Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

Waving children on the road

New Hope students learning English

Our group sits down to dinner at the New Hope restaurant, a brand new facility that will help fund the organisations many efforts

  Our first day in Cambodia was spent in Siem Reap, a city of 750,000 with a very distinctive visual line drawn between the haves; large modern hotels with well manicured front entrances dotted with tourists, and the have-nots, dusty dirt roads lined with shanties frequented by shoeless children.  We arrived late in the afternoon and went directly to a grass roots NGO, New Hope Cambodia,  where we stepped into the schools classrooms and joined the kids in their English lessons.  They were a smiling, talkative bunch and we took turns asking all kinds of questions.  Their English was amazing, their stories were sad.  The majority of students were orphans, having lost their parents to war or disease.  Thanks to this organisation 150 children are receiving an education, 180 impoverished families are receiving food, and up to 100 sick per day are being treated with medical care.  After class we headed over to a freshly built one room restaurant and listened to the volunteers talk more about what New Hope does and what we can do to help.  This is a truly remarkable organisation with far reaching goals, please consider making a donation here.

Angkor Wat slowly revealing itself with the sunrise

At 4am in the pitch dark the following morning, armed with a headlamp and a flashlight, we were crossing the threshold of the largest religious monument ever constructed, the capital of the Khmer kingdom from 802 to 1295.  I had grand notions of what to expect at Angkor Wat, literally "city temple," quite fitting considering the entire complex is a spansive 37 square mile city in itself, tough to navigate purely in a day.  Once the sun started to spread light on a temple fronted by massive ponds, (water storage vital to the inhabitants in it's days of glory) every minute added excitement.  We traversed through the highlights, each more impressive than the last.  Every wall of every temple was something to marvel; stone reliefs told mysterious stories of the past, the detail mind boggling when considering the vast quantity contained in the entire complex. And speaking of pictures, they can't begin to give the experience justice but please see below. From wikipedia:

One of the first Western visitors to the temple was Antonio da Magdalena, a Portuguese monk who visited in 1586 and said that it "is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of".[5]
 However, the temple was popularised in the West only in the mid-19th century on the publication of Henri Mouhot's travel notes. The French explorer wrote of it:
"One of these temples—a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo—might take an honourable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged."[6]

All images by PepperKeyStacie

Indian Kitchen

  We managed to have a proper Saturday this weekend, a nearly work free Saturday, which is rare in our household.  We took the dog to Leeward beach and enjoyed a bright, glassy turquoise ocean for a snorkel and swim.  I took a few travel books to help us plan our next trip over lunch.  We decided to stop at a little place we pass often that had a new sign hanging over the front entrance.  Indian Kitchen has only been open two weeks and I highly suggest everyone give it a try before it gets crowded.  Two Corona's and two delicious vegetarian roti's set us back only $28.  The open air cafe sits just beside Alverna's Market, perfect for tourists to take a browse at the local craft, seashell, and Haitian art selections.  For those of us that live here, it's one of those places that remind us we live in the Caribbean; simple white painted wood structure with splashes of color here and there, lattice and shutters to catch the breeze, and a small grassy courtyard area nestled between the market shops.  We asked the friendly owner if we could move our table and chairs under the shade of a coconut tree and she eagerly obliged us.  A nearby native lantana and a red hibiscus were visited by a hummingbird while we polished every last morsel off our plates.

All images by pepperkeystacie

Our Wedding

This week will be dedicated to posting our wedding, which took place on January 9th, 2010. After 6 years of mutually avoiding the matter of marriage, little mentions began to emerge in 2008. These little tidbits of conversation established that IF we got married, we would have a small wedding, family would be foremost, and we would absolutely stick to a reasonable budget. In 2009 the "if" changed to a "when" and it was agreed it should be celebrated in the sole place we deemed appropriate; the dream we built into reality, the dwelling we call home, the place we most wanted to share with our far away families. In actuality we did stick to our guns. We had a small wedding with 50 guests, primarily family, who we were lucky enough have travel far and wide. Our families were at our sides and graciously at our service, especially my brothers as my bridesmaids and Stephane's sisters as his groomswomen. We researched the cost of the average wedding and swore to stay within those boundaries, a feat accomplished thanks to many do it yourself money savers.

The Big News & The Big Move

 It's shameful how long I have been neglecting this blog but I can finally explain the reasons why . .

drumroll please . . . . 

I finally have a HOME WEBSITE!!!!

