BELTEI TOUR FOR TEAM LEADERS

Day 5: Friday, January 27, 2012

In the early morning, all of BELTEI team leaders prepared to tour Samuth Chhoeu (Sea Wood), Putann minority village, Dos Kromom mountain (Girl's Breast mountain), took picture at Chamkar Srol (Pine Tree Farm), and had lunch at Angkor Forest restaurant. Then we turned back to Phnom Penh capital.

We, BELTEI team leaders, went to a restaurant where we had breakfast a day before. That morning I had break fast with my wife. In the breakfast desk there were a campus director of BELTEI 2 and his wife, Mr. campus director of BELTEI 1 and his wife, and my wife and I. They talked about work, experiences, and their relatives who are living in the USA or abroad. We thought that it was the last of our tour.

The bus was changed because the previous one was old, and it was unable to move to the hill of the mountain. The bus moved to Putann minority village because we would like to know about their culture. The tour guides said they didn't have their own language. They just told their new generation from person to person.

When we were there, the bus was packing at a safe place, and all of the team leaders got out of the bus and walked straight to a thatch house.

Its shape looks like a big mushroom. We took many photos with it.On the other hand, we also felt strange with the pigs that look like the wild boar.

When I asked the resident about it, they said the sometimes the pigs crossbreed with the wild boar that why their head as like as wild boar.

We were standing in front of the thatch room of ethnic minority about 10 minutes. There were some of minority people come to see us because they have known clearly that we were tourists.

My H.E. Ly Chheng, a director-general of BELTEI Group told his son youngest son, Mr. Ly Bun Chhay, to offer money to them. I wasn't sure how much did he gave to them for each. I estimated the amount of the ethnic minorities were around 30. They were very happy to get a charity from our Director-General.

 

About ten minutes being there, our director-general ordered to tour manager to move to The Wavy Sea Tree (It is the thick forest that we were standing on the hill of mountain.

We saw it as like as the see when the wind is blowing on the top tree). The tour bus was moving about 30 minutes from the ethnic minority to be there.

We took out of the bus to see it, but I have seen nothing about the wavy sea tree because the weather was hot and there wasn't any windy.

We, team leaders, took pictures about 15 minutes. Then we started to move to Phnom Dos Kromom (Breast Girl Mountain). 

Accordance with the folk tale about Phnom Dos Kromom said that Phmom Dos Kromom wasn't the real history of it.

It has different word that coming from the ethnic minority words (It is a Mountain of God who taking care people when they have problems they always come to that mountain to pray to the god for help), but one of the driver of a high ranking officer was asked by his master about the name of this mountain because it is higher than the others.

He didn't know how to tell his master because he didn't know, too. Hence, he decided to tell a lie that it is a Phnom Dos Kromom (Breast Girl Mountain).

From that day on, the people coming from Phnom Penh or the other province called Phnom Dos Kromom although they have been told the original words (ethnic minority words) because it was hard to say.

Before taking pictures of Phnom Dos Kromom mountain, we entered a small shrine where is a place that the residences strongly believe to the god who are taking care them to escape from unlucky. Furthermore, they also believe that god is able to help them when they pray and ask to do something successfully.

Lok Chum Teav Ly Chheng called all the campus directors to take photo with her to show our children that we have been there. The place that they were standing is in front of the shrine of Mountain God.

After taking a photo with Lok Chum Teav Ly Chheng and the other campus directors's wive, I took a photo for my wife where was standing at the left side of the shrine.

We can see a good view from the top Dos Kromom mountain especially the the city of Mondulkiri and beautiful mountains that are similar with the mountains along the National Road #4 from Phnom Penh to Sihanouk province.

The thing that I couldn't forget was the fresh air on the top of the Dos Kromom mountain. We would like to stay her for long hours but the time wasn't allowed us because the fresh air is able to release the stressful from our mind.







We took the deep breath into our lung many times. The environment is so good although the sun was shining from the East, but the blowing wind still made us comfortable.

I told my wife to take deep breath into her lung because it also can help her from the sickness.

