My month of trying to use the
alphabetic and numeric prompts to showcase our local environment and Cambodia
in general. As a new arrival this may be a little ambitious but here is my
attempt.
THE PROMPTS FOR THE MONTH
TUESDAY 1st STARTS WITH A: For my month of showcasing
Cambodia, you can't go past Angkor Wat. Cambodia’s prime attraction starts with
A
WEDNESDAY 2nd STARTS WITH B: Blue Buddha
THURSDAY 3rd STARTS WITH C: Kep's attractions focus on
crabs- the giant crab in the bay, the crab market and ...... well, eating crabs
by the seaside of course. Crab starts with C
FRIDAY 4th STARTS WITH D: Cambodia is endowed with a
huge diversity of tropical fruit including durian but my choice is dragon
fruit. This purchase for PAD in the market this morning cost less than 50c and
was a great addition to our lunch
SATURDAY 5th STARTS WITH E: It would have to be
elephant. This is a statue at one of the intersections on the main road in Kep.
There is actually an abundance of statues along the road and it makes
navigating and giving directions so much easier
SUNDAY 6th STARTS WITH F: Fishing boats full of
fishermen on the water in Kep. Fish play a huge role in the local economy and
diet and these boats are always visible in the bay
MONDAY 7th STARTS WITH G: Having just returned from
the local market starts with "G" just has to be garden fresh greens.
Over half our haul today was fresh greens including limes, kale, spring onions,
knife blade coriander and broccoli
TUESDAY 8th STARTS WITH H: The houses of Kep; some
beautifully restored, some dilapidated and in ruins, some concrete, practical
designs for families, some holding on to former grandeur, some modern
interpretations of traditional residences, some opulent and comfortable and one
simple unique bamboo home in the paddies
WEDNESDAY 9th STARTS WITH I: In Cambodia a lot of
vendors and households still rely on ice, not refrigerators, on a regular
basis. The blocks of ice are sawed into the required size at point of sale.
Dripping motorcycle-powered delivery carts ply a busy trade at all times of the
day
THURSDAY 10th STARTS WITH J: Organic and unrefined
palm sugar is also known as jaggery, which happens to start with J. It is
painstakingly produced all over Cambodia's rural regions. Due to this prompt
today I have now purchased these two styles- one syrupy and one powdered. The
most common block style wasn't available locally. I'm now on the look out for
recipes to use them in
FRIDAY 11th STARTS WITH K: For many places K is a
difficult prompt but here in Cambodia the Khmer language, living in Kep and
visiting Kampot easily come to mind but it is the ubiquitous Kramer that is the
obvious choice. Locally made, often by women's cooperatives or empowerment to
eradicate poverty initiatives these "scarves" are irresistible and so
much more than a scarf. If you are interested in their many uses please read
the link below which I wrote while travelling in Cambodia in 2013
SATURDAY 12th STARTS WITH L: The local limes in Kep
are the best I've ever tasted. They are large, bright green and juicy:
absolutely perfect for our digestive lime juice and water every morning and
well this is the tropics so the evening tipple of GnT's wouldn't be kosher
without a couple of slices and a squirt of juice
SUNDAY 13th STARTS WITH M: Orange clad monk is the
obvious choice for the letter M
MONDAY 14th STATTS WITH N: The N prompt brings to mind
another of the statues, which line the roads and especially the coastal strip
in Kep. Another of our navigational landmarks the nymph; a nature goddess
usually depicted as a beautiful maiden. She sits playing a lyre on the shorefront.
