everyone so we took it in shifts. 3 rooms were painted - yellow, blue and pink. I worked on the pink room. The kids were at school in the morning but there were still some little ones hanging around. The absolutely love Helen and were all just hanging from her. She had given them balloons and the kids loved the balloons. I hung out with them until there was a paint brush free. I helped paint the girls room pink. We were all drenched in sweat from this activity. But we had to get used to it because we are spending the next 3 days doing this. Lunch cost us $2 each per day. So cheap. The kids came home from school and had their lunch then a sleep. Of course, Nam found me straight away and stuck to me like glue. Mavis brought some beads for the kids to make some bracelets. She had planned to give them each portions but at the time, more and more kids surrounded us and even though there were other girls helping us help the kids, it was difficult to have any control. It was amazing to see how excited they were to do some craft. The boys were involved just as much as the girls. The boys wanted necklaces too. I helped Nam with a necklace. She beaded one end and i beaded the other. It was nice to be able to do that with her. Little Sarim, a gorgeous 5 year old boy, siddled up to me and quietly sat on my lap and stayed there while he made a necklace too. I wasn't so sure that he would be able to do it. But i showed him how to thread the bead on the string. They were small beads and he did it very carefully and slowly. I love the nature of this boy. He is just so sweet. Whenever i talk to him or ask him a question, he just says "yeah". I'm not sure whether or not he understands. Nam doesn't speak english either. Although i know she understands some. We communicated quite well anyway. Jewellery making was exhausting, but the kids were really happy and content. It was nice to watch them create their own masterpiece. There were a few beads that dropped on the ground but every single one of them was picked up and used. Headed back to the hotel around 2.30pm. we were supposed to stay til 4.30 but with the heat and the intensity of the kids, as well as the painting, we were all exhausted. In the afternoon, i hung out with my peeps, Mavis, Sabine and Vicky. This was the first time we all had sat together and really got to know one another. It was so much fun. We went to La Croisette which is a french cafe restaurant situated right on the river front. They made amazing cocktails for $4. We talked and talked and talked. I think i had dinner with everyone but i can't remember where it was.

Gallery: Day 8 Sunrise Children's Village

businesschick — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:17:00 GMT

Painting kids rooms and making jewellery

Day 7 - Return to Phnom Penh

businesschick — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:52:00 GMT

On the road again, this time by bus back to Phnom Penh. First stop was the sight of Sunrise 3. This is being funded by computershare. We had to park the bus at the main road and walk in through a village. All the villagers came to greet us. The kids were just beautiful. Again greeting us with big smiles and hellos. It was really hot, just as every other day we had experienced. I was still weak and walking so far made me feel quite faint. I had a bottle of water clued to my hand by this stage. A couple of men on motor bikes came by and offered us a lift up the hill. Zoe got on the back of one. She was hilarious. Zoe is on the councillors at the Kids Helpline. The guy on the bike she hopped on was bare chested and she slapped her hands straight on his chest and held on tight as they whizzed up the hill. Vicky hopped on the back of the other one. She sat side saddle. Sunrise 3 is being built for orphans with HIV & Aids. They haven't commenced building yet because they are waiting for the government of Cambodia to grant them the land titles. It was great to see where it is going to be. All the village kids had joined us, I had a photo with them. I have never seen so many cute kids.

The drive back to Phnom Penh was four hourse. Once back in Phnom Penh we had some free time. It was time to hit the laundromat followed by the russian market which really was a hot place to be. We had a crazy tuk tuk ride - one really puts ones life in their hands when riding these things. Then sat down for some lunch and a drink at a a cafe called Yejj. Its a cafe owned by a Canadian. http://www.yejj.com/cafe-yejj and is highly recommended. I had a vegetarian burrito which was delicious. I really liked this cafe because they train up their staff that are from underprivileged backgrounds and train them up in hospitality and english. Their mission is to impact and strengthen the social situation of young people in Cambodia. Caught a tuk tuk back to the hotel.In fact this was the disco tuk tuk and i have some video footage of us going off on the tuk tuk.

