Hey, I'm Walkin' Here!

On Saturday, I participated in a 10K charity walkathon for Nokor Tep to raise funds for a women's health facility that can treat all Cambodian women regardless of their ability to pay.

The day started with a ferry ride across the Mekong to the village where the walk was taking place.  Here is a picture of me with some of my walking buddies on the ferry:

The walk was very well-organized, especially compared to a half-marathon Jeremy did in Nairobi!  All participants received a red baseball hat (see above picture) and a small metal cup (similar to a tin camping cup) on a lanyard.  The cups were for use at the water stations that were spaced about every 1K along the route.  Here is one of the water stations, clearly identifiable by the large pink umbrella and the friendly volunteers in red shirts:  

The route had lots of interesting things to see along the way.  We passed several temples, some run down and abandoned, others beautiful and in use.  We also passed a cemetery, schools, farms...and this fabulous statue:

We walked by many homes, some very elaborate, many very basic.  This picture is representative of much of the housing we saw:

And we also saw many children.  Some quietly stared at us as we went by.  Others cheerfully waved and yelled "hello!"  None of them were at all shy about having their picture taken.

It was a great experience, but I was glad to reach the finish line, where we were welcomed with a package of crackers, a cup of ramen noodles, and well-deserved chairs set in the shade!

Home Sweet Home

We were able to move into our apartment last week!  The overall apartment is a good size, but has some odd layout features.  We have a walk-in closet, but a smallish kitchen with limited cabinet space.  The master bathroom and guest bathroom have air vents connecting the two, meaning that all sounds easily travel from one to the other!  (Keep this in mind if you come visit!)  On the plus side, we have two balconies to look down on the activity below us, including the building's swimming pool.  I snapped this sunset from the balcony on our first night.

Our building is called The Hamptons and it's smack in the middle of a neighborhood filled with restaurants and shops.  We have a 24-hour mini-mart directly across from us where we can pick up our milk, laundry detergent, and chicken-flavored peanuts any time of day or night.  Jeremy also got some pretty good pizza from the neighborhood Italian joint.  It's good to finally be home.                                                         

A Parade Fit For a King

On Friday, Phnom Penh held a funeral procession for the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk.  Although Sihanouk passed away in October 2012 at the age of 89, his body has been lying in state at the Royal Palace for over three months so the Cambodian people could pay their respects to their former king. Monuments to Sihanouk, such as this one, have also been erected all over the city:

Sihanouk has been an important political figure in Cambodia since the 1940s.  He was the King of Cambodia from 1941-1955 and again from 1993-2004.  In between, he was prime minister, president, and maintained a complicated association with the Khmer Rouge and its murderous leader Pol Pot.  But he also gained Cambodia's independence from France in 1953 and led peace talks that pulled Cambodia out of two decades (1970-1990) of civil war, dictatorship, and occupation.  Sihanouk abdicated the throne in 2004 in favor of his son, current King Norodom Sihamoni.  Although the King Father's legacy is complex, he is much beloved by the people of Cambodia.

The funeral procession departed the Royal Palace at 8:00 am on Friday and wound its way around the city center before returning to the Royal Palace at 12:00 pm.  Luckily, the hotel where I'm staying was just one block from the procession's route, so I was easily able to walk over and see the whole thing.

Float with King Father's portrait

Float with assorted important people I don't know

Very odd float of plaster animals

Float with Buddha statue

Carriage carrying King Father's casket