Kep to Kampong Som

After a western-style breakfast at the hotel, we left Kep for Kampong Som, also known as Sihanoukville in honor of a former Cambodian king. As we left Kep, we could see the ruins of many formerly lovely villas. They were abandoned when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge overran the country and took power in 1975. Unfortunately, most of them were never restored to their former owners and are now in a state of advanced deterioration. 

The road winds along the coast past rice fields, small villages, roadside markets and other interesting sights. Here is an example of the home of a typical Cambodian farm family. Usually the yard is full of chickens, a dog or two, cows and small children.

This small "finger" connects to the sea, allowing the villagers to take their boats out in to the Gulf of Thailand to fish, then have a safe harbor when they return.




As we continued toward Kampong Som, we stopped to watch this young woman, who was doing intricate beadwork on dresses and blouses. We were told that the dresses are made in the city, and then brought to this seamstress so the beadwork can be applied. 

You can see some of the finished garments in this case.












We also stopped to watch these villagers harvesting salt from evaporation ponds just a short distance inland.

Once in Kampong Som, we settled into our hotel, the Holiday Palace. It was right on the water, giving us a chance to do some beach combing and people watching, not to mention seeing another great sunset.

There was work being done on our hotel, and John was wowed by their construction techniques.  Here you can see the workers mixing cement one bag at a time to make the concete patio.  In the background is the welder.  Not only was his scaffolding a little inadequate...he was welding in flip-flops, without gloves or sleeves to protect him from the sparks, and with only sun glasses as eye protection.

Lunch by the Sea

When we arrived in Kep, we dropped our bags at the hotel, Long Villa. We had lovely rooms with balconies overlooking the sea. (I should say the bedrooms were lovely; we won't discuss the bathrooms, which were a bit rustic.)

We then headed for the local market where we bought blue crabs fresh from the sea.
 

Since Nine speaks fluent Cambodian, she was able to bargain for the best crabs at a good price.

They were boiled for us on the spot.







We also purchased some tasty grilled squid. 

Just down the beach, we rented a table by the water and ordered steamed rice and fried fish to complete our lunch (along with a bottle of white wine). The entire meal cost $37 US, exclusive of the cost of a nice white Bordeaux.

Later, we walked along the waterfront and admired the fishing boats moored there. 













John and Jimmy were particularly interested in the motors with long-shafted props that propel them through the shallow waters. 

We enjoyed a chilled beverage on our balcony while we watched local fishermen wading along with their "butterfly" nets. 

We then watched a lovely sunset.

Dinner was at the hotel's patio restaurant. It was run by a nice young Cambodian couple from Columbus, Ohio. It seems they got tired of the winters in the US Midwest...imagine that!

Off to the Beach

After almost a week of visiting markets and adjusting to a new climate and new time zone, we were ready to go adventuring again. Jimmy and Nine wanted to show us Cambodia's beaches and mountains, so off we went.

We rented a small SUV and driver (you'll understand why later) and headed out on Wednesday, January 4. Our first destination was Kep (prounounced kipe) located southwest of Phnom Penh on the coast near the border with Vietnam.

　

　
The countryside isn't as lush as you might expect, because this is the dry season. These rice paddies have been harvested, and the local cattle have been turned in to graze on the stubble. 

Or sometimes they're on the way to or from the fields, stopping traffic as they go.

The rice crop (at least the part which will be used for local consumption) can be seen drying on mats beside the road, or in rare instances, piled under a shed.

Along the way we shared the roads with plenty of other vehicles...not all of them mechanical. 

Cattle pull some of the loads.  Jimmy tried to get a kiss from this one, but she was too shy.

We also saw a few ponies being used. Here, one little fellow waits patiently as his owner loads a TV set on top of the mattresses and other cargo, then plods along to the market.

Other carts are pulled by what the locals call water buffalo. This team has a full load of hay (or rice straw) bound for some unknown destination. If you saw this vehicle from the rear, you'd never suspect what was up front.

Our trip was full of pleasant surprises.  This woman, bound for the local pagoda with her load of bright goods for sale, was just one of them.

　
Around noon we reached our destination, the town of Kep, bounded by the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

　

Happy Cambodian New Year

We began our first adventure of 2012 on Wednesday, December 28, 2011.   At 7:55 am we left Austin bound for Phnom Penh, Cambodia to visit our good friends, Jimmy and Danine Jacks.

Even though we're not traveling in the RV this time, the trip certainly qualifies as a flight! We were 24+ hours point-to-point, most of the time in the air. Service on Korean Air, which we took from DFW to Phnom Penh, was superb. We had lots of entertainment options, but most of the time chose to read and to follow the plane's progress along our route on the seat-back monitor.   (You can see we were over Alaska when this photo was taken.)

Our route took us much farther north than I had expected. We left DFW at 10:50 am and at 5:15 Austin time were over Anchorage, and then crossing the Bering Sea. We crossed the International Date Line at 7:21 Austin time, then at 1:40 am Austin time we arrived at Seoul Incheon Airport to change planes for Cambodia.  Arriving here at 10:20 pm local time on Thursday, we were met by Jimmy and Dodo, Jimmy and Nine's nephew.  Dodo was a tremendous help to us in clearing Customs and getting us and all our luggage to the apartment.

