Wow! this makes it the third New Year I have experience in 2015! First in Perth of course on 1 January 2015, second was Chinese New Year in Malaysia 19th February and now the Thai and Khmer NY on 14 April. I must admit I was secretly praying I’d miss Songkran, the Thai NY festival as there is a lot of water throwing and I’m really not into getting wet unless it is my choice. I remember when I lived in Thailand over 20 yrs ago, traveling anywhere on any of the roads, rural or suburban you were bound to get wet and I mean wet from head to toe! Not only was water thrown at you from the homes and sometime the businesses there were also open back vehicles carrying large water containers from which water was scooped and thrown into passing vehicles. Which meant if you were traveling in an open backed tuk tuk o
r songthaew you would get soaked from both sides! Those on the side of the road weren’t exempt either, if you were unfortunate enough to be standing in range you too were drenched! The unfortunate part about it was the water was not always clean! Children in their excitement scooped up dirty muddy water from the puddles collecting along the road side. Water guns of all shapes and sizes, water filled balloons in fact anything that was able to hold water was used against the unsuspecting targets. I shouldn’t say unsuspecting that would be naive as we were all expecting to get wet one way or another.
When I realised my original ticket brought me to Chiang Mai before Songkran and that the Khmer also had
their New Year at the same time, I was a bit concerned. Firstly, that both countries being so similar and both would celebrate by throwing water and secondly, how would I be able to avoid it. Then I was told that in Cambodia throwing water was no longer tolerable. People had complained about the inconvenience especially for those carrying electrical equipment, which may of us do these days in the form of a mobile phone. Knowing this I really prayed I could get an extension to my visa as well as changing the date of my ticket out, which, praise the Lord I did.
I know I’m a party pooper not wanting to join in the fun and I should just dress for the occasion and participate. Anyway that being the way it is I was very happy with no water being thrown although I was told some throw powder instead. Thank God I didn’t see that either (talc being a carcinogenic) – I told you I’m a party pooper!
What we did do was take the children out who didn’t go home for the holidays due to one reason or another (the main reason they had no one to go home to being orphans). We were hoping to take them out overnight but because of the holidays there was not rooms available.
Deborah and Martin had decided it would be nice to take the children left at the children’s centre out for a treat. It was just over a two hour trip south near the border of Cambodia and Vietnam. There were 8 girls and 2 boys and one house mother. Three girls had been given motion sickness medication as they were unable to travel in a car for more than 5 mins before feeling nauseas. Thank God it worked.
In the town just north of the beach Kompot we stopped for lunch and a break. Passing through the market we say rows of durian for sale. I had inquired about the price in our local market and was told $7US!!! This was even more expensive than Perth!! It was now nearly a month later and we were in durian country. Here we bought Monthong (which is the king of Durian) for $5US. They were taken neatly and carefully husked and the seed put into polystyrene boxes for us to take with us. For those who have never see or smelt a durian it is a very unusual fruit (as seen in the picture) which has a very distinctive smell, the fruit you either love or hate. I love it! The texture is like cream cheese and 
custard all rolled into one and the taste I’m told is like a mixture of tropical fruits but I just know it as durian taste. The smell I’m told is like rotting onions but I disagree as I think it has a very nice smell. But all to their own. I associate it with delight where others with horror! I think it’s all in the mind of the beholder.
Oh yes, where was I before I got carried away and lost in the rhapsody of my favourite fruit? … oh yes, …. going to the beach at Krong Keb with the children from HisChild. There were crowds as we had expected. Every shady tree along the top of the beach, and on top of the wall which hedged off the beach from the road, was lined with rattan mats, h
ammocks and deck chairs for hire. We found a place for the 12 seater mini-bus and all 14 of us piled out and headed for the sea. All the bags were dumped on the sand (which I’m told must have been shipped in as it was once black and now white) as the swimmers took off fully clothed to the water. I had brought my swimmers/bathers but wasn’t really in the mood especially as it was more like a sandbar where you needed to walk out for about 10mts before it was chest depth and no waves. We are so blessed in Australia with our amazing beaches. The swimmers intrigued me. Fully clothed in jeans and long shirts wading around in water or playing on inflated in
ner tubes.
We eventually escaped the sun and paid for our shade while the swimmers enjoyed themselves in the tepid sea water. Beside us was a fully clad woman hiring out inflated inner tubes, bright orange life jackets of all sizes as well as board shorts for the men and boys. Hawkers wandered the beach selling their wares, trying to tempt us with fruits, snacks, and bugs. The durian was shared out, some liking it and others not.
It was a lovely afternoon but like all days it soon comes to an end and if we wanted to be back for the children’s dinner we had to hit the road! Motion sickness tablets given, snacks eaten, wet clothes changed out of and into dry ones, we then clambered into the mini-bus and headed off. Martin drove along the beach a bit further to show us an expensive resort before heading back through Kompot where Martin and I couldn’t resist buying another durian. This time we bargained and bought one for $3US per kilo!
All tired and worn out by the days outing we dropped everyone off at HisChild before heading home ourselves.
The previous night we had celebrated two birthdays, Heera and Yumi who just happened to be the same age with birthday’s just days apart! It was a fun night where we went out to a local Christian restaurant which we decorated with balloons and birthday banners and flags.
Today Wed 15 April we said good bye to Yumi who is meeting her mother and sister in Thailand before going with them to visit relatives in Korea.
Pictures: 1. Krong Keb beach 2. Busy holiday season 3. Bicycle burden 4. My lunch 5. Our lunch table 6. A snack of bugs 7. Kampot roundabout 8. Birthday dinner 9. Durian
Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord for a wonderful safe Khmer New Year for all of us traveling at this time of the year.
I praise the Lord for an opportunity to take some of the children to 
visit the sea.
For the team gathering together to celebrate the birthday of two of our team members. Please pray for Yumi as she travels with her family in Thailand and Korea.
Please keep us all in your prayers for ongoing good health and safety especially on the roads.
Pray also for me as I try to organise my trip to Thailand. Pray the Lord will help me purchase a train ticket from Hat Yat to Butterworth. I’m believing for a 3 month visa which I will apply for in PP. With an outgoing ticket I’m hoping it will be easier.
Praise the Lord for the healing of my Mum’s legs which were scratched by an over excited dog some weeks back. I’m told they are looking much better and healing well. Thank you all for keeping her in your prayers, please continue to pray she will remain in good health.
Thank you all for standing with me in prayer as I continue on my adventure. Not long now I will be leaving the familiar surroundings of Takhmao and my friends here for a new adventure in the distant hills of Chiang Mai.