Her healthy isn't good enough because she was operated about 6 years. Moreover, she also got accident and broke her rib that why she always get ill especially at the rainy season.

After vising the Phnom Dos Kromom (Breast Mountain), We moved to Mondulkiri we moved back the hotel to relax about 30 minutes. Then we gathered all properties to keep in the bus because it was the last day of our trip and also the last day to stay in Mondulkiri hotel, too. The tour bus has moved to a restaurant called Mondulkiri Hydroelectric where is a place that has waterfall the strong current water to be able to create hydroelectric for the resident to use.

When we were there, some of us have stayed on a cottage near a lack that the water coming from the hydroelectric ans some others were riding the elephant to travel around the area to see the real scenery in this area. For me and my family were sitting under a small cottage to have snack because we felt hungry. 

This elephant was standing near me after she walked about two or the time around the area to bring the tourist people to see the forest. Near the elephant there was a store selling banana and the other snack. My friends and I bought couple of hand of banana for her because we found that she was tired, too.

All of us were moving to Angkor Forest Restaurant to have lunch there before we left Mondulkiri resorts. The bus took around 23 minutes from hydroelectric to Angkor Forest. 

At the gate of this restaurant, we could see a big monkey that was sculpted by a tree-trunk. Most of us had taken photos with it before entered the restaurant.

Some of us were mocking each other to make laugh such as he would abduct your wife if you allow her to stand and take picture with him because it is as big as human beings.

Furthermore, we were able to know the kind of food that was written on the two wooden board were standing at the right side of the restaurant gate. 

The restaurant is decorated as like as a jungle, for it is in the middle of the trees, and a restaurant owner also use the green trees as pillars. It meant when we arrived there, it seemed that you were in the jungle.

I was standing near the wood board to take a couple of photos because I love the natural resource particularly the furniture making by wood.

To have lunch in the Angkor Forest Restaurant, we have to walk on the steps and hold on a stairway because we can called a top tree restaurant, too.

 I asked my wife to stand in the middle of wood stairs to take photo. Some of us walked around the restaurant area before entering it. 

On the other hand, they needed to go to the bathroom to wash their faces , cleaned their hands, and combed their hair before having lunch time. 

For me, I sat on a tree-trunk chair to take fresh air because it was 12:27pm. It was a long time trip from early morning; hence, some of us felt exhausted.

There were three lunch tables for us. We saw nothing food when we sat on the chairs around the table because the food was preparing for us.

We were chatting about last couple days trip, and sometimes we have also chatted about our future work that we are going to commit after the long trip.

While my H.E. Ly Chheng were having some advises to all campus directors, who were attending lunch time with him. I was listening to him, and I was also watching the scenery around the restaurant especially I could see all the good views from the top trees. We were waiting for the food for lunch too late. It wasn't a fast service, but it was a slow service I thought. 

Thinking the seeing the views in the jungle restaurant, I have heard one of a waiters said about the juices that made from the fresh fruit which was ordered by Mr. Ros Paradise, a campus director of BELTEI 6. He said that this fruit can reduce cholesterol in our bodies. I ordered her a cup of juice to test it. Unluckily, the waiters were serving too slow. On the other hand, it was time to start the journey so that I decided to leave it with grief.

The journey started from Mondulkiri province to Phnom Penh. Some of campus directors said it was our new year start. Everything will start from the first when we arrived Phnom Penh on Saturday, January 28, 2012. 

On the way to Phnom Penh, we were sleeping on the bus without seeing the scenery anymore because most of us were exhausted. 

When the bus stopped, some of us left it. I asked them what were they doing? They said, "We go to take pictures at the rubber farm trees at Kampong Cham province. 

I got out the bus with my unstable steps and went straight to the rubber farm trees to take some photos. I took my Iphone 4 out of m pocket and handed to a girl who works as BELTEI Tour staff to help me to take photo. She was smiling and took my phone to take two pictures for me. 

It was a big rubber farm trees that we took a short rest there. Some of us drank fresh water taking from the bus and some others were walking around the it to see the rubber trees because they have never seen to way how to get the resin from rubber trees.

