July 5: R&R Day 1

The started with plans to leave at 0600 with our driver, Dee, and a guide that was to be provided by the hotel.  We would spend the day visiting Bokor Mountain for hiking and then go into Kampot and also visit some local caves.  All six of us were ready to go, but the driver couldn't find the guide, so Vy got involved with her mobile phone.  We were told that he was "on his way," but by 0630 no one had shown up, so we decided to just take off on our own with Dee.

I rode shotgun in the van and enjoyed taking photos out of the windows with my 70-200mm image stabilized lens.  The morning light and traffic gave me some pretty good shots given the circumstances.  You can check those out directly in this Facebook Album.

We arrived in Kampot at about 0715 and Dee drove us around a little bit to see the Durian Monument, the external views of the Central Market and also to see the new and old bridges.  We headed out from there a few minutes later, crossing the New Bridge on National Road 3 (two lanes, no centerline) towards Sihanoukville and Bokor.  The phone rang a few minutes later and it was Vy asking us to go back to Kampot because she had found a guide that could meet us at the Durian monument at 0800.  So, we turned around and were there by 0730.  Dee let us out of the van and we walked around a little bit.

One of the cadets needed to find a bathroom, but he soon discovered that not all gas stations in Cambodia are really "rest stops."  So, we were on the search for a WC.  He tried a couple of guest houses, but they wouldn't let him in.  A few blocks down the road, we came up on the Kampot Pie and Ice Cream shop that we'd seen in an advertisement on our regional maps and found it open.  We ordered drinks (espresso for me, iced Vietnamese coffee for Annie and Dylan, and some fruit juices I think for the others while first Winston then others cycled through their bathroom.  The servers were very pleasant and asked us to come back later in the day for ice cream--which we did because they gave us two-for-one coupons for ice cream.  The espresso shot was only $1 and the same was true for the ice cream.

Back at the Durian Monument, we took more photos, but the guide never showed.  We waited until after 0830,but just left. We'd now wasted almost two hours of the morning.
The drive up to the top of Bokor Mountain was not unlike driving up to Olympic National Park in Washington--a long, winding road taking us from the shore to over 3,000 ft in altitude over about 20 miles (32 km).  Along the way, we saw a giant Buddhist statue that was partially covered in fog.  I was just happy that no one got car sick and we didn't have any head-on collisions with on-coming Vietnamese tour buses cutting the turns.

By the time we arrived at the summit, it was foggy, misting heavily and refreshingly cool.  We went past the new. modern casino to the "Old Casino" built during French Colonial times (1921) and long since abandoned and stripped of everything except maybe a few tiles.  The starkness of the stucco and architecture, along with water settled on many of the floors (even upstairs) made for some fun photography and the cadets enjoyed roaming around the haunted house.  We followed all good horror story laws, though, and didn't let anyone go off alone or run towards any screams.  We were also lucky that we got a clearing in the clouds for about two minutes, allowing us to take a few good exterior shots.

Apparently, Dee didn't want to take us to the other "ghost town"-like spots.  Communication was difficult as Dee knows only about 5 words in English.  I was texting questions and tour suggestions to Vy who was then texting or calling Dee to pass along that info.  Much was lost in translation.

From the Old Casino, we went to a beautiful Buddhist temple complex and monastery on a hill well above the modern casino.  Shrouded almost completely in mist while we were there, it reminded you of being much higher in the mountains as clouds raced up the cliffside from the valley below.  During the few clear moments, though, we could see all of the way to the beach and the Gulf of Thailand.  The cadet and I explored the entire area and even made it into the monk's area for their lunch to get a few photos.

From the temple, we went to the (supposedly) four-star New Casino to look around.  This was a large, Las Vegas Resort-sized complex with hundred of rooms in several buildings, bars, gaming areas, etc.  It was also almost completely empty.  We walked around in it almost like it was the Old Casino--only with uglier interior decorating and architecture.  It just reeked of the style of cheap, garish decor, lines, and design that I've seen so many time before in bad Chinese construction.  I took zero photos of it because it was just so ugly--and not even in the good, quirky way that makes for some good photos.  Ugh.  We were happy to leave.

