APAD 185: Food
While on our way to returning to Phnom Penh after a successful surgical mission in Poipet, we stopped in Battambang province for a quick lunch.
Lunch in Battambang
There was pouring rain when we arrived in town; it was wet and cold. But all the weariness and coldness quickly dissipated after a hearty meal.
APAD 184: Stairway to somewhere…
In one of my previous projects in Krong Kep, we visited a Buddhist wat that sits on top of a hill in Ou Krasang commune. Due to its central location and good facilities, it was selected as one of the village hubs for a rural ICT-project that I was involved with in 2006-2008.
When we visited the area, it was the height of the rainy season. The team braved the monsoon rains and muddy roads – and this lofty stairs – to inspect and evaluate the facilities.
Stairway to… nirvana? Uhm, no, not yet.
In case you are curious, the view from above is magnificent! Despite the rain, we saw green ricefields in contrast with the red, red soil as far as the eyes can see. The landscape is punctuated by palm trees, the national tree of Cambodia. Will try to find a photo of the rural Cambodian landscape from my archived files and post here in the future.
APAD 166: Altar
In 2007, my husband and I went on an exploration trip of the Kampong Trach mountains in Kampong Trach district of Kampot. The moment we entered the pagoda, we were greeted by the locals and ushered us to this altar/shrine inside the cave:
It was very dark but cool inside and we noticed interesting rock formations there. Just before the cave’s exit is this altar and statues of a meditating Buddha sitting on top of a seven-headed water serpent called naga.
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.
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