🛺 5 In The Trunk 🥳 & Other Totally Normal Khmer New Year Road-Trip Sights 🔫
My wife and I recently made a road trip during the height of Khmer New Year celebrations, the perfect opportunity for some A-Grade Hive content.
One Last Trip To Our Room In Pramaoy 🛺
This year my wife's birthday, Khmer New Year, and the last trips to our rental all coincided. I was a bit hesitant to transport items during Khmer New Year because there are usually many citizen roadblocks. These roadblocks are usually part water fight, part dancing, and it usually ends with some powder.
We were having success initially by waving off the roadblocks, letting them know we're transporting items and have paperwork onboard, but two different roadblocks carefully timed some full buckets of water, nearly destroying my phone and some important paperwork I was carrying.
I decided we could no longer trust our fellow humans, so I decided to drop the rain doors and hit the brakes as little as possible. On one of the trips we had our mattress hanging out the back, a bit exposed, but luckily it arrived dry and not covered in baby powder despite efforts of the roadblock partyers.
Peace & Calm At Steung Kach 🏞️
When a day of moving household items is over, the peace and calm of our place is unmatched. The sound of the rapids drowns out all other sounds, and even makes conversation hard at times.
Sometimes Monkey-B and I do our morning wash down by the river, assuming the water is not too cold of course. After a nature-filled morning river bath, it's back on the highway with the wife, filled with chaos, drunk driving, water fights, powder play, and music playing through PA speakers.
Khmer New Year 🔫
We didn't risk taking any photos not from behind the safety of the Ape's windscreen, so you'll see my wiper blade in a lot of these shots. The above photo is a perfect example of the New Year's roadblock. People on motorbikes have no chance at all, and those within the back of a pickup truck often have water weapons of their own to fight back with.
Drive 5 minutes, negotiate passage through a roadblock, then repeat, and that is how we made these trips, with New Year officially lasting 3 days, the 14th, 15th, and 16th of April.
Not A Camry Advertisement 🚘
This was one of the best sights of our trips, 5 people sharing the trunk of a Camry sans rear hatch. We were able to slowly pass them with our 10 HP of three-wheeled fury, and they were equally amused at us.
These are the moments when I remember why I love and live in Cambodia. There is always something of interest going on, and sometimes you need not even take your eyes off the highway. There is nothing a Toyota Camry can't do, I'm fully convinced of it.
Up Into The Clouds ☁️
After navigating the water war on the flats, it's time to climb Phnum 1,500, where everyone but us always stops to take selfies. I almost never see anyone taking photos of the natural beauty here, only selfies, I guess a sign of the times we are living in.
That leaves me to take pictures of the selfie traffic jams, where rich Phnom Penh tourists park their cars in the middle of a steep mountain highway full of switchbacks, absolutely irresponsible and dangerous. Apparently it's gotten so dangerous that an officer is now stationed there during the days, and he looks less than amused with his responsibilities.
It is these selfie tourists that are the ones leaving their trash behind at every stop, not thinking about the consequences of their actions. After passing through what I now call "Mt. Selfie," we arrive at home 15 minutes later. We are so glad to be done moving our stuff, and now we can focus on working to improve the property here.
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That was a nice little
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Glad to see you’re still around.
Thanks for stopping by. I haven't had too much time for a lot of post reading and engagement lately because of the new situation, but HBD to HIVE to Binance P2P to our Cambodian bank account is now our lifeline here in the remote Cardamom mountains.
I'll have to delve into your blog to see what the new situations are.
Last time I checked on you were stuck in a foreign country because of covid.
Sending you well wishes.
Finally made it back to Cambodia, although family came first and I spent a month or so in the USA arranging a difficult visa to get back here.
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hahaha, lol.
It seems like a very pleasant trip.
So if we splash water with flour then all of our clothes will look like the five of them on the car, hahahaha.
Add some oatmeal into the mix and you can make a lovely bread with it ;<)
....and of course don't forget to let the people dough rest for at least half an hour to rise.
:<)
Fun fact: In Dutch the verb we use for that ( rijzen ) is pronounced pretty much like reizen ( the latter means to travel, as you might know, Justin ). So, it's definitely applicable to these flour and water covered people in the back of that Toyota ;<)
P.S. I would also add some olive oil and a pinch of salt and perhaps some seeds and nuts. Although the latter might hurt, when thrown.