It has always been a challenge to explain what I do professionally, now I don't need to bumble and stumble on words to try to summarize.  At long last there is a comprehensive portfolio that demonstrates the various work that I do.  Please stop by the brand spanking new website, Stacie Steensland.com and take a peek.  With the new site comes the new blog and I would love YOUR advice!  I have miraculously managed (please read below) to import all 365 posts here on Pepper & Pikey to the new blog so the question is, do I cease writing here and carry on solely over there?  OR do I keep the Turks and Caicos content; the Field Guide Friday posts, the fundraisers, local events, travel entries, personal news, etc right here and post all TC Millwork projects and work related content on the new blog?   Please post a comment below with your thoughts!

There are many other reasons for my long absence from blogging, a few major life events that I am still grappling with and a few more I am still expecting!  Please read my first post on the new blog below:

 Image via pinterest

 

After weeks of procrastination, months of asking various individuals advice, it's done and I can't believe how simple it was.  My very own website had been a back burner project for many years, it's near completion almost a month ago only demanded resolution of the blog.  I had been blogging via blogger since March of 2010 and loved the user friendliness and comfort of knowing the ropes.  365 posts on Pepper Key Stacie had me torn.  Do I start all over here?  Do I try to transfer the old blog to the new wordpress site?  That sounded like a brilliant idea but many tech savvy people said it would be a nightmare.  So I dragged my feet, and with selling Fleur de Lys Villa, finding a house to rent, packing, moving, all while 8-9 months pregnant, there was plenty to keep busy and distracted from blogging with.  With one week to due date and the last thing to tick off the list, I finally tackled the challenge.  Mind you as of this morning I still had not a clue what to do or where to start but I thought it fitting that today's public holiday here in the Turks and Caicos, the Queen's Official Birthday, was as good a day as any to figure out this royal problem.   By this afternoon, just as I was about to give up, I found my miracle;  "How I Moved My Blogger Blog to Wordpress" and within an hour it was done.  Like magic.  Sure there is some formatting and figuring out to do but all that content is now here!  I feel like The Magic Grinder has just granted my wish.  Thank you Computer Guru!

Guest post on My Sea Story

I am guest posting on My Sea Story today so please head on over there to read a little about what I love about Turks and Caicos.  Joana's blog is lovely, if you have yet to be introduced, here is a little splash.  Joana (isn't she adorable!) writes a wealth of information on travel, for example this charming post on Valladolid, Mexico.

 

 Of all these amazing places she has visited, she has clearly fallen head over heals for Turks and Caicos; the food, the beaches, the diving, the ins and outs of island life.   I am so not a foodie and often visit her blog for great restaurant tips like a few new food spots in provo, and

where 2 go 4 java.

So go get your feet wet over at myseastory, you are sure to find something you fancy!

Father's Day

  I'm a tad tardy on this but I do believe I have heard dad say a time or two, "better late than never."  Yesterday I met with a journalist writing a book about conservation, here in the Turks and Caicos and throughout the world (stay posted for more to come on that topic) so I didn't have the chance to get this post done quite in time. Yesterday's Father's Day is the very first my father has spent as a retired man!  Last Wednesday, June 15th, marked Larry's last day at the company he has loyally given his service to for over 20 years.  His nearly 35 year career as a heavy equipment salesman, traveling all over the great state of Wyoming, plus Colorado, Utah, Montana, and beyond, is formally finished.

Now it's time to . . . . .  

tinker with your favorite toys,

travel,

take to the open road on two wheels,

and take the time to have a beer with your buddies!

Congratulations Dad!  Your family can't thank you enough for all of your hard work over the years; all the icy roads, the long weeks away from home, and the rough days. I can't ever recall you having anything but laughs and loyalty from your many customers.  Your attitude was always pleasant and professional, an attribute I aspire to very much in my own career.  Cheers to you, hats off!

Beautiful British Columbia

Stanley Park, Vancouvers famous first "greenspace"designated in 1888

The long holiday wasn't intended to be a break from blogging but 8 weeks later here I am finally getting around to this long overdue post!  British Columbia had been on our travel list for years, both as an opportunity to see more of the Pacific Northwest and a chance to visit Stephanes' father in Vancouver. 

White Rock 

Victoria 

Salt Spring Island 

Tofino 

 

 

Pacific Rim National Park 

The famous salmon burger at the wildsidegrill accompanied by a local tasty tofinobrew

 Darwin's Cafe and gardens at the Tofino Botanical Gardens Foundation

Extreme kiteboarding in Squamish, glacier water just below freezing point, rapid currents, and super strong winds make this a place for the diehards . . . so not surprised to meet a fellow Wyomingite getting ready to ride!

Whistler 

 Thompson-Okanagan Valley

Absolutely incredible wining and dining at Quails Gate

Sunset view from the Quails Gate Estate and Winery

Big thanks to Roger (the tireless photographer) and Judy for hosting us in their hometown and sharing their amazing province with us!  We had such an amazing trip; camping, hiking, biking, and marveling at all the beautiful places we hope to someday relive again!