Andrew In Cambodia

One Year in Cambodia

2009-05-22T22:45:00.005-04:00

It's amazing how time flies. A year ago I was finishing exams and preparing for a long-term stint half way around the world and in the blink of an eye a year has gone by. It's certainly been a year of joyous highs and heartbreaking lows - but as I've said many times - there's no where else in the world I'd rather be right now.

Night shot of one of the many stupas near RDI (Thanks to Cory for all the photos in this post)

It's been a busy spring already but the summer schedule is even more packed with visiting teams, researchers, volunteers, and professors. Since the new year we've had volunteers from countries from almost every continent (Paraguay, Canada/US, Germany/England, Australia, Singapore, and Cameroon). Last nights dinner table consisted of representatives from five continents and it's an incredible experience learning about the diversity of culture, lifestyle, and language throughout the world. Furthermore, it's amazing to see how RDI brings people together to share knowledge and use their skills and talents to make a difference.

Several groups have passed through in recent weeks undergoing training workshops for the ceramic water filter factory. Engineers Without Borders - Australia has partnered with RDI for several years now and recently completed a comprehensive manual for the ceramic filter factory. With these materials now available, groups looking to set up their own factories have been coming to RDI to get a first hand look at the factory and undergo a busy 1-week training course so that they will be successful setting up their own factory. Recent trainees have come from Singapore (to set up a factory in East Timor), Laos, and Cameroon.

A film production company has also recently spent time at RDI conducting some prelimiary research for a documentary they will shoot here in June. Their documentary will focus on the arsenic problem in Cambodia and RDI's response in the village of Preak Russei. Word is they'd like to add a technical/science angle and get some footage of me speaking to the village chief...but they are still working out the financial arrangements with my manager ;-)

Two long-term volunteers have recently wrapped up their time here at RDI. Heather Murphy from the University of Guelph worked on a research project as part of her PhD, assessing the performance of chemical removal in bio-sand and ceramic water filters. She also worked closely with the Bridge Students on this project and taught them a course on water treatment, among other topics. Kathryn Smith is now wrapping up a 6-month term through Engineers Without Borders - Australia. She also worked closely with the Bridge Students, coordinating schedules and activities, and conducting training courses on computer skills and literature reviews. She also continued work on the ceramic filter factory manual and conducted the training sessions with the visiting teams.

Several other researchers just arrived from Eastern Mennonite University in the US to work on 5-week projects, the first regarding point of use water quality in villages where RDI has and has not done hygeine and sanitation education and the second on assessing local acceptability and feasiblity of composting toilets and the potential for community-based methane generation. A volunteer is also here from Germany (in between undergrad and masters work) to assist with various activities in the lab - everything from setting up new equipment to leading the scientific design of the fish pond project to organizing and cataloging manuals and documentation to conducting research on low-cost filter funnels in the microbiology lab. Lastly, a grad-student was recently out to learn more about RDI's groundwater quality studies and will take this model to Laos and begin a pilot project later this year. A busy start to another busy year at RDI.

Recently I've also had the opportunity to introduce ice hockey to my Cambodian friends in the village. NHL playoff games can now be found in super-high quality on the internet and I've been watching them in the evening with up-and-coming hockey fans. Next we've got to find away to freeze one of these wetlands out back and get some shinny going.

No wide load restrictions on our roads

Only a matter of months now before I'm back home for a 5-week visit with friends and family. The reality of heading home is beginning to pop into my mind more and more. It's going to be a very strange experience, but one that I'm really looking forward to.

Passing of Dr. Mickey Sampson

2009-04-15T05:30:00.003-04:00

The past several weeks have been a difficult and trying time for the RDI community and in fact, the development, water, and sanitation sector in Cambodia and abroad. On March 19, my close friend and mentor, Dr. Mickey Sampson passed away at a Bangkok hotel as a result of a heart attack. He was 43. Mickey had gone to Bangkok seeking diagnosis and treatment for health problems he had been experiencing in recent weeks and months, and which he and his doctor thought were far less serious. I had the pleasure of taking him to the airport for his Bangkok departure and was able to have a long conversation with him that I will always remember.

The Sampson Family

For many of you who have never met Mickey, he was a strong, bold, charismatic, and passionate individual. He moved to Cambodia with his young family about 10 years ago and founded RDI (www.rdic.org) several years after. With a background in Chemistry, he quickly applied his passion, skills, and vision towards addressing the multitude of challenges that existed in Cambodia. In his time here, he has become a leader in the water and sanitation sector in Cambodia and is renowned throughout the world for his work on household water treatment (ceramic water filters), arsenic investigation, research, and mitigation, and his theories on development. He had the unique combination of qualities and characteristics necessary to do great things – such as communication in a foreign country, a bold personality, an incredible vision for new and innovative ideas, and an ability to act on this vision with efficiency and clarity. With these attributes and combined with his faith and values, he accomplished what most only dream of in a lifetime and planted his passion in others like myself.

He will be dearly missed by his family, the RDI staff, the entire village where RDI is situated, and the thousands who have passed through RDI’s doors or have heard him speak around the world.

For myself and others who were very close to him, we will take the skills he taught us, the values he exemplified, and the vision he shared and we will continue his work and bring his dreams to fruition. I ask for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, especially for Wendi and the kids. Should you feel compelled to send them your condolences you may do so at condolences@rdic.org.

Despite the sadness of losing someone so extraordinary and so close, we are taking joy in the life he lived, the motivation behind his actions, and the place of peace he has found. It is in this joy that we will move forward.

Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

2009-03-06T23:25:00.016-05:00

Well the past two months have whipped right by with lots of new experiences and excitement. The month of January was a busy one - filled with visits from volunteers and researchers from all over the world and of course the return of the Sampson family from their 5-months back in the US. We had several visiting researchers from American and English universities come to setup projects and conduct field work. We also had several church teams come and volunteer as well as Engineers Without Borders - Australia who spent a week working at the ceramic filter factory and with our Bridge Students. Late in the month Sumera and Ashley made their return to Cambodia with stories and photos from their travels through Vietnam and Thailand, and finally my brother, Justin, arrived with his girlfriend Liese to close out the month.

Dentistry team working across the Mekong in Lvea Aem

It was a fantastic feeling to see and spend time with family again. Me and my brother have always been close so it was great to share my experience with him and have him see first hand what life is like for me in Cambodia. After spending a day around RDI, taking the grand tour, enjoying cokes in front of the big tree, taking a Khmer lesson with my teacher, and accompanying me to English class in the evening, we set out on a rickety RDI van south along the Basac River with several other volunteers and did some arsenic testing at wells in the area. Visitors to Cambodia (and even some expats in Phnom Penh) miss out on what life is actually like for most Cambodians. While the country is certainly beginning to see a shift from the rural to the urban areas, the majority of the population still resides in the countryside. It was (I hope) a thought provoking experience sharing first hand some of the difficulties many Cambodians face that we simply take for granted, whether it be reliable and safe drinking water, getting to and from school, washing clothes, or going to the bathroom.

Liese preparing to do arsenic testing (Justin was back at the truck fighting against yesterdays dinner)

After a day taking in the sights and smells (some fouler than others) of Phnom Penh, we took the 6 hour bus ride up to Siem Reap and spent a couple days around the Temples of Angkor. This was my second visit to Angkor and I made sure to visit a couple sights that I didn't make it to back in May 2007. This time we also biked from the city to the temple complex and than on from temple to temple which was a lot more enjoyable than being whisked away on a tuk tuk (at least now in the dry season without the rains). On day two we hopped on a tuk tuk for the more remote northern temples including Kbal Spean which was one of the sights I didn't make it to last time. After our arrival and a quick meal, we hiked a few scenic kilometers before reaching the stream carvings and 'lingas' of Kbal Spean. From the massive 'barrays' (rectangular constructed lakes) to the moats surrounding Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, the Angkor empire routinely involved water in their projects but Kbal Spean was different. It's remote and scerine setting really made it unique from the other sites in the area. After a brief stop at the intricate carvings at Bantey Srei we hiked to the top of the mountain temple of Phnom Bakheng, overlooking Angkor Wat and a great place to watch the sunset. Unfortunately for us it was quite cloudy but still an interesting site none-the-less.

The river carvings and lingas of Kbal Spean

The next day it was time to pack our bags, for me to make my way back to Phnom Penh, and for Justin and Liese to fly out to Hanoi. It was sad having to say goodbye so soon but me and my brother certainly made the most of our time together.

Brothers - together again

Several weeks later, back in Kien Svay, I was preparing to move to a new house just down the block from my old one. This house was certainly smaller but the rent was significantly less. Sharing the lot with another house in the back also meant that Sir Michael needed to be moved back to the Sampson house. Now, I have all my stuff moved in and have settled in nicely. I really like the new house and while its smaller, it's a much more reasonable size for just one person.

The new digs

Last weekend me and a group of friends ventured down to an remote area in the Cardimom Mountains close to the border with Thailand for two days of jungle trekking. We hopped on the bus to Koh Kong but stopped about 100km from the seaside town at a small settlement called Andong Tuk. We waited a few hours for our ferry boat to overload itself with food, supplies, concrete before departing Andong Tuk for the village of Chi Phat towards the mountains. A 2 or 3 hour cruise down the river and we finally came up to our dock where we were greeted by a cow being sliced and diced right on the peer. A short walk into the village and we arrived at the NGO running the treking and mountain-biking ecotourism project - to provide sustainable employment opportunities in the village after logging was outlawed and a conservation authority setup to protect the forests.

We planned our treking route, arranged our stay at a local guesthouse, and prepared for our 5:30am departure. Awakening to the darkness of the early morning we packed our things and hopped on a boat for a scenic trip up some of the tributaries nearby. After seeing groups of monkeys and many exotic birds by boat, we hopped onto dry land and began our hike through the dense jungle, stopping every so often to check for and/or pick off leaches from our legs. The trails were rugged and at times blended right in with the brush but thanks to our two guides and cook, we were kept on the right path. Stopping by what now is a small stream but in the wet season is a raging river, we debated whether or not to cool ourselves off in a remaining pools of water. I had had enough of the heat and walked right in splashing some crisp cool water over myself while our guides and cooks prepared noodle stirfry and instant coffee for us.

Our scenic trip upriver

Several more hours of hiking and we arrived at camp near a small watering hole in the middle of the jungle. The week before, several friends stayed at the same spot and had the unfortunate experience of having an accompanying trekkor biten by a snake. She was quickly rushed by moto back to Chi Phat by a boat to Andong Tuk and on a taxi to a Phnom Penh hospital. We were told shorty before we left on the trip that she had a minor infection around the wound but otherwise was doing well. Suffice to say we watched our steps closely.

One of our guides - and his stylish banana leaf hat

After our U.S. Army hammocks were setup along with a tarp (which would later prove invaluable) we took a dip in the icy cool pools of water nearby and ate a delicious dinner of canned fish, stirfry, and duck eggs. Immediately after dinner the sky opened up and we spent the rest of our evening laying in our hammocks, exhausted, and playing games under the pitter patter of rain on our tarp.

Wreaking havoc in our U.S. Army hammocks

Early the next morning we awoke to the cool fresh air and the smell of cooking food and warm coffee. After packing our things we were back on the trail this time wide enough for ATVs and noticeably leach free. We passed through several mysterious clearings and after inquiring our guides, were told that the Khmer Rouge had cleared the trees in several small areas to create remote settlements for themselves.

Mmmm jungle cooking

Shortly after noon we walked our last few tiring kilometers down the hillside into the village and were greeted with a nice warm meal and all the water we could drink back at the NGO. In the afternoon, after a little bit of much needed rest, a few of us headed to the nearby waterfall outside the village to cool down. The next day we took motos back to Andong Tuk and hopped on a mini-bus for Phnom Penh.

Emerging from the jungle and resting before our last few kilometers down to the village (of all things, under the mid-day sun)

Lastly, several weeks back I booked my return visit to Canada. I'll be back in Canada from September 8th until October 14th. I'm really looking forward to seeing family, friends, and relatives again.

Christmas in Cambodia

2009-01-04T01:36:00.008-05:00

Wow, another big break between postings, partially because of busyness, neglect, and issues with all Google-related websites for the past couple weeks. My apologies none-the-less, and I'll try to post more often in 2009 (perhaps I'll go so far as to call it a New Year's resolution).

Pretending to do work in the lab

The past couple months have been hectic at times but also very enjoyable. Work in the lab has been busy with everything from soil sampling and organizing large-scale water testing projects, to teaching and grading assignments. In early November, two former University of Waterloo classmates of mine, Sumera and Ashley, came over to spend two months volunteering at RDI, while also taking time to tour parts of the country and learn more about Khmer culture, cuisine, and lifestyle. The recently initiated fish cultivation pond was turned over to them for research, study, and to develop a project plan for continued monitoring. The project included details for optimization of fish cultivation while nutrients, toxins, and other factors regulating environmental quality in the pond could be treated using a wetland/rock-bed filter. They were also involved with our Bridge Program students, who have recently begun a 2-year program at RDI which will prepare them for graduate studies abroad.