P.P.S. I am baking a bread right this moment.
Traveling risers, I've learned something new, Dutch bread should always be on the move.
heeeemmm my investigation starts from here,, it looks like your trip this time was quite fun, because there were some people who were amused to see the tricycle you were driving,
You say that all your things have been moved to a new place, this is good news for all of us,,
hopefully in the new place you occupy now, you get the comfort of peace and there are always silly things you do with your beloved family...
It's good to be finished moving, now we can focus on fixing up the property. Thanks for stopping by and your always uplifting comments.
Welcome home, and congrats on your arrival! After an odyssey of so many years, now you guys have finally made it. I'm so happy for you! Interesting how it happened right at the start of your New Year. So Happy New Year to the whole family, and best wishes for the next big journey, for which you'll be staying put on your own land. Exciting stuff!
A perfect birthday gift for the wife, whose birthday also coincides with New Year, and this always makes me forget about Easter back in the US, and to call friends and family on that day because it's important to many of my family members. A new Cambodian year and a very fresh start, looking forward to it.
Nice festivities. And you can't really get mad if they try to make you wet on that day. It's like going out on Holi Phagwa here and expecting to come home with clean clothes. !LOL
I wonder if they removed the trunk cover on purpose for this reason, or if its coincidence. Either way that's a strong reliable car.
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Very true, for three days in April every year, it's travel at your own risk. We were on some tight deadlines, so had to take the risk. That trunk was purposefully removed, and many more cars made a lot more prep for water wars. I even saw a pickup truck with its own 500 liter tank in the back.
A 500 liter tank. :O Those are the real fanatics that live for the day. xD
Sounds like a lot of fun.
Home sweet home. After your epic moving efforts in your ape you all deserve to kick back and start enjoying your awesome home. And clean up trash. And make stone paths. And on your list goes, I'm sure. There's alot of satisfaction when you know it's your own slice of paradise your working on. Congratulations again.
It's definitely a change having privacy and distance, something I haven't experienced in the last 12+ years or so of living in tiny rental rooms. Land ownership here comes with a lot of troubled history because of the war, but our plot of land was only created three years ago, so at least it's good to know this isn't land taken from a family who chose to flee during the 70s.
That would be very comforting to know your land is free and clear of any displaced families ownership. Cambodia certainly has terrible warlord history.
Enjoying your life with your family
Family adventures are the best.
My good wishes for your family
What an interesting celebration, roadblock.. the blockers will throw powders on the riders. There are many tourists too in the mountain.
Because New Year is all about water play, all of the waterfalls and rivers here in the mountains attract a lot of rich Cambodian tourists from the capital. Riding a motorbike during this time, it's nearly impossible not to get wet.
Who got pictures for you ?
I am lucky to have a co-pilot.
At least people still know how to have fun out there, something I can't say from many in the Western world, these days ;<)
If all these selfies would actually mean that people where becoming more aware, it would be a good thing. I guess that's next level stuff.
Big hug!
Cambodians are masters of fun, no doubt about that. Even just hanging out in hammocks can be very exciting, often filled jokes, spicy snacks, and plenty of tomfoolery. We've now dubbed the switchbacks on the highway Mount Selfie ,ironically covered with trash and humans, but nobody includes the ground in their selfie shots.
Sounds like you would fit in well there :<)
Khmer New Year to all your family . Wahhh they surely have fun .
Thank you my friend. We didn't have time to celebrate this year, but I think the gift of this land is pretty good New Year's welcoming.
The land is wonderful bless for your family. I enjoy your family journey to the unknown , always give courage and motivation in the same times . :).
First, I'd like to say that road block party is my thing, despite at my 40s 🤣 I don't mind to cabriolet my proton can carry a bunch of battalion with a 40 gallon tank carrying in the cabin, hooked up to their weapon system. Whomever come near us, we will extend a pipe into their car and start spraying like the fire fighter sprinkler system in their car 🤣
And, amazing view of a row of mother parker.
This is easily comment of the month, and it's obvious you need to come here for a Cambodian New Year water war. If you can't drive the Proton here, we can rig up a war system in the Ape.