We regrouped at the base of ‘Everest’ to both assess the accent before us and to take advantage of our last chance to momentarily disassociate from the reality of what was to come. Ten minutes passed. It was time to look the hills square in the face and ‘knock the bastard off’.
Changing down gears and bracing ourselves for the increasingly steep gradient I couldn’t help but think of my favourite movie depicting triumph and victory over seemingly overwhelming odds, Rocky. At that moment I pictured my own ‘Mickey’ right there beside me willing me on, refusing to let me pause or hesitate for even a moment. He was indignant. I was to conquer the peaks in front of me. ‘Eye of the Tiger’ played in the background, as always providing a timely shot of adrenaline. One foot bearing down on each pedal, I kept my eyes planted on each new plateau. The heat intensified with each hill. My only relief being the reward of bottled water tipped over my head once level ground were reached.
I could see participants in front of me, behind me and beside me however I knew that permitting conversation or allowing even a moments thought to be directed their way would potentially jeopardize the momentum gained. I needed to dedicate 100% of my mental and physical resources to this last leg. I could see that this train of thought was mirrored by them. Just as this resolution crossed my mind a series of trucks came hurtling toward us, moving us off the road and onto a rather rocky bank beside the road. The timing of our move off the road and the passing of the trucks seemed ridiculously closely timed. It would be accurate to say that it is best to assume that all truck drivers on Cambodian roads are visually challenged psychopaths who view any and all road rules as road suggestions.
Before long we could see that several participants and the drinks vehicle had stopped outside just beyond the crest of the second hill. Cold water, chewy lollies courtesy of Belinda and a series of encouraging cheers for each participant who cycled into the rest area continued until we once again hit the road. A sense of collective satisfaction seemed to permeate the air as we celebrated our success in completing the first phase of this challenging leg.
The second phase of this leg seemed to be a much less challenging version of the first. Perhaps it was because this phase seemed to an elongated version of the last, with gradients of less torturous degrees than before. A moment of comic disappointment occurred when after reaching criminal speeds on one of the descents several of us thought we must be approaching the finish line. Pumping the air and screaming excitement we were soon slapped into reality by the clearing of obstructing foliage that hid the impending hill that would be our last to complete. Approaching this hill we were greeted with a sign informing us that we were approaching ‘Victory Beach’. We were struck with the significance of this.
Ten minutes later we were rounding a corner, the finish line within our wearied sights when a moped overtook us, skidding and subsequently falling on the loose gravel careening into the dirt, passengers screaming. We jumped off our bikes running to their aid, fairly certain we were in our own personal episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. It was a dramatic interruption that ended in the support vehicle supplying first aid.
Back on our bikes we set off for the final 100m. Smey stood beaming at us, waving us into the courtyard of our final resting place. The soundtrack changed, I now heard ‘Chariots of Fire’ play as time seemed to slow dramatically. The realization that we were at the end of what had become a 570km journey was all consuming.
We were exhilarated. We were the Jamaican bobsled team, Rocky 1 through 5, the Australian swim team Athens 2000, the Mighty Ducks. We were victorious. We were the World Vision Charity Challenge 1 and we were at the finish line.
Later that night down by the beach of Sihanoukville we celebrated the lovely Sheila’s 60th birthday in conjunction with the end of what had been a challenge that had delivered on its promise to be a treat for the body and the heart. After a rousing version of Happy Birthday, complete with our Cambodian friends holding sparklers and presenting Sheila with her own cake, we decided to gift our friends with a taste of kiwiana. It was with a profound sense of sadness that we sang ‘Pokarekare Ana’ and ‘God Defend New Zealand’. The Cambodians waved tissues as we sang and then showered us in a series of hugs and statements of ‘I will miss you’.
The next morning we exited Sihanoukville by van singing along to Dave Dobbyn as we reminisced on our extraordinary shared experience. Not a single one of us were going to be leaving Cambodia without a strong measure of admiration and affection for this beautiful and yet troubled country. It had stolen a portion of our hearts and minds and would remain the place that so openly embraced these intrepid cyclists on a mission to bring safe water to a desperate community.
In conclusion I need to thank Intrepid/Raw Travel, specifically the enormously valuable Vance, Dave and Mike. The delivery of a well organized and authentic travel experience meant that 21 World Vision enthusiasts fell in love with a country and a people that World Vision works so hard to serve. There was a breadth to this experience that would not have been encountered had we not scaled this beautiful land. The team's commitment to World Vision's work in Cambodia is now unshakable...
Check out the blog tomorrow for some closing thoughts from the participants ...
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The final countdown... part one
The mother of all days arrived with a little fear and trepidation. The night previous we had been eating dinner when our tour leader walked us through the next day's itinerary ... there is no easy way to say '105km with hills'. Most of us gulped and went rather silent (there are a couple who seem to be genetically predispositioned to embrace such exercise - oh how I look to them in genuine awe and wonder). I then responded in the best way I knew how - with an order of a pina colada and ice cream.
Once I arrived back at the hotel I realised how anxious I was concerning the following day's itinerary when I was still awake after an hour of tossing and turning. Thank goodness I was able to get some kip as my darling fellow participants had once again agreed en masse to leave by 6am (they hate me).
We left the hotel and arrived at our first point of call, the restaurant that would serve us breakfast. Smey, our tour leader had suggested we all order beef curry since most mornings we order the usual Western fare, omelette. We took his suggestion into consideration and agreed to order more omelette.
Setting out I was pleased to find the temperature was much more tolerable today. We maintained our usual two by two or one by one formation through the streets of Kampot and onto the highway that would become our main route to Sihanoukville. Both Fiona and I were sure to pace ourselves as we had both been quite sick at some point in the days previous. We had a great catch-up on the challenge thus far. Fiona commenting that participating in the challenge was the 'best thing she has ever done'. I had heard similar comments from other participants, especially since the project visits. It was a rather scenic journey as we cycled past bright green paddy fields, rice field workers, roaming oxen and a spectacular backdrop of ominous hills. Fiona commented that this was just like riding through Devonport. I believe she may have been referring to the wind.
I felt pretty optimistic regarding the day ahead. The day before I had felt as though my energy levels have been reboosted and had cycled my best effort of the challenge. Andy had warned me that I should hang back and reserve energy for the final day however I had felt on top of the world. Well perhaps I should have heeded his advice... At approximately the 42km mark I was found vomiting into the ditch along the side of the road. The ever kind-hearted Sukum held my hair back and rubbed my back saying Ýou'll be okay Claire'. Against his advice I got back on my bike and continued to ride. After approximately 2km and repeating this thrilling exercise in abdominal acrobatics I agreed to get in the support vehicle until after lunch when I would hopefully be up for the toughest part of the challenge - the dreaded hills.
Lunch by the river was timed perfectly. We lounged under fantastic tree cover and watched as Sheila, Rebecca and Brian attacked the river with enthusiasm. It was certainly heating up. After beef noodles, chilled water and a range of fruit we were off again. Passing hundreds of school children proudly strutting along the side of the road in school uniforms we headed for Everest...
Once I arrived back at the hotel I realised how anxious I was concerning the following day's itinerary when I was still awake after an hour of tossing and turning. Thank goodness I was able to get some kip as my darling fellow participants had once again agreed en masse to leave by 6am (they hate me).
We left the hotel and arrived at our first point of call, the restaurant that would serve us breakfast. Smey, our tour leader had suggested we all order beef curry since most mornings we order the usual Western fare, omelette. We took his suggestion into consideration and agreed to order more omelette.
Setting out I was pleased to find the temperature was much more tolerable today. We maintained our usual two by two or one by one formation through the streets of Kampot and onto the highway that would become our main route to Sihanoukville. Both Fiona and I were sure to pace ourselves as we had both been quite sick at some point in the days previous. We had a great catch-up on the challenge thus far. Fiona commenting that participating in the challenge was the 'best thing she has ever done'. I had heard similar comments from other participants, especially since the project visits. It was a rather scenic journey as we cycled past bright green paddy fields, rice field workers, roaming oxen and a spectacular backdrop of ominous hills. Fiona commented that this was just like riding through Devonport. I believe she may have been referring to the wind.
I felt pretty optimistic regarding the day ahead. The day before I had felt as though my energy levels have been reboosted and had cycled my best effort of the challenge. Andy had warned me that I should hang back and reserve energy for the final day however I had felt on top of the world. Well perhaps I should have heeded his advice... At approximately the 42km mark I was found vomiting into the ditch along the side of the road. The ever kind-hearted Sukum held my hair back and rubbed my back saying Ýou'll be okay Claire'. Against his advice I got back on my bike and continued to ride. After approximately 2km and repeating this thrilling exercise in abdominal acrobatics I agreed to get in the support vehicle until after lunch when I would hopefully be up for the toughest part of the challenge - the dreaded hills.
Lunch by the river was timed perfectly. We lounged under fantastic tree cover and watched as Sheila, Rebecca and Brian attacked the river with enthusiasm. It was certainly heating up. After beef noodles, chilled water and a range of fruit we were off again. Passing hundreds of school children proudly strutting along the side of the road in school uniforms we headed for Everest...
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Boiling temperature reached in Kampot - 87km
Today was what can only be described as both gratifying and well, ridiculously hot. It was also my first day cycling post-Cam-belly and I was excited. Due to my fellow participants turning on several of us non-morning people and agreeing by overwhelming consensus to begin the day at 6am (that is on the bikes, ready to ride by 6am) we had covered 20km before we even ate breakfast. I knew the day would be rather cosy when at 6.30am I had an attractive amount of sweat pouring off my face. We rode our bikes to a restaurant just out of Takeo province that made our group favourite - omelettes. In a moment of cheekiness I had put my hand up and asked for a chai tea latte. Belinda followed with her order of eggs benedict with salmon, Richard with eggs florentine and Andy with a soy decaf latte. Needless to say we all got omelette with coffee. Although I have to take a moment to give Cambodian coffee a shout out. The coffee has condensed milk in the bottom of the cup and is delicious. The knowledge that we are about to burn copious amounts of calories is enough for us to consume these at most breakfasts.
After breakfast we set out for the remaining 67km. The heat intensified at times while at the same time it was once again interesting to me how quickly one forgets about the heat and finds enjoyment in riding in such an intensely beautiful land. I cannot emphasise enough how extraordinarily beautiful the people are here. They are just so stunning in their approach to life. You cannot help but retain optimism and happiness when we are faced with such unrelenting generosity of spirit. I will miss this.
The lovely Dave Reynolds from Intrepid Challenges/Raw Travel joined us in this journey. We had a great conversation about child trafficking - the tragedy and the hope that exists in some of the stories that have emerged from this industry. I also had the opportunity to tell him how impressed I was with the incredible job his team had done across this challenge. Everything from day to day operations, meals, morale boosting and nightly bonding over Angkor has just been tops. The challenge crew has consisted of:
Smey - Cambodian tour leader: hilarious guy with an incredible knack for orchestrating these challenges.
Andrew (aka Andy) - Australian tour leader: equally hilarious, fantastic translator of all things Cambodian into Westernese, great support to Smey.
Several drivers and support crew who cycle both behind, in front and with us.
I was accompanied for most of my ride by the loveliest Cambodian man by the name of Sukom. He is a sweet man who has acted as a bike mechanic and tour guide support since we began the challenge. He rode alongside me encouraging me, making me laugh and challenging me to several races. I obliged and had a blast. It is comical really - Sukom the avid cyclist who negotiates the Cambodian roads and heat without effort against me. After another 50km he informed me that my average cycle speed had increased to 29.5km/h! Yessss.
For lunch we sat around under the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful shade of a tree eating our lunch of fried rice openly discussing such tantalising subjects as heat rash, bowel movements and the merits of Immodium. On either side of us at our lunch venue we had roaming cows and screeching pigs. Toto, we are no longer in Kansas.
