It’s the end of my first weekend in Cambodia, and I thought I would write another blog entry… so far I seem to be keeping this blogging thing up ok… but then again I have not got the worlds most exciting social life right now, so I guess that could explain things.
I went across the road for diner just now and whilst I was waiting started to jot some things down that I might want to write… this preparation may be why I fear this blog entry could be quite long… but then that’s the good thing about blogs they don’t clog up inboxes with unread emails and if you don’t want to read you don’t even have to look, so mr/mrs reader you can’t really complain.
Yesterday I walked down to the river, I initially thought I was looking at the mighty Mekong river, however consulting the wise Lonely Planet I see it is the place where the river flowing from the Tonle Sap meets the Mekong and becomes something else… it is a beautiful spot. In the river are many long wooden boats, I guess people use these for fishing and transportation, and probably some people live on them… then coming ashore are lots of small market stands, selling everything and anything… my favourites are the ones under wooden shades which have lots of hammocks slung from the rafters - they’re little cafes where you can stop to eat rice whilst sitting in a hammock.
After ambling along the river I decided to see if I could get a swim in at one of the hotels. This was a bizarre experience, outside the hotel its all hot, bustling, noisy and smelly but once through the clear glass doors you’re in air-conditioned ex-pat land… the pool was lovely and quiet surrounded by sun loungers, I did some lengths then lay out on the side, sipping freshly squeezed orange juice that cost the same price as 3 meals in a yummy Khmer restaurant near work… hmmm. Then I did some more swimming as the whole thing was quickly becoming my most expensive swimming experience ever. For $72 per month you can join the hotel and use the pool and gym and sauna (quick question: why do you need a sauna when you only need stand outside for a free one?).. I was toying with this idea but fortunately I have now been shown a pool at an international school that you can join for $18 per month and is much nearer where I live, so I reckon I might try and do that… in the heat swimming is soooo nice!
I keep meaning to take some photos to put on here, but I haven’t got around to taking any yet… I will do that at some point tho… excitingly I have found a shop which prints digi photos at the cheapest price ever… Ed you would more than love this place for the bargains :o)
Some of my colleagues took me to the ‘Russian Market’ - a great place to shop methinks. It wasn’t as busy as I expected but it was the sort of place you can imagine a fire sweeping through in seconds… there is a huge ‘food’ area with lots of coal burning stoves churning out delicious food, very close to a low ceilinged area with many many stalls crammed together selling everything from the most beautiful selections of silk fabrics to cheap cheap DVDs to Chinese plastic crap (Mongol people think black market in UB) to clothes that have apparently ‘fallen’ off the production line in the GAP, Columbia, H&M, American Eagle factories that are about the place… I can see myself spending a lot of money on fabrics, but I managed to restrain myself to a couple of t-shirts.
You will also be excited to know that biker telf has come into existence, I have now braved the motos and been zooming around on the back of them (wearing my helmet of course…) however my next mission is to buy a peddle bike… I am missing Kert (my lovely English bike) and so I think a Cambodge Kert is needed… indeed it already has a name CK… excellent… alas I didn’t manage to fit my bike helmet into my rucksack and there is no way I am going to wear my motorbike helmet on a bally bike, so I will have to find a helmet too… otherwise Marionanon and Sue you know what you’re bringing in March ;o) I live close enough to work to cycle and I think it will mean I can explore places a bit faster than on foot… although negotiating the traffic might be interesting… however despite the traffic being totally nonsensical and all over the place it is very laid back… on the whole there aren’t too many people charging around at super speeds…
What else… exploring my little street has turned up a shop which puts MP3s straight onto your MP3 player: $1.50 for 5 albums… wicked. Also found a gorgeous Vietnamese restaurant which is beautifully lit and decorated and the food and beer are yum.
Mostly I am pretty happy. I think it will be good to acquire some more friendly friends at some point… but otherwise the sunshine and rice seem to be doing me fine. I remembered Holly in Darfur last night and that made me realize exactly how lucky I am to be in this lovely place, surrounded by so many (cheap) amenities.
Life in ex-pat land is great, but I am looking forward to getting out of PP and seeing some proper Cambodia.
Over and out
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