It’s hard to believe that 2018 is all but over but as I start to reflect it seems a lot has been packed into this last year. We have settled into a very comfortable routine and are enjoying our more relaxed lifestyle here in Kep, as we head towards the 18 month point in our residency. To our delight we have also had many more visitors than in any other place we have lived. There is nothing quite like introducing other people to the best of your local environment to give you greater appreciation for it. Fortunately, we have had several opportunities to travel within Cambodia too. Frequent visits to Kampot and the capital have also punctuated the year and we can now say that we are very familiar and quite fond of both these locations and continue to take great pleasure in expanding our local knowledge and taking in new sights.
Our first trip to a new unexplored region took place in March as a birthday celebration for me. I selected Mondulkiri Province with the specific aim of spending time with the elephants in a sanctuary there. Logistically that involved first making our way to Phnom Penh and then venturing onward. I was truly delighted with the magical day we had and would recommend both the town of Sen Monoram and the specific sanctuary we chose to anyone. Since many of you also follow our blog and I post prolifically on both Facebook and Instagram, I will not bore you with details that you may well already know. If on the other hand you would like more information, it can be found here. https://intheshadowofthemountains.blogspot.com/2018/03/a-local-adventure.html.
On the return journey, we decided to take a small detour through Kratie and we both very much enjoyed our second experience with the Irrawaddy fresh water dolphins and the dynamic and vibrant atmosphere of the riverside town. This was the first prolonged break we had had and it was a joy to travel independently in a somewhat familiar culture. It certainly reminded us of the diversity of the nature, wildlife and ethnic communities co-existing peacefully in this little kingdom.
Ian has worked diligently to create a garden and as always is the better cook and more productive provider of the two of us. I will now turn over to him to update you on that front.
We’ve continued to keep our garden beds alive despite the ever-present possibility of attacks by chickens, cows, dogs, ants and various sundry chewing and sucking insects or other pathogens. That’s not to mention the pummelling the little plants get from the torrential downpours during the wet season. Currently I’m battling some kind of beasties in the chillies and some little caterpillars have discovered just how delicious the basil is! An occasional silver beet leaf disappears thanks to caterpillars but the amaranth is a real winner. The colour of the leaves to me means it’s a real powerhouse of nutrients.
We are certainly self-sufficient in chillies even though at about a dollar a kilo in the market we aren’t saving much in the way of money! Our parsley lives on but isn’t exactly thriving, I pick the odd sprig or two but no lovely bunches as yet. Our sweet basil is going great guns. I got one seedling from a friend in Kampot and have successfully taken about ten cuttings from that bush, a couple of which are now growing nicely in the garden bed. All in all, it’s great to be able to eat vegetables grown by hand at home.
I still love making my chilli jam and a couple of locals appreciate the odd jar. I’ve recently branched out into hot sauce and the current bottle is disappearing fast! I’ve made a couple of local style pesto sauces using Thai basil and peanuts instead of the classic sweet basil and pine nuts. The sweet basil growing now is, however soon destined to become pesto! I’m also still pickling and the carrot & ginger continues to be our favourite. The new kid on the block is water kefir. I was given some grains and a ‘how to’ lesson and we’ve been enjoying that with our breakfast every morning.
We continue to swim two or three times a week, cycle as much as possible and hike in the now very well-known National Park whenever the mood strikes. In the last 6 months the climate seems to have become be milder or it may just be that we have finally adapted to the heat and humidity and are more easily able to avoid the worst times for outdoor activities and dress to minimalize the overexposure. Though as for that we both seem to look more like the bronzed Aussies we never did at home. I have also maintained using the Photo A Day prompts to take photographs daily and I blog the results monthly. The meditation and mindfulness practice I began in earnest and with dedication last year has now become almost routine with only travel, injury, illness or accident occasionally disrupting a pretty regular and very satisfying routine.
In late June we returned to Australia to celebrate Ian’s 60thbirthday with family and friends. We chose not organise a huge party and instead had a number of smaller and more intimate gatherings, which ensured there was ample time to converse and really catch up with a large number of people in a variety of settings. As two dear friends from The States also chose to join us for some of that time, we were able to play tourist in our hometown and reacquaint ourselves with many of the spectacular natural and cultural offerings available as well as venturing into new territory and simply enjoying some downtime in the winter weather.
A full academic year with both our original volunteering positions has now elapsed. The time we spent at Kep Gardens Association taught us a great deal about Cambodia, village life and Khmer culture. The regular contact especially with the older students enabled us to develop strong relationships and gain a better understanding of the conditions and situations of local families. However, after completing our first 12months, in October we decided not to continue there and instead to focus on the ever-expanding project we have undertaken with the little monks.
We had the pleasure of hosting two friends from Adelaide in September. Dallas and David came on down to Kep after spending some time in Siem Reap checking out the magnificent Angkor Wat complex and a few nights in Phnom Penh. We all had a hoot enjoying each other’s company. We did a few little excursions which added to the joy and we hope that they will now spread the word that Kep is certainly worth a visit and our little home comfortable enough to accommodate guests.
The little monks of Kep continue to be a big part of our lives. Initially the members of the class changed frequently with students leaving permanently or returning without any notice and new ones arriving with little or no previous exposure to English and staying indeterminate lengths of time. In the past few months we happily seem to have reached something of a quorum with only one new arrival and no departures. Switching to a morning time slot has also been extremely beneficial in terms of the focus, attention and concentration of the boys. Our ride to and from the pagoda is also less onerous in the early morning though the monsoon continues to play havoc with our desire to cycle whenever possible. Morning sessions also enable us to regularly contribute to the boy’s nutrition as we are with them at a time when they are able to eat. Our offerings of milk, baked goods or fresh fruit are always warmly received.
Many of the friends who have journeyed to Kep and a few of the travellers we have met while they were passing through have elected to come to a class with us. Those visitors have made small financial donations towards this project and we are extremely grateful. These funds have enabled us to continue creating and purchasing resources as well as regularly providing basic hygiene products to the boys.
The blow by blow accounts of this truly gratifying project have been chronicled in these posts of if you would like to know more, it’s all here.
And here.
Just last weekend the little monks of Kep and their Abbot were treated to a day trip to nearby Rabbit Island by their major sponsor Madam Yary and we were able to contribute towards the transport for the day, with funds donated. She sought our assistance with organising the trip and we were able see that our relationship with the monks is unique. Not being Buddhists and not being bound by the formal protocol locals feel compelled to conform to, has given us the rare opportunity to mingle with them and relate to them individually and as a group in a way that others seldom do. That day was certainly the highlight of the year for me and I will never forget the total delight of the boys. It was bliss to watch them smiling and laughing while playing with complete abandon both in the water and on the beach. It is rare for them to experience such typical childhood moments and we feel deeply honoured to have shared the experience with them.
Our sense of well-being, belonging and gratitude has expanded exponentially in the past year and we can only hope that the same is true for many, if not all, of you. May you enjoy and appreciate what you have, spread joy and wonder and be your best self in the coming year. Finally, I would like to wish you and your families a happy, healthy and prosperous 2019.
Peace and love always,
Vicky and Ian xxxxxx
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