My Adventure In The Corn Fields

My Adventure in the forest
When there wasn’t much work to do since all schools closed during vacation, our group has explored some schools and villages in the forest by using a small map and asking people along the road. Our target village is Kor Koh which is accessible only when there isn’t rain. Before going there, we have discussed about our plan and chose an appropriate map as a guide and we’ll have to ask some people near by the road about our goal. It started with a good phase on the main road to Bavel from Phnom Proek centre about 10km.It took about 2omn to reach the gate of Kor Koh pagoda.We had to stop at that place to ask someone who knows it well to make sure that we will not get lost in the forest.
We had to travel on very bad road and it was lucky that it did not rain on that day. About 20mn later we reached one village..we stopped there for a while checked our map and asked an old man for direction. She showed as the way till we got Kor Koh pagoda. We entered the pagoda to say hello to the monks and asked some information about the schools and the children as well our next journey.
Next we confronted a problem that is we had to go through soy bean and corn fields and crossed a small stream on a very narrow strip of wood. It was very dangerous especially for my English boss. We asked people every time we met cross roads.
At the end we met Phnom Pum where my farm is and I took my boss to pay a visit at my small farm. It is now impossible to access to my farm by motor bike. The only way to reach that place is TRACTOR. We came back from our first journey at about 11.Jon, my boss, said that “This is his first time traveling through the forest farms near Cambodian-Thai border. It was great and fun.” And I do not think other foreigners enjoy this activity like him.
Two days later...we started our journey again in different location but more difficult than the first one.
When we got to the way to that location we did not know the real situation about the place. Fortunately, we met a businessman who know the place well. He rode his motor bike and we followed all the way through farms and on zigzag road near the mountain called Phnom Bracheav(Bat Mountain).The road was full of small rocks and thousands of pot holes. It took about 15mn travelling through corn fields, mixed grass, around the mountain on the cliff which cannot be accessible when it rains...it was very dangerous to ride on that place.That man told us that"It is passible only after harvesting since people grow everywhere including the mountain peak.And this narrow path (the cliff of the mountain) used as an unique road for transporting the farming products." It was hard to beleive cos we found it very difficult to drive on that road and if we were careless we would fall down...must be dead.
When we arrived the place called Toek Chenh Thom...there was one village consisted of about 10 houses and one conflicted school.We asked the man and other villagers to show that abandon school and asked about causes of closing that school.
Unfortunately, after visiting the school I got a puncture. It took about 15mn to get my motorbike repaired. When we were ready we did not want to come back on the same place. We wanted to do as a circle. They showed us the way to Toek Chenh Touch but this time nobody guided us. We tried ourselves saking whoever we met. We drove crossed soy bean and corn fields.The owners of that farm must be angry with us as we stepped on their beans and corns(a path for walkers only). Suddently we found out that we got lost in that farm. It was not the same as we were told and it was difficult to go back. We kept trying...It was funny that we nearly reached the to of the mountain and we could see the road we wanted to go on the left hand side far away from us. We assumed that was the road by a green line of tree.

MY LAST WEEKEND JOURNEY TO COLLEGE

Yuck! It was very terrible for my journey to college last weekend. On that day, it was raining at night and it made difficulty for passengers in the area. As you see in the picture, the passengers in the taxi had to push the car while traveling down the mountain.Sorry that I didn't help them.

However, it was the last bad situations in rainy season in Cambodia cos this part of the road has been smoothed down that help make improve the situation better. Now trucks and cars can cross Phnom Proek Mountain easily…if it doesn't rain!

Yet we all here face new problem. It is now cold and the road is dusty with millions of pot hole on the road. Some foreigners who live in Cambodia called this dustiness ‘CAMBODIAN SNOW’. Maybe you have never experienced this condition.I sometimes find it very difficult to bear with the faul road like this...very very bumpy .

Farming In Phnom Proek

Most people in the district are former Khmer Rouges who integrated into the Royal Government of Cambodia in 1996. In only a few years they have cleared a large area of forest to be their own farms after expensive wood was cut and exported to Thailand during their control. Since then they stared growing corns beans sesames soy beans and topioca. Unfortunately they have to bear with very difficult road in transporting their agricultural products from their farm to the market which depends on only Thai businessman.. They often cheapen the price that put more pressure on our farmers. Because we have no choice, we have to let their trucks cross the border deep inside Cambodian territory and remain in Cambodia at any time they want.

The Rain

Rain in Phnom Proek
When it rains, everywhere is flooded. The roads fill with water and the streams water level become very high. Most of the schools in Phnom Proek have to close as students cannot travel to school on muddy road with some places are cut by water flowing across the road. In the picture, it has rained all day which effected on traveling and transportation in the whole district.

Room A5

My Weekends And My Course
At weekends I normally travel more than a hundred kilometer from Cambodian-Thai border on muddy and dusty roads to go to college in Battambang. But I find it very happy when I am in my classroom with my friends and lecturers. I sometimes spend a great time with my buddies chatting and eating. We are now seniors at University of Battambang in semester 2.We are finishing our course in January next year. I hope that all I have learnt at UBB will help me to find a good job in the near future.

My Day

Everyday I have to get up very early to do some washing before getting ready to start work at 8.It’s a must that I travel more than 30km a day down and up the mountain to work on muddy dusty and bumpy road. When it rained, I had to walk my motorbike up the mountain whereas other cars were pulled by tractor! In this picture you can see what the road look like.

My Background

I am Sophea.I am 28 years old and I live in the remote area of Phnom Proek in Battambang province along the Cambodian-Thai border…very close to the border. And my house is only 200m from the stream which both sides consider as unspecific border.

I have worked as a secondary school teacher in Phnom Proek for six years.You know? The first time I arrived in the area of former Khmer Rouge region I had to stay in the pagoda with some very young monks! At that time I was afraid of mine and malaria yet that’s fine now as most of the landmines have been cleared by CMAC and Hallo Trust.

I have been working with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) since November last year. Sharing Skills, Changing Life is a common word used in our organization. Of course, we are working together as a team. We mutually exchange our experience and skills in our team. I have learnt a lot from Jon and Chris. They adapt themselves very easily into Khmer society. Our team in Phnom Proek worked very hard in the community….traveled through the corn field and across the mountain in some day to visit improper school on the farm in the forest.