February 18, 2015: Weekend Fun and Back to Work!

The last five days have flown by. Our weekend included a half day road trip to Kampot with a visit to the fish market, lunch at The Rusty Keyhole (famous for its ribs) and a foot massage at seeing hand massage (provided by blind masseuse). Our drive back to Kep was highlighted by a karaoke session to "Dancing Queen" lead by Chelsea. Back in Kep, everyone took time walking the beach, hiking in Kep national forest, relaxing at Spring Valley Resort and another massage for some. Dinner at the Spring Valley Resort included traditional Khmer food in a street vender format (an interactive eating experience enjoyed by everyone). I understand the passion fruit punch was a particular hit. Sunday was spent on Rabbit Island hiking the shoreline, sun worshiping and massage. Great relaxing day on the island.

We are now three days into week 2 and both teams have made amazing progress with pits dug, concrete pipes installed and back filled and brick work complete. The concrete finish is continuing at both sites.

Bill, Evy, Liz, Tom and Betty are working at the home of a local family and are treated with fresh coconut and bananas. Liz, one of our teachers on board and resident animal lover, has been tending to the farm animals, and conducting impromptu lessons and reading time with the children (a special experience for all involved).

Bill and Tom have worked tirelessly and creatively through the 35C temperatures and difficult ground conditions to dig the latrine pit. I understand the pit has an interesting spiral staircase. Betty and Evy have been busy laying bricks, applying and finishing concrete.

The second latrine is being constructed by Lynda, Lindy, Jeries, Chelsea and Don at the women handy craft project in Odong. The project provides training in various crafts (weaving, jewelry making) and an opportunity for the women to earn income. Our efforts are guided by our smiling and quiet contractor referred to as Uncle (or Po, his Khmer name). He ensures the site is ready for us each day and quietly guides us through our paces ensuring an acceptable finish. The digging of our pit was a team effort with everyone taking a turn in the pit.

Don Brimacombe
DWC Volunteer Team Leader
Cambodia. February 2015

February 10, 2015: Focused On The Task At Hand

Arriving at the worksite, the water had been drained and prepared for the inlet and outlet walls. There was a different feel around the project today...focused. Fairly quiet around each site as everyone was busy with task at hand. Today was also a special day in honour of Larry Steele, Lindy's beloved husband who passed recently. We all shared in Lindy's heartfelt blessing and dedicated this site in Larry's name. We are a team of eleven.

After lunch, brick laying continued followed with application of a finishing coat of cement to walls.

Again, a well deserved swim at Kep Beach greeted everyone after a good days work.

Don Brimacombe
DWC Volunteer Team Leader
Cambodia: February 2015

February 9, 2015: Ferris Wheels and Muddy Feet!

First day on project started with a carnival type atmosphere. What started as a photo opportunity, turned into an unexpected early morning ferris wheel ride at a small carnival on route to Odong community.

Then it was on to begin construction of two irrigation gates. The gates will be used to manage water flow while providing access across the many irrigation channels. 

Our extended travel to Kep (32 - 36hrs) over the last two days did not deter anyone from enthusiastically getting started with both hands and bare feet. Prior to lunch, footings were excavated for both gates, rock was placed and cement mixed. Then it was off to the Vine Restaurant for lunch.

The afternoon started as everyone expected with placement of the concrete pipes when unfortunately one of the near by gates was opened and resulting in the flooding of our work site. Amazing to see everyone's quick response to remedy the situation (creating a new ditch block up stream and dewatering the project sites). A slight delay. Huge effort by everyone today rewarded with a well deserved swim at Kep beach (muddy clothes and all) and a refreshing Angkor Beer.

Don Brimacombe

DWC Volunteer Team Leader 

Cambodia: February 2015

Thursday, Nov 27: Day 4 of Construction, Nothing Can Stop Us!

Once again, we arrived onsite nervous to see the damage the rain had done and motivated to get to work quickly! Considering all the time we had lost in the last two days we were still quite impressed with our progress on the latrine. We weren’t going to let a little bit of rain (or even A LOT of rain) stand in our way!

 

In the morning Todd, Scott, Sandra, Mr. Chen, and another hired worker lowered the four cement rings in place for the waste reservoir, while Cathy and Sarah worked inside the latrine plastering the walls and sealing the inside of the water basin with pure cement. 

We finished all the work that we could without literally working on top of one another before our last lunch break at ‘The Vine’. We figured we deserved a little celebration for our last day onsite and we tried a traditional Khmer dessert at the end of our meal, which consisted of coconut milk, mung beans, and tapioca pearls. Unfortunately the dessert was a celebration for some more than others; it certainly was quite different from what we would serve for a treat after dinner in North America!

We arrived back onsite after lunch and jumped back into action! Once again there were some nasty clouds off in the distance trying to get in our way. Mr. Chen and the other worker managed to get the roof of the latrine in place only moments before the rain started pouring down. Luckily, today we only had tasks inside the latrine to complete and we would be able to work through the rain. Cathy finished up plastering one of the inside walls, while I worked on sealing the last wall of the water basin. We proceeded to take turns working inside to finish plastering the walls since we could not all fit at once. Once the rain had let up a bit we mixed up another batch of mortar so that Mr. Chen could install the toilet and pour the floor inside of the latrine. We had to work late but we managed to get everything done by the end of the day. 

