Exploring the edges of town

 So the Thursday and Friday of New Year's week I spent wandering around the far edges of town. Most everyone here takes a moto everywhere - they just seem to dislike walking in general and many of my students will pull up alongside of me and offer me a ride - even if I only have another 100 yards to go to my destination. Since I don't have a moto I gladly walk everywhere.


 Now I often don't know exactly where some of these dirt roads lead. I know this one is the way to Bousra waterfall or that one is toward Phnom Penh but I don't know specifics. So on these two days I grab some bread rolls from the girl who bakes them daily across the street, my water bottle, backpack, and camera and head out on one of these roads. Within 15 - 20 minutes I have left the confines of Sen Monorom and am now perhaps a kilometer from town. People wave and smile as I walk by. When I walk I am able to see many things up close: trees, flowers, birds, many different styles of houses, and many children will come to the roadside to greet me. I follow this road for perhaps an hour or so, that is usually my limit since I will have to walk back the same way to find my way home. I actually reach a small restaurant, they actually have a sign posted literally in the middle of the road, which Sochea had pointed out on our trip to the house warming party. He told me it is only open at night so I look inside then start back home. When I cross the road I hear a small stream along side the road so I wander down the embankment to see it.


 I wander around some bushes and find a small stream running along some trees and rocks. It is beautiful here - the sound of birds, the running water, the shade of some trees. I take out a book and sit here for maybe an hour and relax. Eventually I hear some strange grunts - not sure if it is a sick cow or maybe a wild animal, perhaps a wild boar which are common around here. After another 5 minutes or so I hear the animal again only closer! I decide I should probably head back to the road since nobody would ever find my body if something happens to me here. With that I return to the road and head towards home.


 I pass a large field that has hundreds of butterflies flying from one side of the road to the other - I mean hundreds if not thousands. These are small butterflies but if you stand there and count to ten you probably would see 40 - 50 crossing the road. I'm guessing they must be attracted to the bushes on either side of the road here.


Eventually I return to my guesthouse. The following day I will explore yet another road that will bring me to another remote area of town (actually I am told these are separate villages from Sen Monorom even though they are only a 10 - 20 minute moto ride from town). Here I see a few tiny restaurants built onto the front of people's houses plus some very small guesthouses (maybe they have 2 - 4 rooms). I actually find an area where they have several traditional Bunong houses (circular houses with thatched roofs) not far from the police station.


 The rest of these days are spent at Café Phka enjoying a cold lemon juice and a piece of pie or some cookies. I work on some lesson plans for my classes for next week. Life is good!