Following lunch. We hauled our bodies onto our bikes, quickly realising how hot is was from outside the cool of the shade. The last leg of our journey took us straight into Kampot, a coastal community with gorgeous French colonial charm - and ice cream! We arrived at our hotel shattered after riding in sizzling heat. Smey, our leader happily informed us that we had broken a two year record for the Takeo to Kampot journey. As the competitive bunch that we are we screamed in excitement and took off for the cold showers. Our hotel rooms are fanastic rooms. Air-conditioned with large bathrooms. I stood under the cold water until the water with sweet relief before treating my sunburn (my farmer's tan is nothing short of embarrassing) and staring in awe at the invading heat rash just above my knees.
Well and that brings me to now, sitting in an internet cafe desperate to eat some of the ice cream I hear is but a short distance from here - oh let it be so.
After breakfast we set out for the remaining 67km. The heat intensified at times while at the same time it was once again interesting to me how quickly one forgets about the heat and finds enjoyment in riding in such an intensely beautiful land. I cannot emphasise enough how extraordinarily beautiful the people are here. They are just so stunning in their approach to life. You cannot help but retain optimism and happiness when we are faced with such unrelenting generosity of spirit. I will miss this.
The lovely Dave Reynolds from Intrepid Challenges/Raw Travel joined us in this journey. We had a great conversation about child trafficking - the tragedy and the hope that exists in some of the stories that have emerged from this industry. I also had the opportunity to tell him how impressed I was with the incredible job his team had done across this challenge. Everything from day to day operations, meals, morale boosting and nightly bonding over Angkor has just been tops. The challenge crew has consisted of:
Smey - Cambodian tour leader: hilarious guy with an incredible knack for orchestrating these challenges.
Andrew (aka Andy) - Australian tour leader: equally hilarious, fantastic translator of all things Cambodian into Westernese, great support to Smey.
Several drivers and support crew who cycle both behind, in front and with us.
I was accompanied for most of my ride by the loveliest Cambodian man by the name of Sukom. He is a sweet man who has acted as a bike mechanic and tour guide support since we began the challenge. He rode alongside me encouraging me, making me laugh and challenging me to several races. I obliged and had a blast. It is comical really - Sukom the avid cyclist who negotiates the Cambodian roads and heat without effort against me. After another 50km he informed me that my average cycle speed had increased to 29.5km/h! Yessss.
For lunch we sat around under the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful shade of a tree eating our lunch of fried rice openly discussing such tantalising subjects as heat rash, bowel movements and the merits of Immodium. On either side of us at our lunch venue we had roaming cows and screeching pigs. Toto, we are no longer in Kansas.
Following lunch. We hauled our bodies onto our bikes, quickly realising how hot is was from outside the cool of the shade. The last leg of our journey took us straight into Kampot, a coastal community with gorgeous French colonial charm - and ice cream! We arrived at our hotel shattered after riding in sizzling heat. Smey, our leader happily informed us that we had broken a two year record for the Takeo to Kampot journey. As the competitive bunch that we are we screamed in excitement and took off for the cold showers. Our hotel rooms are fanastic rooms. Air-conditioned with large bathrooms. I stood under the cold water until the water with sweet relief before treating my sunburn (my farmer's tan is nothing short of embarrassing) and staring in awe at the invading heat rash just above my knees.
Well and that brings me to now, sitting in an internet cafe desperate to eat some of the ice cream I hear is but a short distance from here - oh let it be so.
World Vision works
After a night at the Takeo Hilton (aka the 5 star guesthouse!) complete with shower over toilet and transparent towels we woke to the highlight of the challenge - the World Vision project visit. For the 11 participants on the challenge who did not have sponsor children to visit, this would be their experience with a World Vision project on the trip. I began the day with a briefing of the work of World Vision and an overview of the history of the Koh Andaet community. All 21 of us then piled into vans, including a World Vision ute and took off to buy rice for the community. Three of the participants were visiting sponsor children and so they were sure to buy a 50kg bag for each family.
Clinging onto the side of the ute while riding on bags of rice in the World Vision ute I couldn't help but wonder if the precariously positioned Richard, who sat on the roof of the ute would in fact be okay - and well if he did fall, would I lose my job? ;).
We drove the 45 mins to the World Vision community, past stunningly green rice fields into the dusty roads of Koh Andaet. As a group of 21 anticipation laden people in matching bright red Challenge shirts we looked like quite the sight. We were greeted by the sweetest, most accomodating and most grateful ADP leaders. We had no idea what the visit would entail however we felt so humbled to be welcomed by such love by such kind hearted people. We were ushered into a modest office building and given a presentation on the Koh Andaet community. What was remarkable to me was how passionately the World Vision staff shared of the work that was being done and would be done in the years to come (with a special focus on water and sanitation). They clearly have a deeply rooted love for the community in which they work.
The Koh Andaet community is relatively young in terms of the length of time that World Vision has worked there - sponsorship began here in Sept 2006 so the needs are great. We were to witness communities at their greatest point of need. We were reminded by the staff that this community represented the poorest of the poor. We were to see this for ourselves later in the afternoon.
Following the talk the three participants with sponsor children readied themselves for their visits. Unfortunately due to a miscommunication between our NZ office and Cambodia one of the children had not arrived and a child of a previously cancelled participant was present. The WV staff snapped into action jumping on their mopeds in search of the missing little girl and my fellow participants immediately surrounded the little boy and showered him with random gifts found in our day packs. He had a huge grin and was none the wiser. Just under an hour later the most adorable little girl walked in, clinging to her mother's legs. Pam's sponsor child had arrived. Shyness soon gave way to a rather fiesty nature which was fun to watch.
Our crew of 40 made our way to a local restaurant where we watched in delight as the sponsor children and their families tucked into the food with healthy ambition. I couldn't help but be envious of the sponsors as they experienced a connection with this World Vision community that I did not have. You could see that the sponsors were relishing this experience and the children were simply in awe of the chance to meet this mysterious person on the other end of the letters. For the participants on the second challenge, I imagine that this experience multiplied 18 times will be enormously powerful. It made me excited at the thought of my own sponsor visit in a few months.
I will let Pam share with you from her perspective however before I do I will share just a couple of things that stood out to me the most today.
Following lunch we were divided into two groups, both groups to visit communities in desperate need of water and sanitation intervention. It is difficult to explain how confronting the poverty of these communities was for us. The poverty was unapologtically frank in its introduction. Heart-breakingly so. We were essentially exposed to a community at the beginning of the World Vision life cycle. World Vision had finished its assessment of the need and was now at the beginning of the implementation phase. We were given the opportunity to deliver the excess rice we had earlier purchased to some of the most impoverished families I had ever encountered. One family consisted on three small children living with a rather frail grandparent in a hut so small that there is literally not enough room for all four family members to stand in there at once. This family survives on snails found by the children and the occasional portion of rice. Snails and a small portion of rice. SNAILS and a SMALL PORTION OF RICE! That is unbelieveable. I looked at her precious grandsons in amazement. I held back my stream of tears as I recognised the small lanyards around their necks proudly proclaiming that they were now sponsor children. It was the realisation that life would soon be different for them that was of any relief to me as I walked with the other stunned participants to the next home.
I asked Chanthida, the ADP manager as we walked down the road, 'Do you often dream about what this village will look like in 10 years?'. She replied with a smile, Ýes of course, it is the catalyst for the work we do. It is what causes us to work so hard.'I loved to hear this. It was wonderful to hear that these precious people were in such dedicated hands.
When the community leaders of the village we visited were given the chance to talk to us, they stood in front of their huts and unveiled a large hand drawn plan of their hopes for their village. On this plan they had included an illustration of the 'dream home for the villagers'. This was pivotal moment for us as visitors as we were presented with such a humble dream: a home on stilts, chickens, a small rice paddy and clean water. We looked around as this leader spoke and could see that the village was far from this dream and yet after seeing examples of World Vision's success in such communities we had no doubt that through partnering with World Vision these proud and enthusiastic communities leaders would see that dream become a reality.
The community leaders then took the time to thank as - over and over - for our support of their community and of Cambodia. It was a special moment. We were then led to the current common water source - a common pond used by both animals and humans, riddled with bacteria and extremely high in carbon. There is no wonder the children get as sick as they do. The need for this proposed water and sanitation project could not have been made clearer to us.
I simply cannot continue on without asking anyone reading to consider donating to this project via any one of the participant fundraising pages at fundraiseonline. Any money donated will go straight to World Vision and be applied to the water and sanitation project of Koh Andaet. I assure you, this is a worthy cause. Visit: www.fundraiseonline.org.nz
Today the participants all saw enormous need, this is in contrast to what many of the participants of the second challenge will see as most will be visiting communities much further along the development process. The advantage here is that the next participants will see the completed version of what their fundraising dollars translate into.
Following the visit we all road back to the town of Takeo both stunned and hopeful for what what we had seen.
Later that night we all chatted and chatted and chatted about the work of World Vision. Enthusiastic participants who had visited sponsor children spoke with passion about the development progress they had seen the day previous (in the community of Samrong Tong - a community that is in the final phase of sponsorship). Talk then moved onto fair trade and ethical consumer behaviour. Many commented how meaningful the discussions had been for them. This was enormously pleasing for me as the World Vision rep, as our hope is to have people discuss, debate and share issues of global poverty and personal responsibility. What a great day.
Pam Scott shares her experience...
With ten 50kg bags of rice piled high on the back of the World Vision Ute and some proud kiwis sitting on top we headed out for what was to be the highlight of the trip for many of us. Having all worked so hard over the last months raising funds, we were all so eager to experience first hand the amazing work of World Vision here in Cambodia.
Warming up our voices and practicing our national anthem, we made our way out to the World Vision office in the vans where the staff were all waiting with huge grins and a massive welcome.
The Koh Andaet Area Development Programme is comprised of a community of 26 villages, including over 3000 households and around 17,000 people. The staff outlined their plans and goals for the programme and their 5 ‘step’ plan for development. It was pretty impressive – including Community Mobilization, Sponsorship Management, Water and Sanitation (where we play our part), Food Security and finally HIV/AIDs Management. There seemed to be a real sense of empowerment for the local people who have been involved in the development of the programme since it was established only two years ago.
It was then time for the sponsors to meet their children. There were three of us today with children from the region, and what an awesome experience it was to meet them and their families! My little girl, Kamsan, is only four and so found all of us to be a little overwhelming at the start, but she soon warmed up as I handed her the doll I had bought over for her. What a joy to see her face light up and to see her cuddle and care for that doll the whole time we had together. We had some time with the families and then all headed out to lunch together. Jeepers, I have never seen a little girl eat so much! She was so cute, but really got into the rice – stuffing her cheeks till they were bursting.
Back at the office we handed out the sacks of rice we had bought for each of the sponsored families. A family of 6 will get through about 2kg of rice per day and so the sack would last them nearly a month. The thank-you’s and blessings that Kamsan’s mother proceeded to give me were pretty overwhelming; such basic things can mean so much! Saying goodbye was so hard especially as they are asking when will we be back…
We then headed off on some of the worst roads I have ever seen (yes, we had to get out and walk in parts, and there was even a group effort to push the van over some of the bigger bumps) to a couple of the villages in the area: Doem Doung and Chroy Pone.
Our group went to Doem Doung – the poorest village in the region. With four sacks of rice in tow we met some of the local families and saw first hand the initial stages of the Water and Sanitation project. There are now 16 bio-sand filters in the village helping to provide safe drinking water for a number of families. We also saw the ‘common pond’ providing the major water supply to the village. Their aim in the next year is to have a new common pond that is deeper so it doesn’t dry-up in the dry season and that is fenced to prevent animal contamination and children drowning. We gave the sacks of rice to the “most poor” - it was pretty full-on to experience the desperate need of some of the families in this village; for example, one family who had just lost both parents to HIV/AIDs!