After taking a short time relax, the tour bus started moving to Phnom Penh because we estimated time from Kampong Cham to Phnom Penh at least 8:30pm to be there. 

The brighten light along the road show us that our trip almost finishing and the bus was moving on the national road step by step because there were crowd of people from the both side. Some people were crossing the road; hence, the bus driver should drive carefully to escape from the accident by chance. 

We arrived BELTEI 6 where is near the Phsar Ouresey market at 9:15pm. All campus directors carried their suitcases and said goodbye each other. My wife and I called a Roeu Mork (Motor-three wheels) to bring me to a restaurant where is closed to Sorya Supper market because we need to have dinner before we got bed.

EVERYTHING CAME TO THE END!!!

BELTEI TOUR FOR TEAM LEADERS

Day 4: Thursday, January 26, 2012

MONDULKIRI HOTEL
In the early morning, when our BELTEI team leaders got up and went out the room to do exercise and took pictures, we found that the weather was cooler than Ratanakiri.

We took deep fresh air and walked around the hotel to see good scenery that we have never seen before.

My wife and I left the room with thick clothes because in Mondulkiri has thick moisture in the morning.











Accordance with the map of Mondulkiri is near Dalat Vietnam country. On the other hand, Mondulkiri is full of mountain and thick jungle. It also has precious stone, gold, and animals.

Furthermore, this province also has the ethnic minorities to live in there. Most of people from other provinces or from the other countries have visited them because they would like to know their custom.




                                                 

We took pictures in front of the receptionist because we wanted to show our children that we both have been in that hotel for two days in Chinese New Year 2012.

After taking picture there, my wife and I went out the hotel and asked one of my colleagues to take our picture with a beautiful view in the hotel garden.

About 30 minutes of taking picture and walking around the garden, We went to a restaurant that is also belong to the Mondulkiri hotel owner. It is at the south-east and far from the hotel around 300 meters long.

We were having breakfast there. Then we started the journey to Bosra Waterfall where is a famous place, and we also listen to Khmer song with the title of Bosra Waterfall, too.

At 9:45am
We arrived Bosra Waterfall. On the both side of the trail walking down to the Bosra Waterfall, we found that we felt comfortable with warm weather. A long the trail, we could see the people selling food, fruit, and handicrafts making by the resident or ethnic minorities for souvenir.












We were walking down on the trail to Bosra Waterfall. A handsome man standing in the middle with the blue T-shirt is Mr. Ros Paradise, a campus director of BELTEI 6, on the left side of Mr. Paradise is Mr. Phan Soriya, a campus director of BELTEI 7, and a man who were standing on the right side of me is Mr. Pich Nol, a chief of human resource office.

We wanted to be closer to the waterfall because we would like to use our own cameras to take a beautiful waterfall. Some of us rolled up their trousers from the water and walked straight to the target. They took pictures because they wanted to show their relatives or friends that they were there. My wife and I didn't go with them, but we just stood on the rock without water because my wife was afraid to slip on the rock.

Our H.E. LY Chheng, a Director-General of BELTEI Group, allowed us (each family) to take pictures with him and Lok Chum Teav because we would like to hang on the wall.

After taking pictures, our team leaders walked to a cottage to take a rest there. H.E. Director-General started to discuss how to manage BELTEI Tour and how to manage BELTEI students to tour especially the resorts that is safety for them.

At 11:29am
After we finished visiting the Bosra Waterfall, we visited Oplay. On the way to Oplay, the bus seemed hard to run up so that we should got out of the bus and walked on the dirt road that was in a whirling cloud of dust.

When we arrived Oplay, we had lunch there. Here are Miss. Khan and my wife were sitting on the plastic mat where were had lunch together.

A white car that was in a pic is belong to a restaurant who brought lunch meal for us. He told us that his home is in Phnom Penh where is near BELTEI 3, but he runs his business in Mondulkiri as serving food for tourists only Saturday and Sunday, and he will be back home (Phnom Penh capital city) on Monday.