Hanging out at the wetlands behind RDI

In early December, Loreta joined up with the duo and assisted with some projects in the laboratory and working with the students. After a weekend trip to the beaches of Sihanoukville and a relaxing Christmas Day in the village, they were off to Siem Reap, Vietnam, and Thailand for about a month of travelling.

Loreta, Ashley, Me, and Sumera (left to right) in Sihanoukville

The holiday season in Cambodia was very different than those back in Canada. There really was no build up to the climactic Christmas Day experience of gathering with family, friends, and loved ones of whom you've known for years. I hadn't really gotten homesick prior to the holiday season, but thinking about family, Christmas meals, snow, and that warm feeling of sitting by the fire with loved ones did me in. I really wanted to be back home with them.

Christmas Eve soil sampling - at least it was a nice cool day ;-)

A week prior to Christmas some of the children in the village put on a play which was really entertaining to watch - complete with face paint, costumes, and huge smiles on all the kids. We also enjoyed a curry dinner and there was even some dancing to some Khmer jams later into the evening - I of course only observed from a far.

Christmas play at Ming Soram's house

Despite some mild homesickness, we had a fun Christmas Day with folks from the village and other RDI staff. In the morning Loreta, Sumera, and Ashley made crepes with a variety of fruits and toppings which were absolutely delicious. We invited the mings and others to come and enjoy our Christmas Day brunch. I also had the chance to check-in on Christmas Eve festivities at my grandparents house in Ingersol, Ontario. Unfortunately, the internet quality wasn't good enough to call over to them on Skype, but we did manage to get a webcam going (at about a frame or two a minute) and it was nice to chat with family. Shorty after finishing our crepes we marched over to my house where we watched Elf and cooked up a lunch of grilled chicken, potatoes, and salad. After an afternoon of cards, we capped off the day at Marc and Ann's house with a delicous Christmas dinner (including apple pie!).

All-in-all a very enjoyable Christmas, and one I'll always remember.

New Happenings

2008-10-27T10:02:00.000-04:00

Whew, it's been a while since my last update. There are certainly plenty of new and exciting happenings occurring every week here at RDI, but the past couple months have been thrilling and at times even frantic.

My very good friend Caleb, who had been at RDI for two years, left in early September for a long homeward journey through Asia and Europe. After several months of traveling he will return to his home state of Kentucky (which I'm sure won't hang on to him for long). He's already being sorely missed here at RDI.

Caleb eating duck embryo in Phnom Penh...missed and never forgotten

With his departure I received the chance to move out of the RDI bungalows and into his old house just a few minutes walk away. Perhaps more effective than the barbwire fence at intimidating potential intruders is the 300 pound menacing beast pictured below.

Sir Michael

For those worried about my safety and security, I present to you Sir Michael - protector and guardian of the Shantz residence. Sir Michael used to live at the Sampson's old house but after they moved, she didn't have the room she needed and often fought with the dogs. Forunately my backyard is spatious and relatively K-9 free (I think she's even befriended a few cats who never seem to leave). Crime is generally very low in Cambodia, and while the areas on the outskirts of Phnom Penh used to be a haven for crime and thugs, things have changed significantly for the better in recent years.

Home sweet home...

Later in September I had the chance to attend a conference in Manchester, England at the University of Manchester. I had the opportunity to share about RDI's water quality work with academics and several involved in politics, from the UK, Laos, and Cambodia. My time in Manchester was a great chance to take a break from the busyness of RDI and even indulge in some of the little things I miss (like orange juice in the mornings, western movies, and Subway subs...mmmm).

Since then, I've settled into my new home, met the neighbours, and will soon begin work on a new badminton court in my backyard (after I bushwhack several years of jungle and clear some space).

The air is starting to change here in Cambodia as well. The transition between wet and dry seasons is in full force, as the rains are beginning to occur with less frequency and the pounding heat of the mid-day sun no longer cooks human flesh. I do plan on doing more travelling during the dry season when you don't run the risk of having a trip washed out by rain. Next weekend (a 3-day long weekend) I will head down to the coast with a neighbor and some friends to soak up some sun. Soon after, several university classmates of mine will arrive to begin working at RDI. In terms of activity around RDI, it's been a slow fall so far (compared to the two summers I've been here) with the absence of the Sampson family, summer interns, and only a few volunteers and visitors. Can't complain at all right now with everything keeping me so busy at moment.

Rainy Season Update

2008-08-22T23:02:00.006-04:00

Time continues to fly by out here on the fringes of Phnom Penh. Working hours are typically very busy and it's a constant battle to keep on top of my 'To-Do' list. Despite the pace, the work is extremely enjoyable and challenging. My language lessons are continuing and while progress is being made, I still feel as though I'm not committing enough time towards my studies.

The weather this summer has been much cooler (and wetter) than last. The Mekong is at its highest level in quite a while and will likely peak in the next few weeks. We've been making the most of the cooler weather by playing lots of volleyball (perhaps Cambodia's most popular sport) and basketball, whenever the afternoon rains decide to take a day off.

I haven't given much of an update concerning my work here in Cambodia and I will use this post to do so. With the departure of RDI's country director (who is back in the US until the end of the year) I've been assigned the role of keeping the resource laboratory running smoothly in his absence. Many of the Khmer staff have been here for quite a while and know the routine well, so there is little in the way of management. Instead, I've been working to streamline some of the laboratory processes including the processing and reporting of client water samples, improving data flow and organization, and some administrative tasks. Additionally, I've been working with visiting teams, helping them organize their projects and matching them with available staff.

However, the majority of my work is on RDI's provincial water quality surveys. Tube wells (as shown below) are a convenient and often safe source of drinking water. Over the past decade, tens of thousands of these wells have been installed by NGO's and private well drillers all over the country. These wells tap into groundwater aquifers usually 30 to 50 meters deep. The problem is that in some regions, naturally-occurring contaminants like arsenic, manganese, nitrate, and fluoride are present in these groundwaters. If concentrations are high enough, these contaminants can be unsafe for human consumption.

Tube well testing

The objective of the water quality surveys is to conduct a high density analysis of existing tube wells in order to identify and report which regions are safe and unsafe. A group of field staff are continuously gathering samples from wells, and using a GPS device, recording their location. They return the samples back to the Resource Lab for analysis of 12 water quality parameters and the data is compiled. Since 2005, two provinces have been completed consisting of a total of almost 4,500 tube wells. Another province is due to be completed next month and we will add an additional 3,000 wells to our growing database.

Resource Lab 1

Using all of this data, we are able to generate contaminant maps to identify areas where drinking water is unsafe. Areas with highest concentrations can be targeted for education programs and alternative water sources (rainwater harvesting or shallow rope pump wells). Provinces are broken up into 100 to 150 communes and we provide a commune groundwater quality report based on all the samples collected within the commune. Using statistical analysis, we are able to present the risk (in the form of probabilities) associated with drilling a tube well in a commune, in relation to the official Cambodian drinking water quality standards. We have also devised a calculation that summarizes the data into a simple value and letter grade for each commune. The value represents the probability of safe water in the commune and the letter grade is a measure of aesthetic water quality (such as taste, colour, smell, and clarity).

Water safety map (darker communes representing a high risk of encountering unsafe tube wells)

All of this information is made available on our website (http://www.rdic.org/dwqi_home.htm) for other NGO's and for the government to use to make more informed decisions regarding appropriate water sources. In the past, wells were not tested after they were installed and this has led to the poisoning of villagers in some areas. Arsenic is the most widespread and most hazardous drinking water concern in Cambodia and RDI has worked diligently over the years to determine the areas at risk, educate the villagers, and to quickly provide them with alternative drinking water sources (see arsenicosis documentary in a previous post).

Commune sample location map

The goal of this project is to eventually cover every province in the country, moving from areas of highest risk and population density to the remote provinces and areas of low risk.

Election Day in Cambodia

2008-07-26T22:44:00.003-04:00

Today is election day in Cambodia, and while elections past have seen varying degrees of violence, this one is expected to be peaceful. The governing Cambodia People's Party (CPP) is expected to retain their stranglehold on the Cambodian political front. Villagers have been continuously streaming past the RDI bungalows to the nearby schoolyard to vote this morning. Many Cambodians have traveled back to their home towns to vote. Despite the certain outcome, it seems as though Cambodians are relishing the opportunity to participate in democracy. This is Cambodia's 4th election.

For more information on Cambodian politics and the election, here are a few links:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7521951.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7527325.stm

Prek Roeusei Arsenicosis Documentery

2008-07-06T11:44:00.003-04:00

This brief post will serve as a backgrounder for my next post on the work I'm doing here at RDI concerning groundwater issues in Cambodia. The documentary below was recently released by our studio staff to tell the story of the arsenicosis outbreak in Prek Roeusei. RDI has been active in the area for quite some time now, working to provide alternative sources of drinking water to the arsenic contaminated tube wells that have poisoned so many. RDI has spearheaded the development of shallow aquifer rope pump wells, rainwater harvesting tanks, and now even a piped water distribution system.

A Month Gone By...

2008-06-24T10:31:00.008-04:00

One month has come and gone in a flash. It's amazing how fast the days pass over here. I'm fortunate enough to really enjoy my work and leisure time, but the downside is that it often whips by in a blur. RDI is continuously changing - both in terms of the makeup of volunteers and staff and the buildings and structures on our growing 'campus'. New buildings are being constructed, new volunteers are constantly arriving and departing, and new projects are getting off the ground at an often dizzying pace. Over the course of my first month back I've met dozens of volunteers, witnessed the ongoing construction of an enormous new studio facility, and am attempting to learn more about all the interesting new projects and ideas that have emerged since I left last summer. Suffice to say it didn't take long to get back into the RDI lifestyle.

Construction continuing on the new studio (like most new buildings around here, made out of shipping containers, but in this case being used as the walls)

Already this summer, several teams from Singapore have taken part in RDI projects, venturing out to rural villages to build rainwater tanks. The current team of 17 are working on a tank in Preak Russei, the same village I worked at last summer with a team from the US. Preak Russei has been making headlines as far away Japan as the arscenicosis outbreak there begins to attract more attention.

John giving the Singaporean team a tour

My own project work is moving along at a reasonable clip. Over the past month we've finalized our drinking water quality report template, tinkered with our water quality index calculations, developed revised contaminant maps, and begun to streamline some of the processes in the water laboratory. I'll save more about my work for another (and likely more boring) post.

New additions to our growing bungalow complex. When finished, the top floor will be the luxury suite for guests and long-term volunteers.

While not conducting project work or helping some of the Khmer staff with their various tasks, my time is spent on other leisurely activities. Early mornings (7:30 to 8:30) are spent at the coffee shop, chatting with fellow staff or practicing my Khmer with the locals. Then it's off to work until we congregate for lunch at noon (often topped off with a game or two of bumper pool) in the dining hall. I'm also taking Khmer lessons from a staff member three times a week. It's certainly a challenge, but one that is rewarding once you begin to piece together sentences and even converse a little bit with the staff. I get to apply my teachings most often with the ladies who work around the coffee shop and cook in the dining hall. Lunches consist of me complementing the cooking (chingain nah! - or very delicious) before asking them to assist me in forming some new sentences. After lunch and/or Khmer lessons with my teacher, Bunleng, it's back to work until 5:00 or so, when we often head over to a nearby basketball court for some 2 on 2. Badminton, volleyball, or an occasional walk through the village also get thrown into the rotation when the weather permits. The weather has been unseasonably cool of late, and we've been able to make the most of it. I'm certainly not complaining about the temperature. A few times, I've even woken up a little bit cold at night and had to turn my fan off. After a shower and dinner, we'll play some more bumper pool, chat in the dinning hall, or head back to the lab to watch a some dvds (often bootlegged from the Phnom Penh markets). Weekends consist of much of the same, but intermixed with trips into the city to eat lunch or dinner, and a visit to the markets.

The newest addition to the RDI team. In Cambodia, even the dogs eat rice.

Last weekend however, me and a group of volunteers ventured down to the coast to spend some time on the beaches at Sihanoukville. We were fortunate to have awesome weather the entire weekend and enjoyed a beautiful sunset Saturday evening. Our days were spent lounging by the beach, dipping in the warm Gulf of Thailand, and playing Frisbee when the tide was out. One night we trekked out to a place called the 'Snake House' and ate some Russian dishes among dozens of snakes, lizards, birds, fish, and even a chained up crocodile. A bizarre but enjoyable experience. In the evenings we strolled the beach, gazing at the stars and stopped off at beach-side restaurants along the way for seafood and drinks.

Sunset in Sihanoukville

Egypt Week 3: Mediterranean back to Cairo

2008-06-05T09:23:00.013-04:00

On Day 15 (still in Dahab), a group of us walked out to a nearby reef and did some snorkeling. This time around I spotting a large eel gawking at me from under the shadow of some coral. The rest of the day was spent vegging at seaside restaurants and catching up on some email. After one last sunset over the Sinai mountains, we bid farewell to the Red Sea and took a speeding taxi back to Sharm el-Sheikh to catch a late night flight to Alexandria. This point was also marked the departure of Sunny, who was flying back to Cairo to catch an early morning flight back to Rome and Toronto. And then there were two...Me and Fabro, but we were soon to meet up with Rob and Andrea once again in Alexandria.