From there, we'd hoped to be able to go see some local waterfalls, but all of my suggestions and map-pointing apparently did not impress Dee, so we headed down the mountain for lunch in Kampot, stopping along the way to get a panoramic photo.

We lunched in Kampot at the Rusty Keyhole on Vy's recommendation. She said that they had the best ribs in Cambodia. The placed looked good and had small pitchers of beer for $2.50 and reasonable prices, so we stopped in. The drinks were quite good,too, though the ribs were nothing special. Luke had a cheeseburger with egg on top and fries. Annie had pasta, Hansena and Dyland shared ribs, and Winston got some stir-fried squid dish. I ordered the daily special grilled barracuda. In what has become a common theme of restaurants in this area, everyone's food was served, but it took well over 30 minutes for my "special" to arrive. When it did, it was quite good, but knowing that it doesn't take long to grill a barracuda filet, they may well have gone across the street to the fish market to get my lunch.

After lunch, we decided to split into two groups and then meet back at the ice cream shop at 1500 and then at the Durian Monument to meet Dee at 1515.  Winston and Dylan came with me and we made our way to the Central Market, pricing scooters along the way and taking photos.  The market was pretty amazing and ALL locals.  We didn't see any souvenir or T-shirt shops here.  We did buy some durian fruit here and Winston was the brave man who tried it first, much to the viewing pleasure of the locals.  Kampot is the center of both the agricultural durian market and also for the production of peppercorns.  We saw lots of peppers (black, white, green, and red) and even some jars of pickled green peppercorns that we almost bought.

We all rendez-voused on time at the ice cream shop and passed around the tray of durian for the others to enjoy.  I'm no fan--primarily because of the muddy texture that is somewhere between a rotting avocado and pudding, all with a smell that would clear out a public bus (you can't eat them in public transpo in Singapore), and a bit of a sickly sweet taste.  Winston had another piece and I ate three chunks to help encourage the others.  Dylan, who'll eat almost anything that crawls or flies or can be found under a rock almost gagged on his and the other three cadets tried their best to choke down one segment, but couldn't quite finish their small bites.  Still, we'd all done our duty and tried the treasure of Kampot.

On our return, we turned left off of the National road towards Phnom Chhnork, a cave complex in the nearby hills that houses a Pre-Angkorian Hindu Cave Temple and an interesting rock formation at the entrance that looks like an elephant.  The admission cost was $1 apiece and we climbed the 203 stairs to the entrance accompanied by three ad hoc tour guides all about 13 or 14 years old.  They spoke excellent English and some French and asked the cadets with help on some idioms--though they knew quite a few.  (For example, when one of them asked me to climb/slide down into a steep, dark part of the cave and I said, "No way", he chimed in immediately with "Way!" I then taught him the phrase "November Foxtrot Whiskey," thus contributing to his cultural knowledge of the American military.

We took some photos near the entrance of the small temple and all went with the guides into the depths of the cavern except for Annie and me.  I used the time to take a panoramic shot of the view from the cave entrance.  They all emerged about 10 minutes later from another entrance down the mountain much to our relief.

From there, we walked back through the fertile and busy farmland about a half-mile to where Dee had parked the van. We crossed a two-log bridge over a canal and chatted more with the kids.  They said that they'd only been studying English for two years bu that their school was very good.

It rained lightly for most of the return to Kep.  After a shaky start, we'd had a good day and all of the cadets were happy to return at a reasonable hour.  We later met for dinner with Dan, his Cambodian friend, Savon, and Vy, discussing our plans for the next day (boat to Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay) and Koh Por) and turning in early.  Here's the link to the entire slide-show from yesterday.

 All the Best,

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

Thatching a Dream Home's roof: A lesson in strong and nimble fingers.

