Phnom Penh will start getting quieter as people start moving back to the provinces to celebrate the Cambodian New Year. Cambodian New Year or Chaul Chnam Thmey in the Khmer language, literally “Enter New Year”, is the name of the Cambodian holiday that celebrates the New Year. The holiday lasts for three days beginning on New Year’s Day, which usually falls on April 13 or 14th, which is the end of the harvesting season, when farmers enjoy the fruits of their labor before the rainy season begins. Many of the girls at CHA will go home for this holiday. Photo is my Sunday breakfast at the Spider cafe.  Apple, Beetroot and Carrot drink.  [...]

Been in Phnom Penh jus over a week. The cost of living definitely seems to have gone up. The Tuk Tuk taxi index seems to be rising.  Coupled with the Australian dollar things are not cheap as they were. Aeon Mall has opened since I was here last.  The big muli-level mall  has arrived. Aeon has all you would expect – food halls  for the families, and plenty of shopping. Crossing the road here is a bit more risky.  Seems to be a lot more bigger motorbikes going faster. The system worked here I always thought because of the slower traffic speed and people were paying some attention to people crossing the street. CHA (Cambodian Handicraft Association) new premises are a lot bigger and are looking very professional still some work to go.  [...]

Arrived Phnom Penh last night. Spent the day at CHA, getting into the apartment,and dying in the heat. Its 500pm still hot but t apartment isnt to bad. Theres a bit of factory activity across the road-will be a good alarm clock.        [...]

We spent the day at the Palace of Versailles yesterday.  It was a big day that started by getting the metro across town to the train station where we meet our fellow Big Blue Bike Tours group members and out tour leader. The group was made of 10 travellers from Canada, USA and fellow Australians. The group leader was Guillaume a mid twenty year old enthusiastic born and bred parisienne. He was a font of information about Versailles and gave some insights and comparisons with modern French politics and life. Our bikes were fat tyred gliders – the Harley Davidson of the push bike. We spent a lot of time touring around the extensive gardens and forest surrounding the Palace after we stocked up for lunch at the local market. We then toured the Palace itself then made our way home to crash exhausted.    [...]

Spent  the day around the First Arrondisement sight seeing and shopping.  Smoking is very popular here especially among young women.[...]

Writing this at Sydney International Airport. I love how things change. I am sure last tim I used the QANTAS bus from the domestic to the International Airport it took 20 minutes or so and we went out onto the road. Todya it was a quick dash across the tarmac and less then 10 minutes.  Security and Immigration went well. Now just waiting for the plane to Dubai then to Paris. I have been observing a moern trend while sitting here waiting. The young 20 something travller- mal or female in jeans down well below the bttom and no belts.  I have always admired this fashion. It is with interest I watch these groups running to board their planes – half running as their jeans continue to fall as they run forward. After a long flight arrived Paris. The apartment is fantastic in a great location. We have spent Sunday doing the sites. Now we are really tired. We have been having trouble with the internet connection here hence the slack updates. Spent good part of the day today at the Louvre and their about shopping then getting lost on the way home.    [...]

Got the suit case down to pack and look who thinks they are comig.[...]

I attended a wedding in a village near Takeo Town, Takeo Province last Monday. It was Narong’s brother’s wedding attended by about 240 guests. The fact that I was the only westerner, and the only English speaking guest (besides Narong) had its challenges. It was a great event! The reception was very similar to those in Australia – as the night went on the boys gravitated together and got drunk and the women watched on.  I discovered that my Khmer dancing abilities are the same as those in Australia – bad.  [...]

I went with the Cambodian Handicraft Association (CHA) staff, student and volunteers to Chea’s funeral ceremony yesterday. She’s family lived in Kampot Province in a small village. After the ceremony the family provide us all with a lovely lunch. There is another ceremony on Sunday. Under Buddhism the person who has died do not know they are dead until the seventh day after their death.  They are still there and don’t understand why people ignore them when they say hello. After the seventh day they realise and move on to a new life. I hope Chea’s gets all the things she wanted in this life, but couldn’t have.in her next – love, a happy family and the opportunity and strength to be a good business woman to help her family. This was Chea’s house.[...]