The print is still warm

South of the Heart - the print is still warm

The intrigue is over. In my hands I have a hot-off-the-press copy of South of the Heart: Dry season journeys between Phnom Penh and Pailin, that author Robert Philpotts has just collected from the printers. This is Bob's fifth book and follows the pattern set by his Coast of Cambodia (2000) and Guide to Phnom Penh (1992) publications. Part travelogue, part guidebook, this new 200-page edition covers the area west of the Tonle Sap Lake, focusing on Kompong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambang and Pailin in particular, interspersed with his own illustrations and maps. It literally appeared in my hands moments ago, so I'll give my opinion once I've had chance to read it, though from a brief flick through, it feels like a book that anyone interested in seeking out more of what Cambodia has to offer, should get. It'll cost you $15 and is available only through secondhand bookshop Bohr's Books, located on Sothearos Boulevard, here in Phnom Penh. Now why didn't I do something like this with my travelogues, years ago.