December 11th :

Today it was my work group's turn to work on a 'dream home'. It was fantastic! I can now add roof thatching to my resume. In this case, rather than starting from scratch, we took the frame of an existing structure and added to it. The frame was leaning over about 20 degrees. We collectively pushed with all of our might and propped up the house with some logs. We got a quick lesson on how to properly attach the thatch to the roof and it looked really easy to do...until we tried it for ourselves. After several failed attempts we decided it wasn't for a lack of technique but rather a lack of what Tommy refers to as “insane Cambodian finger strength”. I guess using a keyboard all day doesn't develop the same finger muscles. In any case, we did the best we could and by the end of the day we had almost completed the roof. We lamented not being able to run to the nearest Home Hardware to pick up the necessary tools to make things easier. Some zap straps could have gone a long way. This was a good exercise for us... an opportunity to remind ourselves that we are here to learn other ways of doing things. We resisted the temptation to take charge, although harder for some than others. Mr. Theary from BAB was patient and helpful. I can only guess that the people were at times too polite to tell us when we were doing things wrong.

Back home, the secret to success is in developing a specialized skill. In so doing, we are far removed from all the things that we consume. Here, survival depends on one's ability to maximize the utility of the land. Resources don't go to waste. Self-sufficiency is key. Virtually all the materials used for the house come from the land: bamboo, logs (sticks may be a more accurate description), rice stalks and cow dung. It's like a real-life episode of survivor. I don't think my wicked excel spreadsheet skills would be of much use here. I admire the people's ability to sustain themselves because if I had to do the same back home, I would likely go hungry. In my 20 years of formal schooling, I don't recall sustainable agriculture ever being on the curriculum. I hope to make the time to grow a garden this summer.

As some of us clung to the roof frame and attached thatch, the others played with the kids... and there is no lack of kids and this is no surprise given that the average Cambodian age is 21 and that the average life expectancy is less than 60 years of age. We played games, threw a ball around, did gymnastics and sang songs. When we showed up they must have wondered what in God's name we were doing there. At first, the kids were very skeptical and shy...almost scared of us, but mesmerized. Shalen is a clown and made animals and flowers with some balloons and the kids loved them! A child's ability to be present, spontaneous and honest never fails to impress me. Tommy was a hit with his gymnastic tricks. Teresa, Courtney and April's games were very well received. The macarena and chicken dance have officially been introduced and well received in rural Cambodia – we all do our little part. It didn't take long before we had the kids wrapped around our fingers. A little love and attention goes a long way. By the end of the day we had a gang of about 15 children chasing and screaming as our bus departed. This is the juice. These moments make it all worthwhile.

Developing Connections: Life-long friendships made.

December 10th:

Day two at work. Progress was made. Work was done. Bonds re-inforced. Connections established. We went to the crab shacks for dinner. By the time this trip is over I will have eaten more crab in a two week stint than I have in the last few years. The only problem with crab? I burn more calories getting to the meat than I get from consuming it. I lie – there is another problem with crab: it always tastes like more. Vy, Saran and Christina came to dinner with us. Christina is an American ex-pat with a curious English accent who is working with BAB. She gave up her stressful, corporate and material existence (her words) to work indefinitely with BAB in Cambodia. She is radiant. Members of the other group shared their experiences building a house from the ground up in two days. Thanks to them, one impoverished Cambodian family is the proud owner of a sturdy new 'dream home.' By the way, this home is a shack by western standards. It is a square building maybe 12 feet by 12 feet with a thatch roof and walls. No matter, the family was very pleased and proud, as was the group. Their stories of laughter, playing with the kids and of a unique building experience left my group looking very forward to starting our dream home.

Repeat good times from the night before. I am amazed by this group's energy. I don't know if they always have this much energy or if they are going to need a vacation from their working vacation when they get home. I seem to have more energy myself. Maybe its the sun. Maybe its the people. Maybe its the positive energy. Whatever, I like it. Some of us went to bed. Guitars were played. Laughter was had. I enjoyed the company of the ten or so of us that went for a midnight swim in the ocean. Note to self: swim under moonlight again.