We are quite impressed with the work that we have been able to accomplish in Odong village over the last two weeks, which seem to have whizzed by so fast. Tonight we celebrate at a seaside restaurant called ‘The Sailing Club’ to enjoy some delicious food and fancy cocktails with Vy for our final evening in Kep.

Sarah Armstrong

DWC Team Leader

Cambodia, November 2014

Tuesday, Nov 25: Day 2 of Construction - Rain, Rain Go Away!

Sandra, Cathy, and I were still laying bricks for the better part of the day while Todd and Scott did some dirty work and dug the hole for the waste reservoir. As the hole grew deeper and deeper groundwater seeped in and filled the bottom of the hole with mucky water.

At the first site one of the men from the family took on the messy job of getting into the hole to remove mud to make it an appropriate depth to accommodate the concrete rings that form the waste reservoir; since we had less help at this site, Scott ended up taking on this task. This waste reservoir also had a different configuration than the last; instead of having two shorter reservoirs, with the second one functioning as an overflow reservoir, we had one very deep reservoir with four rings stacked on top of each other. This meant that Scott was stuck in a seven-foot deep hole, knee deep in muddy water for the better part of the morning, what a trooper!

After lunch we were able to start working on plastering some of the outside walls and filling in the inside foundation of the latrine with soil. But, we didn’t manage to get very far along before some dark clouds accompanied with loud claps of thunder came rolling in. It wasn’t long before the rain came pouring down; we all worked quickly to cover up our work and to save the mortar and cement from getting soaked. We were especially concerned about all that plaster that had just been applied to the exterior of the building! We hung out for a while playing cards and hoping that the weather would pass so that we could get back to work, but the rain was coming down really hard!

Our workday was cut short and it seemed that the weather was following us back to Kep. We were planning on heading down to the crab market to eat at ‘Kimly’ once again, but by the time dinner rolled around, there was water rushing down the streets like a river. With this in mind, we decided to eat closer to home, plus Vy was planning on walking from her accommodations to meet us and she would have been soaked! We were going to eat downstairs at our hotel but we saw some umbrellas stacked in a corner; since the rain had let up a bit and we didn’t need a boat to get through the streets anymore we headed about five minutes away to grab some pizza. It was totally worth the little trek and we didn’t even get that wet! We were really crossing our fingers that the rain wasn’t so bad at the jobsite but we will have to wait until morning to see.

Sarah Armstrong
DWC Team Leader
Cambodia, November 2014

Friday, Nov 21: Visit to Next Work Site and Chamcar Bei

We started out our day with a quick visit to the first latrine to see the final touches all coming together and to say a final farewell to the family while we were en route to see our next work site.

The next latrine will be constructed at a women’s weaving centre that houses up to 40 students at a time when things are in full swing, currently there is only one toilet, which makes things difficult when the centre is busy filling orders. The students are able to generate an income by weaving or making coconut jewelry that is sold at a few places around Cambodia, including our daily lunch spot, ‘The Vine Resort’. The weavers make traditional Cambodian scarves called krama on a huge loom that takes two days and many sets of hands to set up, next one woman will weave a long bolt of fabric in a few hours that is cut into different lengths to make the scarves. Traditionally the krama is red and white or blue and white checks, however they have started to use many different colours and patterns to appeal to tourists and different markets. We got to see the looms in action as the women worked busily threading with their hands and moving the pedals below with their feet to tighten each row.

We also got to see a young lady working on some of the coconut jewelry in another studio. First the coconut is sanded down to reveal the dark surface beneath the husky exterior, and then it is cut into different shapes and patterns with a wire hand saw, next there is one more round of sanding to smooth out the edges and a coat of coconut oil is applied to the final product to give it a beautiful sheen. We also visited the small gift shop on site where some of the goods are sold and we were able to buy a few souvenirs for friends and family back home.

After our lunch we headed to visit Chamcar Bei, which is another village nearby; DWC had been running projects in this region since 2007 and has only moved to working in Odong early on this year. Our first stop was at an NGO school called ‘Our School’ that teaches English. DWC volunteers have worked, and even slept at the school in the past. My younger sister Kazia had been one of the DWC participants to work on the school, along with Jen and Dan, who were team leaders when I had participated in my first DWC experience in 2010 in Rwanda. It was really awesome to see the mural that they had painted at the school. The history and friendships that DWC has fostered in the community and amongst participants is genuine and very present; we truly are developing world connections through these shared experiences.

Upon our arrival at the school, we were invited to meet the instructors and to go into one of the classrooms. We could hear the students loudly rehearsing their lessons in unison and they were encouraged to ask us some questions to practice their English. When the recess bell rang, Todd and Scott were just as eager as the kids to get in a quick game of soccer; we were astounded at the skill level of the kids and they sure gave Scott and Todd a run for their money! Once the kids were back in class, we were given a tour of the pepper plantation that will generate income for the school so that they can sustain themselves without outside funding. There is also a mango plantation that was further away that will also help the school to operate independently.

