Hold Your Breath, Pedal Fast

When training was over and I found out that I was moving to Battambang province I was a little disappointed.  I say this because I requested to live in the southern provinces and got assigned to the second most northern province that Peace Corps stations volunteers.  Now that I've been at my permanent site in Battambang province I couldn't be happier.  I live in a nice for Cambodia house with an awesome family.

As part of settling into my home for the foreseeable future I wanted to explore the surrounding villages, so that's what I did.  Most of my discoveries were great.  I found beautiful rice paddies as far as the eye could see along with palm and coconut trees soaring to great heights making me really feel like I was in the Kingdom of Wonder.

Adding to the natural beauty is that fact that I live a stones through from a river.  I can't see it from my house, but it is within a minutes walk from my doorstep.  When I bike to my provincial town I bike along the twists and turns of the riverside road watching fishermen cast their nets for the days catch.

All this sounds great, right?  It is, but there is one place that I frequently ride by that literally and figuratively spoils any good day.  The place is called Pasaa Prohoc.  Pasaa is the Khmer word for market, but that's only half the story.  It leaves you wondering, what is Prohoc?  For those of you not living in Cambodia fear not.  No country in their right mind would ever manufacture such as atrocious, offensive, foul smelling, meant to be consumable item except Cambodia.  Put lightly, Prohoc is fermented fish.

Situated on the banks of the river that runs near my house, about two villages away, sits Pasaa Prohoc.  It also happens to be beside one of only two bridges that cross the river before you make it to my provincial town.  I cross the bridge to visit my Khmer language teacher as well as to use internet at the closest internet shop.  The market also sits less than one hundred meters from the best coffee that I've had in Cambodia.  Whenever the necessity arises to pass near the malodorous market I hold my breath and pedal fast.

I don't want you to think that this is made up or that people are so desperate for food that they eat fermented fish, because that is not the case.  Khmer people happily and willingly eat fermented fish mostly adding it to soup to "add flavor."  This stuff is manufactured by the vat.  How do you make it?  Easy!  Cut up old, smelly fish, and salt, and let ferment for the foreseeable future then enjoy!

As with most things in life and is commonplace with my blog, pictures are worth a thousand words.

The unassuming market from the outside

Not so fresh delivery from Thailand. No amount of soup can rid that kind of smell

Unloading the gold

Yum!

First you gotta cut em' up

She's a pro!

Add salt

Fishcicles

Let it ferment

Yum!

She's wearing flip flops

Some get filleted 

Some get baked in the sun.  

Fish, Fish everywhere, but not a drop to eat

This isn't your local Captain D's

Let it rot!

The ground enhances the flavor and color

If your British it enhances the flavour and colour

The health department keeps a tight leash

Grinding enhances the flavor

From the inside out

Gotta love a panoramic

Coming to a used car lot soon!

Vampire's delight

Fish guts

120 Kilos to much!

It's heavy

One of the two salt factories beside the market

Grinding the salt

I had a little too much fum making he captions.  It's the little things that brighten my day.

Now you can enjoy your morning cup of Joe.  Remember I bike by this every morning to get mine.

That's all for now,
-Matt