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Post by hwinpp on Mar 5, 2011 5:45:59 GMT
A good friend of mine is getting married twice, once in the northern province of Stung Treng and once in Phnom Penh. As I've not been to a wedding up country for some time my girl and me decided to drive up north and catch that one. Turned out to be quite a hurried trip, but also an eye opener re the state of roads in Cambodia. So on Thursday morning we got going early, filled up the tank, packed our bag and drove off on National Road #6. We crossed the Tonle Sap on the Japanese bridge, then headed roughly northwest until we hit Skuon, where we had breakfast. Skuon is actually famous for one of its delicacies, deep fried tarantulas. We stuck with noodle soup and rice though, carried on north to Kampong Cham, then crossed the Mekong and found the small turnoff to Chhloung. Here the road hasn't been improved since Oct. 2008. The same machines still standing around doing nothing... Our hosts at Chhloung district border. We stopped for a look around the bridge and a cold sugar cane juice.  This was the scenery at the bridge we'd just crossed. Notice the different water level of the river by where the boats are 'parked'   Here you can just see the tips of the bamboo poles used to hold fishing nets behind the ridge in the fore ground. It was too hot to make the extra exertion to go back to the middle of the bridge and take a better photo, sorry ;D  Suddenly I saw these boys running towards us... they only wanted to say 'hello' though  The sugar cane juice seller  Driving through Chhloung on the road parallel to the river, the village's main drag  There are two guest houses in Chhloung, the luxury Relais de Chhloung closed two years ago. First (narrow) glimpse of the Mekong  And here a better view of the river, with a small floating Cham community  The ferry to the island. The islands can be up to 20km long, they've got some tourist infrastructure, i.e., you can rent bikes, stay at simple guest houses or homestays, take part in the locals' daily lives  River boat, destination unknown  More boats  And finally into Kratie  Dry season Mekong, it'll be just a dribble by April...    |
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 5, 2011 6:27:03 GMT
Wow, HW ~~ this is so rural! There is nothing in any of the pictures to indicate what decade it is. Can't wait to see more!
Are you exaggerating about the river almost drying up by April? Really?!
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 5, 2011 16:48:36 GMT
It does, ut I can't find any photos online. You'll see more on Monday. BTW, posting this at home, from my nifty new phone  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2011 17:13:58 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 5, 2011 18:40:26 GMT
HW -- you have home access to the internet now??!!! That is wonderful news!
Are you back from your trip already?
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Post by mich64 on Mar 5, 2011 19:34:34 GMT
So serene. It looks so enjoyable and restful but I guess not as much while driving as one would think from reading the description of the road conditions.
To just be standing alongside with you when you were taking the photos, I am imagining a huge sigh and a smile while listening to the sounds of the area.
Cheers,
Mich
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 12, 2011 3:29:23 GMT
Sorry everyone, I've not forgotten this thread but was slightly inconvenienced. Will continue on Monday.
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 14, 2011 3:43:32 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 14, 2011 6:06:23 GMT
Whoo ~~ you were really out in the sticks.
I've been waiting for the rest of the thread, then suddenly realized that it's already Monday where you are. Yaay!
Have been meaning to ask -- why did your friend get married twice?
Did you all stay overnight in Chhloung, or only in Stung Treng?
And, finally -- "we were in the chicken egg"??
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2011 6:12:12 GMT
I really like the photo of the cart, because it brings home the fact that people are still making those carts new in Cambodia. If you see a cart like that in Europe, it is already 100 years old. I am also struck by the dry season. I always think of Cambodia has being lush and tropical (i.e. wet) all the time, but you can definitely see the dryness in your photographs, on the roads, houses, vegetation. I can really imagine how the first rains of the rainy season must be greeted like an old friend -- until the friend wears out his welcome!  |
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 15, 2011 3:26:26 GMT
Whoo ~~ you were really out in the sticks. I've been waiting for the rest of the thread, then suddenly realized that it's already Monday where you are. Yaay! Have been meaning to ask -- why did your friend get married twice? Did you all stay overnight in Chhloung, or only in Stung Treng? And, finally -- "we were in the chicken egg"?? My friend's bride is from Stung Treng. So they had to have a party there before having it in Phnom Penh. I couldn't attend that onme because I was bed ridden. We moved on from Chhloung the same day and just overnighted once in Stung Treng, returned to PP the next day. And 'being in the chicken egg' refers to that signboard, 'O Pong Moan'. It means 'chicken egg stream' and is the name of a village ;D I kept seeing the milestones and was wondering what it was until I realised it's the village itself. I really like the photo of the cart, because it brings home the fact that people are still making those carts new in Cambodia. If you see a cart like that in Europe, it is already 100 years old. I am also struck by the dry season. I always think of Cambodia has being lush and tropical (i.e. wet) all the time, but you can definitely see the dryness in your photographs, on the roads, houses, vegetation. I can really imagine how the first rains of the rainy season must be greeted like an old friend -- until the friend wears out his welcome! Many people think that being in the subtropics Cambodia must be green and fertile. Actually it is that only after the rains have started and immediately after. It dries up very quickly after the water has disappeared and becomes very savannah- like. When my friends ask me when to visit I always recommend towards the end of the rainy season, September or October. |