Our friends at Dahab

The domestic flights in Egypt are surprisingly reasonable and given the safety standards and time associated with road travel, are worth the extra cost in some cases. We arrived in Alexandria just after midnight and proceeded out of the rugged airport to the parking lot to hail a cab. From my trusty Lonely Planet, I knew the cost to be about 80 L.E. to get to the city which was supposedly 60km away. Taken aback by the small number of cabs outside the airport, I walked up to a group of cabbies and low balled an offer of 70 L.E. for our trip to our hotel (expecting bartering to ensue). I was a little surprised when the offer was accepted without hesitation or haggle and after our driver confirmed, "seven zero right?" I knew something was amiss. We hopped onto the highway and 15 minutes or so later found ourselves near our hotel. We had actually landed at a small airport closer to town, and laughed as we paid 70 L.E. ($13CAD) for what probably should have been a 15 L.E. fare.

Pita factory - A little different than the 'Pity Factory' back home

In the morning on Day 16 we met up with Andrea and Rob, exchanged stories over breakfast, and headed out to see the sights of Pompey's Pillar, the Catacombs, and the Bibliotecha Alexandria. That night we went out for dinner for some seafood and met up with a couple of friendly Egyptian dudes on the street, who after hearing we were going to the beach the following day, asked if they could come along with us.

Fabro excited about Pompey's Pillar

The next day, we met up with our friends and hopped in a minibus for the beach. Insisting they would pay for our tickets and get us a better price we went along with it and enjoyed a few hours on the beach chatting and sharing a few laughs. Both in their twenties, one gentleman was in the navy and other stood at a popular spot in the downtown with cell phones, offering calls to passers by. This was where we met him the night before. After the beach, they led us through a section of town and we cautiously followed them up an apartment to meet one of their families and enjoy some Egyptian food. The family was very sweet and full of smiles. Not everyday they have a group of foreigners in their house. After some shai (tea) and a quick bite we headed back to the hotel, as Fabro, Rob, and Andrea had to catch a bus for the Cairo airport. Dropping us off near our hotel we were half surprised (and by now) half expecting the whopping 'bill' they gave us for enjoying an afternoon together. Knowing they were already cleaning up, we paid a little less then they requested and walked back to our hotel. After saying some quick but sad goodbyes, I was left alone for a few days to take the rest of Alexandria and Cairo.

Enjoying an afternoon at the beach in Alexandria

On Day 18, I strolled through town towards an old roman amphitheater dating back to 2nd century A.D. After stopping for some lunch I returned to the Mediterranean and walked along the corniche (seaside road) to Fort Quaitbey - a castle-like structure along the Mediterranean. I was stopped along the way several times by groups of kids curious about the foreigner walking their streets. After sharing a few words in Arabic and English and maybe a photo or two, they would walk along side me for a while before heading back. At Fort Quatbey an antiquities officer led me around for a while not before demanding a little 'backsheesh' or tip/bribe money usually expected when an extra service is rendered. Backsheeshing is a way of life for Egyptians and is a vital part of people's income in many cases. Outside Fort Quaitbey, I sat by the sea and was approached several more times including once from a group of Egyptians my age who wanted a picture of me (seems Egyptians are much more keen on approaching single travelers). This time I turned the tables and jokingly demanded backsheesh after they snapped my photo.

Roman Amphitheater

Back on the corniche I enjoyed a few fresh orange juices at a stall before heading back to my hotel and packing my bags for the trip back to Cairo. Hopping in the first taxi I came across, my guidebook assisted me in butchering the Arabic name for train station and I gave my taxi driver what I thought was the universal motion for train - choo choo - fist-pump and all. Ten minutes later I was at the ferry terminal. We cleared up the issue with someone on the street and I was at the train station a few minutes later. Turns out the train times had changed significantly since my guidebook was published and the would-be hour and a half wait was enough for me to take a bus instead. Several hours later I was back in Cairo where everything started.

Coastline of Alexandria and breakwaters guarding the bay

Back in Cairo on Day 19, I ventured out to the Citadel, a walled enclosure once home to Egyptian government officials, military, and royalty during the middle ages. Now the site is home to several large mosques, a military museum, and some fantastic views over Cairo and out to the pyramids on the horizon. After the Citadel I strolled down a street in search of a drink vendor not long after I parked myself under some shade, with Pepsi in hand, an old gentleman walked by greeting me, "salam alykum". I responded, "alykum salam" and he stopped, turned around and asked, "shai? (tea?)". I said yes and he led me into a very poor area of town into his cramped home and put a piece of cardboard on a chair for me to sit on. Throwing some charcoal under a rudimentary stove he boiled some water and made me a glass of tea while he contently smoked a sheesha (water pipe) by the windowsill. I used my guidebook to offer my thanks and get the name of him and his wife. After meeting some of the others in his community he led me back to the road, and this time didn't demand any money, thus reaffirming my confidence in the joy and love of the human spirit (from my experiences often found in simple living).

My Egyptian friend

In the afternoon I made my way back to the Egyptian Museum to take my time through the exhibits and visit the eerie mummy rooms. The mummy rooms were definitely worth the extra fee. It was both strange and surreal to see the ancient figures that shaped the history of the region and worked so hard to preserve their legacy (and their physical bodies too!). During a brief rest on one of the few benches in the museum, an Egyptian man asked whether he could sit next to me. We chatted for a while about everything from politics to philosophy to chemistry (he was an importer of chemicals from India and China for the pharmaceuticals industry in Egypt). I asked him if he would join me for dinner outside the museum and after pondering my proposal, offered to take me to his home for a traditional Egyptian dinner. I agreed, and we hopped on the subway, two minibuses, and a tuk tuk before arriving at his home in Giza about an hour and a half later (did I mention Cairo is sprawling). We feasted on beef, breads, vegetables, and dips while continuing our conversation from the museum. I also shared my experiences from Cambodia and we discussed poverty, government, and development. After some delicious watermelon, he accompanied me back to the metro where we said our goodbyes. It truly was an unforgettable day in Cairo.

Skyline of Cairo as viewed from the Citadel (hazy silhouette of the pyramids on the left)

My last day in Egypt was marked by a trip to Coptic Cairo, site of the historic Christian community with a fascinating museum of early Christian art, and several churches. Relaxing back at my hostel I reflected on my Egyptian experience and prepared for my time in Cambodia to come. Hopping on my arranged ride to the airport I got a few good quotes from my driver, "this city is crazy", when we got stuck in back alley traffic, and, "I am not a crazy driver", to which I responded, "no, no, you're a very good driver", while thinking, "well, 23 years of life is longer than some". With that, my Egyptian adventure was over and I was satisfied that I had experienced the sights, culture, and people of Egypt, while sharing these memories with a great group of friends.

Egypt Week 2: Nile to the Red Sea

2008-05-30T22:39:00.017-04:00

On Day 7, we awoke early, packed our bags, and boarded our 3-night cruise down the Nile from Aswan to Luxor. Although we had planned our travels with budget in mind, we decided to splurge a little bit and take one of the many 5-star cruises instead of a felucca (small sail boat) down the Nile. On-board, we checked into our upscale rooms (at least compared to the budget hotels we were staying in) and were quickly whisked away to visit the High Dam and Temple of Philae. The High Dam of Aswan was built back in the 1960s to control the flooding of the Nile and its development formed an enormous lake (Lake Nasser) behind it. Unfortunately, this lake pushed out the resident Nubians and engulfed any ancient ruins, temples, and monuments that were not relocated. The High Dam offered some great views of Lake Nasser and the countryside.

Looking down the Nile from the High Dam

After the high dam we took a small boat to the island Temple of Philae - one of several temples relocated due to the formation of Lake Nasser. Philae Temple was dedicated to the god Isis - associated with funeral rites and healer/protector of the pharaohs. The temple took 10 years to disassemble and reconstruct in order to save it from Lake Nasser.

Temple of Philae

Back at our boat, we enjoyed an awesome buffet lunch (the food on the ship was fantastic) and spent the afternoon enjoying the sun on the top deck and the cool waters of the pool. Late in the afternoon we arrived at the town of Kom-Ombo and visited the temple of the crocodile god Sobek and falcon god Horus. Kom-Ombo Temple was never moved or reconstructed since its development around 180-145 BC during the reign of the Ptolomy's. The temple was jammed with tourists from other ships that had similar itineraries. Our quirky tour guide strategically led us through the temple around other masses of guide-led groups doing likewise. At one point, he argued with another guide and through his arms up in frustration as he struggled to lead us in for a view of an ancient hyroglyphic calendar engraved in a wall. Back on the ship we enjoyed another amazing 4 course meal and that night played ping-pong on the top-deck.

The crocodile god Sobek holding an ankh - the key of life

On Day 8, I made the visit to the Temple of Horus without my friends who chose to sleep in after an exhausting past couple of days. Not quite as busy as the Temple of Kom-Ombo, the Horus temple was much more enjoyable. Similar in style to the Philae Temple, this particular temple was dedicated to the falcon god and remains one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. The afternoon was spent cruising north to Luxor, relaxing on the ship, and resting up for an early morning departure the next day.

Temple of Horus

Day 9 was marked by a visit to the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The Valley of the Kings was once the resting place of many of the ancient Pharaohs (many of whom now lie in the Egyptian Museum). Each tomb was decorated with paintings and carvings depicting the life of the king and the so-called 'Book of the Dead'. The Book of the Dead was written on the walls of the tomb so that the spirit of the pharaoh could read the necessary instructions to achieve eternal life. The faces were carved on sarcophagus' so that the spirit could recognize and locate its human body in the afterlife. The tombs we visited consisted of long narrow channels leading into at least one large room - the last of which contained the sarcophagus. Many of the paintings had deteriorated badly over time but enough was left intact to make the tombs a very interesting place to visit. Also, the backdrop of the steep sloped mountains in which the tombs were built in really made the place quite surreal.

The entrance to one of the tombs (unfortunately no cameras allowed inside)

Afterwards we visited the unique Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The multilevel structure was founded by the most famous of the female pharaohs in the mid-1400s BC. Once again the backdrop of the looming mountains and the views back across the Nile made the temple a stellar attraction. Later that night we said goodbye to Rob and Andrea who were flying early the next morning to Sharm el-Sheikh. Me and Fabro would later meet up with them for a few days in Alexandria though.

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

Carvings of Queen Hatshepsut

On Day 10, we departed the ship early in the morning and checked into our hotel in Luxor. We briefly wandered the nearby souq before taking a taxi out to the Temple of Karnak. We decided to hire a guide at the gate and he led us around for an hour while filling us in on the history of the complex and finger painting different colours on Drew's arm with various powdered surfaces he came across. These same materials were used to paint the tombs of the Valley of Kings. Karnak is a melting pot of ancient works commencing in the 16th century BC and over 30 pharaohs contributed to its collection. It was also the original resting place of a variety of obelisks - several of which have been moved as far away as Central Park in New York City and London, England.

Drew, Fabro, and myself posing in front of a pillar and obelisks at Karnak

On Day 11, we departed in the early afternoon for the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada, not before saying our goodbyes to Drew who took a train back to Cairo to catch his series of flights to New Zealand. Upon arrival in Hurghada in the early evening, our arranged pickup was nowhere to be found (our bus was a little late) but we took a cab to the budget hotel area of town. We popped into the first hotel we saw and in a matter of minutes coincidently met up with the man who was supposed to meet us at the bus station. He led us to our intended destination and we had just enough time to enjoy a meal in town before calling it a day.

The many colours found at Karnak

On Day 12, we took a short 40 minute flight from Hurghada, over the Red Sea, to the ever popular Sharm el-Sheikh resort city. Not really willing to fork over huge amounts of money to do the resort thing in Sharm, we ventured off another hour north-east to the easy going, backpackers haven that is Dahab. With what was left of the day, we walked around town and ate at one of the many seaside restaurants, and looked out at the mountains of Saudi Arabia. We also rejoined some Canadian friends we met at the train station in Cairo and spent some time with in Aswan.

Day 13 was marked by a visit to the Blue Hole - a fantastic snorkeling spot just north of Dahab. Outfitted with my life vest (apparently I understand water enough to make a career out of it, but not well enough to swim in it), goggles, and flippers I cautiously made my way into the waters of the Red Sea and spent the next few hours marveling at the life below me. This was my first time snorkeling and I was told that from here on out, if I did it again, it would likely be a disappointment. The Red Sea is a divers and snorkelers paradise and is teeming with life. The variety of coral and fish was really amazing.

