Life is so busy in Cambodia

Hi all...

Firstly we apologise for not updating you earlier but when you have read this you may understand!!

We finished our in country training at the end of April and had a party in Phnom Penh to celebrate (i've got video evidence of Rachel doing some very special dancing to Michael Jackson with Heng (a member of the VSO programme office staff - when I have posted it on YouTube I'll post the link here!!!).

Our journey up to Stung Treng was an interesting one. A 4am start from Phnom Penh were we along with Linda (a volunteer from Holland but whose father is from Skipton of all places). We thought we had the minibus to ourselves as we had all our worldly possessions with us for our new homes... we were wrong, oh so wrong. We were in a 9 seater minibus with 10 people... one poor girl had to sit on a plastic stool in between the driver and the front passenger seat!!!

We got to Stung Treng at lunch time and proceeded to unpack - it won't be long till we pack up again though!!! Rachel started work the follwoing day and she has been busy breaking down barriers with fellow work colleagues and spending lots of time with the local health centres..

During the middle of May we decided we needed a holiday (especially as the country was taking a 3 day holiday to celebrate the ploughing season!!!). Rachel was getting bitten on average 12 - 15 times per night by the lovely mozzy's!!! So we headed to Othres Beach near Sihanoukville in the south west of the country. We had a great time staying in a thatched bungalow on the beach. It was very picturesque and the sunsets were beautiful. we will certainly be heading back to this beach again.

When we headed back to Stung Treng hoping that the rains would finally arrive - they still haven't properly arrived yet and the weather remains in the high 30's everyday with the odd day hitting 42 degress!!! When we wake up in the morning the temperature is already at 32 degrees!!

Anthony made it to the project he had decided to help, Mekong Blue (www.mekongblue.com). Please have a look at the project and I can personally say that the silk garments the women make are the best we have ever seen. Mr Chan - the boss was very pleased to see him and immediately invited him to go to another province to see what business opportunities lie there.... What a shock in the car to find out that we were driving for 3 hours on a mud track to see a new building Chan was project managing at the referral hospital!!!! We stayed the night and drank some of Chan's lovely home brew whiskey made from rice water and left to ferment for a long time... This is something I have to get used to as after work most days we share a drink and none of them are less than 60% proof, the best one being a mixture of rice wine and chinese herbs that had been fermenting for 18 months!!! This was so strong it made me cough very much... stronger than anything else I had ever drunk. I couldn't drink much as I have a 5km motobike ride home. Their is no drink driving laws here but my sensible head kicked in.. Chan has made me an interesting offer to remain working with him in a business development capacity for the next 12 months and I have accepted.

During our 4 weeks so far in the lovely wooden house Rachel has had over 150 mozzy bites and enough is enough so we decided to look for another house to live in... Easier said than done. We have looked at 10 houses now and just when we think we have made our mind up the potential landlord changes his mind and no longer wishes to rent the property or they want excessive rent as they see us and they want to charge "Barrang" price. It looks like we have finally decided on a house and we will be moving at the end of June to a 2 storey stone built house - providing we can negotiate with the landlord about some of our basic requirements e.g. a fridge and gas cooker!!!!

Well I think that posting is long enough for now. Please don't forget we can skype people from Cambodia and our user names are very easy: -

Rachel.dukes1
Anthony.dukes1

We look forward to speaking to you soon.

Lots of love

Mr & Mrs D