Cambodia Lost Coast: Koh Rong, Koh Sdach, Koh Kong, Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia Islands, Cambodia WildAid, Cambodia Sex Tourists, Cambodia Visa, Koh Kong Province, Cambodia Beach Resorts, Koh Manou, Koh Kapik, Cambodia Border Crossing, Travel in Cambodia

On Christmas Eve 2006 I crossed into Cambodia with a photographer named Ryan Libre.

Ryan and I spent two months traversing the wild Southwest frontier of this war-torn Southeast Asian country, meeting crab fishermen, sex-tourists, at least one axe murderer and a private eco-army paid by Angelina Jolie. We traveled by kayak, jeep, bicycle and long-tail boat; when there was no other way, we walked.

We found very beautiful things and very ugly things, but the overwhelming impression we took away was of impermanence.

By Christmas 2007, the coast we experienced will no longer exist. By then, a hardtop road will cut through the jungle and oil companies will have begun drilling offshore.

On island beaches, newly trained resort staff will sweep away the ashes of campfires lit by nomadic fishermen.

How does one create a portrait of a place? What images are essential? Whose stories must be told?

Our place is Cambodia’s Lost Coast, the wild country between the Thai border and the tourist boom town of Sihanoukville. Our goal is to explore, to turn over rocks, to listen and to fashion a document showing what we find, so that ten, twenty and one hundred years from now, when the lost coast has shifted and changed, there will be a record of what once was here, a sculpted collection of memories in a handful of photos and a few thousand words….

Fishing villages and shrimp farms cling to a narrowing slice of land as Highway 318 winds East from Bangkok, until the looming hills on our left pinch off the beach entirely and all that is left of Thailand is a parking lot on a bluff over the sea. Touts jog to the Minibus, pressing themselves to the windows when they see our faces – “Hello, Where You Go My Friend? Tonight Pussy Fuck!” ....

"Bat Country" describes the events of one of the more interesting days I've spent in Cambodia - a day that featured a sinking boat, 8 kilometers of deserted white sand beach, a raging thunderstorm, menacing drunks with hatchets, thousands of giant bats and lots of pooping outside.

A long and illustrious career with foreign aid organizations leads to a dusty village farmyard.

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"My Heart is Tired"

It’s afternoon and we’re back where we started, cloudy skies. Ryan hikes off towards the beach to have a poo, comes back – you gotta see this – grab binoculars – there is a luxury motorboat coming in across the bay, heading for the village – who could that be?

	Cambodia’s Lost Coast On Christmas Eve 2006 I crossed into Cambodia with a photographer named Ryan Libre. Ryan and I spent two months traversing the wild Southwest frontier of this war-torn Southeast Asian country, meeting crab fishermen, sex-tourists, at least one axe murderer and a private eco-army paid by Angelina Jolie. We traveled by kayak, jeep, bicycle and long-tail boat; when there was no other way, we walked. We found very beautiful things and very ugly things, but the overwhelming impression we took away was of impermanence. By Christmas 2007, the coast we experienced will no longer exist. By then, a hardtop road will cut through the jungle and oil companies will have begun drilling offshore. On island beaches, newly trained resort staff will sweep away the ashes of campfires lit by nomadic fishermen. Some lives will get better; some lives will get worse. People will have more things. On this page you can check out working chapter drafts such as - The Prelude "Christmas In Cambodia" "Bat Country" "Accountability" "My Heart is Tired" or blog post style Notes From the Road. Prelude How does one create a portrait of a place? What images are essential? Whose stories must be told? Our place is Cambodia’s Lost Coast, the wild country between the Thai border and the tourist boom town of Sihanoukville. Our goal is to explore, to turn over rocks, to listen and to fashion a document showing what we find, so that ten, twenty and one hundred years from now, when the lost coast has shifted and changed, there will be a record of what once was here, a sculpted collection of memories in a handful of photos and a few thousand words…. Continue reading the Prelude... CHAPTER ONE CHRISTMAS IN CAMBODIA Fishing villages and shrimp farms cling to a narrowing slice of land as Highway 318 winds East from Bangkok, until the looming hills on our left pinch off the beach entirely and all that is left of Thailand is a parking lot on a bluff over the sea. Touts jog to the Minibus, pressing themselves to the windows when they see our faces – “Hello, Where You Go My Friend? Tonight Pussy Fuck!” .... Continue reading Chapter One BAT COUNTRY "Bat Country" describes the events of one of the more interesting days I've spent in Cambodia - a day that featured a sinking boat, 8 kilometers of deserted white sand beach, a raging thunderstorm, menacing drunks with hatchets, thousands of giant bats and lots of pooping outside. continue reading "Bat Country" "Accountability" Americans should stand trial for War Crimes committed against Cambodia. read "Accountability" "My Heart is Tired" A long and illustrious career with foreign aid organizations leads to a dusty village farmyard. read "My Heart is Tired" Notes From the Road (Koh Rong Island) It’s afternoon and we’re back where we started, cloudy skies. Ryan hikes off towards the beach to have a poo, comes back – you gotta see this – grab binoculars – there is a luxury motorboat coming in across the bay, heading for the village – who could that be? Continue reading Notes From the Road...
			Headed up river in the Cardamom Mountains. This river runs along the roadless border with Thailand. It is a major highway for smugglers, who are often affiliated with the Cambodian army. Apart from a few isolated settlements, the watershed is uninhabitated. Photo by Ryan Libre The Koh Kong market smells of fish blood, charcoal and over-ripe fruit. The market is busiest in the early morning, when farmers arrive with fresh produce. Many vendors retreat to the inner area of the market for a nap in the shade during the heat of the day. A few moments after Ryan took this photo a siesta-minded shopkeeper used a pole to adjust the sheet-metal panels of the market roof and block out the slanting beams of light. Photo by Ryan Libre A full moon rises over Koh Sdach, an island halfway between Koh Kong and the tourist boom town of Sihanoukville. Koh Sdach’s population is a mix of Khmers, Thais and Vietnamese, most of whom work in one way or another for a Thai businessman who owns the island guesthouse, fish packing plant and ice factory. Koh Sdach isn’t in the guide books. Travelers going from Cambodia to Thailand on the bullet boat sometimes get off here for a night or two, but the ferry service is likely to stop when the new road through the jungle is finished, making it much more difficult to reach Koh Sdach. Photo by Ryan Libre Two cows share a moment of genuine affection in front of the Poco Loco go-go bar in downtown Sihanoukville. Migrants from fishing villages often have difficulty adjusting to the cutthroat atmosphere of this boom town. “In the countryside, if someone is hungry people will give him rice,” one worker explained, “Here it’s every man for himself.” Photo by Ryan Libre A captive python waits to shock diners at the Snake House restaurant in Sihanoukville. The Snake House is the brainchild of a wealthy Russian businessman rumored to enjoy close connections with the Cambodian elite. Rival businesspeople would be wise to avoid accepting dinner invitations to the Snake House. Photo by Ryan Libre