Although there is such poverty, the people really smile! They really seem to have hope, and you can see in their short history since the Khmer Rouge regime the people have really started to embrace life again and are fighting for a better future – Cambodia is certainly on the way up!
The lovely Princess Fiona shares her experience of the World Vision community visit:
Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink…
Today was the day we’d all been looking forward to, visiting Koh Andaet. It was the chance for us to see first hand the very real need and where our fundraising dollars were going to be spent.
Our group went off to visit Chroy Prone Village. As Pam mentions, we also had many occasions where we needed to get out of the van and walk as the roads were pretty well poked. Interestingly here, we are only 8km from Vietnam. We are surrounded by stunning countryside, lush fields of rice, a few scattered palm trees and sugar palms.
When we arrived, we were shown to an area which had been set aside for our meeting. (all outdoors ofcourse) We were individually greeted by the Village Community Leader, a man with incredibly gorgeous eye lashes, anyway. He was so pleased to have us here. We were also greeted by the lady in the village responsible for Gender issues. When I enquired further, her role was largely around educating the women in the village on hygiene and women’s health. I was impressed. Both these two were smartly dressed.
We were given chairs to sit on and the villagers were sitting on mats on the ground, with the Elders at the front. There was really only 3 of them. (I guess another sign of Pol Pot) The rest villagers stood around and smiled incessantly.
The Village leader then rolls out his plan, a beautifully hand drawn vision for the village. EACH house in the village was on this map / plan. They were all colour coded to differentiate the different types of houses. The village of the future includes each family having adequate housing, a small plot to grow vegetables, a couple of cows, some pigs and a rain water tank to collect water. For the entire village more common ponds so that the villagers don’t have to walk so far to collect water. Fencing around the common ponds, in order to keep out the animals and prevent kids from drowning. The next major step after the common ponds is sorting out the roading, we can vouch for that. This affects the ability of the kids to get to school during the wet season, as roads are currently often impassable. When I spoke with Ly, the World Vision Food Security Manager, and asked how exactly this would be done, in their ever practical style, he replied they would set up a “work for food programme”. They’d offer work to all of the villagers and surrounding villagers to provide the labour to build the roads and pay them in food. (Again incredibly humbling). Sanitation was also a priority, in terms of rubbish and keeping the village clean.
We liked that plan and were impressed with how well thought out it was and gut renchingly practical. I think the fact that this plan was illustrated, meant that the whole village is able to buy into this and understand where the community is going. There is a real feeling of hope here. Those of you who have contributed to our fundraising are a huge part of this. Know that these people are incredibly thankful and excited for their futures!! Thanks again. It was very humbling to meet these people and incredibly exciting to know exactly what the money is being spent on and who’s going to benefit.
Then we toured the common ponds, first we came across a couple of old ponds which were really dirty and not really used. They’d been built some time ago with support from other aid agencies, unfortunately they are not protected by high enough sand banks and the flood waters from the river get in. A little further on, is the new pond, which is 4 meters deep and built up with nice high banks. This is the pond that is going to be fenced and in the first quarter of 2009 thanks to you all!!
Pam and Claire mentioned the rice that the group had brought, in addition to a sack each going to the sponsored children, there were a few sacks to be distributed. In Chroy Pone, the World Vision staff knew exactly who needed this. “The woman in blue”. This lady had tragically lost her husband 18months ago, and then a few months ago, her 15 year old daughter died suddenly. Cause of death unknown, possible health condition that was unknown. She was left to raise 6 other children on her own. In order to do this, she has to work. We were able to give two 50kg sacks of rice to her. She had tears in her eyes, she was so thankful. We all had tears in our eyes, (in fact I still do now as I write this). We wanted to lighten the mood somewhat and decided we could also sing to her, so we burst into the National Anthem again, getting quite good at this. Plenty of other villagers came around to hear us. It was a really beautiful experience.
Today World Vision impressed me immensely, their staff knew exactly what and who is in need. They think incredibly practically and always seem to work for the collective benefit of all. I am proud to be able to support this work.
P.S. Photos to come :)
Clinging onto the side of the ute while riding on bags of rice in the World Vision ute I couldn't help but wonder if the precariously positioned Richard, who sat on the roof of the ute would in fact be okay - and well if he did fall, would I lose my job? ;).
We drove the 45 mins to the World Vision community, past stunningly green rice fields into the dusty roads of Koh Andaet. As a group of 21 anticipation laden people in matching bright red Challenge shirts we looked like quite the sight. We were greeted by the sweetest, most accomodating and most grateful ADP leaders. We had no idea what the visit would entail however we felt so humbled to be welcomed by such love by such kind hearted people. We were ushered into a modest office building and given a presentation on the Koh Andaet community. What was remarkable to me was how passionately the World Vision staff shared of the work that was being done and would be done in the years to come (with a special focus on water and sanitation). They clearly have a deeply rooted love for the community in which they work.
The Koh Andaet community is relatively young in terms of the length of time that World Vision has worked there - sponsorship began here in Sept 2006 so the needs are great. We were to witness communities at their greatest point of need. We were reminded by the staff that this community represented the poorest of the poor. We were to see this for ourselves later in the afternoon.
Following the talk the three participants with sponsor children readied themselves for their visits. Unfortunately due to a miscommunication between our NZ office and Cambodia one of the children had not arrived and a child of a previously cancelled participant was present. The WV staff snapped into action jumping on their mopeds in search of the missing little girl and my fellow participants immediately surrounded the little boy and showered him with random gifts found in our day packs. He had a huge grin and was none the wiser. Just under an hour later the most adorable little girl walked in, clinging to her mother's legs. Pam's sponsor child had arrived. Shyness soon gave way to a rather fiesty nature which was fun to watch.
Our crew of 40 made our way to a local restaurant where we watched in delight as the sponsor children and their families tucked into the food with healthy ambition. I couldn't help but be envious of the sponsors as they experienced a connection with this World Vision community that I did not have. You could see that the sponsors were relishing this experience and the children were simply in awe of the chance to meet this mysterious person on the other end of the letters. For the participants on the second challenge, I imagine that this experience multiplied 18 times will be enormously powerful. It made me excited at the thought of my own sponsor visit in a few months.
I will let Pam share with you from her perspective however before I do I will share just a couple of things that stood out to me the most today.
Following lunch we were divided into two groups, both groups to visit communities in desperate need of water and sanitation intervention. It is difficult to explain how confronting the poverty of these communities was for us. The poverty was unapologtically frank in its introduction. Heart-breakingly so. We were essentially exposed to a community at the beginning of the World Vision life cycle. World Vision had finished its assessment of the need and was now at the beginning of the implementation phase. We were given the opportunity to deliver the excess rice we had earlier purchased to some of the most impoverished families I had ever encountered. One family consisted on three small children living with a rather frail grandparent in a hut so small that there is literally not enough room for all four family members to stand in there at once. This family survives on snails found by the children and the occasional portion of rice. Snails and a small portion of rice. SNAILS and a SMALL PORTION OF RICE! That is unbelieveable. I looked at her precious grandsons in amazement. I held back my stream of tears as I recognised the small lanyards around their necks proudly proclaiming that they were now sponsor children. It was the realisation that life would soon be different for them that was of any relief to me as I walked with the other stunned participants to the next home.
I asked Chanthida, the ADP manager as we walked down the road, 'Do you often dream about what this village will look like in 10 years?'. She replied with a smile, Ýes of course, it is the catalyst for the work we do. It is what causes us to work so hard.'I loved to hear this. It was wonderful to hear that these precious people were in such dedicated hands.
When the community leaders of the village we visited were given the chance to talk to us, they stood in front of their huts and unveiled a large hand drawn plan of their hopes for their village. On this plan they had included an illustration of the 'dream home for the villagers'. This was pivotal moment for us as visitors as we were presented with such a humble dream: a home on stilts, chickens, a small rice paddy and clean water. We looked around as this leader spoke and could see that the village was far from this dream and yet after seeing examples of World Vision's success in such communities we had no doubt that through partnering with World Vision these proud and enthusiastic communities leaders would see that dream become a reality.
The community leaders then took the time to thank as - over and over - for our support of their community and of Cambodia. It was a special moment. We were then led to the current common water source - a common pond used by both animals and humans, riddled with bacteria and extremely high in carbon. There is no wonder the children get as sick as they do. The need for this proposed water and sanitation project could not have been made clearer to us.
I simply cannot continue on without asking anyone reading to consider donating to this project via any one of the participant fundraising pages at fundraiseonline. Any money donated will go straight to World Vision and be applied to the water and sanitation project of Koh Andaet. I assure you, this is a worthy cause. Visit: www.fundraiseonline.org.nz
Today the participants all saw enormous need, this is in contrast to what many of the participants of the second challenge will see as most will be visiting communities much further along the development process. The advantage here is that the next participants will see the completed version of what their fundraising dollars translate into.
Following the visit we all road back to the town of Takeo both stunned and hopeful for what what we had seen.
Later that night we all chatted and chatted and chatted about the work of World Vision. Enthusiastic participants who had visited sponsor children spoke with passion about the development progress they had seen the day previous (in the community of Samrong Tong - a community that is in the final phase of sponsorship). Talk then moved onto fair trade and ethical consumer behaviour. Many commented how meaningful the discussions had been for them. This was enormously pleasing for me as the World Vision rep, as our hope is to have people discuss, debate and share issues of global poverty and personal responsibility. What a great day.
Pam Scott shares her experience...
With ten 50kg bags of rice piled high on the back of the World Vision Ute and some proud kiwis sitting on top we headed out for what was to be the highlight of the trip for many of us. Having all worked so hard over the last months raising funds, we were all so eager to experience first hand the amazing work of World Vision here in Cambodia.
Warming up our voices and practicing our national anthem, we made our way out to the World Vision office in the vans where the staff were all waiting with huge grins and a massive welcome.
The Koh Andaet Area Development Programme is comprised of a community of 26 villages, including over 3000 households and around 17,000 people. The staff outlined their plans and goals for the programme and their 5 ‘step’ plan for development. It was pretty impressive – including Community Mobilization, Sponsorship Management, Water and Sanitation (where we play our part), Food Security and finally HIV/AIDs Management. There seemed to be a real sense of empowerment for the local people who have been involved in the development of the programme since it was established only two years ago.
It was then time for the sponsors to meet their children. There were three of us today with children from the region, and what an awesome experience it was to meet them and their families! My little girl, Kamsan, is only four and so found all of us to be a little overwhelming at the start, but she soon warmed up as I handed her the doll I had bought over for her. What a joy to see her face light up and to see her cuddle and care for that doll the whole time we had together. We had some time with the families and then all headed out to lunch together. Jeepers, I have never seen a little girl eat so much! She was so cute, but really got into the rice – stuffing her cheeks till they were bursting.
Back at the office we handed out the sacks of rice we had bought for each of the sponsored families. A family of 6 will get through about 2kg of rice per day and so the sack would last them nearly a month. The thank-you’s and blessings that Kamsan’s mother proceeded to give me were pretty overwhelming; such basic things can mean so much! Saying goodbye was so hard especially as they are asking when will we be back…
We then headed off on some of the worst roads I have ever seen (yes, we had to get out and walk in parts, and there was even a group effort to push the van over some of the bigger bumps) to a couple of the villages in the area: Doem Doung and Chroy Pone.
Our group went to Doem Doung – the poorest village in the region. With four sacks of rice in tow we met some of the local families and saw first hand the initial stages of the Water and Sanitation project. There are now 16 bio-sand filters in the village helping to provide safe drinking water for a number of families. We also saw the ‘common pond’ providing the major water supply to the village. Their aim in the next year is to have a new common pond that is deeper so it doesn’t dry-up in the dry season and that is fenced to prevent animal contamination and children drowning. We gave the sacks of rice to the “most poor” - it was pretty full-on to experience the desperate need of some of the families in this village; for example, one family who had just lost both parents to HIV/AIDs!