Back at the Diamond Hotel, Mavis and I were unlucky with our room. The first room they gave us, they told us there was no hot water and moved us to a room on the top floor. The second room had a dodgy air conditioner. I was concerned about this because i was didn't want to spend a whole night sweating and losing fluid when i had just had 3 iv drips a couple of nights ago. They told us the hotel was fully booked. But after they sent up housekeeping to take a look, they gave us a choice of 2 other rooms. this did not look fully booked to me.

Gallery: Day 7 Return to Phnom Penh

businesschick — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:53:00 GMT

via Sunrise 3

Day 6 - Kampot to Sihnoukville not cycling and beach time

businesschick — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:34:00 GMT

Well i didn't see anything in Kampot except the inside of the cambodian hospital and the toilet bowl. Again, i was disappointed i would miss a second day of cycling. I was still quite weak but definately much better than the night before. We had breakfast at a local restaurant. I took it easy and had some baguette with raspberry jam. Someone said Raspberries were good for an upset stomach. Not sure if that is an old wives tail or not. The girls got back on the bikes and it seemed that they were knocking the 10 km's over in no time. In fact, they had done the whole 30kms in one and a half hours. Nak had told them this would be the hardest day but they said it was really easy. Maybe they are getting used to the riding now. The Beach Club Hotel was our new hotel in Sihnoukville. This is another beach side town. I didn't stray to far from the hotel or the nearest toilet. I managed to make a trip down to the water with Vicky and Fiona. I wasn't prepared for being bombarded by the sales people - kids and adults. One lady wanted to paint my nails. So i said yes later. She tagged me with her bracelet and told me it was free. Of course, I felt obliged to have my nails done. So i told her that i would do it later because we had just arrived and i wanted to have a look around. This place really reminded me of Pattaya in Thailand. The sun was setting over the water. The foreshore was dotted with bars that extended right onto the beach. They had big round lounges that looked really comfy. We sat down in one bar. The nail lady didn't stop following us. So i decided to let her do my nails. Then the kids selling bracelets came up to us. One kid called Nick wasn't Cambodian. He was Vietnamese. He was the best salesman. He had an answer for everything and his english was perfect. I felt overwhelmed as a guy selling sunglasses also came along. They surrounded me and i had to tell them to back off. It was simply too much to have 5 people around me trying to sell me something. I had a manicure pedicure. Then the lady brought out some cotton. She put it between her teeth and then pulled it like a scissor action to pull hairs from my leg. She said that my leg hair would stay like this for 3 months. I had never seen anything like it. But it was taking too long. We wanted to go to the markets before they closed. In the end, they did one leg and left parts unfinished. I told them i would come back so they could finish but i didn't. We didn't have that long in Sihnoukville but i was happy with the time that we had there. The Beach Club had a swimming pool but i decided that i didn't want to spread any germs and infect anyone else. I skipped dinner that night too - i just needed some time out to sleep and be by myself.

Gallery: Day 6 Kampot - Sihnoukville

businesschick — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:48:00 GMT

Day 5 - Kep to Kampot & Cambodian Hospital

businesschick — Mon, 9 Nov 2009 20:44:00 GMT

Woke up not feeling great in general, then had a feeling of nausea. I had panadol as well as the precautionary anti-gas tablets - after all i didn't have anything yet. I still felt terrible even after a rest. I told Lynda, who was sitting outside my door on the verandah that i wasn't feeling so great. On this trip we had a pharmacist and an acupuncturist. Tristanne who is an acupuncturist by trade, gave me some acupuncture in my legs after doing a test - she said that my stomach was really damp. This improved how i felt but i decided to skip lunch. The bus came back to pick me up but i really wasn't feeling well by this stage. I was lucky to have a wonderful room mate who packed my belongings on the bus.

