The owner of the Green bar was our guide we had him & a car for US$60 for the day. He was something of a gem in Sen Monorom,tourists flock to his bar for info & local tours.
First up was a waterfall, I got in behind it he afterwards said he wouldn't there's snakes there. Full of local knowledge we quizzed him on weird fruit, burnt holes in trees which is used to gather resin & why there are areas of deforestation which lead to a stop at a rubber plantation for the answer.
The next stop was a small village of the Penang people who have their own language, live off the land and use no modern innovations. We sat in their 10x5mtr grass roof home shared by 12people, chatting while on a smokey fire in the middle a pot of jungle veges was cooking for their pigs. Our guide acted as translator as we traded similarities with countries and issues the Maori people had been through, till I mentioned about my disbelief that they were cooking for their pigs. Then the talk went to swine flu & bird flu because 2 pigs died unexpectedly yesterday(Rachel & I did glance at each other at this point obviously both thinking the worst.) he was very unhappy they were worth a lot of money to him. In latter discussion with our guide he explained it has happened before at this time of year just after the first rains so he was asking for our help to stop them dying.
We then had a traditional lunch of a type of pancake filled with sprouts and meat then this was wrapped with some leaves and dipped in a sauce while sitting in a coffee plantation.
After lunch we relaxed in the hammocks sipping ice coffee discussing with the guide the corruption of Cambodia & the positives and negatives of having all the NGO's.
Finishing up the tour was a bit of nature a view over a forest better viewed during wet season and a walk to some massive trees!
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