We wrapped up our visit to Chamcar Bei with a tour of the local market where we saw many unfamiliar and interesting things. There was a plethora of items being sold in plastic bags, from motor oil to iced coffee and anything in between. There were also all sorts of meats and fishes being grilled right on the street and fruits and vegetables that we had never seen. We even ran into one of the women from the weaving centre that was at the market selling lotus flower fruit, and Mr. Song the head contractor who had been helping us with the latrine project, looks like we already have a couple local friends! After the market we headed back to Kep for a quick dip in the pool and then out to ‘Holy Crab’ to have more of that delicious Kep crab!

Sarah Armstrong
DWC Team Leader
Cambodia, November 2014

July 10: The Weather Breaks!

On what was supposed to be our final work day, we were all a bit on edge because we wanted to work, but the weather had stymied us for two days and we were wondering if we'd have any chance at all.  There was rain overnight and, when I awoke, it looked like it had just stopped raining.  We all met for breakfast and it sprinkled just a bit--as we could see in the swimming pool--but the clouds didn't look as threatening and the wind wasn't so strong as in the last two days.

The forecast was still not good, so we left at 0800 hoping to get a chance.  When we arrived at the work site, our little bridge was totally submerged and we had to take another way around that included zig-zagging on the little levies that separate the rice paddies east of the houses.  As you walk along these, little frogs jump into the paddies and there were ducks enjoying the rains as well.  Cows are everywhere in rural (and urban) Cambodia, so we passed a few of them as well.

As usual, the families were there to great us, shake our hands and thank us for the work.  Jay was using a hatchet to turn a couple of branches and some leftover wood into scaffolding--some seriously impressive innovation--and Mr Song was helping him.  We started mixing mortar right away and went to work finishing the bricklaying.  Winston and I shoveled mud into the gaps around the concrete cylinders, too, while Mr Song leveled the mud/dirt inside the latrine and we distributed the base granite stones evenly and marked on the interior walls where the cistern containment would be.

The work went quickly except for a couple of frustrations with deciding how high to go and the correct slope for the roof.  Just as at the other site the previous week, I would put up bricks, Jay would tell me they were too high or that a vent was going into that spot, then a few minutes later, Mr Song would come over and tell Jay and me that we needed to go higher or that something else had to be fixed.

This touches on the whole translation thing.  With Vy working at the other site, we did seven days of work with no common language.  Jay knew "yes," "no," and "okay" in English, and I knew only "thank you," "hello," "goodbye" and how to count to five in Khmer.  This made for an excellent immersion experience for the cadets (and good patience training for me), but in the end it did cost us time and work.

We finally settled on heights and slopes, though, and soon began stuccoing the exterior of the latrine.  We had some mix issues (too thin) to begin, but those were solved quickly and Dan, Annie, and I got to work--with Tiem helping us, Jay finishing the top of the bricks, and Winston mixing.  The ladies and girls were constantly hauling new buckets of stucco to us when they weren't presenting us with fresh coconuts to drink with a straw or holding out baskets of fresh bananas and rambutan.  The other team didn't have as much support as we did and one less worker, so they were a bit frustrated and behind, but still happy to be moving along.

The weather continued to hold and was overall as pleasant or more so than Monday, with a nice breeze and overcast but light skies.  We worked hard and long, getting as much done as possible before breaking for lunch just after noon.  We drove to the Vines and everyone agreed that this should be our shortest lunch of the trip--we were all anxious to get back to work before the rains came again. Lunch included morning glories deep fried in a light eggy batter as well as another delicious soup and the ever-present rice.  We settled up for the additional drinks quickly and were back to work well before 1330.

From here on, both teams worked almost non-stop until 1730.  We had the usual breaks for iced-coffee and bananas, but those didn't last long.  Even Jay was taking fewer smoke breaks as we all thought that the rain would arrive at any moment--but it didn't.

After getting most of the exterior walls done, Jay and I went to work finishing them--Tiem worked on one wall himself--then Annie and Dan moved inside to start stuccoing there.  Winston kept us in stucco all afternoon and did some of that himself when we was ahead of the game.

And so the afternoon went--smoothing and evening the sides until they were flawless using a wet sponge and a straw broom as the finishing touches.  By 1700, it looked like we were going to finish the outside walls completely and that the basic coats of stucco would be done inside, too.  The other team found a stopping point and came over to see our work--it was also on the way back to the van since we now walked an alternate route.  Jay and Tiem moved inside the latrine to do finished work and I helped for awhile, but it was obvious that we'd hit our stopping point and it was time to go by about 1715.  Mr Song and Vy assured us that the workers would be able to finish everything on Friday and that it was okay to leave, so we began saying out goodbyes to the family (grandma, two of the three sisters, and three granddaughters) who'd been feeding us so well.  We took photos and had our hands shaken about a hundred times.  It was just a superb ending to two weeks of work and everyone clearly appreciated the entire experience.

On the way back to the hotel, we decided that we would, in fact, wade out to the Kep Crab for photos.  I set the camera up for Vy and as we arrived it looked like the tide was going out and that we'd have no trouble getting there from the narrow, but sandy, shoreline.  Winston and I took off our boots and waded in socks because of the many rocks, a couple of the cadets kept their shoes on, and we started the meter wade to the base of the Crab.

