Libby goes to Cambodia 2014: Finished teaching... Off to the beach!

My work in the High School Library "Book Bridge Association" was, to put it mildly, disappointing. Mainly due to the fact that the students stopped coming to the school (and consequently the library) from the 1st April, meaning that I did activities with a group of about 6 for only 1 week. The week just before their Khmer New Year I had one boy called Tharat (aged 13) who was keen to have English lessons so we did 2 hours every morning.

Goodbye Morning class SHAC (4 absent)

Goodbye Afternoon class SHAC (2 absent)

Main High School -Just a few motorbikes!

Just a few bicycles!

In the Book Bridge Association library

Weekend activities for me have continued! I visited the Angkor Handicraft centre and Silk Farm. I also visited a man who was about 78 who had created a miniature Angkor Wat, Bayon temple and Bantay Srei to scale, in his backyard (a sort of Cambodian equivalent of the famous French "Le Palais du Facteur Cheval" near Hauterive). Mr. Dy Preung spoke good French as he had been employed by a French Conservationist in the 70's (just before the Khmer Rouge years). Sometimes, out of the blue, we meet people who touch our hearts - I feel honoured to have met him!

Mr. Dy Preung - Angkor Wat miniature, to scale

Bayon Temple - and a few flowers

Bantey Srei temple

Stone craftsman at work

Wood craftsman at work

Final touches

Sorting out the caterpillars

The caterpillars preparing to make their cocoons

Pure art!

Now I'm in Sihanoukville - which is on the Cambodian coast for 5 days before flying back to Siem Reap and then back to France. This place is..... full of surprises (some good and some bad!) The guesthouse where I am staying is run by an eccentric woman who calls herself "Mama Medicine" and who took me on a tour of HER temple that she paid for .... I would love someone to explain to me why people spend so much money on creating a building that serves absolutely no purpose apart from a place to pray.... which is right next to many other buildings built for praying. Right next to the temples were small wooden shacks where, she told me, old people come to live and die in peace (surely the money could have been spent on a little comfort for these people... but here I have got it completely wrong! There is no need for comfort or any personal belongings when you are old and going to die, these people had the company of each other and that is what was important).

Mama Medicine's temple at Wat Leu

Chinese graves (the Khmer prefer cremation) with Sihanoukville beyond

Next day, all day boat tour visiting 3 islands. I was slightly worried when I saw the boat and was told there were no toilet facilities... but I've had so many "first experiences" during this trip - I thought "the difference between an ordeal and an adverture is your attitude" so what the heck! I was glad however, that I didn't go for the bungalow experience of a night on the island - these shacks were completely run-down and very primitive - but the views were beautiful, the sea fantastically warm and the fish and coral very beautiful. The men caught loads of fish while we were swimming, they barbecued them on the boat and we ate them 15 minutes later - you can't get fresher than that!