Although there is such poverty, the people really smile! They really seem to have hope, and you can see in their short history since the Khmer Rouge regime the people have really started to embrace life again and are fighting for a better future – Cambodia is certainly on the way up!
The lovely Princess Fiona shares her experience of the World Vision community visit:
Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink…
Today was the day we’d all been looking forward to, visiting Koh Andaet. It was the chance for us to see first hand the very real need and where our fundraising dollars were going to be spent.
Our group went off to visit Chroy Prone Village. As Pam mentions, we also had many occasions where we needed to get out of the van and walk as the roads were pretty well poked. Interestingly here, we are only 8km from Vietnam. We are surrounded by stunning countryside, lush fields of rice, a few scattered palm trees and sugar palms.
When we arrived, we were shown to an area which had been set aside for our meeting. (all outdoors ofcourse) We were individually greeted by the Village Community Leader, a man with incredibly gorgeous eye lashes, anyway. He was so pleased to have us here. We were also greeted by the lady in the village responsible for Gender issues. When I enquired further, her role was largely around educating the women in the village on hygiene and women’s health. I was impressed. Both these two were smartly dressed.
We were given chairs to sit on and the villagers were sitting on mats on the ground, with the Elders at the front. There was really only 3 of them. (I guess another sign of Pol Pot) The rest villagers stood around and smiled incessantly.
The Village leader then rolls out his plan, a beautifully hand drawn vision for the village. EACH house in the village was on this map / plan. They were all colour coded to differentiate the different types of houses. The village of the future includes each family having adequate housing, a small plot to grow vegetables, a couple of cows, some pigs and a rain water tank to collect water. For the entire village more common ponds so that the villagers don’t have to walk so far to collect water. Fencing around the common ponds, in order to keep out the animals and prevent kids from drowning. The next major step after the common ponds is sorting out the roading, we can vouch for that. This affects the ability of the kids to get to school during the wet season, as roads are currently often impassable. When I spoke with Ly, the World Vision Food Security Manager, and asked how exactly this would be done, in their ever practical style, he replied they would set up a “work for food programme”. They’d offer work to all of the villagers and surrounding villagers to provide the labour to build the roads and pay them in food. (Again incredibly humbling). Sanitation was also a priority, in terms of rubbish and keeping the village clean.
We liked that plan and were impressed with how well thought out it was and gut renchingly practical. I think the fact that this plan was illustrated, meant that the whole village is able to buy into this and understand where the community is going. There is a real feeling of hope here. Those of you who have contributed to our fundraising are a huge part of this. Know that these people are incredibly thankful and excited for their futures!! Thanks again. It was very humbling to meet these people and incredibly exciting to know exactly what the money is being spent on and who’s going to benefit.
Then we toured the common ponds, first we came across a couple of old ponds which were really dirty and not really used. They’d been built some time ago with support from other aid agencies, unfortunately they are not protected by high enough sand banks and the flood waters from the river get in. A little further on, is the new pond, which is 4 meters deep and built up with nice high banks. This is the pond that is going to be fenced and in the first quarter of 2009 thanks to you all!!
Pam and Claire mentioned the rice that the group had brought, in addition to a sack each going to the sponsored children, there were a few sacks to be distributed. In Chroy Pone, the World Vision staff knew exactly who needed this. “The woman in blue”. This lady had tragically lost her husband 18months ago, and then a few months ago, her 15 year old daughter died suddenly. Cause of death unknown, possible health condition that was unknown. She was left to raise 6 other children on her own. In order to do this, she has to work. We were able to give two 50kg sacks of rice to her. She had tears in her eyes, she was so thankful. We all had tears in our eyes, (in fact I still do now as I write this). We wanted to lighten the mood somewhat and decided we could also sing to her, so we burst into the National Anthem again, getting quite good at this. Plenty of other villagers came around to hear us. It was a really beautiful experience.
Today World Vision impressed me immensely, their staff knew exactly what and who is in need. They think incredibly practically and always seem to work for the collective benefit of all. I am proud to be able to support this work.
P.S. Photos to come :)
A reminder of a brutal past and on overhaul of the heart...
Night of tremmers and sweats turned into the night of expulsion as I became aquainted with Hotel Castle's white porceline throne. We had gone out the night previous to the rather happening FCC (Foreign Correspondant's Club - a local retaurant and bar overlooking the Mekong). Feeling quite adjusted from the night previous I perhaps stupidly helped myself to a very compelling vegetarian pizza. I paid for this later of course. My mysterious illness came back full force leaving me exhausted the next morning and relegated to the support van. I was frustrated beyond words that this sickness was interferring in a day of cycling with the group. The tour leader convinced me that I could not ride and should allow my body to recover for the next day. I attempted to take video footage between random spells of heat induced slumbers. The wonderful Intrepid guys provided me with cold towels and even took me ahead to the hotel to rest out of the stiffling heat. Needless to say I remember little about this day so I will let Mr Gary Brent (aka Speedy Gonzales) fill you in...
Boarded the vans and drove south to Choeung Ek, apparently one of the more infamous of the Khmer Rouge’s numerous killing fields. Paid respects at the large monument filled with the skulls of some of the 20,000 plus killed at this site. The gardener idled the weed-eater while we inspected some of the mass graves and other horribilia and the guide repeated his gruesome stories. It was very good to get on the bikes and away from yet another reminder of Cambodia’s horrific oh-so-recent past.
After about 20k we turned right and heading to a Temple – another Ta Prom if I understood correctly. This one on a nice small scale, with several buddhas inside. Quite intense commercial activity out front and the hardy few who resisted the hard-sell were rewarded with gifts of the flowers and joss sticks on offer.
Just around the corner was the lake with cute little rest platforms out on the water. Rebecca had a swim of course, with Brian joining in and Smey working up quite a lather before beef and noodles for lunch. Barry and I were targeted by a nice young chap absolutely determined for a serious English practice. When Barry escaped I feigned sleep, which slowed him down briefly.
Back on the bikes, back on the main road and only 50 k to go to Takeo, nice sealed road with enough potholes and trucks to ensure vigilance was maintained. Couple of breaks along the way where the crew diligently delivered hydration and carbo restoration. What is it about Australians and chundering – is it true that they lobbied for it to be included in the Sydney Olympics ??
It was getting fairly warm – high 30s no doubt by the time we limped into the swarming metropolis of downtown Takeo, highlight of the trip – yeah right! The shower was cold – just right. Then Barry and I selflessly headed off on one of the more important tasks of the day – to find cold beer. This proved more difficult than one might think. Sure some of the amber fluid on offer was stored in fridges – but were they switched on? Warm beer could be provided and poured over ice in the glass, but having observed the ice being delivered, sawed and then chopped apart this option lacked appeal. Finally, in the bottom of one of the many large orange chilly bins on the very dusty main street we located two reasonably cool cans, and even a third when the illustrious King (Kyle of course) was spotted wandering aimlessly on the other side of the road in an advanced state of dehydration. The day had been saved !
Six of the participants went to visit their sponsor children today. Their non-stop verbal testimonials upon return were evidence of the enormity of the day's impact on them. Here is Fiona Whyte's account:
Samrong Tong World Vision Community Project
A day with a difference and a dream come true. Six of us ventured off with the local World Vision staff to meet our sponsored children, Belinda & Richard, Annette, Marion, Victoria and myself , were able to realize a dream today by meeting our sponsored children.
Samrong Tong comprises of 15 communities, WV works in 4 of these communities. within these communities there are 76 villages encompassing 34,800 people. WV began working in the community in 1997. There are various phases of the community, this community is now entering a transition phase. The community is about ready to stand on it’s own two feat so to speak. World Vision will exit this community by 2012, they will have adequate support and leadership by this time to ensure the continued success.
The ADP Project Coordinator shared some of his experiences through the time of Pol Pot’s rule of terror. He had been asked on 3 separate occasions what his occupation was. He replied that he was a farmer and not able to read or write. A friend of his was a little too honest for his own good. The Khmer Rouge thanked the friend for his honesty, (he’d been educated and had a degree) his reward was to be sent to work in the embassy. However he was never heard from again, they lied. From some of the reading we’ve done previously and the museums we’ve visited in the last two days, I’d hazard a guess that the questioning is likely to have included some form of interrogation. For those unfamiliar with this history Pol Pot was on a mission to eliminate all the educated people from the population.
We were then able to see the work of world vision in action. First stop Ang Chrey primary school in Tonle Kantel Village. We sat and spoke with the principal.
WV kicked the school off in 2000 by funding the first complete school building. A couple of previous attempts by other benefactors had resulted in partially completed structures which were never finished and unusable. There are now 555 students attending the school. It is still growing!! A couple of new buildings are underway. There is an admin / library building which is nearing completion. Half of the building will be used for teachers and school admin, the other half will be the library. They need to send a teacher away for training to learn how to run the library. Once this is done they will then ascertain which books are required in the library. Rather exciting for them. It is fantastic to see some collaboration as now the Government is supporting the school and assisting the building of more classrooms.
Time to meet the children and see the classrooms. The first class we went into the children were all very excited to meet us, we both shared counting lessons in Khmer & English. Then the children decided to sing us a song, ìmoral songî about values. Then it appeared we needed to reciprocate,Ö a quick discussion and the decision was made to sing the National Anthem. Singing these words in this foreign land, recovering from a generation of genocide was quite powerful and a humbling experience for us kiwi’s. We have so much to be thankful for!
In order to maximize the limited resources the school schedules 4 hour daily classes for the children. They are rostered on mornings one week (which includes breakfast as they start at 7am) and afternoon’s the next week. This means the teachers cover a 8 hour lesson schedule and two groups of children are able to be educated at the same time. Currently the teacher student ratio is about 1 to 60.
The children start school at age 6, which is grade one. The Government has a commitment for children to be able to read and write and they should stay in school until grade 6. One or two students from this community have gone on to University in Phnom Penh.
It was 11am by this time and the kids were all ready to go home. They have an afternoon’s work ahead of them. We headed off to our next stop which was Thmor Bang Village, home gardening project. The exciting work that’s been done here, is that a water pump was installed August 2007. We could tell that the kids were still getting used to this luxury (to install the pump costs USD1200.00) as they spontaneously started tipping the water over their heads and laughing. Then would pump the water container full again to start again. The water overflowed into the garden with the vegetables, so no waste here. The pump had a green tick on the side, this is to confirm that the water was safe, they always test for arsenic levels. Prior to the pump being installed they used to have to walk 3km for clean water. Again we have lots to be thankful for.
Also in this community they operate 3 very different kinds of banks.. (I myself am a banker and was quite interested in this concept which didn’t revolve around money, but a far more useful commodity here) Rice Bank, Cow Bank and Pig Bank.
The purpose of the rice bank is to ensure a continuous supply of rice for the community. Some families have a small plot of land and may use up all of their rice before harvest time. If they borrowed Rice outside the community, effectively the loan sharks or rice sharks we can call them, charge between 50% & 100% interest rate. Whereas within the community the charge is only 20% and that charge is actually used to secure more rice for the community. Ie if they borrow 100kg of rice, once the harvest is complete, they will give back 120kg of rice to the rice bank. We noted that the rice bank was very low the harvest time is December ,which will allow people to repay their borrowed rice.
The cow bank allows one family to look after it until it calves. Then they keep the calf and the cow goes to another family. The life span of the cow is around 5-6 years. This program is successful.
The Pig Bank is not so common across all communities, as it is expensive to feed the pig in the first place. This community did have a pig, who was about to have a litter, again some of the piglets would stay with the family and the remaining would be shared amongst other families.
The immediate observations we had versus our previous few days riding through various rural communities, is that this community was clean, organized, seem to have order and pride. There was definitely a standard above that which we’d seen elsewhere.
