After travelling 16hrs (mostly waiting at airports) we arrived in Siem Reap and headed to the Paul De Brule school of Hospitatlity and Tourism which is where I stayed for the two weeks.
It was the first day of school for the 100+ students and for the next two weeks I attended classes every day with them. Although mostly it was quite boring, I could help them learn how to cut and cook, and they taught me some Khmer food!
Fish Amok, Lemongrass pilaf and stir-fried Morning GloryIf you ever go to Cambodia, make sure you visit the 'famous' Red Piano and have a tomb-raider cocktail for me :)
View of the training restaurant at the college from my bedroom doorIt is so lovely and warm in Cambodia - I hated coming home to the cold!
So every morning I attended classes and in the afternoon I went to 'town' which is about 10-15 minutes away by tuk-tuk. I just started heading along the road and sooner or later one would come along and you can either agree on a price or take one for the whole afternoon/evening (they'll wait for you) and pay them at the end.
I visited the markets (you need to have a strong stomach for the food section) and had dinner for about US$5!
At night all the geckos and frogs come out, which is alright, except when the geckos are the size of a goanna.
I soon learnt how to get to the nearest supermarket (Angkor market) for the important supplies of water and breakfast, and I could even direct the drivers to the Catholic Church over the river. It is a beautiful wooden church on stilts and there are no chairs or pews - everyone sits on the bamboo mats on the floor.
We visited the temples and they really are amazing! The best part was sitting on the back of the ute and driving through the rainforest.
During the second week of my stay I went to Phnom Pehn to meet four Chefs from Canberra who had won a Tasting Australia competition and were cooking for an Australian dinner at the Raffles le Hotel Royale. I met them at the hotel after being stranded at the airport for over an hour (note to self; buy a phone that has coverage overseas) we went and had lunch at the famous Friends training restaurant and visited the horrible Toule sleng (they call it a museum, but it is a re-education camp of the Khmer Rouge that the public can visit) And experienced a torrential downpour.
We tried to order crispy tarantulas for dinner that night, but they "couldn't find any"
The next day we hit the kitchen at 8:30, had 15 mins for lunch and didn't see the light of day until it was night and 10:30pm!
The longest day I have ever worked with all the usual dramas - 65 people turned into 81, we couldn't get beef long fillets anywhere, the beef stock turned out to be from a tin! Someone burnt the red wine that was supposed to replace the beef glaze, the oxtails were off, the air-con was broken, the terrine set, but didn't have any strength to hold the seafood (if that makes any sense) we had to cut it in the cool room and try not to pick it up! The polenta had to be made with UHT milk and cream (there's no such thing as fresh milk or cream!) and the pavalovas and caramel garnish started melting in the heat! And everyone enjoyed their meal immensely.
We finally got out of that kitchen before we melted and had a drink in the lobby (5 Star hotel, 5 dirty chefs) and decided that 12:30 was the best time of day to go for a swim (which it was).
We all went to Siem Reap the next day to hold an Australian cocktail party at the college.
So, Cambodia is awesome! Go there, if you ever have the chance.
The people are so friendly and hospitable, the weather is warm, everything is cheap (if that matters)
The Old Market
I visited the markets (you need to have a strong stomach for the food section) and had dinner for about US$5!
At night all the geckos and frogs come out, which is alright, except when the geckos are the size of a goanna.
I soon learnt how to get to the nearest supermarket (Angkor market) for the important supplies of water and breakfast, and I could even direct the drivers to the Catholic Church over the river. It is a beautiful wooden church on stilts and there are no chairs or pews - everyone sits on the bamboo mats on the floor.
We visited the temples and they really are amazing! The best part was sitting on the back of the ute and driving through the rainforest.
During the second week of my stay I went to Phnom Pehn to meet four Chefs from Canberra who had won a Tasting Australia competition and were cooking for an Australian dinner at the Raffles le Hotel Royale. I met them at the hotel after being stranded at the airport for over an hour (note to self; buy a phone that has coverage overseas) we went and had lunch at the famous Friends training restaurant and visited the horrible Toule sleng (they call it a museum, but it is a re-education camp of the Khmer Rouge that the public can visit) And experienced a torrential downpour.
We tried to order crispy tarantulas for dinner that night, but they "couldn't find any"
The next day we hit the kitchen at 8:30, had 15 mins for lunch and didn't see the light of day until it was night and 10:30pm!
The longest day I have ever worked with all the usual dramas - 65 people turned into 81, we couldn't get beef long fillets anywhere, the beef stock turned out to be from a tin! Someone burnt the red wine that was supposed to replace the beef glaze, the oxtails were off, the air-con was broken, the terrine set, but didn't have any strength to hold the seafood (if that makes any sense) we had to cut it in the cool room and try not to pick it up! The polenta had to be made with UHT milk and cream (there's no such thing as fresh milk or cream!) and the pavalovas and caramel garnish started melting in the heat! And everyone enjoyed their meal immensely.
We finally got out of that kitchen before we melted and had a drink in the lobby (5 Star hotel, 5 dirty chefs) and decided that 12:30 was the best time of day to go for a swim (which it was).
We all went to Siem Reap the next day to hold an Australian cocktail party at the college.
So, Cambodia is awesome! Go there, if you ever have the chance.
The people are so friendly and hospitable, the weather is warm, everything is cheap (if that matters)
I would have stayed, but there is no place like home!
Tuk-tuks
Tuk-tuks
The Old Market