Vy took the first set of photos and then we decided (on Dan's urging and demonstration) that we could climb onto the platform.  Luke found a couple of large, strategically place rocks near the platform and we were able to swing ourselves up.  Luke and Hansena climbed farther up the Crab and we took another round of photos.  After that, Dan climbed down and scouted the bottom to find a sandy section not too far away from the platform and I jumped off, seat first, landing easily in the shallow water--rock free.  The others followed suit and we were all wading back in a few seconds.

When we got to the road, we all realized that we didn't want to get into Dee's van and mess it all up, so the cadets decided to run back to the hotel--about a half mile.  So, we made a very interesting picture to the locals as seven fully-clothed but soaking wet people were jogging along the seashore's sidewalk, squishing with every step.

We were back to the hotel by 1830 and decided to go out to one last dinner at Holy Crab that night, leaving at 1915.  On our way over, though, Vy called us to say that Holy Crab wasn't open on Thursdays, so we chose our second favorite restaurant in Kep--La Baraka.

We were seated outside at Lar Baraka on their upper deck and had ordered drinks and were enjoying them.  Everyone was very pleased with their day amazed that the time had gone so fast.  Suddenly, though, our luck ran out and we heard the "plop, plop" of a few big raindrops and then suddenly it was like someone had turned on a shower head directly above us.  We were drenched in a matter of seconds and sent scurrying inside with our drinks.  The staff, though, was very accommodating and found us a table within minutes.  We'd beaten the rain on our final work day and it all felt good.  Everyone was so tired that dessert was ruled out and everyone went straight to their rooms upon return to the hotel. Here's the slide show from today--I'm up to almost 5000 shots for the trip.

All the Best,

Marty France
USAFA Faculty Chaperone & DWC Volunteer
Kep, Cambodia: July 2014

July 10: Last Morning in Kep

I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep, so that's how I got the blog posted from yesterday.  We'd planned to meet at 0630 to walk to the Crab Market, but none of the cadets showed up.  I told them the night before that that was no big deal and that I'd leave with whomever wanted to go at 0630.  It's about a 20 minute walk and when I got there, things were just setting up.  Fish were already grilling and vendors were cooking bowls of Khmer breakfast noodle soup.  Restaurants were sweeping out their front entry areas and cleaning up from last night's rain and wind.  It was low tide and about a dozen people were scavenging for crabs, snails, and the like in the tide pools, sand, and exposed rocks.  Crab pots were in and there had already arrived some bucket so live tiger shrimp and other varieties that were being picked through for size by the retailers.  I didn't stay long and paid $2 for a tuk-tuk ride back to the Beach House, arriving at about 0715.

By then, Dan was up and had ordered breakfast.  I ordered Khmer soup with prawns and went to the room to finish packing and get ready for the morning.  The girls came down and did the same thing, but none of the guys even showed up until Winston came down at 0755, followed by Luke, then Dylan.  They all skipped breakfast or had snacks in their rooms because we were supposed to leave at about 0800 as usual.  Vy was there and she outlined our plans again:  school visit with soccer game; visit women's vocational training center, the a final lunch at the Vine, back to the hotel, checkout at 1400 and then the drive to Phnom Penh.
The weather was excellent with finally some clearing and blue skies as we drove to "Our School," a small K-12 school near the Vine retreat that we'd driven by before Savorn (mentioned earlier) is an English teacher at the school and his wife is the librarian.  The school was originally run by an NGO and funded in large part by the Korean government, but has since been taken over by the local community.

We  learned when we arrived that today had been declared a national holiday by the king and the government and that school would not be in session.  However, many kids showed up anyway at the request of Savorn and the other teachers.  About 30 kids and several teachers greeted us when we arrived.  Savorn showed us around the peppercorn farm that he also manages which is located adjacent to the school.  He said that it had 1125 plants which produced between one-half and one kilo each per year.  He was very proud of the irrigation system that pumped water from a reservoir pond to a small water tower about four meters off the ground, then into the pepper plants.  They also had some pretty large cow manure piles that they used for fertilizer.  He said that as part of his job (his house was next door), he also managed a newly planted mango orchard that had 3000 trees on 10 hectares of land (almost 25 acres).  Savorn's house looked nice and modern compared to most in the area with a steel roof. It was obviously well-maintained.  He said that the community and school provided him with the house as a condition of employment.

From the peppercorn vines, we went back to the school and looked into the classrooms.  They were very basic, with minimal lighting.  They did, however, have a nice computer room with 15 new Toshiba laptops and it was clear from the posters and writing on the board that they were teaching spreadsheet use, some basic coding, and the use of other apps.  The entire school has nine teachers and its annual budget is $12K.  Yes, I said $12K.  That both impressed and saddened me at the same time.  Kids have to pay a small fee, equal to $0.50 per month from their families to attend, but everything else is free.

We then went to the soccer field for about 45 minutes of spirited, but rough (with loose rules) sport on the mostly dirt field.  All of the cadets played as did Dan, Savorn, and one of Savorn's friends.  About 20 kids played.  They split into two teams that were roughly boys versus girls, though Dan and Savorn played on the girl's side.  We had a lot of fun watching the game and everyone was sweating profusely within a few minutes.  The kids (mostly ages 6-12) had a blast and really showed a lot of spirit and enthusiasm.  The cadets ate it up, too.

