Friday, Nov 28: Back to Phnom Penh!

Back in the van for a long and bumpy ride back to Phnom Penh where it all began! By the time we arrived in the city it was just around noon and traffic was bustling. Full size vehicles are few and far between and it seems difficult to share the road with all the smaller tuk-tuks and motos whizzing all around creating ‘lanes’ wherever there is an opportunity.

Once we settled into our hotel at ‘The Eureka Villas’ we headed out to grab a bite to eat at ‘Romdeng’, which is a sister restaurant to ‘Friends’ where we had eaten before departing Phnom Penh two weeks ago. Although the two restaurants feature some similar dishes, ‘Romdeng’ has some items that appeal to a more adventurous clientele. The first item arrived at our table on a white plate with an over turned bowl on top, although we knew what was underneath it didn’t do much to reduce the shock value when we lifted up the bowl to reveal a live tarantula! No, we aren’t going to eat a live one, we aren’t that brave; but like they always say ANYTHING is better deep-fried, we hope that includes tarantula as well! I was brave enough to play with the live tarantula and I let it crawl on my hands and arms. Scott made an attempt at holding the giant spider but that didn’t go so well, and no one else wanted a closer look at the little de-fanged, fuzzy beauty.

Our buffet of fried insects and oddities came rolling out next, which included the famous fried tarantula, crickets, silk worms, and whole frogs. We all took our turn trying a leg of this and a bit of that and we actually ended up ordering another plate of the tarantula which some of us actually REALLY enjoyed!

We all ordered a main dish as well since we weren’t really keen on filling up on grubs; however, Scott and I, who both studied biology in university, continued on our culinary journey of creepy crawly things and ordered a Khmer dish of lemongrass beef with ants that also turned out to be quite good!

After lunch we split up as people went off to explore different corners of Phnom Penh and to book busses or flights for the next leg of the journey. We ended up reconvening for a final meal later on at night and went to the local performing arts to watch a live production.

Over the next couple of days, we would part ways. Todd and Sandra are heading on to Siem Reap via Battambang, by land and then by boat, and Cathy is flying directly to Siem Reap. Scott and I will be kicking around Phnom Penh for a few more days to explore and relax before heading on a leisurely tour of SE Asia for the next couple of months. We managed to complete the work we had set out to do and we have definitely walked away having shared smiles and laughter with new friends from Cambodia and back home, all in all I think we can call it a DWC success!

Sarah Armstrong
DWC Team Leader
Cambodia, November 2014

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

Wednesday, Nov 26: Day 3 of Construction, Enough with the Rain Already!

When we were driving to work today we noticed quite a lot of water on the roads and it was obvious that it had rained near the worksite as well. We were quite concerned that we would have a lot of repairs to deal with, but when we drove up to the latrine it was in pretty good shape aside from the plaster having eroded off at the corners. Setbacks aside, we were quite determined to finish this latrine on time, and everyone was extra quick to get moving on construction today.

By mid-afternoon we had installed all the windows, finished laying the bricks and plastered more of the outside walls, and we also filled the foundation and built the water basin inside the latrine.

We were quite impressed with our pace and became more confident that we would be able to catch up by the end of the day when we felt the air cool and saw the dark clouds rolling in again. We all worked until the last moment possible and then scrambled to get things covered up or moved out of the rain. Once again, the rain had cut our day short.

We were starting to get worried that we would not be able to finish the latrine by the end of Thursday as scheduled, however, we were not going to leave unfinished business and were more than willing to work on Friday as well if necessary.

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

Monday, Nov 24: Day 1 of Construction on the Second Latrine

We started our second latrine near the weaving centre today; it is a little different than our first site as it is quite remote and separate from the rest of the community.

There is a pond full of lotus flowers surrounding the site and it is quite a beautiful place. The lotus flowers produce an interesting fruit that has these small pea-like pods that can be eaten, and there is usually someone sorting or harvesting the fruit at some time throughout the day.

The new site presents a few new challenges, such as: less shade and more vegetation which will make digging the pit for the waste reservoir more difficult. However, we are much more skilled now that we have one latrine under our belts already. Today we got plenty of bricks laid for all four walls, and they are much more even and level, and require less tapping and straightening from Mr. Chen who has been helping us at this site. We accomplished a lot for the first day and we had less help than last week so we were pretty happy with the results.

At the end of the day, we went for a dip and played some pool at the hotel before dinner. We decided to try a newly opened tapas restaurant called ‘Breezes’ that has only been open for a week. The menu wasn't complete yet but they gave us to some of their new creations throughout the evening, and really gave us the royal treatment! ‘Breezes’ is run by a couple from Switzerland who had been working at a bilingual NGO school that teaches French and English. After volunteering for quite sometime they were looking for a financially sustainable way to start a life in Kep – seems like they are really living the dream and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors!

