Earlier in the year I was working on my forthcoming book ‘Presenting Cambodia’, a commissioned A4 hardback which provides an overview of this wonderful country through text and around 250 images. My chosen mode of transport in Cambodia, and anywhere else for that matter, is a motorcycle, preferably a dirt bike so I can get off road when the desire takes me.
In February I hired a bike in Phnom Penh and headed northeast. The first stop was Kompong Cham. The town takes its name from Cham Muslims who have a sizeable population in the area and there are Cham fishing villages to discover on both sides of the river. The town is the perfect destination for a few lazy Mekong days.
One of the highlights Kompong Cham is a day spent exploring nearby island, Koh Paen. During the cool and dry seasons it can be reached by a bamboo bridge. Built every year when the Mekong’s high waters recede, the fantastic structure stretches for almost one kilometres and is wide enough and strong enough to take the weight of small trucks. In the late afternoon a pleasant hour or two can be spent at the bridge observing the to-and-fro of locals, and watching fishermen cast their nets into a river illuminated by the setting sun’s fiery glow.
While there, I bumped into the diminutive and enthusiastic Vietnamese photographer, Hao Dinh, and we spent a couple of memorable afternoons exploring the island and photographing the bridge.
All but the first image are out-takes that never made it into the book. I gave up long ago trying to fathom the ways of publishers…
Presenting Cambodia should be out in late October or early November.
August 8th, 2013 at 7:24 am
Very nice and well captured. Will be curious to see what the publisher chose. By the looks of it he has plenty to choose from. One can easily spend a week exploring Kampong Cham.
August 8th, 2013 at 8:32 am
Hi Jim, good to hear from you. I’ve seen the layouts and the whole books looks pretty good. I think it represents the country well for visitors. I’ll be interested to hear your opinion come November when it should be in Monument Books. The first of these Kompong Cham images was used as a double spread. It is always a frustrating process when you discover what has been left out or how images have been edited but these are commissioned books so I have to try and let it go over my head. I agree about Kompong Cham. It’s a lovely little town and worth several days. Kratie too. I took the bike on the ferry over the river just up from Kompong Cham and then followed the old dirt road up to Kratie. A great trip. Hope all is well in Phnom Penh.
Mick
August 8th, 2013 at 11:51 pm
Great selection of images Mick. The Khmers are great innovators – so this is all made of bamboo, rattan lashings and plank? I guess in 10 years there will be a 4 lane concrete bridge across it and what will you photograph then? Smiling people who will see it as progress? Great stuff.
August 9th, 2013 at 3:29 am
Yeah, all bamboo…and rebuilt every year. I have some shots of 4-wheel drives going over it. There are a couple of wider sections on the bridge as passing places for the cars. It is a fantastic construction and great fun to blast over on a dirt bike…