Two Weeks in Cambodia - The one where I'm not a Larry!!

As with all of my countries, I had a hit list of what I wanted to do in Cambodia (Angkor Wat and genocide learning) and the rest was all up for grabs. The second week was fixed, as my partner in crime was flying out for a super awesome week in Siem Reap full of temples and celebrations and hanging out by pools together, so that left me with the first week of February to kick around in Cambodia by myself.

First up was a 7 hour bus trip to Phnom Penh filled, as ever, with the blended harmonies of Cambodian Karaoke on the TV, a man hocking and spitting to the left of me, and a woman violently vomiting to the right. Delightful. Spent the first hour becoming Kirstie the mozzie slayer, ruthlessly Jackie Chan catching and crushing mozzies with my bare hands like my brother-in-law taught me. Life skills. 

Fun fact: the dengue carrying mosquitoes are quite easy to see, as their backs have white stripes. Handy. 

Gross fact: when you kill a mosquito which has just fed, you get a smear of blood everywhere which is probably not yours. Nazz.

Whilst a night bus would be economically ideal (save a night of accommodation and half a day of exploration time!), the reputation for night buses is truly atrocious. Accidents are often not recorded, being chalked up to 'hitting a fallen log' or 'pot holes', security is terrible with reports of random extra passengers being allowed on to sit in foot wells and pathways so the drivers can get more money, and there have been numerous horror stories of sexual harassment and molestations with solo female backpackers. All in all, then, that'd be a hell to the no.

NGO Food in Cambodia

There are so many restaurants with NGO projects in Cambodia - here are some of the ones I tried and really loved.

Daughters of Cambodia

Right on the riverfront of Phnom Penh with a gorgeous balcony and craft shop below, Daughters is a great place for lunch or a people-watching snack! Learn about the work Daughters does to bring women out of sex trafficking and help them to develop skills to transform their lives, such as cooking, craft, hospitality, and more. Try any of the smoothies and you'll just fall in love with the place - banoffee is my favourite! 

 

Daughters of Cambodia, Phnom Penh

When I was 8 year old, my primary school best friend moved from sleepy Ickleton to bustling Singapore. I remember being so devastated that she'd be leaving - who would I walk around the football pitch and chat with at break time now? - and really not understanding where she was going or why. Mum got out the big atlas to show me where Singapore was, and later Phnom Penh when she moved again to Cambodia, but I still didn't understand the reason why I was walking around the pitch by myself.

12 years and the glorious Internet later, I saw a Facebook post by my friend which I didn't really get. She was wishing her Mum a happy Mother's Day, saying she was sad to not be with her but she understood that sharing her Mum with all the daughters of Cambodia was so important, and she was so proud of the work her Mum was doing. It was dissertation season so my mind skipped over the bits I didn't understand (story of 2/3 years of my degree) and I kept scrolling down my news feed, knocking back my standard cup of tea and handful of chocolate raisins. Bag of chocolate raisins. Fine yes it was a pint of milk and two bags of chocolate raisins they're one of your five a day can we move on now please and thanking you. 

Sex trafficking - Eastern Europe and South East Asia. That association has been in the back of my mind for a fair while. The media feeds us statistics, we feel bad that these things happen, and then it's back to the priority of making colour coded sticky notes for my exam revision because visual learning is a thing and I'm definitely not just procrastinating and making things look nicer. One article I do remember clearly, though, was a study using a computer generated image of a very young girl to lure people looking at her images and talking to her into actually talking to a team of police agents working on the huge operation. They modelled the girl to have very juvenile features based on those of young Cambodian girls, because Cambodians are apparently one of the most sought after people in the trade. The article went on about how successful the sting had been, but something clunked in the back of my mind. She was so little.

Sandan Restaurant, Sihanoukville

I've written a fair amount about NGO work in Cambodia, and this is another one which is worth a special mention. Similar to Daughters of Cambodia in Phnom Pehn, Sandan works to give its students a better life. Rather than escaping the sex trade, however, Sandan helps the homeless and at risk population of Sihanoukville by accepting them into their programmes and training them as chefs and front of house in their ever popular, successful, and high quality restaurant. The students get accommodation, income, and training, and we get a great meal. Win win! 

If Sandan were in London, paparazzi would buy apartments across the street. It's a glamorous place with crisp, white tablecloths, dazzlingly shiny wine glasses, and a gorgeously relaxed yet special ambiance. I went with two girls I met in my hostel and had the best meal of my travels! We were shown to our table, given wine and food menus, and made to feel like super smooth VIPs. 

Amok!

A traditional Khmer dish, amok is a light but filling curry with a hearty kick! This beauty was a chicken version served in a coconut husk with sticky rice and a beautiful view of the riverside. 

Lush.

One Week in Bangkok

Resisting the temptation to belt out Pet Shop Boys whenever I hear "one [X] in Bangkok" has been strenuous. AND THE WORLD'S YOUR OYSTER! There, it's done, it's out. 

Many people do Bangkok in 1-3 days, but I stayed for a whole week! Here's what I got up to:

Day 1: Exploring street food and markets in Siam Square

Having landed after 24 hours of travelling, food was of course the first thing on my mind! Cue a trip to the Siam Square Happy Street festival full of food and clothes!

 

Bangkok street food - a lasting love!

Most people cover Bangkok within 1-3 days before escaping to other areas of Thailand. I stayed for a whole week and, apart from my love for all the Wats, it was down to the food. Thai food is completely different to anything I've ever had before, essentially mastering the art of taking a very healthy dish, deep frying it, and creating a heavenly bundle of light tasting deliciousnessosity. Here are some of my highlights! 

My first dish in Thailand was from a magnificent street market in Siam Square. Deep fried chicken and veg on sweet toast opened the door to an absolute winner winner of a chicken dinner. I also cracked open my first ever fresh coconut and, whilst impressive and idyllic, it turns out that I don't like coconut milk. Regardless, the look of them can't be faulted!

LOOK AT THAT BOWL OF CHILLI SAUCE. MY EYES ARE BURNING FROM HERE.

Impulsive Fishing!

Today's impulse decision: night fishing trip with a load of Thai fishermen off the coast of Koh Chang! 5 yellow bait fish and a barracuda later and I am very happy with my first ever fishing trip!

Post is coming - I promise!

January 11, 2016 at 12:56AM

Cooking With Pon! Green Garden (Hot Pot) Cooking School, Bangkok

How do you like your chillies in the morning?

Thai cooking courses are rated as some of the best experiences you can get whilst exploring Thailand, and something not to be missed if you're a foodie or a host. I did a lot of research into different cooking courses and, in my opinion, it doesn't get much better than Green Garden (previously known as Hot Pot) Cooking School! A lot of schools recommended widely cost the same or more, but only offer 3-4 dishes - today I cooked and ate 10 over 5 hours and loved every second of it!

I turned up at 8.50 for a 9.00 start and was picked up by my teacher Pon on a Tuk Tuk and taken straight to the market to get fresh ingredients for cooking! I was joined by another girl from Bangladesh and we moved through the market as Pon described all the different foods and what they're used for in Thai cooking, what they go with, and how they're different to foods we knew - for example, Thai eggplant looks like a courgette rather than the purple lightbulb I'm used to! Fresh food markets in Bangkok run from 0400 - 0930ish and then they're changed over to thing stalls or cooked food stalls. Very surreal to see the end of Khao San Road full of lettuce and eggs rather than fisherman trousers and hair braids! 

Bossing the groceries 

Cooking at Green Garden today!

Making the magic happen in my Thai cooking course today!

January 07, 2016 at 06:05PM