In Cambodia, Elephants are on the Horizon

After weeks of amazing adventures and anticipation, the time for elephants is upon us! Tomorrow afternoon we head into the jungles of Sen Monorom to the Elephant Valley Project!

We spent the day wandering around the lush green hillsides of Mondulkiri exploring coffee, rubber and pepper plantations, the local cuisine, and magnificent waterfalls. Our tour guide spent the day filling in the blanks on the complicated politics of the region. He introduced us to the beautiful view of the Sea Forest, a vast mosaic of jungle blanketing the hills. A sight, he warned us, that would likely not be there in the next 5 years or so. The billowing smoke in the distance is an ominous reminder of the rapid deforestation happening in the area.

The serenity of our one road town is in complete contrast to the last few days we spent in Phnom Penh. A solemn day visiting the Killing Fields and the S21 prison left everyone’s morale fairly low, so we swung by the awesome aura of Tiny Toones to help lift our spirits. The people of Cambodia have come a long way after the genocide led by the Khmer Rouge, but there are still many hurdles to overcome…

The next day, we rented bikes and toured the rural area of the Mekong Island. Along the river, past fields, cattle and homes, we familiarized ourselves with the off-the-beaten path side of Phnom Penh. Silk farms, lunch along the Mekong and hidden temples, we had a wicked day!

We decided to throw a BBQ with Tiny Toones and some other friends in the art, hip hop and film scene breaking out in Cambodia! Throw 50 of the most interesting people we know in Phnom Penh on a boat in the Mekong, add a BBQ, some beer and, voila, you’ve got yourself one phenomenal night! What started out as just a cool and casual meet-and-greet of interesting people turned into an extremely organic and incredible jam session. Kosal Khiev, a spoken word artist recently returned from London as Cambodia’s cultural Olympiad, started the night of with a few of his pieces and Tiny Toones jumped right in with a few of their original hip hop jams and a break dance circle. It was a night most certainly not to be forgotten!

A relaxed last day by the poolside and painting walls at Tiny Toones capped off our time in the city. We ordered in a few too many pizzas and watched the new Batman movie on its opening night. After late nights and a busy schedule, we all fell asleep instantaneously in anticipation of the next leg of our journey.

Out of range for awhile, the next time you hear from us we’ll be sharing tales of elephants and tarantulas…

If you need to get in contact with us, you can call Amanda at: (+855) 1750 3562 or Steve at (+855) 8689 8862.