Down the Coast

Dear reades of Fish Amok Blog!



Your dedicated blogger wrapped up the last interviews in Phnom Penh today. I am now heading down South to Sihanoukville where I'll spend my last three days in Cambodia. Last month the third intenational airport in Cambodia opened there. So I thought I could save a bit of time and fly down. Well.... think again, it's Cambodia! Sihanoukville does now have an INTERNATIONAL airport, but no international flights, no flights from the capital Phnom Penh, just one connection from Siem Reap, though that one I was told is already booked out for the next six month...

So, I guess I'll have to hit the road tomorrow by bus - 7 AM sharp. My plan is to look at child prostitution and tourism - as well as ecotourism development off the Cambodian coast. I'm told the islands are as beautiful as Thailand. We'll see - I'll keep you posted of course!!!

The case of the missing thongs

Who would steal these?


Following the Cambodian practice of leaving one's shoes outside the house, I thought my shoes would be safe on the steps of the Holiday Guesthouse. So you can imagine my surprise this morning as I was about to get into my shared taxi back to Phnom Penh and my thongs were gone. I was not happy, and searched the entire property for my beloved pair of black & silver reef thongs that I bought seven years ago in Cannes. Even though I still had a pair of runners in my bag, I kicked up a fuss telling the owner I would have to leave the establishment and head back to the capital sans footwear. The owner quite embarrassed helped me in my search and finally rang around to find potential mischievous perpetrators. I had already given up any hope, as a young man walked through the gate with a broad smile, took off MY reefs on the steps in front of the house - and disappeared inside without any word. I thanked the owner and made my way to Phnom Penh, never having been so happy to be wearing my thongs.

First time riding an elephant

Riding elephants that's what tourists come to do in Mondulkiri. One, two or three day treks in the jungle. Fortunately we were wise enough to only take a half day option that our guide Mr Tree (because he likes trees) organised.


After ten minutes of a bumpy ride, fearing for our life as the elephant went down a slope of at least 75 degrees we decided this was definitely not our favourite mode of locomotion. The elephant Nang Preah seemed to enjoy the workout - despite its 70 years of age. Our guide Soprah less so, he really only cared about his snooze once we took a break down at the waterfalls.
Don't forget to check out the video!

The Srepok Wilderness Area

It felt strange when the police officer armed with an AK47 jumped onto the back of our pick up to escort us into the Srepok Wilderness Area. We had just stopped at the first outpost of the WWF project and had a chat with rangers and law enforcers there. They showed us wood they confiscated a few weeks ago.


Illegal logging is a huge problem throughout Cambodia and so is poaching. WWF launched a new project four years ago in this remote forest which they say is the Serengeti of Southeast Asia. Five outposts were built in the forest. Rangers and police officers generally spend 20 day stints in the forest, patrolling together and recording the animals they sight on their treks which can last up to five days.


The WWF made a concious effort to recruit former poachers when they chose their rangers for their project. Mr Kha is the head ranger and somewhat of an icon here in the region. A former body guard during the Khmer Rouge he tells me he shot ten tigers during his more than 30 years of hunting.


Poaching is a very lucrative business or at least it used to be when the forest was full of animals. But during the years of war, this area close to the Vietnamese border was heavily bombed and hunting seriously endangered many species throughout the forest. Now the WWF along with the Cambodian government is trying to put an end to poaching. Community extension teams are teaching locals why hunting has such negative effects and how it will ultimately destroy their livelihoods. The process is of course long. 65% of the villagers (most of them ethnic Phnongs) are said to be still hunting in the forests and you can't stop them from going into the forest from one day to the next. After all they have been living off the forest for many generations.


WWF's approach is therefore twofold: firstly working on the conservation and law enforcement, and secondly: closely working with the communities to make sure they will have sustainable alternative sources of income when they completely stop hunting. The WWF's local extension teams are training farmers how to improve their chicken raising and their rice production. They teach them about mushroom plantation and wild honey gathering. In addition the WWF also plans to set up a five star tourist lodge on the banks of the Srepok River. It will not only be an additional source income for the locals, but encourage the Cambodian government to really enforce the laws and protect the wildlife in this area. It sounds obvious, but theory is a richer wildlife will lead to more tourists and hopefully prompt the government to make this area a priority - and ultimately see more benefits flowing back into local communities.

Cocktails & Dreams - Sen Monorom Sunrise

We've been staying four nights in Sen Monorom, Mondulkiri's provincial capital. This has provided us ample opportunity to sample local cuisine and local bars... Menus are flexible: order a plain omelette and get an onion one, or even better just fried eggs... 45 minutes after ordering and the waiter having checked twice what we had ordered. If you do however order fried eggs don't be surprised if you get an omelette -- I am NOT kidding!


Unfortunately unconfirmed reports of dog being served in one restaurant on the main road remain... unconfirmed.

A new bar opened up with comfortable lounges a few days ago - we showed them how to make shandies and explained what a Gin & Tonic is. And yes we found it odd that you could open a bar without knowing how to make a G&T. But then when you hear the manager's incredible life story nothing surprises you. From a poor rural family Sayna slept on the streets of Phnom Penh while studying English. His proficiency in English led to jobs at Phnom Penh's best hotel and later an international NGO. His family did not see him for six years and thought he was dead. Despite his own difficult circumstances he supported his friend to learn English too. After all that his new bar deserves a chance to succeed. So, if you hear of a cocktail called "Sen Monorom Sunrise" this will be our legacy in this town.

Lost grandeur at the Bokor Palace

Once a roaring casino during the French colonial era, driving up the torturous mountain track is a gamble today (see video). When offered the choice of a hum wee, a landcruiser or a Toyota Camry Sedan I elected for the cheapest option of the Camry. When tarmac turned to dirt and rocks I thought I had made a grave error. However, in the Camry my driver and I overtook dozens of 4WD and probably set a new record for ascent and descent (4 hours, 35 minutes and 52 seconds). Along the way up colonial homes lie in ruins, the region saw heavy fighting between the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese. At the top the battered Roman Catholic Church is simply a shell (see video), but the views towards the see - once the mist clears - are spectacular.


Lost grandeur wandering around through the rooms of the Bokor Palace you can imagine it would have been a pretty special place to play roulette up here. On a clear day you can see Thailand to the West and Vietnam to the East. Five star tourism has not quite returned yet, even though there are rumours that Sokha (who owns half of Cambodia) bought up the entire Bokor National Park. For now the residents of the Bokor Hill Top Station are local food stall holders catering to day trippers - both Khmer and foreigners.



This place is also known for the occasional UFO sighting!

Rabbit Island

One of the main attractions off the coast of Kep is Rabbit Island, a twenty minute boat trip with a local fisherman. Along the beach there's a little bit of a Robinson Crusoe feel about this sparesly populated little island. Backbackers love cheap accomodation in basic small huts. If you don't mind roughing it - there's everything here for a fun time - including fresh seafood & cold beer.


But just behind, the rubbish tip shows once more how unplanned the tourism is. One wonders if tourism will bring here a short term economic benefit or a long term environmental headache?