three day in ""Snooky

Well today we retuned from our trip to Sihanoukville or "Snooky"as the locals call it. We stayed at a lovely hotel which was the cleanest and best construction we have seen in Cambodia. An American man married to a Khmai wife own it and they were both very particular about how things were done. It was amazing oasis in a rather crowded beach area that was pretty dirty. They need a "clean up Cambodia"campaign just as we had. Then people would see how lovely this country really is. Everyone litters profusely as if someone élse will pick it up behind them (only they don't always do it) and its such a sanitation and 'major health issue.

The first day we walked around the beach and braved the locals who are extremely pushy in their sales pitch about everything. Once again many people begging along the foreshore all landmine victims. That is hard to see and hard to handle its so undignified making the work that Marian Fromm is doing so much more important as that employment provides some dignity as well as independence.

Then we decided to go on a snorkelling trip to a coral island with a local company. The island was called Koh Lim Sum but I think the Lim Sum was because one almost lost 'some limbs'' getting on and off the boat! It was a 1.5 metre drop from the pier into the boat and then abit of boat hoping to get on the correct fishing boat. Think an old fishing boat (the kind boat people came to Australia on) it was an enjoyable 2 hours to the island for me, but several others including Hugo felt squeamish. I was surprised about that. Then we snorkelled around a lovely bay and saw lots of fish. Nothing to compare to Barrier Reef but the water was warm and it was sunny and most pleasant.

On the way back I thought we were going to meet the seabed as the swell was a gentle 2metre roll that required careful negotiation by "Papa"" our captain, who was a mere 69 years old!! He nodded off to sleep now and again but thankfully awoke each time we were about to take on too much water!! This old man must have seen so much change in this country. He smoked like a train, survived all the 1970s turmoil and was still smiling. That is resilience. He did a spot of handline fishing while we were snorkelling. I did not go out on th second snorkel because we were in an area that had strong undertow and I did not feel like washing up on Koh Samui in Thailand, so I just sat with Papa and watched him fish. An interesting day to say the least.

We were on an island which was largely unexplored and about 30 houses made up the village. Even out there they had a little store and a billiard table. I can't imagine how the boat we were on would get it there!! They are enterprising and find their way around obstacles the rest of us would say were impossible!!

The sad part about this day was that we found out in the morning when reading a newspaper that all these islands are being sold to foreign developers. The local people are just displaced. This is happening all over Cambodia. There is development everywhere foreign companies all buying up property fencing it off, in the hope of a boom times for this country and the making of large profits. Not bad when the policy is no foreign ownership, but its a land of '"who you know and connections will get you what you want. The poor just find themselves displaced. While they are asleep or at work their homes"are demolished, all their possessions taken away. Its a new colonialism, run from within by profiteers.

The Russians have already built a hotel on one very tiny island (no beaches) looking like something from a James Bond movie) and they charge people $3000/night! There must be some wealthy people in the USSR(probably the makers of Vodka). [I believe the russian mafia are still strongly networked throughout Cambodia, they probably meet there!]

Tomorrow we are off to Siem Reap. so till next time Lee Hai