Sarah Armstrong
DWC Team Leader
Cambodia, November 2014

Sunday, Nov 23: Visit to Rabbit Island

Now for the REAL rest and relaxation! We had a late start to the day and the only item on the agenda was to head to Rabbit Island where there is not much to do aside from lay on the beach or get a massage. We hopped on a tuk-tuk to head down to catch a boat to Rabbit Island for the day. 

It took about 20 minutes to boat across to the tiny little island, which featured a beautiful beach, a few eateries and watering holes, and cute little bungalows if you wanted to stay the night. 

We all lazed around the beach and had a massage at our own pace. Sandra, Cathy, and I chose the traditional Khmer massage which came with a “strong” warning, while Todd and Scott decided on an aloe vera massage – which also turned out to be fairly high pressure. The day gave everyone a good opportunity to really unwind, which is just what we needed to get ready for one more week of work on another latrine.

Sarah Armstrong

DWC Team Leader

Cambodia, November 2014

Saturday, Nov 22: Visit to Kampot and Bokor National Park

Today was our first official day of rest and relaxation, and we decided to visit Kampot and Bokor National Park. 

We drove along the southern coast to Kampot, which is famous for their peppercorns and pork ribs. You could definitely see the French colonial influence in the architecture throughout the city. 

In the first half of the day we drove up the mountain to Bokor National Park and took in a variety of sights - I mean a REAL variety! First we saw the huge Lok Yeay Mao monument, which was built within the last few years and is said to protect travelers, fishermen and hunters. Our next stop was to see the Popokvil waterfalls, where you could essentially walk or climb all around the falls to see it from different vantage points. We also saw the casino, Chinese temple, Catholic church, and the abandoned hotel casino ruins. It was quite a mish mash of sights but we got to take in a great view from the mountaintop and the old hotel casino ruins were really neat!

Once we made our way back down the mountain we went into Kampot and had lunch at ‘The Rusty Keyhole’ for "the best ribs in Cambodia". We ordered the 1.5 kg order of ribs to split amongst our group of six people; the restaurant challenges customers to attempt eating this meal – for one – in less than an hour, we definitely weren’t going down that road though! 

After our bellies were full, we walked through the market to check out the multiple displays of wares and food, and to track down some of the famous Kampot peppercorns to take home. 

There were all sorts of fish and other sea creatures laid out on tables or sitting in buckets of water, as well as a variety of meats, vegetables, and fruits available. 

We were on the hunt for durian fruit in particular, which is said to have a very pungent odour, but had no luck since it is currently out of season; we did, however, get to see the durian statue at one of the traffic roundabouts in Kampot. 

We made it back to Kep just in time for a dip in the pool before sunset and then headed out for dinner near the hotel, most of us could barely keep our eyes open through dinner since it had been such an eventful day – good thing we still have one day of some serious rest and relaxation on Rabbit Island planned for tomorrow!

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

Thursday, Nov 20: Final Day of Week 1

We completed our first latrine today!

Sandra, Cathy, and I worked on plastering the inside of the latrine while Scott and Todd took on the dirty job of hauling the mud out of the pit and getting the cement rings in place for the waste reservoir. It was a long day but we managed to get everything done that we had set out to do.

There will still be some finishing work, such as installing the porcelain squat toilet, that will be completed the next day by our Bu’s - a job that is best left to the professionals. It was incredible to see what we had accomplished in four days that seemed to whiz by so fast! The family was very grateful for the latrine and for our help on the project; it was heartwarming to hear them say ‘akun’ at the end, but we felt equally grateful to have shared in the experience with them!

Sarah Armstrong

DWC Team Leader

Cambodia, November 2014

Wednesday, Nov 19: Day 3 of Hard Work

Today we finished plastering the outside of the latrine and smoothing out all of the plastered surfaces. While smoothing the plaster was the lightest of all the tasks, it certainly proved to be the most difficult for all of us; it seemed that just as everything was smooth and nearly perfect a small piece of rock was dragged through your work. Oh well, wax on, wax off!

Sandra also worked on sealing the inside of the water basin with cement. Tomorrow will be our last day at this site and we will be starting our next latrine in a new location on Monday. It’s hard to believe that we have gone from a pile of bricks to a beautifully constructed latrine in such a short time!

Sarah Armstrong

DWC Team Leader

Cambodia, November 2014

Tuesday, Nov 18: Day 2 of Construction

Today we continued laying the bricks for the outer walls and installed cinder block windows that would let light into the latrine while also providing ventilation. As the walls got higher, Cathy and I moved inside the latrine to lay the bricks for a water basin that will be used for showering.

By the end of the day we were able to begin the next phase of construction which was plastering the outside of the building, as always our Bu’s made the job look really easy, I’m sure we’ll get the hang of it soon enough! It’s amazing to see the progress so far; we are really starting to be proud of our work as things come along!

