Off on a Three Country Adventure!

My wonderful friend Rita Vitry from Paris has once again joined me here in Cambodia to embark on an adventure, beginning with Christmas in Saigon. We will venture up to Da Nang and Hoi An, fly East to Luang Prabang in Northern Laos, South to Bangkok, East to Siem Reap and finally back to Phnom Penh.
For our long hops, we will fly. Once on the ground, we will hire a car and driver for each new location. Our trip is scheduled for about three weeks.
Merry Christmas to my Western family and friends. Happy New Year to everyone. I look forward to sharing, here, some of our experiences upon our return, the second week of January.

Isreal World Affairs: The Obama Factor.

Across the world, even in the Middle East, Obama came out swinging as the new Messiah. But things are not what they originally seemed. Obama now is revealing himself as a poodle to the Clinton & Co. machine which nearly all middle-easterners accurately see as 100% pro-Israel.

Spoof on the Plight of the American Financial Sector

BEFORE WATCHING, A NOTE TO NON-AMERICAN VIEWERS:

Within urban centers throughout the United States, there are huge retail stores that specialize in construction, home repair and home improvement products and frequented by homeowners and building contractors alike. Outside these stores is often found a group of unemployed (often illegal alien) Mexican folks of all ages looking for 'day-labor' work. After the contractor or homeowner loads-up their purchases from the store, it is not uncommon to go over to this group and hire a couple helpers for the work ahead. Sometimes there is a bit of a frenzied enthusiasm when one approaches this group. A typical exchange goes something like this: "I need three painters and..." I paint!, I paint! with one arm in the air, is the common response..."and two guys that know how to dig a trench and..." Me dig!, Me dig! Once everyone is chosen and the hourly pay is established (usually between seven and 10 dollars an hour) the lucky, newly employed pile into their bosses vehicle and make a bee-line for the job site. Enjoy this funny satire.

Further Progress in the United States at Wolf Creek Ranch

This is the mighty “Rock Pond”, now ready to be filled. This is the site where we drilled, blasted and crushed hundreds of thousands of yards rock to create our miles of road inside the ranch.
Looks are deceiving. The perimeter of this pond is about the size of a football field. The sheer rock cliffs that take in three sides of the pond are about 50- feet high.

The Wolf Creek Bridge is complete. We are now in the process of filling the lakes to capacity. The three lakes will be full when water reaches the top of the fractured rock you see lining the perimiter. In the center of the lake on the left, you can faintly make out a sunken, 1950’s era boat and it’s mast. This steel boat hull was stripped of all toxic components and is essentially a shell. The primary purpose for this sinking has been for fish habitat. Secondly, it will be fun for swimmers to dive down and take a closer look. Top left of picture, note there is no fractured rock. This will be a beach area with comfortable human access and an adjoining shaded park.

North Lake, it as well needs to further fill. By spring, the top soil around the lake where we have been working will come alive with greenery and will make a stunning contrast with the water.

Some final touch-ups of the bridge

A misty morning view from the Main House site. Southern pond in the foreground and the mighty Pend Oreille River, center, flanked by beautiful mountains teaming with timber.

Here is just a small portion of the more than lovely, mile-long driveway leading to Wolf Creek Ranch. This road far exceeds loading parameters and standards of local, state or federal guidelines. The road is comprised of a properly compacted native soil base. Over the base, we installed a geo-textile fabric to keep the running surface and sub-strata from, ‘mushing’ into native soil. Over the geo-textile fabric, we laid six-inches of ¾”-minus fractured rock followed by another 5/8”-minus fractured rock top-coat. Both rock layers were comprehensively compacted with a vibratory-roller. The road is properly crowned to shed water. Where the road shares space with rather steep slopes – those slopes are, ‘rock armored’ to assure no-nonsense slope stability. Extensive drainage and a system of culverts have been installed allowing this road to service this ranch for many decades to come…year around.

This is the Southern-most pond on Wolf Creek Ranch. It too is in the process of filling-up to capacity. Like the other lakes, it will be at full-capacity as it reaches the top of the perimeter.
From this Southern-most lake, a sub-marine 25-horsepower electric pump sends 1200 gallons per minute, underground, up to the Northern-most lake and discharged. The water makes its way across the uppermost pond, under the bridge and then cascades down a 425-foot, ‘spawning stream’ (for ‘cut throat’ trout) into the lower most pond. The process repeats itself.

"Hey Jeff, what's the economy like over there in Cambodia?"

Timid, hurt and standing. Predictably, the garment and tourism sector in Cambodia has taken the biggest pummeling. As the first-world hunkers down for tough sledding ahead, orders for garment production here has contracted between 20 and 30 percent. The only savings grace for this sector is the fact that much of the garment product Cambodia creates is for the 'Old Navy' category retailer. While garment retailers like Old Navy may take a spanking along with everyone else, upper middle-class folks, under the current circumstances, will literally need to dress down and will likely become a new audience for the likes of Old Navy.