I had a fever and the start of the hot and cold shakes. fiona gave me an anti-nausea tablet too. I was disappointed but knewthat i would have to forego Day 3 of cycling. This would be from Kep to Kampot. I hoped i would be a little better later on and maybe i could continue the ride. So i reluctantly rode on the bus with Helen. Helen was not cycling at all this trip. She had a back injury so was our chief photographer. As we rode along each stretch, Helen was always at the end taking photos of us on our bikes. It was different to watch everyone else cycle. On this journey i was really busting to go the toilet. I was busting. The bus had stopped to wait for the girls to appear for their break. Rin the bus driver helped me find a toilet at a local villagers house. We walked into someone's backyard and headed to the outhouse. Rin looked in, then looked at me and shook his head. Although he didn't speak much english, i knew that this toilet was not good for me to use. He pointed to the bushes. We weren't exactly in wide open spaces and there was lots of people around. I didn't want to bear my bum to the world. I headed back to the bus and decided the best way was for someone to hold up a sarong as a shield so i could pee. This would be my first rural outdoor pee in cambodia. I was still feeling pretty off and spent the rest of the cycling legs lying on the back seat of the bus. I had the hot & cold shivers pretty bad. I spent most of the day like this. It was when we finally arrived in Kampot that my health really went down hill. I was going to vomit, I was dragged off the bus and from then on its all a bit of a blurr. I remember sitting between 2 girls, one of the them Tris and the other Lynda. I couldn't walk up the stairs so they sat me on a chair outside. Again, it was stinking hot. They found a plastic bag for me to throw up into. I'd been drinking blue powerade, so you can imagine what colour was now in the bag. then the worst thing i could imagine happened. Let's just say my black shorts were now brown. That has to be the most disgusting thing that has ever happened to me. By this stage i was feeling delirious. I was pushed into a bathroom and jumped in the shower. I was still shaking with the hot and cold fever. The girls had gone through my suitcase to find some clean clothes to wear. I jumped straight into bed and waited for the girls to call a doctor to come. Problem was that the doctor couldn't come so i had no choice but go to the hospital. I really couldn't walk by this stage as i was so weak and faint. My body was shutting down. Rin was helpful in getting me off the bus. I just lay on this hospital bed that had a plastic cover on it. My temperature was 39.8 degrees. I was burning up. I am so thankful that Lynda, Tris and Mavis were there. There were times when i thought i was sleeping but i think i was drifting in and out of conciousness. Lynda confirmed this when she said she got really worried when she saw my eyes rolling into the back of my head. I remember that the last time i saw happen to someone was when my sister Lynda was little and had an epileptic fit. But i didnt have any idea at the time. I was really scared but the doctors gave me some injections of pencillin and anti-nausea as well as a blood test. My fever was still high. Luckily i had 3 angels with me who just caressed me and reassured me every step of the way. They made sure that the nurses were injecting clean needles every time. We called my parents, because before i left, my grandmother was sick with vomiting and the runs. I didn't want to scare them and wanted them to know that i was ok. But the doctor wanted to know what it was in case this is what i had. Nana was not diagnosed as such so that didn't tell us anything. But i started to feel a bit better. The doctor declared it to be severe dehydration and sent me back to the hotel with medication to take and advising that i needed to rehydrate myself. Mavis prepared the bladder of a camel pack with a solution and told me i had to drink it all. It was time for dinner, so i told them i would be ok and would just sleep while they were away. They left a phone with me in case i felt worse and then they would come back. Before they left, they asked if i wanted to see everyone. It was kind of funny because my room was like a palace. We had to pay extra for it. On the count of the 3, the girls opened back my curtains to reveal all the girls waiting at the bus. All i could hear was laughter. It was pretty funny. They came into my room for a visit, and again, it was really funny even though i felt so sick. I think a few of them had been to the hospital hoping to see me but were turned away. So it was nice to see everyone. the all left and i fell asleep then woke to Katherine sitting by my side. I felt quite out of it and wondered why she had woken me up. I was so glad she did because i got up to go to the toilet and my stomach had ballooned up and the pain was excruciating. By this stage the runs had set in and seemed like they were there to stay. I was really weak and in alot of pain. They made the call to go back to hospital. At the hospital they put me straight onto the drip.In fact i had 3 bags of iv fluid before they said i could go back to the hotel. Sabine was with me this time and had been rubbing my feet the whole time. It was late and had been a really long day. I could see that the girls with me were also tired. Mavis had prepared my bag again and packed everything away for me. The room we were in only had one double bed but they brought a matress in and Mavis slept on that on the floor. She was truly a great room mate, so caring and kind to me. Thank you Mavis xx

