Stuart has touched on our experiences of the last couple of days...but we have had no time to get to an internet cafe when it is open. However, contrary to popular belief, we are all well, although Davie and Stu have asked that I say they are in quarrantine in Siem Reap, the insurance is taking care of everything and see you all in two weeks!
I'll try to catch up briefly with news...Saturday we were really brought down by the news from Bos Tom, but carried on with a fun morning of School on a Mat. Balloon modelling for Noah's Ark was chaos!!!! The evening we were invited to a party on the roof top of the CHO building for Vuthy, and his wife, to celebrate the safe arrival of their baby son. BBQ goat, curry and cold drinks, in the open air as the sun set around us - wait until you see the pics, followed by learning to dance Cambodian Style while Chinese New Year fireworks erupted around us from all over Poipet. Magic.
Sunday Alastair took the service at CHO, we had to sing a song. V. bad. Least said about that the better. Chomno and Kim took us for lunch in a Thai Casino's Japanese restaurant in No Man's Land, which was excellent, and then we rode local style in the open back of the Landcruiser to collect a tonne of water and supplies and drove to Bos Tom, where the scenes were so awful I couldn't even cry. Such a moving experience, and I'll never forget it. Cambodian TV and reporters were there, so if we could work out the channel, we were on the News! Not quite CNN, in fact I think we've got the same video camera from 18 years ago upstairs, and that was the entire crew. They were the first people, other than ourselves with an ounce of spare fat on them, that we've seen. We ate again in a Thai casino, but whether it was our experiences or poor food, it was a sad meal.
Moday we started back after Devotions, saying goodbye to the CHO workers who seemed genuinely sad to see us go. We stopped in at the new CHO site out of town, where the ground was literally broken that day for the offices, school, orphanage, which have been planned and fundraised for for many years and will take 3 years to complete.
Lunch at half way was an experience. For the first time we saw cats hanging around, and two of the group swore that's what was on the plate... I've stuck to sea food and never had a dud meal.
This was made up for with our hotel, The Green Garden Home Guest House, which has a salt water swimming pool! We've blitzed the markets, twice. This place is so contrasting, we've got used to being the tallest people by a foot, and to see Westerners who are far taller is odd. Siem Reap is the tourist capital, and it feels like Blackpool. We were smug enough to disassociate ourselves from this - "we're on a little R'n'R after working with one of the NGO's in Poipet."
Yesterday we went to the temple complexes, which were stunning, but exhausting, and I really hope I've got some good photos. Sunset worth the climb (and getting ticked off by security)! The amazing thing is that this is one of the modern wonders of the world and you can climb on it anywhere you like. Steps are 4" wide and 12" high and rise at 80 degrees so it's at your own risk but it was a giant adult climbing frame. In a couple of years the Khmer will realise the damage we do and cordon it off. Saw the temple Tomb Raider was filmed in, another for Two Brothers. We also said goodbye to Chmno and Kim for the last time, which was really hard, but didn't feel final, and, having experienced a disgusting market from where we assume our food is coming, Stuart had fish tasting omlette in a restaurant and hasn't managed to eat since. He's quite well, just can't get the taste out of his mouth.
Today we finish messing about, get a flight to Bangkok, stay the night.
We're on our way home. Be ready, we're all going to be unbearable for months.
I'll try to catch up briefly with news...Saturday we were really brought down by the news from Bos Tom, but carried on with a fun morning of School on a Mat. Balloon modelling for Noah's Ark was chaos!!!! The evening we were invited to a party on the roof top of the CHO building for Vuthy, and his wife, to celebrate the safe arrival of their baby son. BBQ goat, curry and cold drinks, in the open air as the sun set around us - wait until you see the pics, followed by learning to dance Cambodian Style while Chinese New Year fireworks erupted around us from all over Poipet. Magic.
Sunday Alastair took the service at CHO, we had to sing a song. V. bad. Least said about that the better. Chomno and Kim took us for lunch in a Thai Casino's Japanese restaurant in No Man's Land, which was excellent, and then we rode local style in the open back of the Landcruiser to collect a tonne of water and supplies and drove to Bos Tom, where the scenes were so awful I couldn't even cry. Such a moving experience, and I'll never forget it. Cambodian TV and reporters were there, so if we could work out the channel, we were on the News! Not quite CNN, in fact I think we've got the same video camera from 18 years ago upstairs, and that was the entire crew. They were the first people, other than ourselves with an ounce of spare fat on them, that we've seen. We ate again in a Thai casino, but whether it was our experiences or poor food, it was a sad meal.
Moday we started back after Devotions, saying goodbye to the CHO workers who seemed genuinely sad to see us go. We stopped in at the new CHO site out of town, where the ground was literally broken that day for the offices, school, orphanage, which have been planned and fundraised for for many years and will take 3 years to complete.
Lunch at half way was an experience. For the first time we saw cats hanging around, and two of the group swore that's what was on the plate... I've stuck to sea food and never had a dud meal.
This was made up for with our hotel, The Green Garden Home Guest House, which has a salt water swimming pool! We've blitzed the markets, twice. This place is so contrasting, we've got used to being the tallest people by a foot, and to see Westerners who are far taller is odd. Siem Reap is the tourist capital, and it feels like Blackpool. We were smug enough to disassociate ourselves from this - "we're on a little R'n'R after working with one of the NGO's in Poipet."
Yesterday we went to the temple complexes, which were stunning, but exhausting, and I really hope I've got some good photos. Sunset worth the climb (and getting ticked off by security)! The amazing thing is that this is one of the modern wonders of the world and you can climb on it anywhere you like. Steps are 4" wide and 12" high and rise at 80 degrees so it's at your own risk but it was a giant adult climbing frame. In a couple of years the Khmer will realise the damage we do and cordon it off. Saw the temple Tomb Raider was filmed in, another for Two Brothers. We also said goodbye to Chmno and Kim for the last time, which was really hard, but didn't feel final, and, having experienced a disgusting market from where we assume our food is coming, Stuart had fish tasting omlette in a restaurant and hasn't managed to eat since. He's quite well, just can't get the taste out of his mouth.
Today we finish messing about, get a flight to Bangkok, stay the night.
We're on our way home. Be ready, we're all going to be unbearable for months.
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