Cambodia's Khmer New Year holiday was this past week. It's three days long with each day having its own name and set of traditions. As this is one of the most important Khmer holidays, I could feel the excitement in the office even the week before. A friend explained to me it is akin to our winter holiday season.
I was planning to stay in Kratie, but was told literally everything (restaurants, stores etc.) shutdown and it was best to go out of town. My friend, Coline (a French woman working for the Cambodian Rural Development Team) and I decided to head to Koh Ta Kiev which is an island in the south of Cambodia. I think I was a bit spoiled with the beaches in Thailand, but the landscape was still beautiful and much different than Kratie. The forests in particular were much more lush compared to the semi-evergreen and dry forests in the surrounding area near Kratie. Unfortunately, Coline and I did not do enough homework about the bungalow establishment we stayed at and the trip was essentially camping which was OK, just tough without any fans in the sweltering heat.
We returned to find Phnom Penh completely shutdown – so much so that we ended up eating at the same restaurant two nights in a row! Normally we are bombarded by tuk-tuk drivers, but this time I had to wander around and purposefully seek them out. While I like the hustle and bustle of the city, I almost preferred this ghost-town feel as I didn't have to worry much about my purse or deal with traffic etc.
This week I will be heading to Phnom Penh again in order to attend the “Workshop on the conservation of Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River.” This workshop will bring together counterparts from WWF and the Fisheries Administration, and a group of international scientists in order to review the progress of conservation efforts to date and also plan future conservation strategies. This core group of international scientists have been involved in the conservation efforts of this species for multiple years and will be building off the last dolphin workshop held in Kratie in January 2012. My graduate school advisor, Andy Read, who originally suggested I apply for the Fulbright, will be attending as well. I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to meet these well-respected marine mammalogists and hear their expert opinions about the conservation of this species.