Gallery: Day 4 & 5 Takeo - Kep

businesschick — Mon, 9 Nov 2009 19:47:00 GMT

Gallery: Day 5 Kep to Kampot

businesschick — Sun, 8 Nov 2009 19:47:00 GMT

Day 4 - Takeo to Kep cycling & the beach house

businesschick — Sun, 8 Nov 2009 19:28:00 GMT

This is Day 4 in Cambodia but Day 2 of cycling. Our aim is to cycle another 30 kms today and then ride in the bus for another hour or so to reach our destination of the seaside town of Kep. We awoke from our "5 star hotel" in Takeo and went to a local restaurant for breakfast. We had noodle soup for breakfast. The noodles were really light and fluffy, not so filling. This was the first place we had come across the most amazing coffee. It was iced coffee made with sweetened condensed milk and was delicious. One of the girls - Beccy who is a coffee fiend, drank about 3 cups before we left. Today's cycle was not as challenging as the first day. The first leg of the cycle we encountered a very bumpy road. This was a bit hard on the bum and shook every ounce of fat and wobbly bits. Again, through each village we cycled, the kids yelled out hello. We were now used to calling back "helloooo" every one hundred metres or so. We cycled past glorious green paddy fields. At one stage i saw Monks building a brick wall. The second leg of the cycle was a dusty road. It was bring improved but was just red dust. It was a bit scary every now and again when big buses hooned past and about an inch away from my shoulder. I was used to cars and bikes but the big trucks and buses still scared me. The third leg of the cycle was the most enjoyable as it was a smooth road. I had time to enjoy the beauty of the country side surrounding me. Today i had spent the most time cycling by myself. There were times when i couldn't see anyone in front nor anyone behind me. It was nice to be alone for a bit. I stopped to take lots of photos on the way. At one stage there was a bike with a big tray on the back and lots of people sitting on top. I took a photo. They were visiting different houses and picking people up. Not quite sure what they were doing but perhaps they were even selling things. I cycled along them side by side. They looked at me and smiled. Such a precious moment.

After an hour or more on the bus, we arrived for lunch in Kep. Then were taken to what Nak had described as the "7 star hotel". This hotel actually went beyond our expectations and was a glorious hotel called The Beach House. This was luxury and it had a pool.

The rest of the day, we indulged in laying by the pool with cocktails in hand, swimming, followed with a massage in the room. Aahh bliss !

The Beach House is owned by an Australian lady called Diane who works for the australian embassy or perhaps its the Australian Federal Police.She has lived in Cambodia for 9 years. The Beach House is on teh side of a mountain and overlooks the ocean. The Beach House has lush tropical plants and palm trees surrounding it. There is also an abundance of my symbol - Dragonflies. The Dragonflies were all different colours, brown, green and blue. They gave this place something extra special. The accommodation is the best we stayed in so far. It took them 2 years to build the hotel. There are small geckos here that camoflage themselves - almost like albino geckos.

Our room overlooked the infinite ocean and i could see the curvature of the earth. Simply spectacular.

Dinner again at 7pm was at The Verandah restaurant. This is a resort complex also owned by an Australian too. It was too dark to really appreciate the views which apparently are spectacular too.

Some of the business chicks went by boat to Rabbit Island and explored that. For the rest of us, we were content on remaining poolside with cocktails in hand. We didn't explore anywhere but the pool and bar, but apparently there isn't much in Kep anyway.