I am enjoying this group. The group is such a crucial part of the experience. No doubt, it comes with its challenges as well; people have personalities that don't always mix well and some are better able than others to adapt and focus on the positive. Given our size, to this group's credit, we have all done well and I can confidently say that overall we enjoy each other's company. Some people came as individuals while others have come with their friends. It is interesting to observe the evolving dynamics of the group as people feel increasingly comfortable with each other. It is amazing how well you can get to know people in such a short time when you share the same hotel, eat your meals together, work together and share unique experiences together. This is a group bonding experience and not for those who wish to do it alone.... or who have no intention of learning how to do groups. I enjoy watching people become friends and their is no doubt long-terms relationships will come out of this. On this Developing World Connections experience, I can see clearly that the connections made are as much about those we make with each other as a group as those we make with the community and the locals. This group is relatively homogeneous in age and experience and best described as a group of 'young professionals.' I listen closely to people's conversations about relationships, careers, life paths and ambitions. Processing our experience and learning during the day by relating them with our peers is priceless. We will all go back to our regular lives and some of our relationships may not be sustained. But, no matter. I already now that ten years from now I may stumble across the path of someone from this group who I lost touch with and we will have that instant connection. We will reminisce about the day we built that house together, that time we blew balloons and sang and played with the kids .... about how at once, working together, we felt safe, connected and undaunted by this crazy, big and troubled world.

The Group's Arrival in the village of Chamkar Bei

December 8th:
Looking and feeling surprisingly refreshed, the group was ready to finally discover Kep and the Village of Chamkar Bei and to meet our host partners. An hour or so in, we were all startled by a loud bang. My first thought was that we had hit one of the stray dogs that fearlessly navigate the streets. In fact, we had blown a tire. Experience dictates that, in the developing world, plans should be considered as guidelines and one should always expect the unexpected. Coming from a culture that obsessively manages risk and makes plans to plan, going with the flow doesn't always come easy. For better or worse, in a country like Cambodia, where many people are forced to live day to day, one can see the futility in making rigid plans too far into the future. My travels in the developing world always serve me well as a reminder to make plans, but to stay flexible … and to not allow myself to get bent out of shape when life happens not as planned.

Our bus driver - whose name I won't even attempt to spell – is excellent. He is very shy and even my attempts at non-verbal communication fall short. But, most importantly, he is an excellent driver and we all feel very secure. We took advantage of this time out to munch on some bananas and drink some imitation Red Bull. We took lots of pictures with locals and Shalen even got her hair styled by a lovely girl. (When was the last time you saw a family run, road-side hair salon?) Very little goes to waste here – I could see the cut hair in the compost pile. Whether or not the driver needed help, some of the 'problem solvers' (i.e. the men) jumped and generously offered their brawn. Within half an hour we were back on the road with new used tire.

An hour later we stopped for a lunch and enjoyed the company of the children and seniors hovering around us hoping to sell us gum, tiger balm and trinkets. I always get a kick out the harmless dogs that circle the tables hoping for a scrap of food... and nobody cares. Can you imagine eating at a restaurant in North America with dogs circling? Were the average Cambodian to visit my world, s/he would think we were nothing short of uptight. But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. To my group's credit, nobody has seemed to be bothered by the 'strangeness' of life here (or at least nobody has complained). On the contrary, everybody would appear to enjoy the novelty. We ate an assorted array of dishes. Some of us took advantage of the fact that beer is as cheap as the water. Hesitant at first, many have now buckled and are ignoring the travel nurse's instructions not to have drinks with ice. So far, nobody has gotten sick – fingers crossed.

