Shop talk

I spent most of the working day today at the six-monthly CCBEN (that's community-based eco-tourism to the uninitiated) network members meeting listening to presentations by various CBET projects here in Cambodia including Sambor Prei Kuk, Mekong Discovery Trail, Chi Phat as well as the Stung Treng-based developments taking place at O'Russey Kandal and Preah Rumkel, the waterfalls on the Cambodian side of the Lao border area. I haven't been to the latter but it looks good enough to get myself up there during the dry season, when the water levels are lower, and the falls look more dramatic. It's always good to catch up and find out what's happening on the eco-tourism front, especially as some of the projects like Chi Phat and the MDT mature and progress. The folks at Wildlife Alliance in Chi Phat for example are now turning their attentions to a new project at Trapeang Rung on national highway 48 which they will link to Chi Phat by a bicycle and trekking route. It was a sad day though as the CCBEN co-ordinator, Sok Sophea, who does a really great job, is leaving to go to Hanoi for the next 9 months to further her studies. She will be greatly missed.
Tomorrow sees a change in the scheduled Cambodian Premier League fixtures as the Cambodia u-19 team playing in Vietnam next week has whisked away some of the key players for a couple of the teams, so their matches have been suspended. However, Phnom Penh Crown - who can go top for the first time if they win - and Khemara Keila are part of the line-up tomorrow afternoon, so the two games will be worth watching. In the week just gone, the two basement teams clashed and Phuchung Neak stay bottom, losing by a single goal to Post Tel.