Day 21 - RV La Marguerite - 27th September 2014

RV La Marguerite - Day 21 - 27th September 2014 - Saturday

This morning was leisurely, no excursions and I sat on the deck writing after breakfast. Gerald is coughing, his eyes are still gluey, and he is not eating, so he sat in the cabin and read his book. I had to watch the end of the movie The Lovers, again, as I realised I had fallen asleep in the last five minutes. I attended the fruit sampling, presented by the chef and a band of merry men, it was well attended, but many were unwilling to try the unfamiliar fruits. We tasted snake fruit, tamarind, mango, duku lanset, orange, rambutan, dragon fruit (of which there are two colours, but the red is sweeter), jackfruit (you can also eat the seeds but they need cooking, and if,children eat too much they get a fever), avocado which looked and tasted nothing like ours, black grapes (very sweet like muscatels), passion fruit, longan, papaya, banana (which is called chicken egg banana here because it is so good for you and because of the colour), mangosteen, and finally durian, the king of fruits (which didn't smell as bad as it did in Lombok and whilst the fields mouthful filled. Y nostrils with a repugnant smell, like a rancid wine, the next few mouthfuls were creamy and quite tasty. People did not try it or didn't like it, but Kathrine and I enjoyed it.

A lunch of Cambodian creeps with port and prawns, and a crab meat soup, followed by tropical fruit. Yum. A sleep, and we have moored alongside a village, right next to the monastery, and we walk the gangplank to the shore to visit. It is Oudong, the former royal capital,of Cambodia from 1618 to 1866. The monastery is large, and we participate in a blessing ceremony by the monks, four young boys aged about ten, and an older man. They chant with their eyes shut, long and what sounds like complex recitations, and we are asked to focus and to hold our hands in the Buddhist prayer mode, close to our chests. We are sprinkled with holy water and showered with sweet smelling pink petals, and are then invited to receive the red string tied around our right wrists.

It is hot, about 35 degrees and as we have just had a massive thunder storm, the humidity is in the eighties, and know en are fanning themselves like Victorian dowagers. We walk through a small village, where white Brahmin cows are tied to,shirt tethers, OMG, and are worth about $2000 each. Small children follow us, one dear little soul about 18 months old, starkers, Kathrine gives him and his brother a ball each, and they laugh with delight. We visit a lady's home,until recently she farmed, but now has a general store in her home, it's easier, as she has a mentally disabled son she needs to care for, and a 22 year old daughter who is studying agriculture at university, and is in her third year. Our guide pours out a couple of cups of yellow wine for us to smell. It is rice wine made with custard apples, and it clears my nostrils immediately. We are invited to visit upstairs in her house, the floor is made of slatted bamboo, which allows for,the circulation of air, and is surprisingly large - one big living area, and three smaller bedrooms. The daughter must have 'a nice room' to sleep in but the son 'can sleep anywhere'. Travel marvel must pay these folk to be this accommodating and cheerful, but many of the Aussies give her a dollar or two, and she smiles gratefully, and asks us questions and wishes us a happy journey. We walk down a very muddy road and see small businesses operating, fuel being sold in Pepsi bottles, a motor bike mechanic welding metal, a shop selling produce.

Kathrine is flagging and I help her, and we do a loop and head back to the boat, it's only been toe,hours but my clothing is saturated with sweat, but the crew as always meet us off the gang plank with chilled ice cloths and ice cold drinks, such decadence. Gerald is feeling worse, poor man. I ensure he has his medicine and head to the pool, which is chick a block with Aussies, they are counting how many can fit in, it's small. As I get in, Geoff says 'Nine in the pool! And nine and a half with Sandra!' I have come to admire this people, despite my misgivings and my earlier comments.

Gerald is shivering under the blankets, I get him in the shower, and give him some disprin, salt in warm water for his eyes, and Visine eye drops - his head is burning up, and I feel a twinge of alarm, what if this is not just a cold? He insists I go to the dining room, so I share dinner with Geoff and Carol and Janine and Darryl, who are good company. I eat Cambodian beef and veg consommé, and Cambodian fish curry which is divine, and a plate of tropical fruit. It's French white wine today. Maria organises a tray of pumpkin soup, curry, and cheese for Gerald with a big glass of wine, and we take it to him in suite 308, but he doesn't eat much. I am back in the room as soon as dinner is done, and medicate Gerald again, lights out at 10 pm.