We said goodbye and headed back into the ADP office, where our sponsored children and their families were there waiting to meet us. This was very exciting and emotional. We headed off to lunch and the World Vision staff assisted us to communicate with the children and their family. This was a really enjoyable experience for all of us. I noted that my Sponsored Child’s Mother, was just beaming the whole time. There was such an amazing feeling of goodwill even though we couldn’t speak directly. One boy’s Grandfather thanked us for what we’d been doing and the difference we’d made, ìon behalf of all of Cambodiaî
The kids all wanted to know when we were coming back, think they really enjoyed the food!!
After lunch we decided that we’d stop by the markets to buy some school uniforms for the children. Here’s an example of when so little can mean so much, for USD4.00 we were able to buy a uniform, ie shirt and skirt or pair of trousers!! These uniforms will probably last them two or three years.
We made a special stop at another stall in the market and found a football for one special boy, who’s Mother had been given strict instructions that this was the gift they wanted to give!!
Once we were back at the ADP, we’d also arranged to give a 50kg sack of rice to each of our families. The rice banks are probably quite low across the wider community.
We spent some more time talking about our families, showing photo’s to the children and some books of NZ as well as other little insights of NZ life with them.
Time for one or two last photo’s and we had to get in the van to our next destination.
It is really satisfying to see first hand how this project has made a positive difference in this community, in terms of schooling, food, and health. The World Vision staff, were incredibly passionate about their work and made this day a truly memorable one. We thank you.
Fiona Whyte
Boarded the vans and drove south to Choeung Ek, apparently one of the more infamous of the Khmer Rouge’s numerous killing fields. Paid respects at the large monument filled with the skulls of some of the 20,000 plus killed at this site. The gardener idled the weed-eater while we inspected some of the mass graves and other horribilia and the guide repeated his gruesome stories. It was very good to get on the bikes and away from yet another reminder of Cambodia’s horrific oh-so-recent past.
After about 20k we turned right and heading to a Temple – another Ta Prom if I understood correctly. This one on a nice small scale, with several buddhas inside. Quite intense commercial activity out front and the hardy few who resisted the hard-sell were rewarded with gifts of the flowers and joss sticks on offer.
Just around the corner was the lake with cute little rest platforms out on the water. Rebecca had a swim of course, with Brian joining in and Smey working up quite a lather before beef and noodles for lunch. Barry and I were targeted by a nice young chap absolutely determined for a serious English practice. When Barry escaped I feigned sleep, which slowed him down briefly.
Back on the bikes, back on the main road and only 50 k to go to Takeo, nice sealed road with enough potholes and trucks to ensure vigilance was maintained. Couple of breaks along the way where the crew diligently delivered hydration and carbo restoration. What is it about Australians and chundering – is it true that they lobbied for it to be included in the Sydney Olympics ??
It was getting fairly warm – high 30s no doubt by the time we limped into the swarming metropolis of downtown Takeo, highlight of the trip – yeah right! The shower was cold – just right. Then Barry and I selflessly headed off on one of the more important tasks of the day – to find cold beer. This proved more difficult than one might think. Sure some of the amber fluid on offer was stored in fridges – but were they switched on? Warm beer could be provided and poured over ice in the glass, but having observed the ice being delivered, sawed and then chopped apart this option lacked appeal. Finally, in the bottom of one of the many large orange chilly bins on the very dusty main street we located two reasonably cool cans, and even a third when the illustrious King (Kyle of course) was spotted wandering aimlessly on the other side of the road in an advanced state of dehydration. The day had been saved !
Six of the participants went to visit their sponsor children today. Their non-stop verbal testimonials upon return were evidence of the enormity of the day's impact on them. Here is Fiona Whyte's account:
Samrong Tong World Vision Community Project
A day with a difference and a dream come true. Six of us ventured off with the local World Vision staff to meet our sponsored children, Belinda & Richard, Annette, Marion, Victoria and myself , were able to realize a dream today by meeting our sponsored children.
Samrong Tong comprises of 15 communities, WV works in 4 of these communities. within these communities there are 76 villages encompassing 34,800 people. WV began working in the community in 1997. There are various phases of the community, this community is now entering a transition phase. The community is about ready to stand on it’s own two feat so to speak. World Vision will exit this community by 2012, they will have adequate support and leadership by this time to ensure the continued success.
The ADP Project Coordinator shared some of his experiences through the time of Pol Pot’s rule of terror. He had been asked on 3 separate occasions what his occupation was. He replied that he was a farmer and not able to read or write. A friend of his was a little too honest for his own good. The Khmer Rouge thanked the friend for his honesty, (he’d been educated and had a degree) his reward was to be sent to work in the embassy. However he was never heard from again, they lied. From some of the reading we’ve done previously and the museums we’ve visited in the last two days, I’d hazard a guess that the questioning is likely to have included some form of interrogation. For those unfamiliar with this history Pol Pot was on a mission to eliminate all the educated people from the population.
We were then able to see the work of world vision in action. First stop Ang Chrey primary school in Tonle Kantel Village. We sat and spoke with the principal.
WV kicked the school off in 2000 by funding the first complete school building. A couple of previous attempts by other benefactors had resulted in partially completed structures which were never finished and unusable. There are now 555 students attending the school. It is still growing!! A couple of new buildings are underway. There is an admin / library building which is nearing completion. Half of the building will be used for teachers and school admin, the other half will be the library. They need to send a teacher away for training to learn how to run the library. Once this is done they will then ascertain which books are required in the library. Rather exciting for them. It is fantastic to see some collaboration as now the Government is supporting the school and assisting the building of more classrooms.
Time to meet the children and see the classrooms. The first class we went into the children were all very excited to meet us, we both shared counting lessons in Khmer & English. Then the children decided to sing us a song, ìmoral songî about values. Then it appeared we needed to reciprocate,Ö a quick discussion and the decision was made to sing the National Anthem. Singing these words in this foreign land, recovering from a generation of genocide was quite powerful and a humbling experience for us kiwi’s. We have so much to be thankful for!
In order to maximize the limited resources the school schedules 4 hour daily classes for the children. They are rostered on mornings one week (which includes breakfast as they start at 7am) and afternoon’s the next week. This means the teachers cover a 8 hour lesson schedule and two groups of children are able to be educated at the same time. Currently the teacher student ratio is about 1 to 60.
The children start school at age 6, which is grade one. The Government has a commitment for children to be able to read and write and they should stay in school until grade 6. One or two students from this community have gone on to University in Phnom Penh.
It was 11am by this time and the kids were all ready to go home. They have an afternoon’s work ahead of them. We headed off to our next stop which was Thmor Bang Village, home gardening project. The exciting work that’s been done here, is that a water pump was installed August 2007. We could tell that the kids were still getting used to this luxury (to install the pump costs USD1200.00) as they spontaneously started tipping the water over their heads and laughing. Then would pump the water container full again to start again. The water overflowed into the garden with the vegetables, so no waste here. The pump had a green tick on the side, this is to confirm that the water was safe, they always test for arsenic levels. Prior to the pump being installed they used to have to walk 3km for clean water. Again we have lots to be thankful for.
Also in this community they operate 3 very different kinds of banks.. (I myself am a banker and was quite interested in this concept which didn’t revolve around money, but a far more useful commodity here) Rice Bank, Cow Bank and Pig Bank.
The purpose of the rice bank is to ensure a continuous supply of rice for the community. Some families have a small plot of land and may use up all of their rice before harvest time. If they borrowed Rice outside the community, effectively the loan sharks or rice sharks we can call them, charge between 50% & 100% interest rate. Whereas within the community the charge is only 20% and that charge is actually used to secure more rice for the community. Ie if they borrow 100kg of rice, once the harvest is complete, they will give back 120kg of rice to the rice bank. We noted that the rice bank was very low the harvest time is December ,which will allow people to repay their borrowed rice.
The cow bank allows one family to look after it until it calves. Then they keep the calf and the cow goes to another family. The life span of the cow is around 5-6 years. This program is successful.
The Pig Bank is not so common across all communities, as it is expensive to feed the pig in the first place. This community did have a pig, who was about to have a litter, again some of the piglets would stay with the family and the remaining would be shared amongst other families.
The immediate observations we had versus our previous few days riding through various rural communities, is that this community was clean, organized, seem to have order and pride. There was definitely a standard above that which we’d seen elsewhere.
We said goodbye and headed back into the ADP office, where our sponsored children and their families were there waiting to meet us. This was very exciting and emotional. We headed off to lunch and the World Vision staff assisted us to communicate with the children and their family. This was a really enjoyable experience for all of us. I noted that my Sponsored Child’s Mother, was just beaming the whole time. There was such an amazing feeling of goodwill even though we couldn’t speak directly. One boy’s Grandfather thanked us for what we’d been doing and the difference we’d made, ìon behalf of all of Cambodiaî
The kids all wanted to know when we were coming back, think they really enjoyed the food!!
After lunch we decided that we’d stop by the markets to buy some school uniforms for the children. Here’s an example of when so little can mean so much, for USD4.00 we were able to buy a uniform, ie shirt and skirt or pair of trousers!! These uniforms will probably last them two or three years.
We made a special stop at another stall in the market and found a football for one special boy, who’s Mother had been given strict instructions that this was the gift they wanted to give!!
Once we were back at the ADP, we’d also arranged to give a 50kg sack of rice to each of our families. The rice banks are probably quite low across the wider community.
We spent some more time talking about our families, showing photo’s to the children and some books of NZ as well as other little insights of NZ life with them.
Time for one or two last photo’s and we had to get in the van to our next destination.
It is really satisfying to see first hand how this project has made a positive difference in this community, in terms of schooling, food, and health. The World Vision staff, were incredibly passionate about their work and made this day a truly memorable one. We thank you.
Fiona Whyte
Faded black and white photos ...
NB: Check out the previous blog for an addition from the fabulous Kyle McFarlane.
Today was our first day off in a few days so we were all keen to explore the bustling metropolis of Phnom Penh. I had experienced a rotten night involving ice packs, Sprite and incredible uncomfortability as my fever reached new heights. By the time the morning came, the insides of my hotel room were the last things I wanted to view. We were after all in the fantastic Phnom Penh! I raced down to the internet cafe to load the last couple of blogs (as the dutiful World Vision rep that I am) before joining Craig, Victoria, Fiona and Gary in a tuk tuk - yes I did just say 5 people in one tuk tuk. In Cambodian terms that is traveling light.
We spent a couple of hours at the Genocide Museum. It is difficult to begin to explain how intensely heart wrenching this establishment was. The museum is made up of a series of buildings that once housed a school. That is until Pol Pot's regime decided to turn the school into a relentless torture centre intent on commiting heinous acts on behalf of such enormous evil. People, both Cambodians and foreigners alike, of all ages from infancy up were transported here during Pol Pot's reign of terror to be tortured to death.
We walked the halls of this school in absolute silence. Room after room seemed speak without hesitation of the gruesome acts that once occurred. Torture instruments lay openly before us alongside photos depciting their use. We walked past literally hundreds of pictures of children who had been murdered at this site. Each picture involved the child looking directly at the camera. Broken, haunting eyes staring directly at the camera, seemingly resigned to what was to come. Knowing that the time to help one of those children has long come and gone the question that I had to ask was 'how do I honour their memory?'I realised that perhaps the greatest way would be to do two things: 1. Continue to invest into the lives of Cambodians 2. Play my part in being part of the contingent of those who speak up and act when such atrocities as the Pol Pot regime take place.
I couldn't help but think of the number of gross acts of injustice that occur today without the intervention of those who could and should intervene. There is a responsibility with knowledge and to be honest there is a responsibility to obtain knowledge and not remain ignorant and therefore complicit in allowing evil to occur. In leaving the museum I had to decide to not carry the heaviness of depression but rather to carry with me a renewed sense of justice.