After soccer, we moved to the front of one of the buildings and Dan sang some songs with his guitar.  We were trying to find some songs that everyone would enjoy (with some participation) and Hansena and Annie demonstrated and taught them to do the Hokey-Pokey.  The kids loved it, though they didn't get the right versus left thing entirely.  They all giggled and laughed when Hansena called them to put their "butt in" and their "butt out," then shake it all about.  I videoed the whole scene with my camera.  The kids like it so much that they did it again to huge applause.  They then sang one of their songs and we cheered.

Finally, it was time to go, so I pulled out some of our gifts.  I gave Savorn a USAFA pin for his lapel and then pulled out the gross (144) of USAFA emblazoned pencils that we'd brought with us from Colorado.  To my surprise, the kids all lined up--girls on one side, boys on the other--to receive their pencils.  I had more than enough for two each, so I gave them each two and they politely said "thank you" in English of "akun" in Khmer, each treating their new pencils like gold.  I gave the remaining pencils to Savorn as well as some foam rubber baseballs with USAFA logos, some lanyards, and other stuff.  The kids stayed in their lines and we did high-fives down the line with each cadet before regrettably saying "goodbye."
We next went to a vocational training center where local girls and women were learning to weave silk scarves by hand, make coconut shell jewelry, and other artisanal crafts.  This was an example of another NGO that had started a local training shop but had now given it over to operate as a real business.  We'd seen their products for sale in local hotel and really like it, so it was nice to be able to see the crafts being made an then purchase some more souvenirs at very good prices.

It was finally time for our last lunch at The Vine Retreat.  What a great, secluded guest house with just awesome food that we'd enjoyed for almost two weeks.  I probably gained weight on this trip and The Vine is the primary culprit.  We had another great squash soup as well as squid with fresh green peppercorns--both delicious as usual.  I gave one of my Tripadvisor "Excellent Service" pins to the woman who had been taking care of us during our visits.  This was clearly one of the highlights of the trip.

We all decided to just get back to the hotel as quickly as possible to rest, shower, and finish packing before the arduous and thrilling drive back to Phnom Penh.  Once there, we plan to go to Malis for dinner before Dan an Vy drop us off at the airport for a wonder 2320 departure to Seoul.  Here's the whole day's slideshow.

All the Best,

Marty France
USAFA Faculty Chaperone & DWC Volunteer
Kep, Cambodia: July 2014

July 9: Another Rain Out

We woke up again to a driving rain storm and what seems like the real monsoon.  At breakfast, we discussed options including taking the time to visit some local schools or travel around the area to see more sights, but the rain was so heavy that Vy told us that the schools wouldn't even be in session because the kids all rode their bikes and scooters to school and the rain was too heavy for that.

Vy thought of buying tarps and using them to shield us from the rain and wind, so she called Mr Song and it looked like we had everything worked out.  We loaded up just before 0900 during what appeared to be a lull in the rain and everyone was pretty excited about the opportunity to get some work done.  However, about five minutes into our drive to the work site, the rain started up again in earnest and was coming down as hard or harder than ever.  We turned down the muddy road from Highway 33 and it was barely passable.  When we got to the front of the house that bordered our work, we saw that the pond we'd been crossing on a log was huge and the logs and bridge were invisible.  Vy, Dan, and Winston got out of the car to reconnoiter the situation, but it just looked hopeless.  We might've just waded across the pond, but the rain was falling so hard and the wind was so strong that no one thought the tarps would hold or be able to protect us and our work.  Sadly, we decided to turn back.

At the hotel, there was just not much to do except read, watch movies, and wait for lunch.  The rain never really stopped all day.  A little after noon, there was a short period of near clearing, so I walked about a mile to the crab market just to get some exercise.  I walked around the market area to see what was being sold and I purchased some packages of local peppercorns as gifts and souvenirs (white, red, and black).  The rained started to pick up then and I ducked into a restaurant for lunch just as another mini-typhoon wave of torrential rain hit the shoreline.

It seemed like the tarps and decking at the restaurant were going to blow in for a while, but the rain eventually let up as I finished a relatively quick lunch of grilled barracuda and rice with a big bottle of Angkor beer.  When I left, it was hardly raining and I managed to make it back to the hotel before it started again.

That's how the day went.  We'd have a short break,but you could just see the clouds building and another wave would sweep in.  Hansena and Luke took advantage of one short break to rent mountain bikes and tour the area a little, but they cam back soaked to the bone.  I hung out on the deck reading most of the afternoon, as did Dylan.

We talked about other activities, but not much was really possible.  Hansena brought up our desire to make sure that any unexpended funds from our trip (that we'd already paid to DWC) to to Equitable Cambodia to make sure the latrines were finished even if we couldn't do the work and Dan assured us that that would be the case.

Finally, at 1830, we returned to Holy Crab for another great dinner and talked about our chances of getting more work done tomorrow given the forecast (bad) and how we would handle our school visit on Friday (if it occurred at all) prior to the drive to Phnom Penh, dinner, and our departure from the airport to return home.