Sarah Armstrong
DWC Team Leader
Cambodia, November 2014

Monday, Nov 17: Day 1 of Construction

We arrived on site and there was a small foundation for a latrine already laid out by some of the skilled trades people that were hired to help with the construction. It was only a few moments before we each had a trowel in hand and were laying bricks row by row.

This will be the first of two latrines that we will be building in the two-week period and it is located at a family home. The job site was busy and we had lots of help from the family and the construction workers who Vy called ‘Bu’ – meaning uncle – which is the Khmer way of referring to a man that is older than you. Noon came before we knew it and we headed to our lunch spot at ‘The Vine Resort’ nearby; once we ate our incredible meal we were pleased to hear that we had 45 minutes left to lounge on the cushy pillows out on the veranda - not a bad gig so far!

At the end of the day, we had dug a reservoir for the waste, laid nearly all of the bricks for all four walls, and had the door in place. It must have been the mid-afternoon coconut break that gave us the ‘get up and go’ to get all that work done! 

Once we arrived back at the hotel some of us took a dip in the ocean, which is just across the street, followed by a swim in the hotel pool once the sun bowed below the horizon at 6pm.

Tonight was the first night of our ‘Kep food tour’ which Vy had laid out, and the first stop was at ‘Kimly Restaurant’ in the crab market where we were able to test out some of the local fare including the area’s signature dish, Kampot pepper crab with green peppercorns that are grown in the region. The crabs were small, but the meat was delicious and it was worth the effort to get at every last bit! Did I mention the food is fantastic?!

Sarah Armstrong 

DWC Team Leader 

Cambodia, November 2014

Sunday, Nov 16: On the Road to Kep!

We were set to meet Vy, our host partner representative from Equitable Cambodia, at 11am so we had some time to wander through a portion of the Royal Palace after breakfast which happened to be right next door to our accommodations. The architecture and detail of the buildings and temples at the Royal Palace were outstanding; unfortunately, we did not get to explore the whole grounds, but we did get to see the Silver Pagoda where the Emerald Buddha is kept.

Once we met up with Vy, she took us to a restaurant called ‘Friends’, which is a local NGO that works to develop skills for marginalized youth so that they can find employment at different establishments in the future. The food at Friends was amazing and featured flavours such as lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime, and hot chilies!

After lunch we were on the road to Kep to settle into our home away from home for the next two weeks at the Kep Beach House. The scenic drive full of rice fields and lush greenery took about four hours.

By the time we reached Kep, it was time for dinner and bed shortly thereafter so that we would be well rested and prepared for our first day at the job site.

Sarah Armstrong

DWC Team Leader

Cambodia, November 2014

Saturday, Nov 15: Hello Cambodia!

Our party of five arrived scattered throughout the day and each of us was greeted by a tuk-tuk at the airport that took us on a winding ride through the streets of Phnom Penh to our hotel for the night. I must say this was quite an authentic introduction to the ‘big city’ and everyone was thrilled to take in the sights, sounds, and smells as we veered through traffic in the typical Cambodian manner. Sandra and Cathy arrived in the afternoon and were able to explore a bit, while Scott, Todd, and Sarah arrived at the hotel just before midnight; just enough time to kick back and reward ourselves with a cold beverage before bed as we looked out at the Tonle Sap River.

Sarah Armstrong 

DWC Team Leader 

Cambodia, November 2014

Saturday, Nov 15: First to arrive in Phnom Penh!

Arrived in Phnom Penh and was met by the hired tuk tuk driver at the airport. What transpired in the next 45 minutes was a mixture of fear, chaos and exhilaration!

Though there are designated lanes, they seem to be there simply as a guideline - there is definitely more motorcycles on the road than anything else so any little space that can fit a moto will be filled. And every once and a while, someone will decide to go the wrong way just because they can! And amazingly no one seems to get riled up over the ones going the wrong way. Full families of four passed by on their moto, apparently seven is the limit before the police will take any notice!

Amazingly all seem to happily coexist and I have a feeling that there are far few accidents than we see back home. In any case, it was a wonderful introduction to Cambodia. As some of the group was arriving late at night, we were to spend the night in Phnom Penh. 

After meeting my roomie for the next few weeks, we decided the hit the streets! We watched a Cambodian dance show complete with masks and shadow puppets - it was interesting to watch but likely more relevant had we understood the story! Afterwards we stopped for dinner to a noodle soup house where they had a burner on the table. You ordered the ingredients you wanted in the soup, and then they would bring them to the table where you would add them into the broth to cook! The spring onions were delicious but the "beef" was some sort of elastic tripe which proved more difficult than not to eat - but it was an experience and I think I'm going to like Cambodia - the people are friendly and quick to smile despite having crazy driving skills!!

Cathy Colborne 

DWC Participant

Cambodia, November 2014