Bellies full, we sallied forth to the village of Chamcar Bei and to the Bridges Across Borders' (BAB) project site. Here, we met the Bridges Across Borders team and they gave us an orientation. They told us of the important work they do which is comprehensive and sustainable. BAB's work is the epidemy of participatory community development and responsible development practice.
Cambodia's history is horrifically violent. Nothing but time can heal the emotional scars of a traumatized people. Under Pol Pot, from 1974-79, educated people were systematically eliminated and families were torn apart and pitted against one another in a mass murder. The social systems and processes most of us take for granted, and sometimes aren't even aware of, were strategically attacked. Though lacking physical infrastructure and economic capital, it is, above all, Cambodia's social capital and human development that will secure its future. Talking with people, it would seem that most have adopted a spirit of forgiveness. Vy, our lovely Cambodian project manager, pointed out the house where the wife of the former Khmer Rouge boss in this area lives. This area was a Khmer Rouge strong hold. People would have good reason to despise this woman, yet she lives as any member of this community. Being witness to forgiveness and BAB's work gives me hope that Cambodia's future is a brighter one.

At the orientation, BAB's staff asked us why were here. In a group setting, it was interesting to observe everybody's responses: “I am here to learn from you.” “I am here to better understand Cambodian culture.” “I am here to help out where I can.” If anyone had harboured any romantic notions about teaching Cambodians how to be, they were not voiced. Our answers made me feel proud .

Almost in Cambodia via Hong Kong

December 7th:

We all arrived in Hong Kong a little tired from the flight but excited to explore this new world. With the exception of my sister Bobbi, none of us had ever been to Hong Kong before. As such, for this trip, we have arranged a two night layover here. My sister used to be a flight attendant and knows the city quite well and she has been very helpful.

When we arrived we went straight to the hotel. Ahhh, there is nothing like a hot shower, a decent meal and a vertical nap after a 14 hour flight to refresh the spirit. We will all arrive in Cambodia refreshed and ready to go. Yesterday we took a half day tour of the city. We went to the 'peak' on Hong Kong Island for an impressive view of this incredibly vertical and dense city. Imagine the west end of Vancouver on steroids. As I understand, there are 7 million plus people who live in Hong Kong. It's incredible to think that this many people live in area that is likely no bigger (perhaps smaller) than my city of Kamloops. Kamloops only has 85,000 people! Indeed, land and space are at a premium here and can't be taken for granted. Our tour guide was explaining how the average family lives in 800 square foot apartments in sky scrapper buildings. When he was a child, his family had nine people - do the math.

But despite the lack of space, Hong Kong is most definitely not what I would call “developing” - far from it. Indeed, one would be hard pressed to find many other places on earth with such opulence. Hong Kong is definitely a paradox. It is incredibly clean and organized here on the surface, but we know the water isn't clean. The vendors are assertive but not aggressive. People wait at the cross walk even if there are no cars coming and I don't think it is because of fear of getting a fine, although I could be wrong. There isn't much space but people are very respectful of it. There is no democracy here, but it feels free. It's crazy but calm. Money rules here, and competition is the name of the game. Yet, I sense a genuine generosity of spirit here. People are nice. Many people speak English and those who don't will try with a smile.

I have never seen such incredible infrastructure. I have never seen so many Ferraris, Porches and Roles Royces. The people here are incredibly cosmopolitan and well dressed. It's like one big fashion show. I get the sense that shopping is the number one recreational sport here. Where does all the money come from? Hong Kong ain't cheap either. I am feeling a little over stimulated by the spectacle of all this. The commercialism and materialism is so in your face. Note to self: If I ever come to Hong Kong again, bring some nice clothes and a lot of money. After two days in Hong Kong I feel as I imagine I would feel in Vegas – glad to have gone but ready to leave.

Surely there is an unpleasant underbelly to Hong Kong as it can't all be this shinny and pretentious. No doubt, there is a strong sense of culture and pride that transcends the tourism, the banking and the pretense. We aren't here long enough to understand Hong Kong, just to experience it. I like Hong Kong, but I don't love it.

Today we are off to Cambodia and not a day too soon. Cambodia is our real reason, our real destination and where we seek the meaningful adventure. Juxtaposed to Hong Kong, Cambodia should offer us a starkly different experience. With much anticipation, excitement and a little nervousness, this group is poised and ready. We can make a difference. We don't say it out loud but we all know intuitively that the biggest difference to be made is going to be made in ourselves. By virtue of what a country can offer that is meaningful, Cambodia, we already know, is much wealthier than Hong Kong. We brace ourselves...with arms wide open.