Reef at the Blue Hole (unfortunately not my picture)

Back in Dahab, we took a long rest in the afternoon to prepare ourselves for an overnight trek up Mount Sinai. We left our hotel at 11:00pm and arrived in the small town of St. Catherines around 1:30am. We began our climb up the wide 'camel' path in total darkness if it weren't for my trusty Cambodian flashlight. Every-so-often we would come across clusters of Bedouins softly asking, "Camel? Camel?" from the darkness. At one point we heard groans coming from a camel beside us before it puked, barely missing me and Sunny.

Sunrise on Mt. Sinai

We continued our ascent and eventually made it to the chilly summit around 4:00am. Exhausted and cold we waited under the stars and moonlight for the sun to rise. There was just enough light to see the silhouette of the mountains and valleys below us and it was a strange feeling being huddled up on the small summit in the middle of the night. Bedouin touts were selling mattresses and blankets for inflated prices, but fortunately I had brought with me a warm sweater. Still, it was quite cold until the sun rose. Unfortunately, a cloudy horizon deflated what would have been a spectacular sunrise, but it was beautiful none the less.

View from the peak of Mt. Sinai

Shortly after sunrise, we peered around the chapel on the summit and then began our descent, this time taking the nearly 4000 stone steps placed by a monk, known as the 'steps of penitence'. The descent had some excellent views of the nearby mountains and of St. Catherine's Monastery below. Completely exhausted, we arrived at the base and made the sleepy ride back to Dahab where a long nap and big dinner awaited us.

Looking down on St. Catherine's Monastery

Egypt Week 1: Cairo to Aswan

2008-05-24T02:35:00.014-04:00

On April 30th me and a group of friends embarked on a whirlwind tour of Egypt. Accompanying me was a high school friend (Sunny), 3 of my classmates from UW (Rob, Drew, and Mike), and Rob's girlfriend (Andrea). We said our farewells to family and friends, boarded our flight in Toronto, and arrived in Cairo late in the afternoon on May 1st. Mike (or as we call him, Fabs) and Drew were to arrive later that night. Our hotel in downtown Cairo was located on the 3rd floor of a mid-20th century structure complete with a rickety old elevator, musty rooms, and 10 times as many mosquito tenants as human. Thankfully the staff were very pleasant and made us feel welcome. We settled in and quickly called it a day in preparation for our visit to the pyramids the early next morning.

The Giza Pyramids

On Day 2, our group now fully accounted for, we departed early for the Giza pyramids to beat the crowds and the heat. Upon arrival we were led to a shop to be 'touted' to ride camels and horses around the pyramids for a grossly inflated tourist price. That would be the beginning of 3 weeks of cries and bellows from touts throughout the country, asking you to come into their store, see their merchandise, or simply "buy! buy!". Some are a little more clever and try to start up conversation by asking you what your name is or what country you are from...but anyway...more on touts later.

Pyramid of Khufu

Two of our friends splurged on horses and rode up a large sandy hill to get a fantastic shot of all three pyramids in one beautiful huddled mass. The remaining four of us were led around the sphinx and several tombs in front of the pyramids by a young man before being hassled for a huge sum of money for his service. We then proceeded towards the pyramids and gazed in awe at the scale and precision of their construction. It is much different seeing them in person as opposed to photographs. One can't help but think about how these enormous structures were completed so long ago and with such primative technology. After departing the Giza Pyramids we drove off to the Step Pyramid of Saquara, the oldest man-made structure in the world. Though not as large as the pyramids at Giza, the step pyramid was a must-see because of its longevity. Although we didn't visit Dashur and the Bent Pyramid we did snap a few photos of it in the distance from Saquara.

Rob, Andrea, Fabs, Drew, and Sunny (from left to right) in front of the Step Pyramid of Zoser

We also visited the remains of the city of Memphis, a papyrus shop, and a rug shop that day. By the end of it all, our jet-lagged bodies and minds were ready to head back to the hotel to relax.

The Mosque of Al-Azhar

On Day 3, we toured the Mosques of Ibn Toulen and Al-Azhar in what is known as Islamic Cairo. We roamed the giant buildings and climbed the tall and slender minarets, gazing at the city below us. Afterwards we perused merchandise at the Khan al-Khalili market.

The Mosque of Ibn Toulin

Day 4 was kind of a bad day. We got lost making our way down to the Egyptian Museum and the stomach ache that commenced in the morning turned into a full fledged stomach sickness. After arriving at the museum sweaty and exhausted we brushed through the exhibits way too quickly but spent a good chunk of time gazing at the Tutankhamen gallery including the famous boy-pharaohs death mask. After arriving back at our hotel (me being nauseous, tired, and ready to keel over) we packed our bags and headed for the train station to take the overnight train to Aswan in the deep deep south.

King Tut's Death Mask

Day 5 we arrived in Aswan in the late morning and passed out again at our hotel. Despite the scorching heat, Aswan was a nice break from the traffic and pollution of Cairo. We spent the remainder of the day lounging around one of the many Nile-side restaurants and walking around town. In the evening we passed through a souq (market street) which was much more appealing than the Khan al-Khalili in Cairo. Awakening early the next morning (3:00am) we boarded a bus and joined the awaiting convoy of buses and cars making the trip down to Abu Simbel and the famous temple of Ramses II. Outside of the cities, tourists are generally transported from place to place in convoys supposedly with armed escorts, but as the convoy spread out along the highway it seemed like a normal cruise down the road.

Sunrise over the desert between Aswan and Abu Simbel

After witnessing a beautiful sunrise over the desert we arrived in Abu Simbel early in the morning and joined the flocks of tourists through the Temple of Ramses II and its menacing statues of the temples namesake carved into the rock. The temple was actually moved out of the floodwaters of Lake Nasser prior to the development of the High Dam near Aswan - a remarkable feat given the size and complexity of the temple. After a few hours taking in the carvings and reliefs inside the temple, gazing out at Lake Nasser, and staring at the figures of Ramses leering over us, we headed back for Aswan and prepared for our cruise down the Nile to Luxor.

Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel

Back in the Bode

2008-05-22T01:14:00.002-04:00

Last evening I arrived back in Cambodia after an awesome 3-week tour of Egypt with a group of friends. I'll write more about my travels in Egypt in the coming days and will probably break it up into 3 posts - one for each week. Lots has changed at RDI since I left. As expected there are a lot of new short and long-term volunteers to meet and greet but plenty of familiar faces as well. It's been great to catch-up with friends and hear about what they've been up to since I left RDI last summer. New buildings and bungalows are going up all around and new projects are commencing but one thing will always remain the same...delicious iced coffee in the mornings...mmm. I expected I would feel different being back here, but less than a day in, I feel as though I've never left. Kind of a strange feeling really. I'm excited to get back to work and I'll save future postings for discussion on work-related topics. For now, it's time to try snap out of my sleep deprived, jet-lag induced stupor and reflect on Egypt while settling in and contemplating my plans here at RDI.

On the road again...

2008-04-28T22:41:00.003-04:00

Well, after 8 long months of schooling, it's finally come time for me to return to Cambodia. With my degree now all but official, I'll first be treating myself to the sights, smells, and sounds of Egypt with several of my good friends. I leave Wednesday, April 30th to fly into Cairo where I will spend time visiting the pyramids of Cairo, temples of Aswan, tombs of Luxor, beaches of Dahab, history of Alexandria, and of course the splendor of the Nile. I will then leave Cairo on May 20th and will arrive in Cambodia on May 21st, to continue my work with Resource Development International. I'm thrilled to be returning to Cambodia once again and can't wait to see everyone over there. As I stated last year, I will continue to use this blog to keep in touch with family and friends and hopefully provide some insight for those interested in Cambodia and drinking water issues in developing countries. My plan at this time is to remain with RDI until at least August 2009, when I may return home to pursue a masters degree. But first things first...the land of the pharaohs. Not sure whether I'll have the time or internet bandwidth to fit in an update while in Egypt but I'm sure I'll have a long post completed shortly after my arrival in Cambodia.

Travels and Transitions

2007-09-03T10:25:00.000-04:00

Well I've safely arrived back home albeit with an array of mixed feelings and emotions. My Asian adventure has come to a close and I can look back on my experience now and reflect on relationships I've made and experiences I've had. Spending even a few months in a world so different brings about a revised outlook on modernity, culture, language, development, poverty, and even life in general. My time in Cambodia will continue to have a profound impact on my life. Overall, my experience was so much more than I expected prior to departure. I certainly had some skepticism prior to departure regarding the work I would be doing and the potential impact I could have in three and a half short months. This skepticism was blown out of the water as I was fortunate to get involved in an interesting, important, and rewarding project. I expected that those I would meet and form relationships with would be interesting and kind-hearted people and I sure wasn't disappointed. The Cambodian and expat individuals I've met along the way were so friendly and welcoming and despite me being home just a few days now I'm beginning to miss them already. Also, I think about the needs that still exist in Cambodia and the work I could be doing if I were still at RDI and part of me wants to re-pack my bags and head back. The other part knows that I have to first finish my degree. At this point in time I am planning to return to Cambodia and RDI next year, potentially around June. I really don't foresee anything stopping me. Cambodia is a wonderful country with such amazing people and it hurts to think that many of them live under such difficult conditions, circumstances, and injustice. However, lives are being changed and things are slowly improving and this fuels my hope for the future. Where God leads me over the coming years is anyones guess but I will always hold the memories of this experience close. If you have any questions regarding my experience or about Cambodia or RDI in general, don't hesitate to ask. There are so many things that I've brushed over or omitted from my posts that I'd be happy to share with anyone interested.

One last hurrah at the coffee shop

That being said it is time for a lengthy update on my travels from Cambodia back to Canada. Me and Adam left Phnom Penh on August 18 by bus to Ho Chi Minh City. The border crossing was quick and painless and we didn't even get to experience walking across a 'no man's land' between borders. Arriving in Vietnam it initially didn't feel like much had changed other than the script on the signs along the highway. Living conditions appeared similar to much of rural Cambodia but it is difficult to judge on appearances alone. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh we were greeted by expressways, large buildings, and neat-and-tidy roadways, a striking contrast to Phnom Penh. City workers were everywhere, sweeping roads, collecting trash, and clipping grass. This theme of low unemployment and clean and pristine cities would continue throughout the communist countries of Vietnam and China. We walked around town and took in a few sights including the War Remnants Museum (a startling and fascinating look at the 'American War', as its referred to in Vietnam) and the Reunification Palace (where the last stand of the South Vietnamese and American coalition was officially ended with the smashing of the gates of the palace by a Viet Cong tank). The following day was marked by a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels where the Viet Cong utilized a massive network of tunnels to thwart American and South Vietnamese operations. Little evidence remains of the fierce and brutal fighting that occurred here including the use of defoliant chemicals and Agent Orange, the effects of which have rippled through to the next generation of Vietnamese civilians. Many of the tunnels, bomb craters, and booby-traps still remain and our informative tour was capped off with a 50m crawl through one section of tunnel.

The Cu Chi Tunnels were not for the claustrophobic

With little else to see in Ho Chi Minh we flew to Hanoi the next day and settled in at the wonderful Hanoi Guesthouse. Our stay was made even more wonderful with the knowledge that our ticket request for a Hanoi-Beijing flight had been filled after several weeks on a waiting list. We were, and I quote, 'a million times lucky'. Nestled in on 'China bowls' street (or Bat Su as it's referred to in Vietnamese) in Hanoi's dazzling Old Quarter, we ventured out to find other thematic streets equally strange and unique. The street names still reflect what was sold decades (or perhaps centuries) ago but themes still exist today. Towel shops or bamboo shops were found two, three, or even four in a row. The Old Quarter was certainly an interesting mix of tourists and authentic Vietnamese working class. Observing their routines while perusing the streets was an interesting experience to say the least.

Another mattress delivering day in Hanoi's Old Quarter

After a brief afternoon taking in the sights and smells of the Old Quarter we prepared for our visit to Halong Bay to follow. The next day we hopped on our tour bus and made the three hour drive to the coast. Upon arrival we boarded our junk boat and began our cruise through the spectacular karst formations. Between swimming, kayaking, mountain biking, and trekking, we sat on the top deck mesmerised by the beauty and enormity of the formations around us. After one night on the boat and another in a hotel on one of the larger islands nearby, we departed for Hanoi with the beauty of the area printed in our minds.

A beautiful view off one of the climbable karsts at Halong Bay

After a subdued and relaxing day in Hanoi, we hopped on the rickety night train for the mountain village of Sapa near the Chinese border. Awoken at 6am we hopped on our minibus and made the scenic drive to Sapa from Lao Cai. We were greeted by drizzle and fog but decided to take a rugged jeep for a trip to a nearby waterfall. The falls were multi-layered and covered a whopping 100m. Certainly made up for the cloudy and foggy conditions. The next day the view improved and the monstrous mountains showed themselves from the balcony of our hotel. We took a trek through the amazing valley and further along the sun made a brief appearance and brought out some spectacular scenery. The rice terraces with the looming mountains nearby sent me into a photo frenzy. We walked through several villages of ethnic H'mong and Dzao peoples. It was interesting to see how tourism had effected their living conditions and way of life. Our H'mong guide brandished a fancy flip phone oddly contrasting her traditional H'mong clothing.