My H.E. said while we were having lunch about Oplay resort that isn't suitable for our BELTEI Tour to bring our students or our customers here because there isn't any resident home or the security police. If the robbers attempt to rob by using gun, BELTEI Tour will take responsibility this issue.

Then we continued to a strawberries farm. We were happy to see it because it is unbelievable that our country is able to grow strawberry. On the other hand, we have never seen it before, too. Our team leaders took pictures with H.E. Director-General in the strawberry farm before leaving.

My wife and I took this picture to show my children, and we also want them to know the farm of strawberry.

There isn't any strawberry farm in Sihanouk province. We have just known it is transported from Europe country, but our country is able to grow it, too. We were happy to see it.

At 1:37pm
The bus was moving to the coffee  farm. When we arrived there, we were watching the coffee grain which were drying in the sun.

Then we were moving to a cottage where is a place for the tourist to rest and drunk coffee made by the farm owner. 

My wife and I didn't take it because we were afraid of dizzy. Taking long trip a couple days, my H.E. Director-General took a nap.

At that time, I went out the cottage to snap photos where is opposite the cottage where were were sitting to have coffee.

In the farm isn't coffee but also many kind of fruit trees as like as custard apple tree, papaya, mango tree, etc.

We left the farm at 2:38pm to move to the hotel to take 1 hour rest.

My wife and I took bath after a full day visiting resorts in Mondulkiri province. We didn't want to take rest so that we left our room and went out to the garden to take some pictures, for today is the fourth day of our trip .Therefore, we would go to Phnom Penh tomorrow.

When we went out to the garden, we saw Mr. Kol Sovanna and his wife at there. I asked him to take photos to us. In the late afternoon, the view is beautiful and the fresh air and warm because the weather in Mondulkiri is good. 

For the people living there is simple, but for us who are living in Phnom Penh felt happy and release stress. We took deep breath to get the fresh air into our lung many times. 

While we were taking photos and chatting with Mr Kol Sovanna and his wife, some of our colleagues left the hotel with beautiful clothes walking straight to the garden to take pictures as like us. 

Those elephants were made by stone of the mountain. The people working for a restaurant said that they have been spent long time to sculpt them.

She is Mr. Kol Sovann's wife. She said it was a first time for her to travel with BELTEI team leaders as like as my wife. They both seemed being close friends because they normally have breakfast, lunch, and dinner together.

It is a trail to the Mondulkiri hotel where we were staying for two nights. In front of the hotel is a garden with beautiful flowers. Some of flowers I have never seen before. It looks like paper. They said it was brought from abroad. Sometimes, seeing flowers in the garden also makes us happy.

At 5:30pm
BELTEI team leaders continue to Romi restaurant where is full of handicrafts for selling, ethnic minorities traditional wine, clothes especially all the tourists who have visited there were able to listen to the ethnic minorities songs.

I took some pictures, but my iphone4 wasn't good to take picture at night time; hence, I just snapped a couple of photos.

BELTEI team leaders were visiting around the restaurant to see the decoration and plants that they grow. Moreover, we have also seen the ethnic minority model. Some of us took them, but my phone wasn't able to do it.

After visiting it, we had dinner together. Our team leaders, the campus directors, were having dinner with our H.E. LY Chheng, a Director-General of BELTEI Group. While we were having lunch, we discuss some issues to find a good strategy in order to strengthen our core works.

When we finished dinner, we were invited to watch and listen to the songs of Pnorng minority. They sang around 4 songs, then they were dancing. Our H.E. Ly Chheng offered $50 to a representative of Pnorng minority in order to support their custom and tradition.

After that we were invited to dance with them together. We followed the Phnorng dancing style, Khmer orchestra. First of all, our H.E. Ly Chheng started to dance, then some of us also attend that occasion including the tourists who came from Phnom Penh and the other province to take part in it, too.

I have admired him (my director-general) that his brand was still working although we were watching to the concert. He was thinking about the BELTEI Tour that will be achievement in the near future. He has also had the willing to bring the outstanding of BELTEI students to visit Mondulkiri. Hence, he has to learn more about the resorts (safe places) before bringing them there.