Gallery: Day 3 Phnom Penh to Takeo(Part 1)

businesschick — Sat, 7 Nov 2009 23:14:00 GMT

Day 1 of cycling

Day 3 Phnom Penh to Takeo - cycling & sweaty eyeballs

businesschick — Sat, 7 Nov 2009 18:43:00 GMT

this was the day we had all anticipated. I had woken through the night after sever stomach pains, My room mate, Mavis had also experienced this. After i had breakfast, i had no more pains. We took the bus out of the city to the spot where we would start cycling. I think there were alot of nerves when we saw the our brand new bikes for the first time. We loaded up with sunscreen, water, put on bike gloves, helmet and sunnies. We were away, down the National Highway. The cycling was so much fun. It was broken up into 10km stretches and we stopped at the bus to re-apply sunscreen, have a drink and some fruit. It was easier than expected. The hardest part was the intense sun constantly beating down on us and the humidity. I have to say that i said "My eye balls are sweating". Our first pitt stop was at a temple. Instantly, kids approached us asking us to buy flowers & insence to give to buddha. I purchased them and then another child came up and asked if i wanted to buy a candle to go with it, I drew the line at that. Cycling past the paddy fields, kids yelled out "Hello". Sometimes you saw them waving but others you could hear from afar or from inside their houses. At the start, i was riding up front, but as my water bottle wasn't within easy reach i had to stop along the way to take a drink and other times because the scenery was so beautiful it was a shame not to stop and take a photo. This meant that i slowly crept back to the back of the pack. I had a nice leisurely ride along with Tristanne on one of the 10km stretches. We cycled off the highway and along a very bumped dirt road filled with pot holes and had fields on either side of us. The kids were out of school and on their bikes on their way home. We came to a place by the river where we had lunch. It was a river picnic spot with floating huts. Nak had our lunch packs ready. Delicious food. The toilet there was a squat and next to it was a cage full of pigeons. Very unusual. After lunch we had to cycle back along the dirt road and onto the highway. One of the girls made a suggestion that we go to the Bear Rehabilitation Centre. Nak said that we cycled right past it. This was not completely true. We cycled off the main road and down a road that basically consisted of sand. Have you ever tried riding a bike on sand ? It was bloody hard work. This road was filled with beggars, every one hundred metres. They had tins out and rattled them as we past by. This was the toughest part of the cycle we had experienced. There was not really any shade. Again, I had fallen to the back of the pack and was glad to have the company of Tristanne, Lynda and Zoe. We were all extremely hot. Lynda spewed on the side of the road. We all poured water over the top of our heads to cool ourselves down. By the time i got to the bus,i felt ready to spew too. But i didn't. Not only was the road sandy but it was on a gradual hill that never seemed to end. The support vehicle was behind us and we were seriously considering ditching the bikes on the back and getting a ride up. But we didn't. As this part of the journey was not part of the plan, we decided it was ok to sit on the bus for the next 1 km through the gate of the bear rehab centre.

There were not only bears, but tigers, a lion, monkeys and elephants. I took a photo of a baby elephant that had stepped on a landmine and injured one of his feet.

Time to finish the journey to Takeo by bus. Arrived in Takeo in the evening. Mavis and I had 3 flights of steep stairs to drag our suitcases up. This hotel was the most basic we had stayed in, even though Nak kept telling us it was a 5 star hotel. Many of us had to try to figure out how to use the shower that hung over the toilet. Dinner was at a very local restaurant. The vegetable soup had chicken in it, so i ate the other vegies provided.

This was the first day of cycling and i really feel like i have achieved something today. I'm looking forward to the next few days of cycling. Mavis and I both feel like there has been no time to rest yet and no free time. But we are both excited to finally be cycling out in the countryside. Tomorrow we cycle to the seaside town of Kep.

Gallery: Day 3 (Part 3)

businesschick — Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:18:00 GMT

on route to Takeo / bear rehab centre

Gallery: Day 3 (Part 2)

businesschick — Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:01:00 GMT

Cycling PP to Takeo

Gallery: Day 2 Phnom Penh

businesschick — Fri, 6 Nov 2009 22:56:00 GMT

The Royal Palace, Wat Phnom, Khmer Surin Restaurant