We were out and about on Friday, traveling by tuk-tuk with Jimmy and Nine to visit Phnom Penh's Phsar Thmey or Central Market.   (The tuk-tuk, a four-seat open carriage pulled by a 100 cc motorbike, is a popular means of transportation in the city.  They, and the hordes of motorbikes, vastly outnumber cars.)

Fresh fish like these, fruits and vegetables and cuts of meat, compete with each other at the market for the shoppers' eye...and purchase.

Lunch Friday was at the lovely Ngon Restaurant, which impressed John with it's sixteen mini-kitchens, each used for the preparation of a different dish.

Dinner, prepared by Saroeun, Jimmy and Nine's cook and housekeeper, was worthy of a five-star restaurant. I can't tell you the names of all the dishes, but they were fantastic!

On Saturday, Paul and his tuk-tuk took us to visit the Russian Market. Unlike Phsar Thmey, which specializes in fresh produce, meats and fish, the Russian Market is known for its clothing, arts and crafts, bulk produce and motorcycle parts.  

As you can see, there are also plenty of options for on-the-spot dining or take-out!

New Year's Eve was a quiet one, but New Year's Day was very lively. Dodo and his wife and daughter arrived for lunch, and later in the afternoon we were joined by Nine's cousin, Neang Nith, her husband and three daughters. It was, indeed, a very happy new year!

  

　

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

November was a busy month for us. John took two nice deer at his lease in Mason. Then Brian, his wife Debi, and Gage, Myles and Mallory joined us at the farm for the Thanksgiving holidays. Gage has taken deer the past two years, but this time it was Brian's turn to down a nice doe. After processing, their family took home some 75 pounds of venison for their freezer.

On Friday, Debi's mom, Eleene and husband Wamon arrived to spend the day, along with Debi's borther and her sister and family. With 7 kids and 6 dogs whizzing through the yard, we enjoyed a lively visit and a fine send-off to the holiday season.

In November and early December, we also spent quite a bit of time preparing for the sale of Mother's home. For you who have never visited Hamilton, here are several photos of the home where I grew up. It is set on a one-acre lot, and we were surrounded by relatives. The property was originally part of a tract owned by my paternal grandparents. In the 1930s, they divided it into lots which they gave to their children. So, my brother and I grew up surrounded by our cousins and never lonely or at a loss for something to do.

Construction on the home began shortly after my parents married in 1932, and it was enlarged over the years as my brother and I arrived and improvements were made. My parents also put in a series of rock walls, an outdoor patio and fireplace. Many of my classmates will remember all the parties held in that big back yard and all the fun we had.

It has been hard to pack up my childhood and dispose of my mother's remaining possessions that wouldn't fit in the homes of her children and grandchildren. We won't pack up our memories, though. Those remain fresh and will continue to be so as the family shares stories of those wonderful years.

As we approach the end of 2011, we think of all our friends and wish one and all a Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years. The Bagley Pack, Nickie, Kota and Colt, join us in saying, "May your stockings be filled with Wonderful Things!"

Back to Reality

We left East Texas on October 28, bound for home by way of Fort Worth. On the way, we saw some spectacular fall color. These flame sumac are just one example. Set against the dark green of the pine trees, they have a neon-like luminance.

By evening we were camped just outside Fort Worth at Lake Worth RV Ranch. The location is convenient to our relatives' homes, and the park is friendly, with its own type of unique charm. Here is the view out our rear window. We were lucky to have a few hours to experience the roar of the big crane moving scrap from one pile to another and loading it onto trucks for transport.

While in Fort Worth, we had a chance to visit with my cousin Kathy and her husband Eric.  I also had a chance to indulge in two of my "Favorite Things," the love of photography and of horses.  Kathy and I spent Saturday morning photographing Kathy's Dutch warmblood, "Radius," and Eric's quarter horse, "Cow Savvy." Here are photos of the two handsome boys. 

After Kathy put Radius through his paces in the arena, we took a short trail ride around the property.

Radius took the opportunity to snatch a mouthful of fresh, green, grass before returning to his paddock.

We left early on Sunday, intending to be back in Austin by afternoon. Unfortunately, leaving Fort Worth we experienced our only (thankfully) serious equipment-related problem of the trip. Just 100 yards before exiting to take IH 35 southbound, an air hose between the Volvo and the RV disconnected, activating the trailer brakes and blowing out a tire on the fifth wheel. Stranded in the middle of the freeway with vehicles whizzing by on both sides, we called 911 for assistance. We were soon joined by two of Fort Worth's Finest. The very helpful officers diverted traffic long enough for us to exit the freeway and move into an adjacent parking lot where the tire could be changed.

We were underway after a couple of hours. However, since we did not want to return and back into our parking spot after dark, we elected to spend the night in the Lake Waco Corps of Engineers Park. After a relaxing evening and a brisk walk on Monday morning, we returned to Austin with no further problems.