Today was our first day off in a few days so we were all keen to explore the bustling metropolis of Phnom Penh. I had experienced a rotten night involving ice packs, Sprite and incredible uncomfortability as my fever reached new heights. By the time the morning came, the insides of my hotel room were the last things I wanted to view. We were after all in the fantastic Phnom Penh! I raced down to the internet cafe to load the last couple of blogs (as the dutiful World Vision rep that I am) before joining Craig, Victoria, Fiona and Gary in a tuk tuk - yes I did just say 5 people in one tuk tuk. In Cambodian terms that is traveling light.
We spent a couple of hours at the Genocide Museum. It is difficult to begin to explain how intensely heart wrenching this establishment was. The museum is made up of a series of buildings that once housed a school. That is until Pol Pot's regime decided to turn the school into a relentless torture centre intent on commiting heinous acts on behalf of such enormous evil. People, both Cambodians and foreigners alike, of all ages from infancy up were transported here during Pol Pot's reign of terror to be tortured to death.
We walked the halls of this school in absolute silence. Room after room seemed speak without hesitation of the gruesome acts that once occurred. Torture instruments lay openly before us alongside photos depciting their use. We walked past literally hundreds of pictures of children who had been murdered at this site. Each picture involved the child looking directly at the camera. Broken, haunting eyes staring directly at the camera, seemingly resigned to what was to come. Knowing that the time to help one of those children has long come and gone the question that I had to ask was 'how do I honour their memory?'I realised that perhaps the greatest way would be to do two things: 1. Continue to invest into the lives of Cambodians 2. Play my part in being part of the contingent of those who speak up and act when such atrocities as the Pol Pot regime take place.
I couldn't help but think of the number of gross acts of injustice that occur today without the intervention of those who could and should intervene. There is a responsibility with knowledge and to be honest there is a responsibility to obtain knowledge and not remain ignorant and therefore complicit in allowing evil to occur. In leaving the museum I had to decide to not carry the heaviness of depression but rather to carry with me a renewed sense of justice.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Day 5 ...
Today began hopeful. As we conversed as a group it was clear that the sleep and shower was as therapeutic as hoped. My quads had forgiven me and my butt seemed to have regained feeling. We were ready for another day of cycling. The only thing that seemed to try to interupt this optimism was a nagging sore throat, runny nose and slight heaviness in my head. I passed it off as a minor cold and jumped on my bike.
Without question today’s riding was the most memorable. The majority of the days riding was spent riding along dirt roads through various villages of happy, smiling Cambodians. Knowing just a glimpse of their tragic past, such happiness is just enviable. Within an half an hour of riding we found ourselves cycling around pot hole after pot hole and muddy ditch after muddy ditch. You most certainly had to have your wits about you. As Andy (aka the Australian tour guide) said, it takes a fair bit of mental and physical commitment to transverse these roads. As I cycled along with group that consisted of a lovely couple called David and Pat, Rebecca, Victoria Barry and Gary I ducked out in front of the group to get through a particularly bad part of road. Well before I knew it I was head over handbars and covered in mud. With a severely bruised ego and a now throbbing head I was quickly surrounded by my fellow participants. Barry applied antiseptic, Victoria provided encouragement and well the Cambodians provided laughter - lots of it.
Arriving at the next rest stop I realised then that dignity was well and truly absent from this experience. The refreshing thing is, we don’t care! Covered in dirt, sweat and mozzie bites we had become a sight for sore eyes. It is humurous to me that my midday beauty regime consists of throwing on a baseball cap and quickly running a wet wipe over my face.
The heat on this day was beginning to hit home. It was humid and with little shade along the roads it was at times unrelenting. Ice cold water available at each rest stop along with fresh fruit and an assortment of crackers became very refreshing. The breeze generated while cycling meant that the heat was only really felt when we either slowed or stopped. Lesson learned: apply sunscreen liberally. Farmers tans abound.
After the next 20km stretch the throbbing in my head became too much. I decided to jump on the ute on get some video footage. Not the best idea really as I was exposed to the sun and having to keep my footing however my pride trumped and dictated that I be productive. After the next stretch we lunched at a local temple/school where we were surrounded by a sea of young faces. Children watched us in awe. I’m not sure what they were thinking but they sure were inquisitive. These weird lycra clad, helmet wearing white people eating rolls must have been quite the experience for them. Belinda had the fantastic idea of gathering the children and teaching them the Mexican Wave. Participants and children created a circle and eventually mastered the wave. The children found it hysterically funny. I love how humanity will find a way to relate beyond spoken language.
I decided to jump back on my bike and cycle the final leg with the other participants. The disappointment of not being with the group was too much. This leg was approximately 16km and without a doubt was the hottest leg of the trip. I found myself craving the shade of an upcoming tree (for all of 0.5 of a second).The colourful bruises and an area of swelling on my knees had begun to appear at this point with varying degrees of pain being felt down both legs. As this become more apparent to me I then came across a long stretch of more chlidren than I could count. I decided to give as many as possible high five. The kids lined up, hands out and smiles filling their faces. It was brilliant! It was the equivalent of a B12 shot in the butt.
I turned a corner only to realise that I was at a T intersection and had no idea where to go. There were participants coming up behind me who I knew would be as clueless as me – both directions looked just as appealing. So well I engaged a local boy in a game of charades. He soon understand what I was saying and pointed me to the right, extremely satisified at his understanding of my ridiculous communication. From this point on it felt as though the temperature was turned up a few degrees. At the next (and last stop) I was informed that it was 38 degrees!!! Fiona Whyte happily informed me that after the bikes were hosed down, we were next. Participants were once again united in their conquering of yet another ride. It was without a doubt an incredible ride – challenging and a hell of a lot of fun.
We then had a short van ride into Phnom Penh where we were given free time. I took the opportunity to sleep for an hour only to wake with insane shivers down my body and a raging fever. My darling brother forfeited dinner to provide cloths wrapped in ice for my head and blankets for my legs. This continued until the early hours of the morning. Gary even woke up at 3am to get me cold Sprite from downstairs. I have nominated him for the do-gooder award. A group of six participants came to my door before leaving for dinner and sang a song they had wrote me (to the tune of Ín the jungle, the mighty jungle…’). I would have laughed hysterically if it weren’t for feeling so terrible.
Ín Phnom Penh, the mighty Phnom Penh, Claire is sick tonight …’
A message from the unofficial challenge photographer, Kyle:
Leading out of Kampong Cham is a pothole storage facility and mud generation plant which lasts about 50 kilometers. Unfortunately, someone accidentally put it on a map and called it a road, so we were obliged to ride along it. By the first break we were all carrying our body weight in mud and were in major need of physiotherapy. Sadly, the village physio was on holiday in the Bahamas, so we were obliged to carry on with our spines in pieces.
As we did, the terrain changed: instead of being a mudhole with the odd patch of road, it was a rockfield with the odd patch of road. I had several close encounters of the dirt kind, and a few moments where oncoming trucks, motorcycles and chickens failed to give way. However, I succeeded in staying on the bike the whole way, mostly due to my exceedingly slow pace (the only thing moving slower than me was the internet speed) and willingness to go off the already off-roady road.
By lunchtime, several of us had tired of replying with the stock-standard ‘hello’ to the local kids and started to mix things up a little. I used the following phrases:
• Hi!
• Howdy!
• What’s up?
• How’s the wife & kids? (to a one year old)
• How you doin’?
• Salutations!
• ‘Sup G?
• Kia ora! (one group of kids said it back to me, which made it all worth it)
• I give you most felicitous greetings on this, the day of my daughter’s wedding!
The final leg was pretty painful, but a change of clothes and soft van seat made the rest of the day bearable at worst and pleasant at best. I spent most of my free time wandering around Phnom Penh looking for a pen; you’d have thought that in a city named after them, they would be available on every corner.
On the way back from my pen expedition, it started to rain, and didn’t stop until much later that night. We went to dinner and got wet, and then a bunch of us headed to nearby hipster venue the Frog and Parrot for cheap cocktails and card games and, in the case of Fiona and Victoria, Connect 4 with a local lad.
After having my virtue questioned on many occasions by Belinda (who seemed to think I was lying about all my cards), we left in high spirits (all except Richard, who was bemoaning Stoke City’s loss to Man U) to hit the sack and prepare for our forthcoming rest day.
----------
Cheers
Kyle
Without question today’s riding was the most memorable. The majority of the days riding was spent riding along dirt roads through various villages of happy, smiling Cambodians. Knowing just a glimpse of their tragic past, such happiness is just enviable. Within an half an hour of riding we found ourselves cycling around pot hole after pot hole and muddy ditch after muddy ditch. You most certainly had to have your wits about you. As Andy (aka the Australian tour guide) said, it takes a fair bit of mental and physical commitment to transverse these roads. As I cycled along with group that consisted of a lovely couple called David and Pat, Rebecca, Victoria Barry and Gary I ducked out in front of the group to get through a particularly bad part of road. Well before I knew it I was head over handbars and covered in mud. With a severely bruised ego and a now throbbing head I was quickly surrounded by my fellow participants. Barry applied antiseptic, Victoria provided encouragement and well the Cambodians provided laughter - lots of it.
Arriving at the next rest stop I realised then that dignity was well and truly absent from this experience. The refreshing thing is, we don’t care! Covered in dirt, sweat and mozzie bites we had become a sight for sore eyes. It is humurous to me that my midday beauty regime consists of throwing on a baseball cap and quickly running a wet wipe over my face.
The heat on this day was beginning to hit home. It was humid and with little shade along the roads it was at times unrelenting. Ice cold water available at each rest stop along with fresh fruit and an assortment of crackers became very refreshing. The breeze generated while cycling meant that the heat was only really felt when we either slowed or stopped. Lesson learned: apply sunscreen liberally. Farmers tans abound.
After the next 20km stretch the throbbing in my head became too much. I decided to jump on the ute on get some video footage. Not the best idea really as I was exposed to the sun and having to keep my footing however my pride trumped and dictated that I be productive. After the next stretch we lunched at a local temple/school where we were surrounded by a sea of young faces. Children watched us in awe. I’m not sure what they were thinking but they sure were inquisitive. These weird lycra clad, helmet wearing white people eating rolls must have been quite the experience for them. Belinda had the fantastic idea of gathering the children and teaching them the Mexican Wave. Participants and children created a circle and eventually mastered the wave. The children found it hysterically funny. I love how humanity will find a way to relate beyond spoken language.
I decided to jump back on my bike and cycle the final leg with the other participants. The disappointment of not being with the group was too much. This leg was approximately 16km and without a doubt was the hottest leg of the trip. I found myself craving the shade of an upcoming tree (for all of 0.5 of a second).The colourful bruises and an area of swelling on my knees had begun to appear at this point with varying degrees of pain being felt down both legs. As this become more apparent to me I then came across a long stretch of more chlidren than I could count. I decided to give as many as possible high five. The kids lined up, hands out and smiles filling their faces. It was brilliant! It was the equivalent of a B12 shot in the butt.
I turned a corner only to realise that I was at a T intersection and had no idea where to go. There were participants coming up behind me who I knew would be as clueless as me – both directions looked just as appealing. So well I engaged a local boy in a game of charades. He soon understand what I was saying and pointed me to the right, extremely satisified at his understanding of my ridiculous communication. From this point on it felt as though the temperature was turned up a few degrees. At the next (and last stop) I was informed that it was 38 degrees!!! Fiona Whyte happily informed me that after the bikes were hosed down, we were next. Participants were once again united in their conquering of yet another ride. It was without a doubt an incredible ride – challenging and a hell of a lot of fun.
