Catch-up

Today was spent making my way back on the Mekong Express bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, which kept to the schedule but I must say the buses are looking a bit worse for wear these days. For quite a while now they've been regarded as the best of the local bus companies but I think they need to overhaul some of their stock before the other companies overtake them on the comfort front. However, their timings on my two trips this week have been immaculate. I got back in at 2.30pm and went straight to the office for a catch-up. I also popped into the Phnom Penh Post offices to chat with Dan the sports editor before a meal at the new Fish restaurant on Sisowath Quay and some of their red snapper in batter, which was simply divine. Thoroughly recommended. I've decided against going to Kompong Cham for Pchum Ben over the next 3 days as much of the area I want to visit has been under water due to recent flooding, so I'll have to leave it for another day. Instead I'll stay home in a likely-to-be deserted city. Yesterday, after my guests left, I visited a few friends including Thanet at Tara Angkor - thanks for the lunch Thanet - and Sarah at The Sothea before Now and I joined the owners of the Shadow of Angkor guesthouse for a gorgeous meal of Khmer chicken curry, my favourite. After a drink in the 4Faces it was back to the HanumanAlaya for an early night.

Glorious Devata

A Devata at the little-visited temple of Banteay Prei holds a mirror in her hand

I can't make it myself, but the good folks at The Sothea luxury hideaway resort in Siem Reap are launching an exhibition devoted to Devata, the heavenly goddesses of Angkor, from tomorrow until the end of November. The exhibits will showcase the work of a local artisan group formed under the tutelage of the late Ip Somol, the 'Dean of Khmer Arts.' Opening the event will be a lecture entitled Banteay Srei: A Citadel of Women, from Dr Olivier Cunin, a senior fellow at the Center for Khmer Studies and author of The Face Towers of Banteay Chhmar and Bayon, New Perspectives. The Sothea itself, is a quiet oasis in the midst of Siem Reap, with 39 suites, offering a highly-personalized service and focused on femininity.

I'm a real twit

Well actually I've been called far worse but it seems to be all the rage this week - next week it'll be something else - but before I get accused of being left way back in the Stone Age again, I've gone and done it, I've signed up to Twitter. Not that I imagine anyone will be interested, but you can catch me here. I'm also on MySpace and Facebook - isn't everyone?
On my recent visit to Siem Reap I was told that the newest 5-star hotel in town, The Sothea, was closing down, just a matter of months after opening. It was a false rumour. The hotel's GM, Sarah Moya (right), came to see me yesterday to make sure we knew that it was false and whilst the hotel, like everyone else in the tourism industry over here right now, is finding it hard to get customers through the door, the hotel is alive and well and busy making new plans to attract more clientele. Sarah and her team have worked damn hard to get The Sothea's name out into the marketplace and this kind of vicious and false rumour reflects badly on us in the industry, as it had to start somewhere. One hotel that is closing for the forseeable future though is Le Relais de Chhlong, the already-restored colonial villa along the banks of the Mekong River at Chhlong, south of Kratie. They tell me that its for renovations but a year seems a heck of a long time to close your doors and lose business. But hey, I'm not a hotelier so what do I know.