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 15, 2011 3:34:15 GMT
The wedding was slightly different from the ones in PP. Main one being that it started around 8pm, when everybody arrived at the same time and it was full immediately. The food wasn't that great, less choice and slightly 'provincial', meaning everything was a bit tougher and gristlier than in PP But then the guests stayed longer too and I thought they were more into sitting around talking and drinking. I thought it was ok. www.flickr.com/photos/50918436@N02/5498060579/www.flickr.com/photos/50918436@N02/5498058417/Just two videos I shot there, not that exciting. |
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 15, 2011 4:00:03 GMT
So the next morning we had breakfast at a Lao noodle shop and then started the return trip, again heading down on NR7 until we came to the junction with the turnoff for Kampi, which we took again. Passing this little BBQ resort which seems to be temporary, only being set up after the water levels have sunk enough.     Reason for returning this way was this ;D Kalahn and naem trey, sticky rice in bamboo and slightly fermented fish paste with herbs in banana leaves. This place is pretty famous for these two snacks and I've stopped there every time I've gone north, whether I wanted to or not  Lastly some pics of the countryside coming down, these are from below/ south of Chhloung.    By the way, after reaching Soung we got onto the road heading south towards Prey Veng until the junction that takes you to the new bridge (I called it Spean Thmei but it does have a proper name). Cuts about an hour of driving time as opposed to taking the Skuon to Kampong Cham road. The new road is very smooth and wide and there's hardly any traffic. Easy to do 80- 90 miles/ h. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 15, 2011 5:10:11 GMT
That sitting around and talking sound pretty civilized, even if the food was "rustica". ;D Love all the pictures of the wide flat land and of the water. What's a BBQ resort? Are all those long expanses of thatched roofs part of it? Is the rice steamed inside the bamboo tubes, & do you buy a whole tube? I am having no luck in trying to imagine how the fish paste tastes. HW, the video links don't work.  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2011 6:15:12 GMT
I just repasted the entire video address into my browser and they worked fine. The local music really augments the whole ambience of such an event. I have sat in so many rooms like that, although not for a wedding, with all of those great dishes being set on the table... or passing me by to go to the next table.  |
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 15, 2011 6:45:03 GMT
Yes, just checked. You have to copy the whole link into a new browser page and it works. Should have uploaded the videos to youtube instead.
The rice in bamboo thing is actually stickyrice that is filled into a length of bamboo. Then coconut milk is added and some small black beans are stuffed in at the ends. Finally the bamboo is closed by stuffing some dried leaves into the end. Then it's grilled, long enough to get the coconut milk boiling but not long enough to burn the bamboo.
The result is quite tasty. In Laos they also use black sticky rice.
The fish paste becomes slightly sourish and hardens, think of a very hard jelly with grits in it.
I love the music these local bands play, sounds very 60ish. They even still use saxophones!
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 15, 2011 7:45:55 GMT
The rice sounds good. The fish will remain a question mark until I get there to taste it for myself. Oh, yes -- pasting allowed me to see the videos. What is that sort of stately dance being done in the 2nd one. It looks as though a group is dancing in a circle, I think. |
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 15, 2011 10:26:52 GMT
Yes, it's my favourite dance here. They all sway in unison and circle the bridal table with all the fruit on it.
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 15, 2011 16:17:54 GMT
What's a BBQ resort? Are all those long expanses of thatched roofs part of it? |
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 16, 2011 4:21:49 GMT
Yes. A typical Khmer BBq place. Sometimes also called beer garden. You get a BBQ grill on the table, then you order what you want to eat and prepare it yourself.
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 16, 2011 4:43:28 GMT
No wonder you wanted to go up there for the wedding. It looks like such a convivial occasion. Did you dance? Do they have those bbq places all over the country, or just in rural areas? I greatly approve!
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 16, 2011 9:29:02 GMT
LOL!
No, I didn't dance, I was grumbling about the warm beer too much...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2011 5:45:37 GMT
Do you add ice to your beer like the Vietnamese in such cases?
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 17, 2011 6:44:00 GMT
Of course, they were out of ice for about half an hour though... ;D
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 28, 2017 20:40:56 GMT
I am so happy that hwinpp had a flickr account and that his photos are still visible. I came to this thread just to check and see if he had been using photofucket.
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