We then had a short van ride into Phnom Penh where we were given free time. I took the opportunity to sleep for an hour only to wake with insane shivers down my body and a raging fever. My darling brother forfeited dinner to provide cloths wrapped in ice for my head and blankets for my legs. This continued until the early hours of the morning. Gary even woke up at 3am to get me cold Sprite from downstairs. I have nominated him for the do-gooder award. A group of six participants came to my door before leaving for dinner and sang a song they had wrote me (to the tune of Ín the jungle, the mighty jungle…’). I would have laughed hysterically if it weren’t for feeling so terrible.
Ín Phnom Penh, the mighty Phnom Penh, Claire is sick tonight …’
A message from the unofficial challenge photographer, Kyle:
Leading out of Kampong Cham is a pothole storage facility and mud generation plant which lasts about 50 kilometers. Unfortunately, someone accidentally put it on a map and called it a road, so we were obliged to ride along it. By the first break we were all carrying our body weight in mud and were in major need of physiotherapy. Sadly, the village physio was on holiday in the Bahamas, so we were obliged to carry on with our spines in pieces.
As we did, the terrain changed: instead of being a mudhole with the odd patch of road, it was a rockfield with the odd patch of road. I had several close encounters of the dirt kind, and a few moments where oncoming trucks, motorcycles and chickens failed to give way. However, I succeeded in staying on the bike the whole way, mostly due to my exceedingly slow pace (the only thing moving slower than me was the internet speed) and willingness to go off the already off-roady road.
By lunchtime, several of us had tired of replying with the stock-standard ‘hello’ to the local kids and started to mix things up a little. I used the following phrases:
• Hi!
• Howdy!
• What’s up?
• How’s the wife & kids? (to a one year old)
• How you doin’?
• Salutations!
• ‘Sup G?
• Kia ora! (one group of kids said it back to me, which made it all worth it)
• I give you most felicitous greetings on this, the day of my daughter’s wedding!
The final leg was pretty painful, but a change of clothes and soft van seat made the rest of the day bearable at worst and pleasant at best. I spent most of my free time wandering around Phnom Penh looking for a pen; you’d have thought that in a city named after them, they would be available on every corner.
On the way back from my pen expedition, it started to rain, and didn’t stop until much later that night. We went to dinner and got wet, and then a bunch of us headed to nearby hipster venue the Frog and Parrot for cheap cocktails and card games and, in the case of Fiona and Victoria, Connect 4 with a local lad.
After having my virtue questioned on many occasions by Belinda (who seemed to think I was lying about all my cards), we left in high spirits (all except Richard, who was bemoaning Stoke City’s loss to Man U) to hit the sack and prepare for our forthcoming rest day.
----------
Cheers
Kyle
Highways, exhaustion and James Blunt
We left Siem Reap for the last time today, once again negotiating the city streets as though we were old hats. We are told that there is a discernible difference between honks. I personally have yet to decipher the difference between the courteous ‘Just letting you know that I am coming through’ and the ‘Move out of the way or I will hit you’. At times it seems like riding through these streets is reminiscent of riding the ‘Tower of Terror’ at Dreamworld - it is the most adrenaline inducing experience of your life to date while at the same time you find yourself wandering if you will in fact die.
Once we had left the city we rode for some time along the highway leading out of the city. Interestingly enough this highway felt safer than the city streets had. We had a clear path of travel along the side of the highway that gave us enough room to ride two by two. Riding along the highway was in some ways a more challenging experience mentally as the long stretch of road posed little diversity. That is until we once again encountered our first of many high pitched ‘hello’ chorus’ for the day. From this point on there were children every 50m or so ready and waiting to send out the most ecstatic greeting I have ever encountered. Some of these children look ready to jump out of their skin with excitement. I commented to one participant that ‘this will never get old’. She agreed. It is though we have our own personal cheer squad.
We eventually transitioned our journey onto a series of back roads which led us to an overgrown temple that was quite simply breath-taking. This temple seemed straight off of a Hollywood movie set. Trees had grown on top of the temple ruins creating an amazing effect of roots intertwined with gorgeous hand carved temple walls. We were told that the temple had been created in 1200. We were also informed that the area had recently been declared ‘mine free’. As comforting as this was it did make me quietly question how many areas were not ‘mine free’. The day previous we had visited the Land Mine Museum which detailed the sheer volume of land mines still live in the country of Cambodia. It was particularly sobering to hear of how land mines were created to maim rather than kill, thus creating more of a burden on those effected. Heart-breaking.
Following the visit to the temple we met up for one of many authentic Cambodian meals. The food here is surprisingly delicious. I had been warned that I may not appreciate Cambodian cuisine however I am loving it! I am also loving ‘Fanta - Lycee flavour’. The group has also developed an appreciation for the local Cambodian brew ‘Angkor’. After lunch many of us lined up to use the toilet facilities behind the make-shift restaurant. To my surprise the toilets were squat toilets. This combined with intense heat meant that I immediately lost my urge to relieve myself and promptly exited the stall. The problem was that the next stop was four hours away. At which time I was greeted with more squat toilets. I had no choice. This city girl just became a little country.
Today’s cycling was possibly the most challenging thus far. On the final leg it was clearly evident that exhaustion was setting in. This was later confirmed by the somewhat zombie like stars across the dinner table. Pain had set in. My quads were screaming out for relief. My rear was beginning to go numb and where it was not numb it was extremely sore. What we have all come to appreciate however is the power that exists in collective movtivation. We work as a group - cycle as a group, eat as a group, laugh as a group. There is something enormously motivating about this. So much so that I am convinced that we have all begun to transcend previously established physical limitations.
Later that night I found myself in a van with my brother, Gary and three Cambodians - only one of which can speak any English at all (very limited). There was a precious moment where as Gary and I tried to relate to the Cambodians we began to say the names of various famous singers etc. Well one of the guys blurted out ‘James Blunt!’. Gaz immediately pulled out his iPod, hooked it up to his travel speakers and played ‘You are Beautiful’. This young Cambodian guy immediately began singing the song word for word at the top of his lungs. I decided to give up my James Blunt boycott for the night and sing along with him.
We arrived at our next destination so shattered that we barely noticed the vast difference in the nights accommodation over the previous. The contraption over the toilet that was posing as a shower was greeted with enthusiasm and the rather minimalistic beds were embraced. We didn’t care. We were exhausted and dirty. Bring on the sleep.
Now a word from Rebecca:
Today has been a day of contrasts-
From bustling messy siem Riep and its four star hotel with pool, to quiet, tidy Kampong Cham and our more modest hotel with shower over toilet;
From sun-baked bike-riding saying “hello” to every child we passed, to air-conditioned comfort, cocooned in the van;
From riding smooth highways to roller-coaster bumps negotiating wet-season damaged dirt roads,
From fried English breakfast to the wonderful new flavour sensations of the local cuisine (fish soup with tomato, pineapple, mint and lemon grass)
From 1000 year old ruined temple to newly erected motels;
From grand mansions to humble thatched shacks;
From bottled water to powerful shots of coffee with condensed milk;
From sticky rice and soybean with coconut cooked in a bamboo tubeover an open flame to processed Pringles;
From grow where you can rice fields viewed in the sun to the military precision of rubber tree plantations glimpsed in the dark;
From flushing sit on loos with toilet paper to squatting pans with ladles to wash and sluice it all away;
From the tranquil calm of the forested ruins to the blaring loudspeakers issuing forth from every gaudily decorated modern temple we passed;
From false gods of stone that have failed to protect a people from enormous tragedy to my God of love who has promised to be with me and protect me - He will not fail me or abandon me!
Its hard to believe how much we have experienced in just one day - and there is still another week to come! what a privilege it is to be here.
From Christchurch to Cambodia - “sursday” (hello) from Rebecca.
P.S. An honourable mention for the nuffy award went to Richard Johnson who while relieving himself behind a tree unknowingly bared a little more than he expected to a group of Cambodians eating their breakfast.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
80km .. but then, who's counting?
Day 3 ... we have been introduced to our first of several long cycles - and the end result is rather pleasing! Leaving the hotel at a perky 7am, we headed out to cycle through the outskirts of Siem Reap. It was such a memorable day. We were led by our wonderful guides along a severly pot-holed dirt road weaving past roaming oxen, moped drivers carrying seemingly overwhelming loads, countless children and many 'PAN' donated wells. The children were effectively wonderful cheerleaders as they stood on the side of the road yelling 'hello, hello'. They were stunningly gorgeous children with looks of absolute delight filling their faces at the mere sight of us. What more motivation does a cyclist need?!
The dirt roads were an adventure and a half. When I return home I am tempted to pull out a picture of a Cambodian pot hole whenever anyone comments on a pot hole on a NZ street and while employing my best Crocodile Dundee accent excalim, 'That's not a pot hole, THIS is a pot hole'.
We cycled through several villages in approximately 30 degree heat (and unbelievable humidity) before reaching a temple in what certainly seemed like the middle of nowhere. We were once again given an all access tour. It amazes me that tourists have the access that
they do to such precious structures. Following yet another delicious lunch we began to make our way back to the hotel. I decided, in a moment of brilliance to jump on the back of the ute, hold on for dear life and obtain video footage of the cyclists. I was able to convince a fellow participant, Kyle, to lie on his stomach and take the still photos. We were successful in our mission. Kyle however may just have a few bruises from the many pot holes that caused him to rise and fall - quite hard onto the bed of the ute.
It was eye-opening to watch each of the participants as they rode. Each person seemed to gain so much momentum from the building grou dynamics, interacting with the local children and absorbing the changing views of paddy fields, villages, highways and city streets. Several participants seem to relish the occasional race or random move on the bike. It is particularly fun to watch the more experienced riders challenge children on bikes - jumping over pot holes and off roading into the ditches. The kids love it. The almost 80km went ridiculously fast. We arrived back at 3.30pm, exhausted, dirty and satisfied. Oh and the participants of the second challenge may be happy to hear that the itinerary has been changed for day 3 - no more mountain :).
Apart from one minor spill that involved a participant falling off his bike while pointing out a pot hole for another participant (before you ask - yes he did get nominated for both the do-gooder and the nuffy award!) we returned home in fairly good condition! I did however grab the opportunity to enjoy a massage at the local 'Blind Massage Institute'. Nice.
Now for a couple of introductions. First Moire Cuncannon and then Aleece Forman:
My luggage finally decided it would abandon it's stay in Singapore and join me in the lovely country of Cambodia, I now have bike gear and my bottom is thankful for the comfy gel seat. Today started off well with cooler weather than expected. We had a few tumbles but luckily no major injuries. The off-road cycling was challenging but we enjoyed some great views of Cambodian countryside.
Some of the ladies decided to try out the 'natural' fake tan on their legs, this was easily achieved by moisturiser melting and orange dust clinging to them. After a quick snack with some tough street kids with a sling shot and their new found snake trophy we were on our way again. As we cycled through the villages swarms of children flocked to the streets to encourage us on with 'Hello, goodbye'. Their enthusiasm was amazing and made us cycle harder.
The temples were fantastic, on a slightly smaller scale from yesterday. Lunch was yet again delicious traditional Cambodian food. The redbull fanclub is also continuing to grow and we hope to have everyone a believer by the end of the trip. The top score is 3 cans in one sitting at the moment.
We are slowly learning how to avoid tourist buses, whose goal seems to be 'how many cyclists can we take out today'. The landscape is wonderful and we are learning how to avoid the potholes and craters in our paths. Obviously after 80km we are tired but are all very excited about what's to come.
P.S. I am having trouble uploading pix and video ... I hope to have this resolved soon as we have some great footage and photos. Keep checking back!
The dirt roads were an adventure and a half. When I return home I am tempted to pull out a picture of a Cambodian pot hole whenever anyone comments on a pot hole on a NZ street and while employing my best Crocodile Dundee accent excalim, 'That's not a pot hole, THIS is a pot hole'.
