Appendix to last post and DRAGON BOAT RACING!!!
on So Now It's Cambodia (Cambodia), 01/Nov/2009 16:37, 34 days ago
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Sorry - forgot to say the river trip took place on Sunday a week ago.Just a quick update a week later Sat/Sun oct 31st. and Nov 1st. Alison has written her own account which I'll post later when she has sent it to me. So this is Paul's account!We're staying in a lovely hotel in Phnom Penh in their top room which has air con and I can use wi fi in the room. That's the first time since arriving - oh what bliss!!We have 2 double 4 poster beds in the room. It's very nice - swimming pool, of course, all for the price of a Premier Inn in UK.http://www.thekabiki.com/We're meant to be doing language training in Kampong Cham but everything stops for the annual water festival to celebrate the end of the rainy season. VSO organise a Dragon Boat- or very long canoe to take part in the race. It's led by a few brilliant token Khmers.We had a training session 2 weeks ago and today was the real thing. The city is packed for this popular festival. Last night we went down to the river on a tuk tuk and we have never seen so many motos together  - the roads were jam packed - many motos had 5 people on (including children) and there were some cars, cyclos and push bikes etc. It was quite incredible - how no one got crushed I don't know.Today started with a swim and breafast by the pool. We eventually met up at the VSO office. There were 40 in our boat and about 36 got into the back of a truck to get to the river  - looked like a load of cattle!After a long and very hot wait we finally descended the steps to get into our boat - not an easy task. Things had seemed quite calm earlier but we soon found ourselves amidst a mass of boats. These are brightly painted giant canoes and some even hold 70!! That's a very impressive sight.We kept getting hemmed in as we made our way to the starting point. We couldn't understand why people were laughing so much until we realised we were going backwards due to the strong current and lack of skill!!As we were taking so long we were allowed to start the race where we'd got to which was well ahead of the other boat (they do heats in pairs). Needless to say they beat us easily though none of us had any idea where the finishing line was!! As we were overtaken by the 2 boats of the next race we must have come 4th!! We were all a bit confused as the start and end were all a bit vague.After being led to a weedy embankment we finally disembarked -stiff and wet but satisfied by the honour of being able to take part in this amazing and colourful experience.We had a party on a rooftop terrace later where we tried to compare what we did with a group of foreigners joining in one our major sporting events. It was suggested that it was a bit like a foreign group entering a pantomine horse at the Derby! Inspite of that, the locals were extremely gracious and friendly - laughing nicely and shaking our hands as they rowed past - even if they did take great delight in splashing us with water!Another very memorable day.