Cycling is hot work in this country - so I set out at 6.30am to see where the river went! Houses of various shapes and sizes (from brick built 3 floors, to corrugated iron shacks or bamboo homes) line the road and it was only after about 45 minutes that I could see the surrounding countryside. Up a sandy track, a brief meeting with 3 buffalos and then..... the LOTUS fields!
I went back to the main road and continued towards the south and arrived at Phnom Krom (phnom means: hill) where I climbed up the steps to get a great view. In the rainy season, most of this area is flooded and really green I've been told. (I thought it looked pretty green now!) By this time I was really hungry (no breakfast) so I bought a wicked chilli flavoured sandwich from the market!
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| Looks pretty green to me now! |
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| Chilli and pork and various vegetable sandwich |
On the way back, the Lotus Handicraft centre was open and I watched as the women took the filaments from the stems and created thread which is then woven to make (very expensive) material.
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| Weaving the lotus threads |
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| These kids see you coming! |
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| Flock of "Lesser Adjunct Storks" flew in |
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| Fish drying at the side of the road (very smelly)! |
Il fait très chaud pour faire du vélo, donc je suis partie à 6H30 pour voir le paysage au bord de la rivière. Des maisons de toutes sortes (faites en brique, en tole ondulé, en bamboo) bordent la route et j'ai du pédaler 45 minutes avant de voir la campagne. J'ai pris un petit chemin ensablé, rencontré 2 buffles et puis... les champs de LOTUS!
J'ai repris la route vers le sud et je suis arrivée à Phnom Krom (phnom veut dire: colline) où je suis montée les marches pour la belle vue. On m'a dit qu'en saison de pluie, la plupart de cette region est inondée donc très verte. Moi, je trouvais c'était déjà assez vert! Comme je n'avais pas manger avant de partir, j'avais très faim donc j'ai acheté un sandwich avec chilli sauce au marché!
Au retour, la centre d'artisanat des lotus était ouverte et j'ai pu observer les femmes prendre les filaments des tiges de lotus et créer les fils pour fabriquer (tisser) un tissu très chèr.
Chili sandwich from a roadside vendor! Your stomach must have acclimatised then?
RépondreSupprimerI was thinking the same thing as Dave when I read about the chili sandwich... I bet those lotus fields were absolutely gorgeous!!! I bet it smelt beautiful too, unlike the fish drying in the sun.. pooooh! So I see you've finished with your class. Are you going to be teaching in another school now?
RépondreSupprimerYes Jen, I started at Book Bridge Library in the big High School on 26th March - totally different teaching so yet again I'm having to spend hours planning my lessons!
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