Mekong Island – Bike addition

Today was perfect day to do some exploring by bike. Davuth, who also works for Lucky Iron Fish, offered to take me on a half day bike tour on Mekong Island which turned into a 5 hour bike ride to 3 different islands. Despite the insanely dusty and bumpy ride it was really fun riding through the countryside and taking in all the sites. If I stopped every time I wanted to take a picture I would have been there all day.

We took this photo after taking a break and discussing what way we should go. We may have gotten lost in a banana field. 

This water buffalo stared at me for a while. At the time I was worried he was going to run at me!

Just ploughing a field... I am such a tourist. 

We visited a house that makes silk. Here, she is explaining how the cocoons are made which they collect, wait for the moths to come out on their own then let them lay eggs to start the process all over again. 

She didn't speak any english but these are various things (wood, leaves possibly) are used as natural dye. 

I was told the entire family (including extended) lives here. Everyone learns the business at about 7 years old and are expected to work when they are not at school. This girl is spinning the silk onto a spool. There are a bunch of steps between raw silk to spinning (including the dye and boiling which takes days).

This is the loom where they make finished material for scarves, dresses, bags etc. The entire process from moth to product takes months. To make a 4 meter long piece of fabric on the loom takes 6-7 days. A small scarf would take a day. Each family member has their own loom to work on.  

We biked through about 5 wats (also called a pagoda). They really are everywhere here.

Boat ride #2 of the day. To which Davuth asked "can you swim". Very comforting. 

It was really nice having a guide who knows Khmer. It comes in handy.

Tired, sore and sun burnt, the day was really great and I hope to go out again soon! 

Getting some fresh air

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been outside of the hustle and bustle of the city. Not only did I want to check out something new but needed a break from the busy downtown streets. After consulting my handy map, and a few awesome girls I’ve met here, we decided to make the 1.5 hour long journey to check out Phnom Chisor. The 11^th century Khmer temple is located 503 steps up a fairly steep hill. At the foot of the hill there is a building known as Son Reveang that is now used as a Buddhist place of worship. There were also prayers going on at the top, which we listened to as we enjoyed the amazing view of the countryside.

On our way home we decided to stop by another site of temple ruins called Ta Prohm. The main ruins were small but impressive. Like Phnom Chisor, the site is still used for worship. We didn’t stay long here as we were bombarded with begging children. Before we even got out of the car 15 kids ran at us pushing flowers and incense in our faces asking for money. While trying not to trip over our 15 little shadows, we also passed a handful elderly beggars that sat within the ruins which made the experience a little less enjoyable. 

Tonle Bati was our last stop which is a popular destination for locals to relax in huts over the lake and get something to eat. We walked around and checked out the food selection of mainly skewered frogs, fish, chicken and various other mystery creatures but decided not test our digestive limits. 

Our exercise for the day!

These 2 girls followed us around the entire time. They could only say hello and when we tried to  talk to them more, they would just giggle. 

The view, quietness and strong wind was my favourite part.

Inside one of the newer buildings used for worship. 

Entrance to Ta Prohm.

One of 5 worship areas.

Work in progress

Things have been pretty quiet so I haven’t had much to post about lately. The last couple weeks have been spent getting used to my surroundings and networking with other expats. There are a few things to do in Phnom Penh, but once you’ve seen them, you have to travel outside the city for other sights and activities. No complaints here though. It has been nice getting to know the area, going to the same cafes, markets and restaurants, using the same tuk tuk/moto drivers and getting to know the locals and other expats. It has also been fun learning that the expat community here is quite small. Despite being in a big city, everyone seems to know everyone and you will keep running into the same people and showing up at the same events. I have met a lot of people through weekly dodgeball games, hikes, social events and dinners. Part of the fun is learning where everyone is from and what brought them to Cambodia. 

It has only been a few weeks but I can tell this crazy city is growing on me. Despite the little things I miss (quiet time, cheese and crackers, walking everywhere, the simplicity of asking directions or buying produce, to name a few) I can tell I’ll miss this place when I go.

Things may not stay quiet for long though as I have a few trips brewing and some projects in the works. So stay tuned!

Independence Monument (a good marker to know I'm close to home).

Living in the expat area is very nice but definitely not representative of what the rest of the country is like. 

Cambodian version of hard hats and work boots. I have also seen men welding wearing nothing but shorts.

Wat Langka. One of the may temples in the city. This is also where I will tell my driver to go in order to get home. Most drivers here can't read a map and do not know the streets by heart (they are all numbered). It can be very difficult to try and explain where you are going so landmarks work the best. 

There are usually about 15 tuk tuks on this street alone.

Tuesday night dodgeball! 

Started by another expat, this group is a great mix of foreigners and locals. The games are twice a week and everyone is welcome (for a mere $1.50).

Khmer cooking

I have had a variety of traditional Khmer dishes since arriving and most of them I have liked. There are a couple herbs I am not crazy about but some of the spices are wonderful. Fresh hot chili peppers are also widely used so if you don’t like spicy food you will need to choose wisely. There is a Khmer restaurant down the street that offers cooking classes daily which is the perfect way to learn how some of the most common dishes here are made.

The morning started with a trip to the local market to understand what ingredients we would be using. Our instructor guided us through various stalls and explained what each ingredient was. Even though this was interesting, the four of us were most intrigued by the fish and meat stalls and were busy snapping pictures while the vendors looked at us amused. This is totally different anything I'm used to at home and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of observing the daily routine in the markets.

On the menu was green mango salad to start, fish amok as our main and cha houy teuk for dessert. There is a ton of chopping and grinding with mortar and pestle which resulted in my arm feeling like it might fall off. I was especially proud of my banana leaf bowl which was made from 2 circular leaves and 2 tooth picks.

3 hours later we sat down as a group and enjoyed our creations. I can’t say I’ll attempt the amok at home with the amount of ingredients and work it involves but I may need to make my own version of the mango salad.

You will have to picture everything moving around.

My cooking buddy Kevin.

Filling my banana leaf bowl with the fish amok.

One of our instructors and our fish amok steaming.

Green mango salad. It is not my favourite dish but good on occasion. 

Fish amok with white rice. Very flavourful. Another tasty dish but not something I would want everyday. 

Cha houy teuk is a sweet jelly dessert made with agar agar, coconut milk, sugar and bananas. It tastes great but the slimy noodles are an acquired taste.