We cycled through several villages in approximately 30 degree heat (and unbelievable humidity) before reaching a temple in what certainly seemed like the middle of nowhere. We were once again given an all access tour. It amazes me that tourists have the access that
they do to such precious structures. Following yet another delicious lunch we began to make our way back to the hotel. I decided, in a moment of brilliance to jump on the back of the ute, hold on for dear life and obtain video footage of the cyclists. I was able to convince a fellow participant, Kyle, to lie on his stomach and take the still photos. We were successful in our mission. Kyle however may just have a few bruises from the many pot holes that caused him to rise and fall - quite hard onto the bed of the ute.It was eye-opening to watch each of the participants as they rode. Each person seemed to gain so much momentum from the building grou dynamics, interacting with the local children and absorbing the changing views of paddy fields, villages, highways and city streets. Several participants seem to relish the occasional race or random move on the bike. It is particularly fun to watch the more experienced riders challenge children on bikes - jumping over pot holes and off roading into the ditches. The kids love it. The almost 80km went ridiculously fast. We arrived back at 3.30pm, exhausted, dirty and satisfied. Oh and the participants of the second challenge may be happy to hear that the itinerary has been changed for day 3 - no more mountain :).
Apart from one minor spill that involved a participant falling off his bike while pointing out a pot hole for another participant (before you ask - yes he did get nominated for both the do-gooder and the nuffy award!) we returned home in fairly good condition! I did however grab the opportunity to enjoy a massage at the local 'Blind Massage Institute'. Nice.
Now for a couple of introductions. First Moire Cuncannon and then Aleece Forman:
My luggage finally decided it would abandon it's stay in Singapore and join me in the lovely country of Cambodia, I now have bike gear and my bottom is thankful for the comfy gel seat. Today started off well with cooler weather than expected. We had a few tumbles but luckily no major injuries. The off-road cycling was challenging but we enjoyed some great views of Cambodian countryside.
Some of the ladies decided to try out the 'natural' fake tan on their legs, this was easily achieved by moisturiser melting and orange dust clinging to them. After a quick snack with some tough street kids with a sling shot and their new found snake trophy we were on our way again. As we cycled through the villages swarms of children flocked to the streets to encourage us on with 'Hello, goodbye'. Their enthusiasm was amazing and made us cycle harder.
The temples were fantastic, on a slightly smaller scale from yesterday. Lunch was yet again delicious traditional Cambodian food. The redbull fanclub is also continuing to grow and we hope to have everyone a believer by the end of the trip. The top score is 3 cans in one sitting at the moment.
We are slowly learning how to avoid tourist buses, whose goal seems to be 'how many cyclists can we take out today'. The landscape is wonderful and we are learning how to avoid the potholes and craters in our paths. Obviously after 80km we are tired but are all very excited about what's to come.
P.S. I am having trouble uploading pix and video ... I hope to have this resolved soon as we have some great footage and photos. Keep checking back!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Angkor Wat, pavement visits and Craig
Today was simply an extension of the thrill and fun of yesterday. The fun just has not stopped. After our daily briefing we were once again thrown onto the streets of Siem Reap. Once again experiencing riding side by side with Cambodians and once again breathing, smelling, experiencing all that these streets have to offer. We cycled in single file - although we all became a bit confident at times and virtually took over the road. It is safe to say that we feeling a little more confident on these streets! One thing is for sure, the 1.5m rule is not in place here. I am developing a fast appreciation for Auckland drivers!
Each day there are two awards offered, one is for the 'do gooder of the day' and the second is called the 'nuffy'which is for the person who had the most impressive fall/mishap of the day. Well 1.8km into the days cycling, Katy applied a little too much pressure on her breaks and went flying head first over her bike onto a very busy section of city street. Other than a grazed elbow and impressive bruise on her leg she is okay although it did get me to thinking - 'gosh it's scary how far one will go to win an award' ;).
Each day I am going to get a different participant to contribute to this blog. It is quite interesting to hear another's perspective on the experience of the day. Today it's Craig's turn:
This morning we started out at 7am and hit the chaotic and dusty streets of Siem Reap once again. We made out way to the Angkor Wat temple complex and visited Ta Prohm (of Tomb Raider fame) Bayon, Baphuon and the incredible Angkor Wat.
As we weaved through all kinds of bustling traffic and felt the warm breeze on our faces it felt surreal to be here, surrounded by centuries old archealogical and artistic treasure on a grand scale. Today was an amazing day.
I also learnt and practiced the phrase, 'Te aw kohn' or 'no thank you'. Young kids would approach us in swarms and give us a hard sell. It was annoying but also I felt it was part of the experience of this place. One little girl asked me my name and where I was from. After telling her I replied, 'New Zealand, capital city Wellington' and then she quizzed me to see if I knew Cambodia's capital. Very cute.
Craig Haythornthwaite
Each day there are two awards offered, one is for the 'do gooder of the day' and the second is called the 'nuffy'which is for the person who had the most impressive fall/mishap of the day. Well 1.8km into the days cycling, Katy applied a little too much pressure on her breaks and went flying head first over her bike onto a very busy section of city street. Other than a grazed elbow and impressive bruise on her leg she is okay although it did get me to thinking - 'gosh it's scary how far one will go to win an award' ;).
Each day I am going to get a different participant to contribute to this blog. It is quite interesting to hear another's perspective on the experience of the day. Today it's Craig's turn:
This morning we started out at 7am and hit the chaotic and dusty streets of Siem Reap once again. We made out way to the Angkor Wat temple complex and visited Ta Prohm (of Tomb Raider fame) Bayon, Baphuon and the incredible Angkor Wat.
As we weaved through all kinds of bustling traffic and felt the warm breeze on our faces it felt surreal to be here, surrounded by centuries old archealogical and artistic treasure on a grand scale. Today was an amazing day.
I also learnt and practiced the phrase, 'Te aw kohn' or 'no thank you'. Young kids would approach us in swarms and give us a hard sell. It was annoying but also I felt it was part of the experience of this place. One little girl asked me my name and where I was from. After telling her I replied, 'New Zealand, capital city Wellington' and then she quizzed me to see if I knew Cambodia's capital. Very cute.
Craig Haythornthwaite
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Smiles, smiles and more smiles
I write this in the morning of day 2 and I think I would be on the mark to report that the smile has not left my face since I arrived here! We are less than 24 hours into this experience and I am seriously on cloud nine - in fact if the clouds were ranked it would perhaps be cloud twelve. We went on our first bike ride yesterday and I do not think I have had that much of an exhilarating experience in a long time. It was amazing!
All 21 of us received our first briefing which covered all the rules, itinerary details, introductions etc we were then led to a fleet of 21 brand new bikes that are to be our transportation for the next 11 days. Wearing our matching bright red Charity Challenge shirts we posed for a 'before' shot before jumping on our bikes and forming an assembly line behind our fantastic Cambodian guide, Smey. We then rode out into what can only be described as highly organised mahem. Our Austalian guide told us, regarding the streets of Cambodia Ít's nuts but it works'. It was insane! We were surrounded on all sides by moped drivers, trucks, cars and fellow cyclists. All competing for road space and all so beautifully friendly. It is hard to become frustrated at someone coming straight for you, or cutting you off causing you to ride into the gutter when they have a gorgeous smile to accompany that action!
From the beginning of the ride I felt enormously overwhelmed by this experience. It was nothing short of intoxicating. Here we were, a group of cyclists here for the same cause, riding along the streets of Siem Reap with absolutely no barrier between us and this incredible outside world. It was just amazing. We were riding in the thick of our experience - no glass window between us, no tour guide speaking through a microphone, no foot rest or air conditioned comfort. I became convinced that we were at an incredible advantage by seeing this beautiful city this way. We had an absolute blast as we responded to the many horns being honked, children waving and as we notified each other of upcoming pot holes. The Cambodian people are just gorgeous. I think they see us as being quite the novelty which I guess we are! At any rate it was unbelieveable - an assault on all senses. At one stage a participant yelled out to me Çlaire! You haven't stopped smiling all day!' I yelled back Í know! Isnt it great!' I was indeed the cheshire cat and I was not alone.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Air-conditioned comfort
We have officially arrived in Siem Reap. The itinerary for today involves a round of showers, swimming in the pool and an afternoon ride to Angkor Wat. More to come....
P.S. Message for my dear friend Olivia who took delight in the knowledge that I would be without the comforts of home ... I am pleased to inform you that I have a hair dryer in my room.
P.S. Message for my dear friend Olivia who took delight in the knowledge that I would be without the comforts of home ... I am pleased to inform you that I have a hair dryer in my room.
Anticipation abounds
We are officially on our way to Cambodia! I write this from 40,000 feet in the air somewhere over the Pacific (or perhaps Australia) and I have spent the last hour trying to get myself to sleep. The truth is how on Earth am I to do that when the challenge that we have all been a part of for over a year now is shifting into its most exciting phase? I have reconciled with the fact that adrenaline trumps sleep for now - and to be honest I look around and see that my fellow participants join me in that sentiment!
It was fantastic to meet face to face with those that I have spoken to countless times over email and the phone. The atmosphere at check-in was nothing short of jubious. Everyone is abuzz with what is to come, albeit a tad nervous. Participants unite over common concerns ... 'Have I trained enough?' 'Have I packed everything?' 'Will I chafe while cycling?' I try to reassure them however I am acutely aware that those same questions are running rampant through my mind!
Talk continues on to that of sausage sizzles, book sales and begging family and friends for donations. I am floored at the commitment the participants - on both trips - have shown. I sit and listen and feel nothing but admiration for each participants journey in making this challenge happen. Talk moves onto training. Oh the training ... We have trained and trained and trained - to the point where many of us can no longer distinguish between our bike seat and a slab of concrete. There is a moment where we then realise that such training is but a teaser for what is to come! 500km over 10 days to raise funds and awareness for Cambodians in need. Well worth it I say.
Looking around at the participants I am struck by the simple fact that aside from a few connections we are all relative strangers, from different parts of NZ, working in different industries, of different fitness levels and yet there is this common denominator that gives me goose bumps and I believe defines the challenge - we are all wanting to make a serious difference in the lives of those less fortunate. The rather cheesey Intrepid strap line of Órdinary people, doing extraordinary things' seems to perfectly sum up the underlying motivation across these challenges. So yes, Intrepid, the cheese should stay! It works.
For now I am going to watch my inflight movie, eat my beef stirfry and well tomorrow... may this Intrepid journey begin!
It was fantastic to meet face to face with those that I have spoken to countless times over email and the phone. The atmosphere at check-in was nothing short of jubious. Everyone is abuzz with what is to come, albeit a tad nervous. Participants unite over common concerns ... 'Have I trained enough?' 'Have I packed everything?' 'Will I chafe while cycling?' I try to reassure them however I am acutely aware that those same questions are running rampant through my mind!
Talk continues on to that of sausage sizzles, book sales and begging family and friends for donations. I am floored at the commitment the participants - on both trips - have shown. I sit and listen and feel nothing but admiration for each participants journey in making this challenge happen. Talk moves onto training. Oh the training ... We have trained and trained and trained - to the point where many of us can no longer distinguish between our bike seat and a slab of concrete. There is a moment where we then realise that such training is but a teaser for what is to come! 500km over 10 days to raise funds and awareness for Cambodians in need. Well worth it I say.
Looking around at the participants I am struck by the simple fact that aside from a few connections we are all relative strangers, from different parts of NZ, working in different industries, of different fitness levels and yet there is this common denominator that gives me goose bumps and I believe defines the challenge - we are all wanting to make a serious difference in the lives of those less fortunate. The rather cheesey Intrepid strap line of Órdinary people, doing extraordinary things' seems to perfectly sum up the underlying motivation across these challenges. So yes, Intrepid, the cheese should stay! It works.
For now I am going to watch my inflight movie, eat my beef stirfry and well tomorrow... may this Intrepid journey begin!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