The cadets have kept a good attitude and managed to find productive ways to keep themselves busy during the breaks, but I can tell that it's wearing on them as it is me.
I did manage to take a few shots in the rain today, and here's the slide show:

All the Best,

Marty France
USAFA Faculty Chaperone & DWC Volunteer
Kep, Cambodia: July 2014

July 8: Rain Out

We awoke to torrential rain and thunder, but hoped that things would clear and we drove to our work sites this morning.  It looked like our hopes would be fulfilled as we saw a few glimmers of blue and the precipation subsided for a little while.  When we arrived and parked the van, the little pond we needed to cross was swollen and the palm log was insufficient to cross. The homeowner graciously waded out into the pond barefoot (clearly thinking, "What's up with the American's that can't get their feet wet") and placed another log to bridge part of the gap.  The last few steps were still tricky, though, much to the delight of our spectators.

We each split up into our two groups and headed over to work.  Just the senior sister was home at our project and she was very happy to see us again.  Vy told us the day before that she was 49, but she looked easily 60.  She doesn't know a word of English, but we're all trying to communicate and learn a few words--Winston most of all.

We bailed our cement pit of water--it had about two inches of standing water in it from the rain--and were close to beginning to mix concrete when Jay pointed to the Southeast and we saw a squall line incoming.  We waited for almost two hours for the weather to clear, but we never go to the point of being able to mix concrete and go to work.  Vy translated for me as I spoke to the woman of the house and senior of the three sisters that we met the day before.  She said that five lived in the house, plus the grandmother who often slept there.  This included her daughter (teenager), her youngest sister who had a small baby, and her son.  All three of the sisters were widows.  The youngest had just lost her husband recently, while the oldest had lost her husband in conflicts with the Khmer Rouge after the 1979 liberation.  She said that her husband had been in the Army and had died shortly after their daughter (youngest child) was born.  The daughter looks like she's about 16 or 17, so that would put his death sometime in the late 90s.  She also said that her middle sister just lived a few kilometers away and visited often.  I asked who worked the rice fields that surrounded the house and she said that she did most of the work.  Having seen her use the hoe to dig the day before, I believed her! She also pointed out her well that had been built four year before with contributions from a Cambodian restaurant in California.  Looking into the well, you could see that the water table was only about a meter down.  Still, they got all of their water from it. Vy said that any drinking or cooking water is first boiled, though, and since it tastes so bad they usually only drink it in the form of tea.  (Photos)

At about 1030, we decided to just go to the Vines, tour the peppercorn farm, catch an early lunch and hope things would clear.  Lunch was again fantastic with a fish and tomato soup and some stir-fired veggies. We are eating healthily here.  Soon after we started eating the weather seemed to clear and we went about a half hour without a sprinkle.  Vy called Mr Song and we packed up after lunch and headed back to work.  I did get a chance to take some pictures of Dan's friend, Savorn, and his 18-month-old son which I liked a lot. (Photos) I also took a lot of flower shots... (Photos)

When we arrived back the work site, the water had gone down in the pond and we forded it easily.  It wasn't raining, so at our site we bailed out the new inch of water in the concrete ring and Annie and Winston wanted to start mixing a batch even though jay wasn't there yet to give instructions.  I cautioned against it and Dan agreed.  Dan pointed out that losing a full bag of cement was probably more costly to them that a day's work--the raw materials were relatively expensive--and that we should proceed without Jay's direction and some clearer skies.  Sure enough, about five minutes later, the skies opened up and it rained for the next 90 minutes almost non-stop.  We sat on the  front porch of our homeowners house and just watched it rain.  In the barnyard area, rain ran like little rivers towards the rice paddies that were gently terraced and connected with small drainage ditches to slow the flow between each and keep the young rice submerged by about three inches.  The rain just didn't let up.  We couldn't even get back to the work site for some time and when it slowed for a few minutes, it would recommence even harder than before.

By 1400, we just decided that we just had to call it a day.  It rained all of the way back to the hotel and is still drizzling as I write this.   The forecast isn't much better for our remaining days either.  We'd been lucky in the first week to get the work done with only minor interruptions for rain, but this IS the rainy season and our luck seems to have run out.  We're committed to doing as much as possible and will work into Friday morning if the weather allows.  Still, the cadets are disappointed and frustrated to have a task in front of them and not be able to get it done. (Photos)

Everyone relaxed for about 90 minutes back at the hotel and we slowly congregated on the deck/cabana area to play some pool and cards.  There's really not much else left to do until the weather clears, so we'll try to make the best of it.
Here's today's slide show...

 All the Best,

Marty France
USAFA Faculty Chaperone & DWC Volunteer
Kep, Cambodia: July 2014

July 7: Latrines Week Two--New Work Site

There was quite the thunderstorm here last night at about 0400 with torrential rain and lightning, but when we woke up the rain had stopped long before breakfast and it was breezy and noticeably cooler.

I woke up early and got some work done writing and working on photos and got a Facebook message from Annie that she wasn't feeling well.  I went next door to check on her and she was nauseous and had spent most of the night dizzy and in cold sweats.  She didn't have a noticeable fever, so I ruled out malaria and chalked it up to probably not taking yesterday's two plus hours on a rocking boat at sea too well.  She admitted that she hadn't probably had enough water, too, so I encouraged her to drink a full bottle and start working on another.  After a conference with Dan and Vy, we decided to leave Dan's cell phone with her and let her stay in the room and rest for the day.

