Singapore - Last Day

Wild winds and morning downpour on both traffic and pedestrians

We waited in this cafe and had brunch whilst waiting for the rain to stop

Major intersection with walkway to underground

Our last day in Singapore was a wet and wild one. It was not possible to go far, so a day of R&R seemed in order while we waited for our plane to depart at 9.15 pm.  Good to see Qantas again!

Arrived back in Melbourne at 6.15 am after an overnight flight, very tired but happy after a great time.

So in Summary, it was an amazing 3 weeks starting with a huge surprise on Nikoi Island for Judy and a celebration with all the family.   We then went on an adventure through Vietnam and Cambodia and were confronted by the concerns that still exist in the Cambodian community for their basic safety and independence .  Several guides indicated that Vietnam is gradually taking over Cambodia by stealth.

Phnom Penh to Singapore

A couple more observations of Cambodia.  Small children are usually barefoot, and schoolchildren and adults mostly wear thongs.  Bare feet are free, and "flip flops" $US 2.00.   Those who can afford real shoes seem to wear about two sizes too large and shuffle (perhaps the family all wear the same pair of shoes).  

It is astonishing how much it is possible to carry on one motor bike - humans, animals, and products.  

We are on the long trek home through Singapore from Phnom Penh to Melbourne.

Nothing special to report today.  A long drive from Kep, still raining, an overnight storm which seemed like a hurricane, and now at the Phnom Penh airport.

Got a few photos on the way, nothing special but they show the way of life over here.

The beach at Kep with the tide out, locals looking for seafood etc.

Saturday morning at the local shopping centre

Wet and dreary at this roadside stop

Even the local market continues in the rain.

If it won't fit inside or on the roof, just tie it on the back !

A local taxi taking women to the market.

Hard to see but this guy had at least 20 chickens alive, upside down tied to the back.  On his mobile he was trying to sell them anyway he could.

Looks like a big night for this guy, 8 dozen on the back and another dozen wine bottles in between his legs!

A small family off to the city centre for a Saturday outing.  Airport in the background.

Day 4 in Kep

The strong winds and whitecaps culminated in a wild storm overnight - lightning, thunder, lashing rain and very strong winds.  The storm returned with renewed vigour at breakfast where the eating area was inundated with heavy rain coming sideways under the roof thatching.  Too wild to take a photograph!!

Not far offshore is a small tropical island called "Rabbit Island" in English, which can be visited for a day  or is available for rudimentary accommodation.  The sea has been much too rough to contemplate this trip.

There is quite a bit of French here - on signs, menus, and in the accent of some of the locals.  These are remnants of the French influence during the colonial period of 1864 - 1953.  

The photos below do not show the severity of the rain but we think it may be time to leave.  We are back to Phnom Penh tomorrow, then Singapore for a night and then home.  

A very serious game of cards on the foreshore at Kep.

Kep beach on a windy and rainy day.

Wherever you look there are hammocks strung up for the locals to have a snooze.

We are off exploring again in a Tuk Tuk.

Not sure of the significance of this statue but it sure brightens up the dull weather.

Best shot I could get of the rain pouring down.

Looks fine but it is bucketing down and blowing a gale with thunder and lightning.

Day 3 in Kep

We have now moved into the slower than slow mode and are taking advantage of the lifestyle here.  The wind has not let up and the waves are rolling in but the temperature has dropped to just below 30C.

The breeze is very pleasant and the atmosphere amongst the palm trees very laid-back.

Two more foods which we are loath to try are fried spiders (large and very black) and cows' veins.  Frogs and all seafoods are considered ok for us.

Cambodia is renowned for special peppercorns which are called Kampot Pepper and known around the world.  They are grown organically at Koh Kong.  A standout dish is Pepper Crab.

A trip to the crab market to check out the restaurants lined up over the water was on today's agenda.  $6 per serve of any sort of seafood you could wish for and cooked in front of you, with a cold beer ($1.50).  Now that is close to the best lunch one could dream about.  This was only a short walk along the coastline from our hotel.

Durian at the market -  "tastes like heaven but smells like hell".

What about this for a plate of squid just after the fresh crab? Out of the crab pot and on to the plate within 10 minutes.  Can't get fresher than that!

Fish being cooked at the crab market. Those that are not sold for immediate consumption are set aside and sold for making dried fish.

This lady was in and out of the water for hours while we were at the crab market.  When customers want more crabs, she walks out fully clothed, brings in a crab pot, and sells them to the stall owner who then cooks and sells them to the tourists and locals.

Chicken foetuses being cooked for eating (as described previously)

Mobile food vendor with soft drinks on the front and ............

Yes, snails cooking on the back.  Why not try one of each??