The mountains loom behind the rice terraces at Sapa

With two of the most scenic vistas I've ever encountered in the books, we took the noisy and jerky night train back to Hanoi. After one last full day in Hanoi we grabbed our precious plane tickets and made our way to our last stop - Beijing - the soon-to-be sight of population pandemonium come next summer.

Adam and our H'mong guide

Arriving at the hazy Capitol Airport, our pick-up from the guesthouse was nowhere to be found and we hopped cautiously into a taxi, map in hand, and watched as our friendly non-English speaking driver struggled to find our location. After several phone calls and a brief query of someone on the street, we arrived. The next day we had our sights on Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City. I was moderately disappointed by both as the number of tourists passing through was enormous and the buildings at the Forbidden City seemed to be missing their authenticity among the scaffolding and paint jobs.

The enormity and spaciousness of the Forbidden City

The day after, we took an agonizingly slow bus ride out to the famous Great Wall of China. The wall consists of multiple portions of varying length. Our plan was to walk from Jinshanling to Simatai where our bus would be waiting to pick us up and drive us back. I grossly underestimated the 10km mountaintop trek but despite some mild dehydration we made it to the end and sat down to dinner with a sense of accomplishment and burning of exhaustion. The wall snaked along the mountaintops from peak to peak with a view of the nearby mountains and valleys that was truly spectacular. The mix of history and natural beauty made the experience very enjoyable.

The Great Wall snaking off and up into the distance

Our last day in Asia, we awoke early to visit the Temple of Heaven. The uncomfortable bike ride several kilometres south of the guesthouse (made so by our oversized bikes) was marked by one last pass by Tienanmen square. Our visit to the Temple of Heaven park complex made for both a cultural and historical experience. Elderly Chinese were present throughout the complex playing games, singing in choirs, playing instruments, or just walking around. It is certainly a popular venue with the local population despite the simultaneous tourist appeal. As we left, the tour groups began flooding through the gates. It was great to be there early enough to notice the cultural and spiritual significance of the location to the local population.

Packing our things and planning our route to the airport, the concept of our trip coming to an end really hadn't settled in. With the stillness of the plane ride home, I reflected on the things I've seen, the people I've met, and the knowledge and perspective I've gained. It was truly an unforgettable and life changing summer and I am forever thankful for the opportunity. I would like to publicly thank all of those at MCC and RDI who made this experience possible and so rewarding. To anyone considering working overseas I would recommend it whole-heatedly as it is so rewarding in many respects. Now, I look forward to completing my degree and returning to Cambodia next year. Look for this blog to be resurrected at that time! Thanks for taking the time to share in this experience with me and I hope I have communicated it effectively.

The Journey Home...

2007-08-19T07:45:00.000-04:00

Well, my time in Cambodia has quickly come to an end. I'll write more on my closing thoughts and future plans at a later date. I'm currently in Ho Chi Minh and had the chance to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels today, where the North Vietnamese held out against the South Vietnamese and American forces. All-in-all an informative and interesting experience. Tomorrow me and Adam fly to Hanoi, where we will setup base camp and venture out to the coastal rock formations of Halong Bay in the east and the mountains of Sapa in the north-west. After Sapa, we will fly to Beijing before returning to Canada. I'll be sure to have more on the blog when I get back home. Until then, I plan to make the most of my short time in Vietnam and China.

A Weekend with J. in the Land of K's

2007-08-08T09:49:00.000-04:00

With the arrival of my good friend Adam (more correctly J. Adam...but we won't go there) we decided to can the concept of acclimatization as we hit the road for the Land of K's. Kampong Tracht, Kep, and Kampot were our selected destinations, with their offerings of caves, French ruins, mountaintop vistas, and remote offshore islands.

The karst formations at Kampong Tracht

Day 1 began at 6:00 am as we gathered our things, scarfed down some eggs and pork at the coffee shop, and jumped on our awaiting tuk tuk to rendezvous with some RDI friends already in town. Upon the arrangement of a share-taxi, we left Phnom Penh and ventured toward the small town of Kampong Tracht. Along the way we stopped for a few photos of the karst formations of the Cambodian south-east.

The karsts beautifully set among rice paddies

After weaving our way along the rugged side road with our domineering rocks in sight, we approached the neighboring wat and began exploring the caves within. Children from the village routinely hang out around the caves to show tourists around and make a couple extra riel. They were our guides for the morning, leading us through the dark passages and into openings, crevasses, and cracks. After emerging from the darkness and finding ourselves at the back of the formation, we walked the path around karsts in the dampening drizzle.

The caves at Kampong Tracht

After Kampong Tracht we road out to the coastal village of Kep, home to many French buildings left to ruin. After a seaside lunch we decided to board a rather small boat and spend the night on nearby Rabbit Island. Fortunately for my sake, there were life-jackets onboard as the boat manouvered precariously through the ocean swells. Arriving on the volcanic rock, we quickly moved our things to our small thatched hut and hopped out of the cold monsoon rain and into the warm sea. After a couple of hours in the ocean we walked along part of the islands coast and made our way back for dinner before nightfall. That night we fell asleep to the waves not far from the beach.

Beachfront of Rabbit Island

Awaking the next morning at 5 am, we ventured through the darkness hoping that the clouds had cleared and that we would be greeted by a sea-side sunrise. Unfortunately this is monsoon season and this part of the country rarely sees the sun, let alone a day without rain. Despite the absence of the sun, we sat on the beach and watched the clouds roll by. After the extremely gusty winds of the early morning began to slightly subside, we trekked across the island to bay where our boat was waiting to take us back to the mainland. As we departed the bay the seas began to swell with the gusty conditions and by the time we were back on the mainland we were soaked in seawater.

Our little thatched home away from home

Partially because we needed to dry off and partially because we wanted to see some of Kep's French colonial past, we wandered along the coastal road until settling on a restaurant for lunch. After a satisfying seafood meal of fish and prawns we hopped on a tuk tuk for the wide roads and relaxing atmosphere of the riverside town of Kampot. After our accompanying RDI friends departed for Phnom Penh, me and Adam wandered the streets of Kampot marveling at its oddly constructed bridge and the ultra-wide boulevards.

An abandoned villa at Kep

After a good nights sleep at one of the many guesthouses in town, we joined up with a tour group and convoyed up Bokor Mountain to the ruined French casino, hotel, and church and the spectacular coastal view. The long, winding, and bumping road was slow going in our small Toyota and not much faster in the 4x4 in front of us. We slowly trekked up the mountainside, admiring the natural beauty of the jungle just as much as our drivers ability to keep the car from getting stuck.

The view from Bokor, just before the fog rolled in...

Our first stop was the old Cambodian royal summer house, fit with dining hall, living room, and bedroom with awesome views of the coast. It was interesting to imagine what the buildings would've looked like in their original state, fit for a king. Now, many decades later they lie dilapidated and riddled with graffiti, yet the view remains the same. We continued our progression up the mountain and stopped for lunch at the once prosperous French village of Bokor. After a delicious meal in the cold dense fog, we wandered the hotel, casino, and church ruins which once must have been quite spectacular in their hay-day. It is said that gamblers who bet too much at the casino would occasionally jump off the adjacent cliff, tossing both their life and their life's savings away in little more than an instant.

The abandoned hotel on Bokor

After finishing up at the ruins and hearing that we didn't have time to visit the nearby waterfall, we drove partway down the mountain and trekked through a stretch of jungle before the clouds burst. We moved to the 4x4 for the descent down the mountain and got drenched again, not an unfamiliar feeling this weekend.

The abandoned cathedral at Bokor

Left soaking wet, we were dropped off at a remote riverside location for the conclusion of our tour; a smooth boat ride back into Kampot (a sharp contrast to the rugged roads of Bokor). We wrapped up our extended weekend with another fine meal in Kampot and took a share-taxi back into Phnom Penh. Our taxi driver barrelled down the nearly empty roads in pure darkness, and in the madness, I think we may have set the Kampot-Phnom Penh land-speed record. The guidebook indicates the trip should take about 2.5 hours, we did it in an astonishing 1.5. Tuk tuking back to RDI from Phnom Penh with my life still fully intact, I got to reflect on my adventurous weekend of islands, caves, mountains, waves, ruins, and extended periods of excessive wetness. Not a bad way to kick off your Cambodian adventure eh Adam?

Villager for a Day...

2007-07-28T02:06:00.000-04:00

Well...kind of. This past week I had the opportunity to abandon the computer screen and accompany two visiting teams from Kentucky and Texas to Preaek Ruessei (Bamboo Lake), a remote village a few hours south of Phnom Penh. Our primary task was to assist several Khmer staff in the construction of a rainwater collection tank. We also wanted to collect water samples from RDI rope pump wells, teach the villagers a little English, play with the kids, and address any minor medical needs in the community. All-in-all my three day stay was extremely memorable.

Crossing the Bassac and departing the ferry...err buoyant pile of sticks

Our trip began as we hurdled down the highway away from Phnom Penh with a truckload of volunteers and supplies. Shortly after crossing the Bassac via a ferry/raft we stopped to look at a heavily trafficked and seemingly hazardous bamboo bridge over the nearby stream.

Preaek Ruesseians commuting across a narrow bridge

We arrived at the school/wat complex late in the afternoon and were greeted by a huge group of kids, whose numbers had been growing daily since the arrival of the first RDI team earlier in the week. With the sun quickly going down, we had just enough time to fit in a game of soccer or 'toute bale' as they call it around here. I don't know who drew up the teams, but it was the white guys and a couple Khmer kids against the rest of the lot - probably about 25 or 30.

A common scene - them running, and me chasing

Suffice to say we were over-matched and I think we lost 10-3 or something like that. Each time a goal was scored the opposing team was forced to do push-ups. After spending a disproportionate amount of time with my face in the ground, we finally got one through the maze of kids and watched on with delight as they all dumped themselves to the ground and pushed out a couple reps. The spectators lining the school/wat enclosure where we played slowly grew as the game progressed. I'm sure we were quite the spectacle for a variety of reasons.

Delaying dinner after my extensive workout I ventured out to a nearby field to observe the sunset over the Cambodian landscape. After throwing some questionable water over my sweat-covered body I went to bed inside a schoolhouse classroom around 7:30pm. Between the sounds of birds, frogs, dogs, snorts and the often deafening roar of cicadas, I managed to squeak in a couple hours sleep.

Sunset at Preaek Ruessei

Waking with the sun the following morning we were met by a small crowd of kids, whose numbers continued to grow throughout the day. My day was filled with playing games with the kids, working on the tank, and enjoying the company of the other volunteers. In the evening a group of us were led back into the nearby fields by this trio of fun-loving youngsters.

The Triumphant Trio

Take a guess at how old these kids are. I put them somewhere around 8 or 9 and was initially shocked to hear that they were 14 and 15. Later, after considering their daily food sources and the parasites many rural Cambodians learn to live with, the situation began to make more sense. After playing some Khmer games and watching a nearby storm roll past we were greeted by a large group of villagers back at the wat who had come to offer their thanks for our involvement in the village. The wat adjacent to the school where we were working was beautifully lit up and powered by their generator, an event that is usually reserved for holidays.

Wat at Preaek Ruessei

The next day I tagged along for a drive through the village, making periodic stops along the way to grab some water samples and surveying the response to RDI's rope pump wells which had recently been installed. Deeper arsenic containing tube wells were used previously to RDI's work in the village. The shallow aquifer rope pump wells generally have much lower concentrations of arsenic than the tube wells.

Checking out the RDI rope pumps

By mid-morning we were packed up and began the drive back to RDI with many long lasting memories in the vault.

Cambodia Interactive

2007-07-21T05:01:00.000-04:00

I consider it a privilege to have both the time and financial resources required to be here in Cambodia, and as such, I would like to give you a taste of this experience by making it as interactive as possible. Over the next couple weeks, I invite you to ask questions of me and my Cambodian counterparts. You could write to a rural family, university graduate, a young child, or anything in between. I will do my best to get your questions answered. So fire your questions off onto the comments page of this post or email them to me directly. Once there are a reasonable number of questions posted I'll head out and seek some answers and summarize my findings for all of you.

To update you on a few other things, the DWQI report that I have been working on is near completion. We will be reviewing the draft report and tweaking it accordingly before publishing it on the website and distributing it where appropriate. Also, I have updated the Picture Trail website with additional photos. The link once again is http://www.picturetrail.com/ashantz. Lastly, my good friend Adam has decided to spend some time with me in Cambodia in August. After a few weeks in Cambodia, we will travel together through Vietnam and Beijing before flying back to Canada on August 31.

With that, I leave you to reflect on your thoughts and inquiries over another beautiful sunset sky near RDI. I promise to have a more thorough post finished in the not too distant future.

Words of Wisdom

2007-06-29T23:20:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm now about half way through my time here in Cambodia. It seems like just yesterday when I waved goodbye to my parents through the busy airport crowd, hopped on an airplane (for the first time I should mention), and began my Asian adventure. Perhaps it's a good time to reflect on the knowledge and advice I've picked up on by providing you with my personal top 10 Cambodian words of wisdom.

