1/5/12
This morning we woke up to the sounds of unidentifiable animals outside our rooms. There wasn’t time to do much but pack and get in a van, stopping only to grab a dozen baguettes and rolls before setting off to our destination. We made our way up Bokor Mountain, surrounded by thick foliage on either side. However, as we neared the top of the mountain, we began to notice more and more construction, repaving roads and building a casino. It was a bit sad, seeing the trash that littered much of the land and even the old buildings being rebuilt and turned into what looked like hotels.
After spending the morning exploring the cliffs and abandoned houses, we piled back in the car and made our way back down, stopping to have lunch at the same restaurant where we ate our first meal in Kampot. The bus ride back to Phnom Penh lasted about five hours, and everyone was relieved to get back to the hotel. We went to a performance by the Children of Bassac at the National Museum, which was amazing. The movements were so precise and seemed to take a lot of concentration, and it was amazing to see the people we had met during their class rehearsals and the home stays performing so beautifully. It was a wonderful thing to see--I sincerely hope that I can see something like that again in the future.
~Mia M.
I'm pretty sure they're in their teens - maybe between sixteen and nineteen? It's a bit hard to tell - the people there seem to look a lot younger than they are! I think the casino will only have a negative effect on the area around, possibly directing business away from the the local businesses. That and the fact that it's really sad to destroy something as beautiful as that for something so common. I really hope they don't develop much more
ReplyDelete