APAD 146: Rainy season
Folks, the rainy season has officially started.
The roads in most rural areas in Cambodia are now, more or less, like this:
This photo was taken years ago when I was on a fieldwork in Kamchai Mear district in Prey Veng. The soil has turned into a red, sticky, slippery matter that was ankle-high. In some areas, there were lots of potholes filled with water. When this dried up, they were as hard as cement. I kid you not. I can show you my shoes, if you insist, lol.
I pity the guy as he maneuvered his moto through this sticky mess. A little further down the road, it was even worse that our 4WD got stuck for an hour. It took about a dozen village folks to extricate our vehicle from the mud. Imagine the schoolchildren who walks to school everyday. The villagers we interviewed wished for better road conditions.
Several years after that fieldtrip, this wish was somehow granted. A former colleague told me that almost all of the roads to Kamchai Mear are now better, wider and cemented. Thanks to international funding, life is now easier in this rural area. Good news indeed.
APAD 234: Riding on a moto
The moto-dops (motorcycle taxis) is still the king of the road in rural Cambodia. You want tuktuk, ser, madam? Hop on in. Ahh, you have cargo? At panyaha {no problem}. We make room for you and your cargo 🙂
Dangerous? Yes. But that’s just how the people cope with the lack of a safer (and cheaper) mode of transportation.
Click on the logo for more pictures of our world.
APAD 226: Hot dog?
This is one of the signs that tell you that the Cambodian-Vietnamese border is close by. My husband initially thought this shack was selling hotdogs, lol.
I read the Khmer script on top of the Vietnamese writing (I studied how to read and write long ago but can only read simple words, like the ones written on the sign). The Khmer translation for the Vietnamese phrase “hot toc” is “kak sok”, meaning, hair cut.
APAD 225: Overloaded
How much can a truck hold?
More Wordless entries can be found here (please click the logo):
APAD 224: Cambodian border crossing in Bavet
Here is the Cambodian immigration office at the border in Bavet.
The central building is the main immigration office and it showcases the classical Khmer style of architecture. I’ve been here three times previously to go to Vietnam – the last one being in 2003. I was really surprised to see the huge change when I came here two weeks ago. From the muddy field and tiny shack that used to be where immigration formalities are done, it is now a sprawling area with several booths for border-crossers to have their passports stamped and this fantastic building where the Cambodian immigration officers work.
Click on the logo for more pictures of our world.
A Silver Finish!
Certified!
Follow Us!