Ok, this one just speaks for itself...

1. Watch where you step. Snakes, manure, frogs, deep puddles, and trash are just some of the obstacles encountered along the pathways in a rural setting. Oh, Cambodia also has the highest density of landmines in the world, but fortunately these areas are quite remote and pretty well documented I believe, thus better to avoid altogether.

2. Purchase earplugs (or in my case, utilize the fact that you are deaf in one ear). Weddings are a frequent occurrence both in the city and out in the villages. The day before the wedding, the beats kick-up at 5:30 am to indicate to the village (sometimes I think they try for the entire district) that a wedding is about to go down. The music continues throughout the day and starts right up again at 5:30 am on the day of the wedding. If you're really lucky, they'll play some post-wedding tunes the following day just in case you didn't get your fill.

Goofing around at one of the village weddings

3. When riding in a vehicle, keep your eyes firmly on your feet or accept the fact that you may experience the stress and heart abnormalities associated with various 'close calls'. This anxiety applies to both your own life and that of the motodrivers around you, who feel that no gap is too small.

Supposedly a two-lane highway, the ride down NH1 into Phnom Penh is always entertaining

4. When it comes to the Russian Market (or Psaa Toul Thom Bong), expect the unexpected. The Russian market is a weekly Sunday hang-out spot (after lunch at the noodle shop). Highlights are fresh squeezed lemonades, a wide-selection of bootleg movies, music, and software, an assortment of clothing and apparel, and nic-nacs galore. Amazingly, movies appear the weekend they are released in theatres, Windows Vista and other expensive computer programs will cost you a couple bucks, and lemonade never tasted soooo good. Certainly an interesting place to spend an afternoon.

The narrow corridors of the Russian Market

5. Those sensitive to the treatment of animals should prepare to see some rather troubling sights. From chickens on a moto to scrawny looking cows, Cambodia has got it all.

Chickens stuffed into the back of a truck

6. Let nothing go to waste. The poisonous snake on the path that was "removed" with a long PVC pipe...why that's a fine addition to a Khmer soup dish. The ceramic filters that fail quality control...excellent material to fill in the many potholes caused by the monsoon rains. Discarded Styrofoam from the city streets...insulation for the new RDI building. Water bottles turn into water sampling containers, old tires are used in rope pump construction, and rice husks are also used to treat waste from pigs. Just some of ways RDI is others are making do.

7. When the pre-storm winds pick-up, sacrifice looking down for looking up. In Cambodia, there is an abundance of fruit in almost every tree and when the winds sweep in, it's best to try and avoid getting your clock cleaned by a jackfruit or other savage hard-shelled sweets.

The ferocious jackfruit, waiting patiently to claim another unsuspecting victim

8. Where there is food, there are ants. While I thank my good friend Vicki for the tasty gold foiled chocolate loonies (Canadian one dollar coins) and gumballs, I can't help but wonder whether it was all part of an elaborate scheme to wreak vengeance on my bungalow from half-way across the world. Foil and plastic are no match for the little pincers of a couple hundred tiny ants. Fortunately I was able to consume most of my candy stash before the attack.

9. When riding in a jam-packed mini-bus, buy two seats, one for the driver and one for yourself. Failing to buy one for the driver will result in him selling his seat and dangerously commandeering the vehicle from a rather precarious position. Fortunately, I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing this potentially catastrophic scenario, but this advice was given by a fellow expat.

Packing in to a mini-bus. Fuel is a luxury and as such, no room is left to spare.

10. Cambodia is neither for the clean-freak, nor the germiphob. When ice is delivered by a sweaty motodriver carrying the long brick with his bear hands or when the dog begins to drink from the rinsewater dish or when you still haven't come across any form of soap in a public bathroom...T.I.C.

Drinking Water Issues in Cambodia

2007-06-12T18:10:00.000-04:00

Previously, I briefly touched on some of the drinking water issues that affect Cambodia and I will use this post to provide further detail as to how RDI is making a significant difference in this regard. I will also provide more detail about the work I am doing at RDI. For some of you, this post may seem somewhat dry but it is important for me to communicate the scope of the work being completed here and how it is having such an impact.

Many elements and compounds naturally reside in the ground that are harmful to humans when ingested at elevated concentrations. Under certain situations, these contaminants can become suspended in water and can contaminating the groundwater that is often pumped to the surface for human consumption. Drinking water sources can also become contaminated from discharges from factories and other polluters. Lastly, water resources can become contaminated with bacterias, viruses, and pathogens, from sources like human and animal waste if they are not adequately protected. These three issues pose environmental challenges in every country, but in the developing world, the financial and technical resources may not be available to readily deal with them.

Sampling a rope well to be tested for E. coli

RDI has worked diligently to address these issues in Cambodia and the organizations impact has been enormous. RDI has developed one of the most extensive water testing labs in the country and has used it to assist other NGOs, as well as our own efforts in characterizing water quality throughout Cambodia. Some of the solutions that have been developed to deal with drinking water problems are quite remarkable. When rainwater is stored in tanks and jugs, it is susceptible to bacterias and pathogens which can be very harmful. RDI mass produces ceramic filters which let pure water pass through and keeps the bacteria and pathogens trapped. Bio-sand filters are also being tested and tweaked for use where appropriate in the field. Rope pumps and other methods of groundwater extraction are continuously researched and implemented into sustainable solutions.

Ceramic filters (these are placed in a plastic barrel with a spout, providing bacteria and virus free water)

Also, RDI travels to schools around the region teaching water safety, diarrhea remedies, bacteria and sanitation issues, etc. to schoolchildren. These programs are quite entertaining and informative (even if you don't understand the language, as I found out first-hand last week). Presentations come complete with demonstrations, puppet shows, music, and magic tricks to entertain and teach the kids about the importance of water safety. RDI leaves behind several ceramic filter units at each school and the kids are given small canteens to carry purified water home from school when they leave every day.

Handing out water canteens at a nearby school after a presentation

Recently, RDI completed a groundwater study of Kandal province consisting of over 2500 sample locations in 138 communes (making it probably the largest drinking water data set ever in SE Asia and one of the most concentrated in the world...from what I'm told). From previous research and expertise, a list of parameters (such as iron, arsenic, and E. coli) were selected to be tested at each location in the study region, based on health risks and their potential presence in Cambodia. Currently, my work involves organizing, reporting, and analyzing this extensive data set. When completed, a report will provide a summary of drinking water quality for each of the 138 communes in Kandal province (a little over 1 million people). Additionally, we are transforming all the data within each commune into one drinking water quality index value (ranking each commune between 1 and 100), so that those with little technical knowledge can easily understand the level of water quality that exists. If someone with an NGO or government wishes to place a well(s) in a particular commune, they will be able to decide whether wells will be safe in the region, and what parameters are of particular concern. In cases where groundwater is too contaminated (and there are many), a rainwater harvesting program may be implemented instead. Additionally, NGOs wishing to address drinking water issues in Cambodia can look at the report and select communes or regions that are most severely hampered by drinking water problems.

Lastly, the report will hopefully impart knowledge and understanding of water quality issues within the NGO community. Many of the wells that have been drilled (and some that are scheduled to be drilled) have/will be done so with little regard towards the safety of those consuming the water. In many cases, there is no data indicating that there is a problem, or there is no technical expertise in the decision making process (and wells are simply drilled and not tested). With the presence of published documentation (hopefully endorsed by government), organizations will have to act based upon our findings. Good intentions will not solve the issues facing Cambodia or other developing countries. Good intentions must be accompanied by proper understanding and interpretation, especially when it comes to technical and potentially complex problems like drinking water.

In addition to the presentation of our findings, we are also looking at various correlations and trends between the parameters we tested. By developing relationships between the parameters and looking at them from a spacial perspective (mapping and analysing using GIS), we can better understand the science behind our results, and use that science to make better decisions in the future. Our scientific findings will be submitted to a scientific journal for formal publication, perhaps being published by the end of the year, we'll see.

So, in closing, there is a lot of important work to be done here at RDI and my short time here this summer will be busy with the drinking water quality report for Kandal province, the scientific and data analyses, and the publication of our scientific findings.

From my perspective, RDI can be summed up by, 'developmental, sustainable solutions, backed by science and conducted with passion'.

Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge

2007-06-07T21:45:00.000-04:00

Before I begin I should let you know that a few pictures have been added to my previous post and that I have also added more photos to the photobook website (linked to on the previous post as well).

With my recent visits to Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields it's time to bring up Cambodia's dark history and provide some insight as to why approximately 25% of the population were eliminated between 1975 to 1979. I share this graphic and disturbing piece of history with you because of its importance in how it has shaped Cambodia into what it is today and to give insight as to what humanity is capable of at its very worst.

Documented individuals that passed through S-21

In 1970, general Lol Nol took power in Cambodia through a coup. He held power for the next five years while the communist Khmer Rouge quickly gathered support in many parts of the country. As war raged on in neighboring Vietnam, American planes carpet bombed Cambodian locations where the Vietnamese forces were thought to be hiding out. Many civilians died as a result of these bombings and because Lol Nol's fragile government was being backed by the Americans, many people sided with the Khmer Rouge, not knowing their cruel ambitions for the future.

The Khmer Rouge eventually defeated Lol Nol's forces and took control of Phnom Penh. Civilians were driven out of Phnom Penh (and other cities as well) by force and with the circulation of a rumour that the Americans were planning to bomb the city. Civilians and their families were questioned at various checkpoints outside of the town and asked questions relating to their job and education level. Most of those who revealed that they were educated or were members of Lol Nol's government were led away to be killed. Families that lied or that slipped through were sent to work long hours in agricultural communes for meagre rations. Many died from disease and starvation in these communes. Others who had lied about their status were eventually discovered because of confessions from family, friends, and colleagues. Also, child soldiers were developed through brainwashing and propaganda techniques and in some cases gave up their families and relatives to be killed if they were hiding something. Hospitals, banks, schools, currency, religion, foreign influence, and private property were all abolished as part of the attempts of the Khmer Rouge to create a class-free society and 'pure' Cambodia.

Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge organized an extensive prison system for interrogations including a converted schoolhouse in Phnom Penh called S-21 (now Toul Sleng Genocide Museum). Prisoners were brutally tortured at one of the many similar prisons across Cambodia. In the case of S-21, after interrogation, prisoners were trucked out to what is now called the Killing Fields to be executed. Prisoners were usually hit in the back of the head with blunt objects as ammunition was being conserved throughout the occupation. Mass graves have been found across Cambodia some of which have been unearthed. Woman and children did not escape the executions of the Khmer Rouge, as it was thought that if one in the family was executed than the rest should suffer the same fate, for fear of the possibility of future revolts or uprisings. Eventually the system began to break down as some Khmer Rouge leaders fled to Vietnam, paranoia swept through the leaders of the movement, and with the invasion of the Vietnamese, the Khmer Rouge were stretched militarily.

S-21 (Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum)

In their efforts to conceal the genocide, the Khmer Rouge allegedly implemented a plan to kill the killers, and kill the killers of the killers, etc. etc. so as to reduce the number of people who knew that the genocide was taking place. Mass graves and execution grounds were generally well concealed and away from major populations. Eventually the Vietnamese defeated the Khmer Rouge in 1979, but remnants of the group remained until their official surrender in 1998. Members of the Khmer Rouge have reintegrated back into society and trials are in the works for the few that have been formally charged. Many who were involved in the killings claim they didn't have a choice in the matter, and would be killed themselves if they didn't obey orders.

Barbed wire enclosures at S-21

In the end, approximately 2 million Cambodians died between 1975 and 1979. Cambodia was subjected to the rule of a struggling communist government throughout the 80s and even now, despite the progress of the past decade, the country remains a struggling democracy. The elimination of the educated, the widespread exposure to war, conflict, and brutal violence, and the instability during and after the period of Khmer Rouge rule have placed a tremendous burden on the country and it's people.

A monument containing unearthed remains of those killed at the Killing Fields, just outside of Phnom Penh

I hope I've gotten those facts right and if anything is amiss I apologize. It's certainly a dark chapter in Cambodian history, one that still resonates strongly today. Humanity is capable of some pretty horrific things, as evident by this and many other cases throughout history. There are many books written on Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge and it's a topic worth further investigation. "First They Killed My Father" is one that I've read and gives a well written first-hand account from the perspective a woman that survived the ordeal as a young girl.

RDI, NGOs, and TIC

2007-05-26T16:38:00.000-04:00

Let me begin by saying that my Hong Kong photos (or at least a small and carefully selected portion of them) have been posted for your viewing pleasure at http://www.picturetrail.com/ashantz. I will continue to update that page and will let you know here on the blog when major updates have occurred.