Day 2 in Kep

To continue the facts about the corruption and takeover of Cambodia, Angkor Wat complex has been leased for 99 years to Vietnam.  Thus all of the entry fees end up in the pockets of the Vietnamese, at the same time as funds provided by other countries for restoration are presumably being added to the "value" of the complex if it is ever taken over from Cambodia.

As tourists, we would like to think that what we spend here can help the local people, but it is heartbreaking to know that our $'s end up increasing the wealth of few local but many foreign businesses and corrupt locals and government officials of both Cambodia and other SE Asian nations.  There does not seem to be an answer as to how we could help these people, because their history and current political situation makes it very difficult.  Staying in a 4 or 5 star hotel seems to put nothing back into the community other than providing employment.

We have eaten some interesting and delicious food in both Vietnam and Cambodia, but drawn the line at "Duck Foetuses".  The eggs have been incubated for 18 days (full term = 28 days), and are steamed gently.  The duckling is still squishy, tender, and half formed.  The veins, bones and feathers are removed or eaten as desired.  Best consumed at night when you can't really see what you are eating!!

The weather here is much more pleasant than previous locations, with a quite strong warm breeze blowing from across the water.  The seafood meals are a delicious combination of Asian and Western cuisine.

There are 3 dining areas, this one on the waters edge is pleasant in the mornings.

Another long table like Nikoi Island cut from one local tree.

A windy day with fishermen struggling to catch fish for the evening meal.

View from our balcony.

Day I in Kep.

Out to the airport at Siem Reap and squeezed onto a tiny plane with propellers.  Air Cambodia is actually Vietnam Airlines.  We bounced along the runway, up through the clouds, and came to a halt at Phnom Penh 45 minutes later. After 2.5 hours by car we are now at Kep in the south west of Cambodia on the coast.

About 90% of Cambodians are Buddhist.  Of about 14 million Cambodians, about 2 million are Vietnamese (and increasing by the minute) 2 million are Chinese, and many are from Thailand and Laos.

We were under the impression before coming to Cambodia that it was a peaceful and progressive nation since the series of wars ending with Pol Pot.  How wrong we were.  There is much increasing tension here with the greatest fear that Vietnam is taking over Cambodia by stealth.  The country is run by a Vietnamese backed Leader who has imported several million Vietnamese into this country and has done many deals with outside countries to sell the natural resources with no profit for the Cambodian people.  He and his Ministers have been accused by the general public of corruption.  In fact the Cambodian Government is now ranked at the top for corruption world wide !  

We travelled on a partly constructed road with a 1 metre drop on either side.  Our guide explained that the budget was $US 280 million funded by the World Bank, but only $US 90 million has been spent and the remainder of the funds has disappeared.  Many top level officials and businessmen can be seen driving around in Range Rovers and other expensive vehicles.  

Understandably, local people are quite angry about the corruption, particularly given that many people are not only poor but actually starving.

If you are interested in the strained relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia, and some facts which we do not hear about in Australia, then google the following site.

             Global Witness-Cambodia

This site will give you more facts and perhaps a balanced view.

Main entry to our hotel at Kep is through this gate.

The pier in the background is the recommended place to swim.  

The resort beach is not very inviting

The reception desk.

Cutting the grass with a pair of scissors !

Last day in Siem Reap

Today was dedicated to a visit to the countryside to see the "real" Cambodia.  In a village, we saw a family making brooms from dried rice stalks, which occupies them year-round and earns them very little.  

We stopped at an NGO (Non Government Organisation) which is helping to provide employment for local women and to protect them from potential human trafficking.  The factory makes various products for sale using dried, dyed, woven, water plant (like strong reeds).  Products include place mats, purses, handbags, coasters, and bookmarks.  The finished quality is very good, and the women are paid reasonably well for their work.  Acting like a commune, they are paid more for greater productivity, and for higher income earned by the organisation.  If they bring a baby to work, a "Babysitter" is available whilst they are working.  This one was funded by Japan, but there are about 3000 of them around Cambodia which have been set up by many different countries including Australia.

At a local monastery, we received a traditional blessing from an elderly monk.

We donated a bicycle for a schoolgirl to ride to school each day.  75% of the staff at our hotel attended the school, and are supporting current and future students as much as possible.

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School in the village.  60 students attend this room for extra tuition 2 hours per day.

Kitchen of a house in the village.

Our transport awaits.

Ox cart trip through the village.  Not easy for us as we can't squat like Asians 

Making brooms by hand in the village.  Income for the sale of each one is very low.

Girls riding home from school.  Two separate sessions each day - 7.00 am till 11.00 am for one group, and 1.00 pm until 5.00 pm for a second group, 6 days per week.

Lunchtime siesta from 11.00 am until 1.00 pm at the NGO we visited.

Sewing machines at the NGO factory.  Electric, but if power goes out the machines can operate manually.

To market, to market!  These pigs are still (temporarily) alive.