En route to Cambodia

December 5th:

This meaningful adventure to Cambodia has finally become a reality. After months of preparation and anticipation, here we are, at last, en route to Cambodia. Having waited and waited and waited, to finally be here, past the point of no return, gives me a feeling that can best be described as surreal.

Half the group has started this journey in Kamloops. Getting on to the plane in Kamloops my bags were thoroughly searched and swabbed for bomb materials. Apparently the big toothpaste containers are dangerous and the little ones aren't. Who knew? Oh well, at least I can rest assured that I am safe – at least from Kamloops to Vancouver. I find it ironic and counter intuitive how security checks are always so much better in the small airports as opposed to the larger ones. This is a post 911 world.

We arrived in Vancouver and went through yet another round of security checks and my passport checked another half dozen times. I was pleased to learn something in my bag leaked (insert sarcasm). No matter, at this stage, no small annoyance could dampen (no pun intended) my excitement to meet other members of our team and get this show on the road to Cambodia. We all met up and we chatted, some slept and others played a game of Uno. Amongst peoples' laughter and excitement, I sat back and reveled in some joyful and self-satisfied contemplation about the meaning of all of this. I can't wait to observe people's reactions and live vicariously through the experiences of those who have never been to a developing country. I suddenly developed an acute sense of the extent of my responsibility as well; this doesn't feel like a burden, but rather a privilege. In this moment, my resolve and commitment to these generous people, this experience, our hosts partners and our movement has never been stronger. Like all other Developing World Connections team leaders, I am so pleased to be part of peoples' meaningful experiences.

Inevitably our four hour layover increased to a 5.5 hour layover as we were delayed for mechanical issues. Our 13 hour flight time also increased to 14 hours, I suppose because of the winds. As I write this, I find myself at above 30,000 feet,cramped like a chilled sardine into an impressively large B777-300E. With literally hundreds of people, it's like a floating village up here. Lucky for me, I am sitting, next to crying babies and the bathroom (again, insert sarcasm). Sleep is a luxury I don't expect to get much of in the next hours.

As we boarded the plane we walked through the 'first class' section where people actually had their own beds. I couldn't help thinking that maybe they insist of putting us economy folk in the back of the bus, almost just to rub it in – if I hadn't seen what I was missing, I may not have missed it. Promptly after being seated, the curtain was closed to separate us from those in the front. It dawned on me that the seating on a plane is a metaphor for the social structure of society in the developing world: a vast majority of less-than-comfortable people living next to a small elite. With the curtains closed, those with the privilege of space, good service and food are less bothered by the masses. As we took off, I couldn't help wondering, from an economics point of view, whether it was the first class passengers who were effectively subsidizing the cost of a ticket for the economy class, or vice versa? In any case, if we could have all shared the same space equally, the net increase in comfort would have been drastically disproportionate to the net decrease. In any case, no matter our seat, I am sure we all could agree and hope that our pilots knew what they were doing; God forbid in the case of an emergency we would all go down together.

I suppose one could easily get frustrated by air travel. But, contrary to my complaints, its all good. Given the upbeat and positive disposition of all the participants, it is evident that this group will not be daunted. I suppose, in a way, this is good practice for the inevitable 'spontaneity' of the developing world. Better yet, I consider this nothing less than a personal opportunity to practice surrender. Inflicted with the 'convenience is king' and 'time is money' attitudes prevalent in my culture, just going with the flow doesn't always come easily and I am certainly not immune. However, I do hope this experience will gently challenge me to, at very least, boost my immunity.

So far I can tell we have an excellent group of people. It will be interesting to see how the dynamics evolve when we are challenged. I sense that we all have open minds and a genuine curiosity and desire to be of service. With an air of humility and dispossessed of rigid expectations, we stand poised for nothing less than meaningful adventure.