I've settled into my bungalow here at RDI, which while being quite small, ventilates very well and cools off nicely at night with the help of a fan. Temperatures are typically around 34 degrees Celsius during the day and high 20s at night. Figure in the humidity and it is much warmer than it sounds. I have learned that proper ventilation and strategic positioning of your fan can make a world of difference. Out along National Highway 1 about 25 minutes outside of Phnom Penh, power outages are frequent and life takes on a more rural feel. During my first week at RDI I've had the chance to get acquainted with the routine of daily life (early mornings at the 'coffee shop' are a real highlight), learn about some of the many projects in the works, and settle into my own work.

My residence for the summer

RDI has affiliations with many colleges in the U.S. and masters/PhD students often venture out here to work on everything from arsenic remediation to measuring methane emissions in rice crops. Research regarding rice crops and their impact on climate change is quickly coming to the forefront within environmental circles. Theoretically, large corporations could invest in greenhouse gas reduction of Cambodian rice crops and under Kyoto (I hope I have this right), wouldn't have to invest in more expensive ways to reduce emissions at their factories. This would provide some extra revenue for rice farmers in Cambodia, as long as the process is managed properly of course.

The greenhouse gas project, just getting off the ground

My own work has begun to take shape this week. I'm working to review a drinking water quality index which RDI has previously created to simplify water quality data so that those with little technical experience at the government/NGO level can make better decisions such as where to put a well or what kind of water source should be encouraged. The index gives each commune a rating from 0 to 100 based on drinkability and threats to human health. It takes all the parameters measured at a various wells in each commune and simplifies them to one number. These results will eventually be published on RDI's website and distrubuted to government and NGOs. My second responsibility at the moment is to input all the technical groundwater data RDI has gathered into a new software program which will allow us to eliminate 'bad' data and do some interesting data/statistical analysis. Sampling in Kandal province, which is just outside of PP, was recently completed and almost 2500 samples were taken over approximately 2.5 years. RDI will continue to this work province by province and hopefully one day complete the entire country. Arsenic is certainly the most serious concern but there are a variety of others as well. The World Health Organization guideline for arsenic is 10 parts per billion (ppb), Cambodia's guideline is 50 ppb, and some of the results RDI has found are as high as 1000 ppb. Continued exposure to high levels of arsenic result in skin problems (I saw some brutal pics taken along the Vietnam border of diseases of the hands and feet) and eventually various forms of cancer.

Effects of long-term exposure to excessive concentrations of arsenic

I've had some pretty interesting conversations over communal breakfast, lunch, and dinner tables. They have taken me on an emotional roller-coaster, from feelings of hope and optimism, to disgust and sadness.

The ups: RDI has done some incredible work to impact rural Cambodian communities. From the drinking water side, the well testing program in Kandal province has already had an impact. Where wells were found to be dangerous, RDI has implemented rainwater harvesting programs and sold affordable ceramic filters to combat the increased risk posed by bacteria and pathogens associated with surficial water sources. The result is a clean water source that minimizes the possibility of developing arsenicosis, potentially fatal diarrhea, and other dangerous health risks.

A rope pump well in the foreground and behind it a rainwater harvesting tank

RDI is also working on affordable LED lighting systems for rural homes without power. The sun sets at approximately 6:30 pm in Cambodia and the added hours of lumination would go a long way to providing study time for children and other household tasks. The circular disk of LED lights would be battery powered and the battery would be recharged using a solar panel. The system would cost about $12 and would be paid for over time (those familiar with the term microcredit know that this payback system generally works pretty well to my knowledge).

The downs: Development has become big business, and as a result, money can easily be misused or misspent. The problems lie not only with some organizations, but also donors. Some donations are made for the sake of donating and no follow up is performed to see how the money was spent. In many cases, individuals posess good intentions but do not educate themselves to the necessary degree and are often taken advantage of. Subsequently funding can be distributed or used inappropriately or inefficiently. A lot of money is being spent in countries like Cambodia and these are some of the challenges associated with it.

I heard a sad story about a 16-year old diabetic from across the river who is now in hospital but cannot return home because she has no way of keeping her insulin cold as there is no power on that side of the river. The family (which now consists of just mother and daughter after their abusive father abandoned them) cannot even afford to cross the river by fairy let alone pay for the insulin and the means of keeping it cool. Diabetes is often a death sentence in Cambodia and other developing nations. RDI is keeping the family afloat financially for the time being but a sustainable solution to the problem will prove challenging.

Well I don't want to leave you feeling down (take this as a preparation for my next post on S-21 and the Killing Fields), so I will end this post describing the T.I.C. phrase that is often thrown around here at RDI. What does T.I.C stand for you ask? This is Cambodia! When the power goes out at 2am and you wake up in a pool of your own sweat...T.I.C. When a legion of ants moves into your room to feast on the dead moth underneath your backpack...T.I.C. When the UPS system that your analytical apparatus relies on blows up due to voltage problems or what have you...T.I.C. When the monsoon rains keep you stuck in an internet cafe all afternoon to write a blog post...you guessed it...T.I.C.

The sun sets on another day at RDI

I really have no reason to complain though. Ten years ago Cambodia had one international phone line and three paved roads. The Khmer Rouge routinely mortared government positions and machine gun fire would occasionally crackle throughout the city into the night. The country has come a long way but so many challenges still exist. Despite the minor imperfections (by 'Western' standards) of life in Cambodia today, most of which just makes life more interesting, I am truly enjoying my time here and am looking forward to the rest of my work term at RDI.

The Temples of Angkor

2007-05-17T04:52:00.000-04:00

I'm now back in Phnom Penh after a wild three days up in Siem Reap in the northern part of the country. I left PP early Monday and after a six hour bus trip and observing a quick scuffle between moto and tuk tuk drivers fighting for my business up in Siem Reap, I arrived at my quaint little guesthouse on the outskirts of town. Cambodian service is really something else. All the moto and tuk tuk drivers I've had have been really friendly and I'm usually greeted with a warm Cambodian smile when I arrive at restaurants or cafes. My guesthouse was no exception as I was offered a nice little welcome drink, shown to my room, and kindly served a complementary breakfast every morning. To give you an idea of purchasing power (or lack there of) in Cambodia, my two night stay cost about $13 and the place was pretty nice with much better service than I've had back in North America. The bus ride to/from PP and Siem Reap was only $4 each way. One thing that really jumps out is that gasoline is about a dollar a litre here. That translates into very few cars/trucks on the road and when they are used they are jammed full of people or merchandise. How many people can you fit in a van? Fifteen isn't even a stretch if the roof is used, as it often is!

On the trip to Siem Reap, we made two stops along the way and at each were immediately greeted by kids with bags of sliced mango and pineapple and ladies with huge baskets of cooked crickets and spiders. The bus ride, although comfortable with A/C and television (mostly Khmer karaoke), was somewhat stressful because the horn was blown every few seconds to alert motos and other slow moving traffic to clear out of the way. Also, some bus drivers are really aggressive and will make questionable passes that result in slamming on the brakes and additional horn blowing. On the way back to PP, I was in the front row of the bus and my ears were ringing from the horn well after my arrival. Apart from almost hitting a cow on the way up, both bus rides were pretty uneventful. Two visiting MCC staffers from Bangladesh had a close call when their bus lost a side mirror after grazing another bus during a pass. Despite the chaos, it was nice to see the countryside and get a glimpse of rural and small-town Cambodia.

Insects anyone?

After tossing my meagre belongings into my room I quickly headed out to purchase my three day Angkor pass and travel the dusty roads to Angkor Wat before the sunset. It may have been a bit of a mistake to see the most famous and renowned temple in the entire complex first. With all the hype and hoopla regarding Angkor Wat, I was just slightly disappointed when I initially arrived. The size of the complex is immense and the structure is quite remarkable but I think it is enjoyed a little bit more if you visit some of the smaller temples first and slowly gain an understanding of some of the history. After returning to Angkor Wat later in my journey I enjoyed it much more.

Me at Angkor Wat

I returned to the guesthouse very impressed but kind of wondering what the big fuss was about. I woke up early the next morning, hopped on my awaiting tuk tuk, and headed back to Angkor Wat for another go around. This time I planned to check out the 800m of bas-reliefs (wall carvings that tell a story) from the 12th century that I missed the previous day. I made my way down corridor after corridor of beautifully carved Hindu/Khmer epics including the Battle of Kurukshetra (Kauravas and Pandavas armies collide), Heaven and Hell, and the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Incorporating the historical aspects of the temples into the experience is as important as enjoying the visuals and really gives a better understanding and appreciation for what was accomplished here.

Bas-reliefs: The trap door between Heaven and Hell

Left completely amazed by the bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat, I proceeded to the complex that is Angkor Thom (moated and enclosed area of 10 sq. km) and Bayon which lies inside. Each temple has very unique qualities and in this case it is the unforgettable faces of Avalokiteshvara (no I didn't just mash the keyboard and make that up) carved and collaborated from multiple pieces of stone. I really enjoyed Bayon and it's chaotic and rustic atmosphere.

Bayon

Next up was Bapuon which was supposedly the most spectacular of Angkor's temples when it was in its prime condition. It was being disassembled just prior to the Khmer Rouge era and all the records concerning its reconstruction were destroyed. Those who like jig-saw puzzles should get involved in the restoration. The temple is closed right now but still pretty neat when viewed at a distance.

Face of Avalokiteshvara

After Bapuon and some minor but interesting monuments in Angkor Thom, we traveled north out of the ancient city to Preah Khan and its narrow corridors. We continued onto Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mabon, Pre Rup, and Ta Prohm to close off the day. I left Ta Prohm dazzled by the intermingling of trees with the temple structure. Most of the temples were found in a similar state but have undergone significant restoration to bring them close to their original form, except for Ta Prohm which was left as it was found and is absolutely spectacular. Ta Prohm is best described as a perfect blend of natural, historical, and architectural beauty. A full day of Angkor in the books and I had gained an appreciation and adoration of Khmer history and architecture.

The beauty of Ta Prohm

On Wednesday I woke up to bright sunny skies, a welcome scene after the relentless rain of the previous day. I abandoned my tuk tuk in favour of the much speedier moto so that I could reach some of the more remote, but important locations on my list before my bus departed at 12:30. First I wanted to return to Angkor Wat for one last visit and an ascent up the inner tower complex. Prior to going up I overheard one of the tour guides nearby mention that someone fell to their death from near the top of the stairway last year. I was a little nervous going up the steep and narrow adjacent concrete pedestrian stairway and my knees were shaking coming down as I grasped the wobbly metal pole and took my sweet time with every step.

In most other countries this piece would be in a museum. At Angkor, it is used to hold a fence in place.

After one last look at Angkor Wat we drove through Angkor Thom, past Bayon, and out to the small but beautiful temple of Thommanon. After taking a few photos with the sunlight piercing the temple, me and my moto driver made the long trip north to Banteay Srei and it's magnificent and intricate carvings. The detail and stonework here were certainly worth the long trip. Next we went back to Siem Reap and visited Bakong, a few kilometres east of the city. This, I believe, is the oldest temple in the area but it was still in quite reasonable shape, except for the bas-reliefs which had all but faded.

One of many intricate carvings at Bontei Srey

After a quick lunch we moto'd back into town to the bus station and I hopped onto the bus for the six hour trip back to Phnom Penh. I left Angkor with a deep appreciation for the scale of the complex, dedication to the projects, and the amazing attention to detail. Fully satisfied and still a little bit in awe, I took my time flipping through my precious photos on the bus ride home.

Week 1 in Kampuchea

2007-05-13T05:47:00.000-04:00

Well, one week has come and gone like a flash and I'm saddened by the fact that I won't see as much of the MCC staff after I make the move to RDI on May 21st. However, there is an MCC trip to Sihanoukville (coastal beach town to the south) planned for June which I'm already looking forward to. The staff here at MCC are just great and have really taken the time to make me feel right at home. I had a chance to relax for a day or two after my extensive travel to get here and then got whisked away to MCC partner organizations, dinners with families, sight seeing locations, and even an orientation at RDI where I will be working.

Typical breakfast of rambutan, mangosteen, mango, and traditional strawberry yogurt

A real highlight of the week was having dinner with a Cambodian family. Despite the fact that they had very little (by North American standards) and didn't live in the prettiest of neighborhoods, they all had huge smiles on their faces and were extremely welcoming. Pastor Soth Kann, the very proud father of I think 9 children, passionately described to me his family while mulling through photographs. I also got to play the universal game of Uno (well nearly universal discounting the translation of the colours) with some of the kids which was a real blast.

Wednesday was my visit to RDI and it sure looks like it's going to be an exciting place to be for 3 months. Myself and some of the MCC staff were shown around the organization and briefed on their water quality laboratory (which is apparently one of the best in Cambodia), their television studio (used for making edu-tainment kind-of like Sesame Street), their ceramic/bio-sand filter assembly and research projects, and their agricultural operations. I'm omitting a few other projects as well and I'll provide additional detail once I'm settled in and I learn more about these projects. Quite a lot going on at RDI and the passion and exuberance displayed by the organizations director, Mickey Sampson, was really quite something. I am looking forward to getting started at RDI and I hope I can contribute in some capacity within my three short months.