We left the hotel on schedule and dropped by the local post office.  Hansena mailed a bunch of postcards and was a bit worried because she said that she had to lick all of the stamps.  Maybe not a good idea in Cambodia.  Oh well--we'll see if that gets her.

We next stopped at a "hardware store" and I bought two shovels for a total of $7.  These were medium-sized spades with handle grips that I thought would help us at the site since we didn't have very good shovels last week.

The drive to the new worksite was a little longer and we turned north off of the main road instead of south. Once onto the dirt road, we went about a half-mile into the countryside where we found the homes to be more spread out with rice paddies/fields separating all of them.  It was really beautiful and we liked the area immediately.

We got out of the car and walked across a palm tree log bridge that spanned a small pond and then shortly arrived at the first work site (photos here).  We dropped Team 2 there and they rejoined their team leader from last week who was already started digging the square trench for the foundation.  Team 1 walked about another 100m across a couple of rice fields to the second site that was next to a rather larger house with accompanying palm frond roof barn for the animals. The land around the house was much more spacious and open and we were shaded by coconut palms.

 

Jay was there and he and Mr Song had already dug the foundation and were pouring concrete over the granite boulders that they'd placed with sand in the foundation trenches.  We immediately started placing the first layer of bricks onto the foundation concrete following the guide lines and also started digging the septic pit.

Once again, we struck water before we made it much deeper than a meter, but that was proceeded by a lot of work cutting through palm roots to get to the base clay.  Winston was schooled by one of the ladies of the house (age 49) on the proper use of a hoe to dig a hole.  She was amazingly strong and effective and we were all humbled.  She MAY have weighed 110 lbs, but I doubt it.  Winston had another digging helper, too, whom we presumed was the man of the house, but that's still TBD since they speak no English and we speak very few Khmer words.  Once they got through the roots, the work went very fast, though, and by lunch time it was clear that we would have the concrete cylinders in place later in the day.

As we laid the bricks, mixed the concrete, and really got into a groove, we noticed that almost everyone around us was supporting the effort.  Little kids were delivering bricks and shoveling mortar into our buckets. The sisters that live in the house were helping dig holes, delivering fresh coconuts for refreshment, and doing as much as possible.  At our last site, I have to admit, it was frustrating to see the number of idle people doing nothing--at least at our latrine site, though Team 2 had a little more support on their side of the road.  Today, it was our team with the support and our work showed for it.

There was a lot going on at the farm, too.  Seven-day-old puppies were yipping in the wood and palm leaf cooking shed next to us and a couple of them tried to crawl out from underneath.  Chickens were constantly running around us and the kids were everywhere.  Still, despite the distractions, we were moving at a great pace and had more than seven rows of bricks laid with the door mounted and sand and rocks inside the latrine before lunch. (Photos here)

We drove to The Vines again for lunch and had their amazing Cambodian salad with peanuts again, along with a squash and chicken soup.  We decided to cut lunch short and get back to work earlier than usual since the weather was so good and we were being so productive.  We called Annie to check on her and she reported feeling quite a bit better, but we decided to let her rest through the afternoon and prep for work tomorrow if she continued to improve.
We were back from lunch before 1330 and spent the afternoon placing the cylinders and working hard on the bricks.  The ladies brought us rambutan fruit (like red, really spiny lichee nuts) and bananas (later) as well as sweet, iced Vietnamese-style coffee.  The weather continued to be nice, so we mixed batch after batch of concrete on the hard ground near the front of the house and the kids kept us going.  We had four bricklayers for most of the afternoon, except for mixing breaks and when we put the cylinders in.  By the time the afternoon was complete--and we worked until 1700--we had at least 18 rows of brick laid (over 6' high), the cylinders placed, and Jay was installing the concrete vent pieces.  (Photos here)

Vy came over and helped me chat with the family while I was laying the last couple of rows of bricks.  They explained that three sisters (ages from the late 40s to early 50s) lived there and in neighboring houses with all of their kids, Grandma lived next door butslept i nthe big house at night to protect her from "ghosts," and that the small baby was five months old.  I explained the composition of our group and our purpose and made it clear that we were in the US Air Force.  They were very happy to have us and kept thanking me over and over again.  I tried to convey how much we enjoyed the work and appreciated their support as we worked and their participation in the process.

We left at about 1700 knowing that both groups had had a great day.  We were happy to be more in the country and around the rice fields and really like the families that we were helping.  Of course, I spent most of my break times taking photos of people and our work, so you can see those photos here.

When we returned to the hotel, Luke suggested an early dinner, meeting at 1800 to walk over to a French Bistro named "Brise de Kep."  Everyone showered and cleaned up quickly and Annie joined us, too, feeling much better and ready to work tomorrow.  We walked over and generally enjoyed the meal.  I ordered a tuna steak for $4 and it was overcooked, but Dylan had Magret de Canard and it was good, while Hansena had a good barracuda filet and Annie ate their version of a fried chicken breast.  To pass the time, we played cards (the France Family's official card game that we call SOYN).  It was a good time and it kept us busy and not complaining about the service all of the way through dessert--which was the best part of the meal.

