From one North East to Another
on Hells Bells Hits Cambodia (Cambodia), 21/Dec/2010 03:41, 34 days ago
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 After a week more in Phnom Penh of shopping, training sessions and socialising we were all ready to move to our various placements. It was a strange feeling to say goodbye to people, as we’d been together for 7/8 weeks by this point, but also a lot of us were ready for the next stage and to start doing what we’ve come here to do. The bus ride to Ratanakiri from Phnom Penh takes roughly 10 hours depending on your bus driver. It doesn’t feel as long as it sounds if you have youripod and watch the beautiful, lush Cambodian Countryside pass you by. The road is paved as far as Stung Treng so it is only the last 3/4 hours, which are bumpy. Add in a few precarious bridges and a whole lot of dust and you have yourself a fun little last leg of the journey.Dust! Perhaps that’s the first thing I should talk about when telling you about Ratanakiri. Dust here covers the trees and plants either side of the road into town giving a slight autumn effect enhanced greatly when looked at through sunglasses. Dust gets in your house, your helmet (and therefore your hair), your computer, your clothes, books, etc etc. However, what the dust loves most is your feet! It lovingly and determinedly holds onto them for days and days. In fact it only finally gives up and lets go when you leave Ratanakiri and have scrubbed your feet for a few days in a row. I don’t mind though, it’s like a teaser of how I’d look tanned! The Ratanakiri tan is very fetching and could give St Tropez a run for their money. Cheaper too!My house is coming along nicely. Slowly but surely I am adding all the things I need to it. The day the gas stove was fitted was a very exciting one, I can finally cook for myself. Something I’ve been longing to do for ages. There are still some things I need to do, so after Christmas when it is completed I will take some pictures and put them up.Work is starting slowly but surely. I have a VA (volunteer Assistant) called Sak whose main job is to translate for me. He is very good and has been great at helping me settle in. My first week I shadowed Lucy, another education volunteer also working with Communities, she is from the Philippines and has been doing a really good job here so is a great person to learn from. She also is a great cook and has promised to teach me some new dishes to add to my repertoire. Another great cook is Lucy’s husband Yasir. Yasir is from Pakistan and I have already sampled one of his fantastic curries. I’ll definitely be able to get my spice fix when dining at Yasir and Lucy’s. This week is my second week at work and Sak and I have been visiting schools Sarah and Kirsty (my predecessors) workedat to see how I might be able to help. I will write more about work as it starts to happen.The other volunteers and ex-pats in Ratanakiri are great. There’s a wide mix of ages and nationalities and there are a constant stream of travellers coming through town so there is always someone to drink, eat and chat with any given evening of the week. There are some lovely restaurants that do western food for when you want that little slice of home - or just would like a meal sans rice. They also have well stocked bars for when you want a few drinks. Tree Tops has a great view, ‘The Dutch Couple’ (yes, ran by a Dutch couple) has a beach shack feel bedecked with fairy lights – my new favourite place and A’ dams is the Friday night ex-pat hangout. I have yet to frequent a few more places but am enjoying discovering them slowly. Another great place is Tanya’s house. Tanya is a VSO volunteer, also from England, who works in Livelihoods. Her veranda only just beats mine but has a fantastic uninterrupted view on a side less platform jutting out over the jungle. Most nights Tanya is there for sunset so as long as you bring a few beers you can turn up any time, wrap yourself in a blanket and star gaze. Fantastic!I have also been getting used to my moto. My first long trip was an incredible 140km round trip to the Vietnamese border and back. We left early in the morning when the mist hovers around the mountaintops and the sun is just starting to peek over the skyline. The‘mountains’ are in fact large, lush green, rolling hills. They’re 400m so you can decide for yourself whether they classify as mountains or hills. The people of Ratanakiri call them mountains so that’s good enough for me.Ratanakiri is an exceptionally beautiful province and I feel very lucky to be placed here. I still have a lot to experience– restaurants, the gem mines, the waterfalls, treks through the jungle, the elephants, indigenous villages, the Chinese village and all the wildlife of Lumphat. It’s going to be an exciting year!