Thursday I did a little sightseeing in Phnom Penh and made my way to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. The architecture was fantastic and there were some really interesting artifacts inside the Silver Pagoda. Walking out of the complex just before the afternoons rains I was bombarded by water carrying children ("it's cold, see Mr." as they put the bottle up to your skin) and moto/cyclo drivers looking to make some money. Quite an overwhelming experience in all of the tourist districts in Cambodia but understandable given the lack of options so many people around here have.

Royal Palace

Later that evening I abandoned the rice diet and went out with some of the MCC staff to 'The Pizza Company' which is a lot like Boston Pizza back in North America. Stepping into the brand new building just off the dusty and rugged side road was like stepping right back into North America (minus the fact that the food is really cheap and Khmer can be heard spoken in the background).

Friday I had the opportunity to see Wat Phnom and the National Museum. Wat Phnom is situated on the only hill in town, which so happens to be man-made. Things are pretty flat around here. My guidebook informed me that the cost of seeing the wat was $1 but I was somewhat taken aback when I was greeted at the top by a policeman asking, "One dollar...no problems". After descending the hill I made my way to the National Museum and viewed many of the Angkor artifacts spared by or saved from the Khmer Rouge. The building itself is quite a sight but the artifacts inside were really amazing. Statues of Buddha and other Hindu and Buddhist deities of varying age and size were accompanied by tools and carvings to cannons and swords. The courtyard in the centre of the building provided a humbling backdrop to the surrounding historical artifacts. After some brief re-hydration I made my way to the riverside and had a nice little afternoon lunch of lok lak (a Khmer beef dish). I biked home through the busy traffic, which I should mention I am now getting used to. I'm afraid I'm still not prepared to venture out on a moto on my own.

Wat Phnom

Saturday I got the chance to briefly attend a fair trade conference of which one MCC staff member was a part of. Fair trade is really becoming big business and an European Commission member was on hand along with a member of the Cambodian government. Prior to some of the speeches was a traditional Khmer song and dance.

On Sunday I went out with a fellow MCC staffer that works closely with RUPP (Royal University of Phnom Penh) and its chemistry department. We met up with some of the students and staff at the university, packed into a van, and visited several sites on the fringes of town to collect samples to be tested for metals. We visited three rural locations and collected fish, corn, soil, vegetation, and sewage/mud. After a night of heavy rain the dirt roadways had turned to mud and at the first location we had to stop and walk a couple kilometres to reach the sampling point. We also happened to walk past some monitoring sites along the nearby stream that RDI has setup to measure turbidity, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen as part of one of their many projects. We eventually arrived at a small wooden hut and looked through the bags of fish and eel to pick our specimens. At our second location the mud got the better of us as we slid towards the side of the road and into a large rut. Completely immobilized, even after a truck tried to pull us out, we left our driver behind to contemplate his decision to gun it through the mud and took our samples of water and vegetation. We arrived back at the truck and our situation had attracted a lot of attention along the narrow strip of huts and many of the villagers had gathered around the truck. Another vehicle came by and tried to give us a tow and this time with the help of villagers pushing and the truck pulling we just barely got our truck out of the rut.

Stuck in a rut

The residents along this strip were quite poor and I was told they suffer from a variety of skin diseases. The sewage from Phnom Penh is pumped out nearby and is not treated as it leaves the city. Arriving at our third location, we walked over a canal of raw sewage flowing to the same region we had previously visited. The odour was quite gross but right near by were huts and people hard at work carving decorations into furniture. The samples gathered will be tested for metals over the coming weeks. This is all part of an assessment to see determine metal concentrations in foods that are making it to market. The potential source of high metals would be industrial wastewater from garment industries and perhaps elsewhere.

Collecting samples

That concludes my first week in Cambodia! Now on to the Angkor temples...

A weekend in Hong Kong...

2007-05-07T04:29:00.000-04:00

Well, I've arrived in Cambodia now after a frantic yet satisfying weekend in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is an incredible place and I would consider it a must see for all the travelers out there. I've just settled into my new digs in Phnom Penh at the MCC guest house. The staff are very friendly and it should be a great two weeks here before I head to RDI for three months. My language lessons start tomorrow which will be a challenge I'm sure. The heat and humidity blasted me as soon as I stepped off the plane. It will take some time to get used to. Thirty-two plus degree days are rare in Canada but an everyday occurrence over here.

This morning, I got to witness a great view during the descent into the Phnom Penh airport. The sunny, clear day provided an picturesque view of the Cambodian countryside before flying over the Mekong River and landing just over a residential neighborhood and onto the runway. Being in a developing country for the first time, it was interesting to see the chaos and disorder of daily life. Vehicles weave around motobikes, motos duck in and out of stopped cars, and the yellow lane divider serves as nothing but a guideline. Open spaces are generally unkept, many living spaces and street vendors have little more than a roof over there head, and mask wearing gasoline vendors fill up motos using coke bottles (3500 riels or around 1 dollar seemed to be the going rate for one coke bottle of gasoline).

Star Ferry

More on Cambodia in the coming days I'm sure and I'll now try to fill you in on my extensive travels in Hong Kong (despite only being there 2 full days).

After a grueling 14 hour flight from Vancouver I arrived in the evening on Friday to be greeting by the dazzling Hong Kong International Airport. I got to see much more of it today on my departure and it is quite a nice blend of convenience, architecture, technology. I arrived at my hostel sweaty and exhausted after missing my bus stop and walking my heavy luggage a couple blocks amid the nighttime hustle and bustle of one of Hong Kong's busiest streets. Too exhausted to keep my eyes open I hopped into bed and readied myself for a day of sightseeing. I woke up early but slept relatively well considering the 12 hour time change (depriving yourself of sleep on the airplane is a decent preventative measure for jet lag). I walked from my hostel down Nathan Street (with a few good sightseeing stops along the way) to Victoria Harbour prior to taking the famous Star Ferry across the harbor into Central. It was a cloudy day for the most part so Victoria Peak was out of the question. I decided to save Central and the Peak for Sunday and instead ventured to the other side of Hong Kong Island to see the bay-side cities of Aberdeen, Repulse Bay, and Stanley. Each of these towns provided excellent photo-ops of markets, harbours, beaches, and terrific views. That evening I bused back to Kowloon for a walk through the Temple Street Market on my way back to the hostel.

Stanley

Temple Street Night Market

After a few hours of precious sleep I awoke early on Sunday with legs already throbbing knowing that a great many sites still needed to be seen in only one day. How ambitious did I want to get? Well I decided to go all out, and despite almost passing out from heat stroke and exhaustion I can now unofficially take claim to the greatest tourist marathon in Hong Kong history...well, maybe. My day began at 6:30 taking the MTR train from Kowloon to Lantau Island and hopping on a bus to the small coastal town of Tai O. I snapped a quick shot of the beautiful harbour, walked through the authentic market, gandered at the stilt-supported shops, and grabbed a cab to Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. How big is Big Budha you ask? On a rare day without haze you can see it from a few kilometres away. After photographing the beautiful Po Lin Monastery, ascending up 260 steps to the statue, and gazing out at the marvelous countryside view, I grabbed the next bus to the coastal town of Mui Wo for a quick lunch and a ferry back to Central.

Po Lin Monastery

Big Buddha

Now is a good time to take a quick break and give mention to the public transportation system in Hong Kong which is extraordinary. I would estimate that 70% of the traffic on the roads consist of public transportation in the form of buses, taxis, mini-buses, and trams. In addition, there are expansive ferry and train services. With so many people in so little space this system is an integral part of daily life. Wait times for buses are very short, taxis are cheap, almost any place can be reached with relative ease for a reasonable price and within a reasonable time. Those are the keys to a good public transportation system and Hong Kong is an excellent model.

View from the Peak

Back in Central I was absolutely exhausted wondered if I had any energy left for perhaps the two greatest attractions, downtown Hong Kong (Central) and the Peak, I sat down for a lengthy rest to catch my breath and plan out my afternoon. I wandered statue square and took some awesome photos of the skyscrapers and historic buildings before getting a quick bite at one of the restaurants along the world's longest escalator (which is actually broken up into chunks but it's still quite fun). After heading up the escalator I took a bus to the entrance for the Peak Tram which was absolutely packed because it was a sunny Sunday with minimal haze by Hong Kong standards. I eventually got pulled up Victoria Peak on the vintage tram and spent some quality camera time snapping off photos of the famous view over Hong Kong. I foolishly decided to walk the 3km loop around Victoria Peak to catch a view around the whole island. My feet dragging behind me, I made it to an upscale window-side restaurant for some tasty eats to cap off my time in Hong Kong. Back down the tram and across the harbour one last time on the Star Ferry, I took a few night shots of the beautifully lit downtown area from the other side of the harbour. Another bus back up to the hostel in Kowloon and my time in Hong Kong was a nights sleep away from being complete. I awoke this morning to a wake up call from my parents, cabed to the Airport Express train station, and zipped across Hong Kong to the airport to leave for Cambodia. All-in-all a successful weekend in Hong Kong...

Me at the Peak (I look a little tired, I know)

Pre-Departure Briefing

2007-04-29T19:46:00.000-04:00

What!?! Andrew Shantz is spending the summer in Cambodia?

Yes, you heard correctly. Although few would characterize me as being daring and adventurous, I will be leaving May 3rd on a daring trip of adventure into the Orient. I should have pretty good access to the internet while overseas and I hope to keep this blog up-to-date with happenings from my life away from home. Also, it is my intention that this blog will aid other travellers to Cambodia and those interested in development work abroad. Feel free to post or email me comments or questions and I will do my best to reply to them in reasonable time.

Now to answer a few background questions...

1. Who are you?

For those stumbling across my blog, my name is Andrew Shantz and I am from Canada. I am 22 years old and I attend the University of Waterloo. I recently completed my 3rd year in Environmental Engineering.

2. Why are you going to Cambodia?

I could probably go on forever answering this question but I will try to keep it brief. I am going to Cambodia to volunteer my time and skills towards making life healthier and safer for Cambodians while communicating the realities of poverty back to the developed world and developing my own personal skills, character, and knowledge base. Also, as a follower of the teachings of Christ I am called, as an individual with much, to give back to those with so little. It is in response to my relationship with God that I pursue His will for me in my life and I believe He has called me to serve in Cambodia.

I guess Cambodian kids aren't camera shy...

3. What are you doing in Cambodia?

Back in the fall, I applied for a general short-term overseas placement with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) that would apply my interests and skills in Environmental Engineering to problems facing the developing world. I was subsequently matched with one of their partners in Cambodia called Resource Development International (RDI). RDI serves the people of Cambodia in many ways including providing access to clean drinking water, implementing education programs to ensure proper health and hygiene, and performing various building projects. At this time my role within the organization is not entirely clear, however, I will be working on projects involving groundwater analysis, pesticide measurements, arsenic treatment/mitigation, and sewage treatment using bioremediation (wetlands). If you are interested in learning more about the work RDI and MCC are doing in Cambodia and perhaps supporting their worthwhile efforts, I invite you to visit their websites at the bottom of this post.

Arsenic testing at RDI

4. Cambodia, what, that's like in Africa or something right?

Haha I've heard that a few times now and it's become a bit of a running joke. No, Cambodia is located in south-east Asia and is sandwiched between Vietnam and Thailand. It's capital is Phnom Penh and I will be stationed just outside the city. The country consists of approximately 14 million people mostly made up of Khmer (which serves as the term for both ethnic Cambodians and the primary language spoken in the country).

The country suffered through one of the worst genocides in human history during the rule of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge from 1975-1979. Approximately 2 million people were killed as urban populations were driven out of the cities and into agricultural communes, struggling to feed themselves and their families while trying to remain inconspicuous so as to avoid execution. The period following the rule of the Khmer Rouge was one of instability and excessive poverty. It has only been since the 90s that Cambodia has gotten back on its feet politically and economically and is now on the long and hard road of development. Many challenges still remain as 15-20% of the population remains in extreme poverty (living on under a dollar a day), life expectancy is just over 50, child mortality is high, and various inequalities are deepening.

The UN annually ranks countries based on a human development index (HDI), which takes into account health, education, and standard of living. Cambodia currently ranks 129th out of 177 countries. There is obviously a tremendous amount of work to be done but the good news is that the country has come a long way in the past decade, and despite many difficulties, this progress will hopefully continue into the future. The responsibility now falls on the Cambodian government, the population, NGOs, and support from the developed world to continue to make this change happen.

The famous Angkor Wat near Siem Reap.

5. I want to know more about development and Cambodia. What are some good resources?

Here are some links for those interested in learning more about MCC, RDI, and Cambodian history/people/poverty/development...

- RDI's website: http://www.rdic.org/
- MCC's website: http://www.mcc.org/
- HDI country fact sheet: http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/statistics/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_KHM.html
- UN country fact sheet: http://www.un.org.kh/?url=/country/
- Gapminder (neat tool for comparing countries using various development indicators): http://tools.google.com/gapminder/

The next time you'll hear from me I'll be in Cambodia (or maybe Hong Kong if I can fit a quick post in between looking out at the city from Victoria Peak or riding the worlds longest escalator).