Cambodia: Sen Monorom

Slowly drawn from a dream into reality where someone was lightly knocking on the door, I realized we had slept through our alarm and our bus departing Kratie was due to leave a half hour ago. Luckily, we had packed the night before and were able to run downstairs (without brushing our teeth, sorry) and hop into the minibus in record time. Feeling guilty on several levels - for holding up the group and for having terrible breath in such cramped quarters - I remained in a daze for the beginning of the ride listening to the surrounding exchanges of travelers' tales. Happily, no one seemed to hold it against us for being late and people were quite friendly with each other for the 4.5 hour journey.

Sen Monorom city center seen from our hotel.

Many people, it turned out, were going to Sen Monorom for the same reason - to visit the Elephant Valley Project. Sam and I had arranged to meet with them and it was a convenient stopover on our way down to Phnom Penh. Mondulkiri province, the 'gateway' to which is Sen Monorom, is full of natural beauty and minority ethnic groups. Tourism exists here, but on a much smaller scale than Cambodia's other gems. It's the kind of city that goes to sleep around 8pm, so you have to get dinner and water before then. That's okay, but it sometimes feels a bit isolating, especially for a couple of night owls like Sam and me. Luckily, we are well versed in this type of town (very typical of the region outside of the capitals/tourist attractions) and knew what we were in for.

Seen around town.

We found a great restaurant to relax at on our first day - Mondulkiri Pizza. We had already eaten, but decided to try some of the local coffee and do some reading in the hammocks. Once I saw a trio of puppies, I knew I was in heaven. We spent the whole afternoon in the shade of the trees, sipping delicious coffee and trading off holding the sleepy puppy (called Fergie after the lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas) and watching the sun fall.

Mondulkiri coffee.

Chup chup, Panda and Fergie (looking for a place to lay down).

The next day was our scheduled meeting with EVP, but I wasn't feeling well, so Sam went on his way while I slept in. He said it was a great time and fun to be near the elephants, though each of them at EVP is a rescue and has a sad history behind it. All in all, it seemed like a nice day to be hiking in the forest with these huge creatures.

Hiking.

Bath time.

We had a short stay in Sen Monorom, but I think it would be a great place to come for a homestay with a local family and to do some guided trekking - someone to tell us where the snakes are, etc. As with the rest of the country, tourism is growing rapidly here. I hope they can preserve the quaint charm of these small towns while also giving others the opportunity to learn about their traditions and lifestyle.

Beautiful Mondulkiri.