I knew I was leaving Ratanakiri soon, when I saw my favourite lake spot on far side of lake where hardly anyone went, disastrously changed into a public swimming platform! The walk around the lake always existed and within steps beyond the original swimming platform, the path became narrow, overhung by bamboo and seeing reptiles or birds was common. ‘My spot’ was about 150 metres up around a bend and then I stepped off the path into a natural waterway, where there was a little shallow rocky ledge that made entering the lake okay.
On my visit before going to PP for final interview with Friends I saw the workmen had widen the path, made a little creek crossing into a substantial bridge and had started on a large 40metre square platform that goes over the water and with steps down into the water. Its perfect for tourists and locals. Such infrastructure is required as tourism increases to the lake.
But its ‘my spot’!
Not any longer, was what I reconciled myself too. It was an omen to move to PP. It was a message that I was able to move on, just as
In PP messages and criteria are little more subtle if not contradictory ….
I made my criteria for a place to rent. It must have good security, be in a locals’ area rather than expat high-rise apartments and have a great kitchen. So I chose a French colonial building with what seems to be a fab Khmer family whose father works in the Ministry of Interior and has no kitchen! Well they will add a kitchen. Of course
. Yet my inflexible, I know what I want, have made my predetermined criteria of a kitchen was so quickly swayed by other factors ….
In PP, the staircase entrances to apartments has caught my eye. Most of them are horrid! They are narrow, hot, smelly with steps that make me mince along, teetering on edge of the tiny steps, unable to pass through a doorway with my small backpack on, a
s its all so narrow. Ugh! And keys for metal gate-like doors with padlock after padlock.
Thus I adored the wide, open, breezy and clean stairwell of my French colonial building. It’s a marvel as its wide enough for two people to pass, is open on one side and the spiral effect means the steps are not steep. Did I just choose a place due to its stairwell ….?
