Pre Christmas Holiday– The Visitors begin arriving - Ollie&Claire
on So Now It's Cambodia (Cambodia), 28/Jan/2011 14:44, 34 days ago
Ollie has just left for China to begin his TEFL teaching career. We left at 7.00am this morning and we saw him off to the border at Poipet in the taxi. We wish him luck. He’s beginning a journey that takes him through Bangkok to the Thai coast where he’ll rejoin his friend Claire. They’ll continue overland through to Malaysia. Hopefully, they’ll eventually reach Kuala Lumpur. From there, they fly to a place near Shanghai then take another flight to Beijing!Hopefully, they’ll be meeting the organisation they will be working with and will start with 2 weeks in country training, including language training. There are many unknowns in his situation but he has had to pay to take the teaching course and still has to take a practical assessment when he gets there, so wewish him luck. He is due to be there for a few months or longer though I’m not sure how many at the moment.This has all been preceded by flying into to Bangkok airport where we went to meet them on 31st. October. We travelled overland to our house where Ollie and Claire settled for a while - relaxing on our balcony. They also spent some time helping with English teaching at the same orphanage in Sisophon that I’d visited. We had a trip together to the coast at Sihanoukville and stayed at Cove Beach Bungalowshttp://www.thecovebeach.com/which is where Alison’s sister Kate was going to stay, so we thought we’d try it to see what it was like.The setting was nice but we approached at night up a bad road and the place looked like a prison! I was only just coming off using one crutch, so to be met with what was basically a building site with piles of sands and boards to walk over followed by lots of steep and uneven steps in shady light was a nightmare!Because we’d booked the air con bungalows we ended up at the top of the site, so we had to negotiate lots of uneven steps every time we went to the reception and café by the sea. Once there though, the view and setting was lovely - perched over the rocks and looking towards Serendipity Beach. We ventured over to Sokha Beach Resort one eveninghttp://www.sokhahotels.com/beach/?pg=beachfor drinks on the beach and a meal  - which is always lovely.After returning to the Pavilion in Phnom Penhhttp://www.thepavilion.asia/  we found we had a suite with a living room, so the staff there kindly made up beds so Ollie and Claire could stay with us for free. They then returned to Mongkul Borei and I stayed in Phnom Penh for another doctor’s appointment. My ankle was painful walking around the bungalow site and over the rough paths to the beach but maybe the exercise was good for it.After a reunion in Siem Reap Alison then spent a few days working out at Thmar Pouk (ed: I mean working - not "working out!!!).I joined her later but the roads were badly potholed following on from the flooding at the end of the rainy season. It was a bit like a fairground ride! It was interesting that Cheourk (our taxi driver) wasn't able to stay overnight with his friend as usual so he (and his lady friend) slept outside! We offered them space in the house but he preferred to carry 2 mattresses downstairs and put them on a day bed and a table! When I asked what he did at home, he said he preferred to sleep outside! At least they used the mosquito nets!Not sure if this video will work but I recorded myself playing the trumpet whilst staying in Oly Shipp's house in Thmar Pouk(some of you may have already seen this)All this was all excellent preparation for Alison’s participation in the Angkor 10K! We returned to Siem Reap and had another early start and a tuk tuk ride to Angkor Wat – a year after our arrival in this district. Ollie took part as well and they ran together as much as they could. In the mean time, Claire and I found the café and had coffee and a pastry! A fair number of VSO volunteers were there as well.This was followed by a champagne breakfast at the Victoria Angkor Resort& Spahttp://victoriahotels.vn/eng/hotel-in-cambodia/angkor-resort-spa – which was interesting!!Ollie& Claire wait in our house for the taxi to Poipet (Thailand) - Alison looks on.... Ollie waits....clasping his passport!Cheourk - the taxi driver relaxes in the hammock with a cigarette !!!Not long after this Ollie& Claire left for Thailand for an extended Christmas holiday where they met up with friends from England. We had a few days at home before we started our Christmas“marathon”!!See next post (when I’ve written it!!). ed: In case you're confused - Ollie has since returned to Cambodia so today's departure was after his second visit!).