We're looking forward to tomorrow and will finish the bricklaying in the morning and hopefully get most of all of the stucco done tomorrow afternoon.  We're feeling good about finishing on Thursday now.
Here's the slide show of all of the photos taken today:

All the Best,

Marty France
USAFA Faculty Chaperone & DWC Volunteer
Kep, Cambodia: July 2014

July 6: R&R Day 2 - Boat Trip

Today, the cadets were allowed to sleep in and we didn't depart until 0900--my wife, Becky, can tell you how rare that is when traveling with me.  They all made it down to the van in time, though, but didn't order breakfast from the hotel.  I think they all made breakfast out of leftover snacks from yesterday's trip and Friday's party.

We'd arranged, with the help of Vy and the hotel, to rent a boat for the day including the the boat owner/driver and planned to visit two or more of the islands off of the coast of Kep.  We drove to the boat dock and were directed to the end of the pier where we met our typically long, skinny Mekong River-style boat that you see all over Southeast Asia. The engines are side-mounted diesel of gasoline motors that look like they've been stripped from a car or truck.  The propeller is attached axially at the end of a long shaft that extends from the engine by 8-10 feet and turns a two-blade propeller at a shallow angle.  Like the boats on Tonle Sap, the props have a lower protective framework to keep them out of the mud.

We loaded up without issue, put on our life jackets and left for the one-hour ride to Koh Pau and the fishing village there.  The seas were moderate and we rocked a bit, but no one got sick (even me) and we pulled into the little bay at about 1010.  Savorn, a Cambodian friend of Dan's, was with us.  He translated and told us all to be back at the boat by 1100. (Photos are here)

 

We waded ashore past an abandoned boat and along the garbage-lined shoreline past several ramshackle houses with palm frond roofs.  Dogs barked at us and kids scurried along as we passed, some of us looking for shells while I took photos of the boats in the bay and of the local residents.

We rounded the corner of the island and passed along an uninhabited section that was quite rocky.  After clearing this, we had a shortcut through the jungle and past some houses to the main area.  We saw a LOT of kids and I took photos.  They started following us and I took more photos.  They were all very friendly and obviously surprised to see us.  The cadets and I had a great time interacting with them.  They were just beautiful kids stuck in a very, very poor situation.  It was difficult not to feel pretty about their lot as we waved goodbye and left for Rabbit Island.  Here's an album of photos of the kids, plus another one showing other parts of the island.

 

Soon after the boat left Koh Pau, the wind picked up and the rain started.  Almost then entire 25 minute trip to Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) was in rolling four-foot waves and a driving rain storm.  We covered what we could, but we all got soaked to the bone.  The rains stopped just a couple of minutes before we landed at the shore, though, and stayed nice throughout the rest of the day.

We left the boat and walked along a path to the south shore of the island that had dozens of thatch bungalows, a few outdoor restaurants, a nice beach, and plenty of hammocks.  We ordered lunch and found the service to be, once again, lacking.  Dylan finally got his food almost 90 minutes after he ordered it.  They said they'd run out of beef and needed to run to one of the other restaurants to get some.  We worried about the local canine population.

Finally, just before 1400, we were done with lunch.  I set a rendezvous time for 1600 at the boat and then allowed the cadets to do whatever they wanted along the beach.  Dylan joined me on a hike around the island on a path that was easy to follow but contained enough thorns to lacerate each of us pretty well, take my hat off of my head, and make for a lot of crouched walking.  Along the way we saw locals cultivating sea weed as well as several small fishing settlements and boats.  The hike was supposed to take us two to two-and-a-half hours, but we made it back in 75 minutes and were happy to have the time to order a beer and enjoy it on the beach before we left.  Annie and Hansena were catching some rays on the beach, while I think Luke and Winston napped in the hammocks.  We were all entertained by and Australian couple (we think they were Aussies) that were in their mid-50s, tattooed, over-weight, bikini'ed, and getting the sunburns of their lives while constantly drinking and smoking, standing in the waves.  It made me think of the US Gulf Coast...  I took no photos, fearing for my camera's well-being.

The trip back was again through fairly rough seas, but there was no rain (photos).  Dylan sat on the bow, which was probably drier than the mid-boat areas as the waves crashed over the sides.  We returned to the pier at about 1615 and were happily back at the hotel by 1630.  We set a meeting time for 1830 for dinner and everyone went to their rooms to dry out, clean up, and relax again--I worked on photos.

We went to dinner at 1830 to Holy Crab along the Crab Market area and (for once in Kep) were very impressed with the service--the food was excellent, too, and the prices quite nice.  There's a reason that it's the #1 ranked restaurant in Kep by Tripadvisor.  We talked a lot about photography at our end of the table.  The food exceeded expectations, too.
Tomorrow, we start a new pair of latrines in the same village but along a different road.  We're all looking forward to doing the project again with the knowledge that we've gained from the first week and are sure that things will go much more smoothly.  I'm planning to go to the local market and buy a couple of good, new shovels for the team and then donate them to Equitable Cambodia.  Winston's looking forward to more digging and I'm happy to make sure he's well-armed.

We should finish this pair on Thursday, then the plan is to meet at a local school on Friday and do a little more local touring before we board the minivan with our bags and drive to Phnom Penh.  Our flight leaves that evening, so it'll be a busy day.
Here's the slideshow from today:

All the Best,

Marty France
USAFA Faculty Chaperone & DWC Volunteer
Kep, Cambodia: July 2014