From a Cambodian tourism perspective, things are severe and complicated. Bangkok is a key gateway to Cambodia. Up until earlier this week, the Bangkok International airport was taken hostage by peaceful Thai, anti-government protesters. What a mess. Folks from half-way around the world were stuck-in or stuck-out of the region. Things are now being sorted out, but a real (and likely lasting blow) to both Cambodia and Thailand.

While garment manufacturing and tourism is all important here, what this country is really all about is rice production. Like all commodities, rice prices will fluctuate. In the long run, rice is number three in fundamental human necessities in much of the world. Only oxygen and water rate higher.

Of the approximately 14-million souls in this Kingdom, 80% are subsistence farmers. Their methods are thousands of years old. These farmers hydrology skills are nearly non-existent.

In my estimation, there are literally millions of acres like this in Cambodia. Most of it fallow. Some time ago I hounded my friends here in Cambodia that manage the ethical banks to help farmers establish cooperatives. The banks said, 'good idea Jeff, but the farmers do not trust one another enough to create cooperatives'.

If this is true, many of these little farmers are about to become dead meat. Harvesting in the thousands of acres with machines is just around the corner.

As we all know, the Middle East is really growing. Sandy, hot and and a hard place to grow healthy green stuff.

In the very near future, I see many several huge swaths of land - maybe tens of thousands of acres each - being awarded to sophisticated middle-eastern farmers.

Banking here is solid. Interestingly, by many accounts, Cambodia is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. On the other hand, Cambodia banking is currently much more stable than the United States or Europe.

Most construction projects underway here will finish. Material costs to developers have returned to original cost expectations. Still, me included, new construction guys are nervous and huddling with banks to decide how to move forward prudently. In my instance, banks are encouraging me to focus more on office rather than residential structures.

I agree with them. I need to adapt better.

Our land holdings here are in premium locations. Along with the rest of the world, we are in a slump. For my little firm, the good news is, like much of the world, ultra-premium property holds it's value. In these troublesome times, we are without debt and in good stead...and building.

Cyclo Test Drive

The cyclo (pronounced, 'see-klo') is the least expensive form of transportation in Phnom Penh and a common sight here. As you can see, the cyclo is a hybrid of the Chinese rickshaw that puts the passenger out front and the peddling driver in the rear. Designed for a single fare, having two folks squeezed in, or one on another lap is not uncommon. A trip of perhaps two-miles commands an equivalent of about 35 cents.

In this video short, I am touring around the fellow that runs the 'Cyclo Operators Association'. I am so tall that my knees hit the steering bar if I don't keep my legs wide-open. For whatever reason, the brake for all cyclo's is located behind the drivers seat. A big ring you pull-up on to slow down. In this video, as I am into my turn, I reach back to pull the brake but don't find it with my hand. A fellow sees this and run up behind me in case I get into trouble.

Exploring Interesting Architecture in Phnom Penh

Buddhist cats. Not only do people here tend to be more gentle and serene, animals do too.

This is a grad student from Phnom Pehn University, School of Architecture touring the city with Chean Long and myself. We are about to explore the former headquarters of the megalomania dictator, Pol Pot.

Pol Pot's former lair. This bastard ruled Cambodia just over three years (1975 - 1979) but unleashed terror and ground this little country to the stone-age. One in five Cambodians did not survive his carnage. Only now - some 30 years later - has Cambodia started to get back on it's feet.

* * *

Touring an interesting building converted to a health care clinic. As you can see, we arrived on a rather slow day. Doctor and two nurses playing cards on emergency room beds.

When you get sick, go to the clinic. Do not go to school or work and spread your sickness.

Wash your food and your hands to keep from becoming sick

Check-out proteins. Click to enlarge. There maybe something missing in your diet. Snake, cricket, larvae, worms and bugs. Acquired tastes for sure, but properly prepared, likely better for ones long-term health than McDonald's...I am told.

Clinic 'cooker' doing prep work for staff lunch. Everywhere in this region - people are constantly cooking. Just like westerners, after an Asian meal, they become hungry in no time as well!

Come to the clinic during pregnancy. Return to the clinic after birth. Are we missing a step here? Most often not. This is a country that routinely uses mid-wives and often considered outside the practice of clinics and hospitals -unless there is a problem.

Those are some typical, general, household looking scissors, common here.

Weigh the baby as it grows.

Interesting clinic interior. Built in the late 1960's.

The Asian squat. To them, just as - if not more comfortable - than sitting on a bench - or doing several other things.

Cops momentarily block a boulevard so as the Prime Minister can whizz by without delay.

The kitchen of a local eatery going full-tilt doing lunch orders.

There You Go!

As background, there are thousands of what are called NGO's (Non Government Organisations) across the Third World. The idea is the NGO gather donors to their cause. Just like any other business', some are good and some are bad. This NGO is another one I think is important and good.