Adventures in Cambodia: Trouble in Chilli Country

Hey all

So this is a bit of a delayed post cos our internet has been so shitty over the last month. Its little better today but its a sunday so i have all the time in the world. Plus its like 35 outside to its a good excuse to sit in airconditioning.

So one of our field monitors received a call from a member of a community at Kin Tama, one of our schools in the very remote river areas of Kampong Chnang. The community member alleged that the school director was caught putting 11 bags of rice (about 550kg), canned fish, vegetable oil and yellow split pea on a boat to sell in Kampong Chnang. So CSI KSP jumped into action!

To get there we had to drive from Kampong Speu to Kampong Chnang town (about 2 hours) then cross the river on this ingenious dam they have set up. Am not really sure how it works but somehow this 10m long cement structure distributes the water so its only about waist deep even though the river is much deeper. It then drops off the edge.

Also check out how high the houses next to the river are for when wet season is in full swing.

So 2 hours later we were deep in remote chilli country. We were surrounded by chilli plantations which i found fascinating but no one else did really. Except when i mentioned that the smaller ones are the most powerful, when our most quiet field monitor made a penis joke. He transferred about a year ago and i think the debauchery of Kampong Speu is starting to get to him :)

So after a bit of bushwacking

The car hit a snag and we had to start walking. Fortunately i wasted so much time looking at the chilli plantation that Vuthy found a way round the obstruction and we were able to jump back in the car! Yaay for 4WDs!

We arrived at one family house who were busy drying their chillis and agreed to take us across the river.

So to cut it short this school was major bold and the beautiful country. The School Director was supported by the storekeeper (who was married to the boat guy and whose father in law the food was stored at 'for safety'). She alleged she fully informed the community through the Vice-President of the School Support Committee (Like the PnC in oz) (who was married to the cook who it also turned out was stealing canned fish). She then accused the village chief of having a crush on the storekeeper and feeling bitter because she didnt marry him. Whoof! All this in a meeting of about 50 people crammed in a small classroom.

This was a lot to digest on our little pagoda over lunch!

Anywayz it turned out on discussion with the Provincial Department of Education it is a broader political issue and with the elections next month we best wait until they are finished (even though the results are a foregone conclusion).

So as usual we returned to the town and hit the piss.

Plus i had to take this photo. Look familiar? Telecom (back then) won the contract to install Cambodia's telecommunications when it was under UN administration. So there are these phone boxes just like in Australia (and abandoned and grafitied just like in Australia as well- awww).

I have some other news on exciting visits but apparently we are meant to be keeping it under wraps a little so i will post it with photos. I have been waylaid with tonsilitus this weekend which has given me some major hammock time and some photos of course.

Nice sunsets ...