Tuesday

I got up early tomorrow and went to see Bonn Chroat Preah Nongkoal (Royal Ploughing Ceremony).

Is the royal Bull hungry?

Lots of people were there and probably important people too, they came in big black cars.

the march in

At first there was a march into the park by the royal guards and then the king and queen themselves.

the king on the way to the ceremony

The queen looks comfortable to me

I couldn’t get in at first, I had to have a ticket. I couldn’t buy it and I tried twice to get in. Then a Cambodian man gave me his ticket and I was in.

at the ceremony

First some monks were like praying for a long time.

aren't they beautiful?

Then the Royals stood up and marched around the circle, the king was ploughing

the king loughs the park

and the queen was throwing rice around.

the queen follows her husband throwing something

They did that for four rounds and it took a long time but they played beautiful local music with it.

rain is on it's way

Then finally they sat down and the Royal Bulls came and choose their food.

easy tiger!

The fist one choose grain and I think, the second one too. So it looks good for this planting season.

isn't he a beautiful bull?

not quite sure but I think they choose grain

Then I had the most perculiar doctor visit ever. Songklong gave me a lift and it was a very modern and clean praxis, where you have to take your shoes off before you enter, with a Russian female doctor called Ludmila.
I’m used from the UK, you say what you have and then they prescribe and then you are out after max 10 min.
At the beginning, she was asking me lots of personal questions, also the reason why I came to Cambodia. Then she gave me a monologue over 25 minutes about Cambodia and what I could get. For me she described the really worst case scenarios, but I can imagine, that people there only go to see a doctor when they are already half dead.
She then came closer and closer and asked me again about me reason for coming. She wanted to know from what I’m running away. I explained again my reasons. She then talked me through the first aid kit and how and when to use meds.Then she asked me again and I couldn’t believe it. If I would have some heartache and wanted to leave and so on. I then asked her why she was keep asking me and her reply was, that she wanted to know how my emotional status was. Weird.
Then she gave me advice about how to carry my bag to keep it away from thiefs and then she grabbed my foot and put it on her leg and said: you have a red mark there.
Well, I have red marks all over my feet, she inspected it very closley but then couldn’t find something.
After all that, she advised me to start Doxycycline before I enter Stung Treng although it is a low risk area and to stop my contraception pill after she asked everything about my relationship.
She was very nice but really weird. After 1 hour, she did let me out off her praxis.
I have to go back in September/Oktober to have another Vaccination. So she said, she’s looking forward to see me then. Me too!

On the way back I had some fried rice with veg and prawns in a local restaurant for 8000 Riel.

Then I had another 3 hours language training with Dara. It is great. I learned a few vocabularies and I can have a little conversation now. I’m still very very slow, but I have the feeling if I practice, it might be ok. So I feel motivated.

Believe it or not, tomorrow I have Language for 2 hours in the morning and then 3 hours in the afternoon! Gosh. I tried to persuade Dara to take it easy tomorrow.
He is lovely and a good teacher.

I think I’ll go early to bed tonight. Will update again on Friday, before I go up to Stung Treng.

Will meet Laura tomorrow for dinner. Don’t know where she is based and what she does, but she is also a VSO volunteer and she gave me her number so we meet.

It is hot hot hot here. I wonder how weather in England is. I hope bad : )

haven't tryed that yet, I think it's salted fruit

written by

katja-horsch on May 12, 2009 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia

from the travel blog: Tuesday

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a travel blog by katja-horsch

the Tuesday

Phnom Penh, Cambodia