I'm not sure what the Khmer Buddhists would call her but to me she is the nymph
TUESDAY 15th STARTS WITH O: The ocean. My go to place
for calm and quiet and here especially on weekdays. Sometimes we just ride to
the beach and stare at the ocean. This is Kep Bay looking out towards Rabbit
Island with a backdrop of the Kep National Park. We see it almost daily but it is
crowded and chaotic beyond belief on weekends
WEDNESDAY 16th STARTS WITH P: In this beachside
location nothing adds to the glamor and resort feel more than palms. A
coastline dotted with palms and summer, vacation and relax come immediately to
mind. It is wet season so there is not much blue sky but coconut palms on the
foreshore are very Kep
THURSDAY 17th STARTS WITH Q: Quintessential Cambodia
from my perspective- the serenity of the monks, the lush tropical flowers made
as offerings, the details in the temples of Angkor Wat and sunsets silhouetting
palms over the Mekong River. Cambodia to a tee or in this case Q
FRIDAY 18th STARTS WITH R: Neighbouring Thailand calls
them tuk tuks but the trailer pulled by a moto (as they call motorcycles here) is
commonly known as a remork or remorque. They are everywhere and are popular
with locals and tourists alike, to transport both themselves and goods. Whether
it is a local run or farther afield. Although more expensive than the bus for a longer run, it is
a pleasant well-ventilated and slower ride
SATURDAY 19th STARTS WITH S: Both Kampot and Kep are
famous for their salt and pepper production. Opportunities to see the
plantations abound but so far we have merely sampled the products and can
highly recommend them. Kampot is perhaps more internationally renown and this
is our current supply but we will surely try the local product next
Second choice would have to be Spirit House but I posted
the one in our yard last month… I really do love them and so this is another
shot of ‘our’ spirit house
SUNDAY 20th STARTS WITH T: Transplanting rice seedlings.
Surrounded as we are with rice paddies, it's impossible not to notice the
enormous amount of backbreaking work, which goes into this staple of Asia. It
inspires us to appreciate all that we eat just a little bit more
MONDAY 21st STARTS WITH U: Ungulates are mammals with
hooves and these beasts certainly qualify. We see them daily in fields and
along the verges of the roads. We are not sure if they are a breed of cow or ox
or something completely different but local farmers pride themselves in owning
them as a form of wealth. They are never milked and seem to rarely be put to
work but more commonly pampered and hand fed
TUESDAY 22nd STARTS WITH V: Today's visit to Sala
(school) Monkey revealed a vibrant and viable learning environment and we hope
there maybe scope for us in some capacity as volunteers in the future
WEDNESDAY 23rd STARTS WITH W: Wat is the Khmer
equivalent to Buddhist temple. (just like Thai) This particular wat is just a
few kilometres from our home and is called Wat Mony Ratanak Keo Krousang we
just discovered. Not the best shot going, as after cycling there specifically
in response to this prompt, we fled in a hurry having spotted a huge snake
shedding its skin on the forecourt of the temple
THURSDAY 24th STARTS WITH X: Actually X marks
the spot where the Kep Gardens Association, established by fellow Adelaidians,
runs an educational centre offering English language development, technical
trade skills, life skills, community support, agricultural skills, sponsorship
for further education and so much more. We visited today to offer our services
as volunteers and we were warmly welcomed and instantly felt a connection.
Hoping to contribute to the individual reading programme in the near future
FRIDAY 25th STARTS WITH Y: Youth are the future of any
nation and this talented group of young people showcased their talents,
leadership skills and determination in the Kep Gardens Association Annual
Concert last night. The balance between maintaining traditions and youthful
exuberance for modernity was apparent. We left feeling optimistic about the
future knowing young people like these are rising to the challenges their lives
present with the assistance and guidance they receive
SATURDAY 26th STARTS WITH Z: That would be zingiber -
commonly known as ginger but from the zingiberaceae family! One of the many
distinct flavours which combine to create the base for Asian cuisine. Khmer
dishes are no exception and this is a must have ingredient if you want to
create an authentic flavour
SUNDAY 27th ONE: One small spirit house. No matter how
big or small your business, office or home a spirit house is required. This
simple one adorns the wall of a small local retailer
MONDAY 27th TWO: cold beers -Cambodia of Course!!!
TUESDAY 29th THREE: distinctly Cambodian handmade
items I have bought since arriving. None of them were essential or necessary
and all of them bring me great pleasure- a cane dish, a silk Kramer and
lacquered chopsticks
WEDNESDAY 30th FOUR: monkeys in another of the many
statues in Kep. This one is at a point where we never see monkeys but either
side of it we regularly spot them. Unfortunately they are prone to raiding the
garbage bins and creating a huge mess boldly foraging among the picnickers
leftovers as well as openly stealing whenever possible
THURSDAY 31st FIVE: of the stalls we frequent in the
Kep Market
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