Following our emotionally 'heavy' afternoon in Phnom Penh, we had the morning to do some exploration on our own before driving to our next adventure, a homestay in a rural village called Chambok. I'll tell you more about the lighter side of Phnom Penh later, as we return there at the end of our journey in Cambodia.
The homestay was an opportunity to experience at least one night staying in a villager's home in a community called Chambok, about two hours from Phnom Penh. It was developed by a program that promotes ecotourism. When it was established here in 2002, the villagers were clearing the trees in the forests nearby and hunting to supplement their food supply. They were approached by an ecotourism program, offering homestays as an alternative, to replace the income lost from logging and hunting.
This was my host family. Three others shared the space above this communal area. Our group was split between two homes.The woman on the left had a lovely, soft face, curly salt & pepper hair, but no teeth. She liked to chew betel leaves, which damages the teeth.
The deal was to stop cutting down trees and hunting the animals in the forest, in exchange for the agency's help to bring tourists. It is run in a very egalitarian manner.
Each villager who wants to participate in the program takes turns hosting guests. Which is just as well, as we actually take over their home and they find somewhere else to sleep! My bed was the one with the orange pillow.
There is a community area about a mile with an outdoor kitchen and eating space for meals..........
......... and we were entertained by traditional Cambodian dance performed by the local children. All moneys stay in the community and help support the community and protect their environment in a sustainable way.
Some of the guides spoke English, but our homestay families did not, so communication was awkward. However there were lots of smiles and 'joom reab sour' which is the respectful greeting, as well as lots of 'arkoun', which is thank you.
Fawning over the youngest children also provided a common activity of interest to most!
It was a little awkward figuring out how to manage the mattresses on the floor and mosquito nets. Thankfully there was electricity available, so in addition to lighting, we were able to have the benefit of a fan all night, as there was no air conditioning. The power comes from a solar panel. I found the whole experience surprisingly comfortable and slept decently.
The next morning we arose early.......
.......to walk a couple of kilometers........
.......................... to a nearby waterfall,.......
.........followed by a most delicious swim.
By the time we got back to the 'community center', breakfast was equally delicious. Before we headed on to our next destination we were able to experience making bracelets from raffia.
It was very cool to see how simple weaving techniques could make such lovely adornments.
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