Phnom Penh ~ Cambodia

We left Luang Prabang in the early morning before dawn.  Our final vision of empty streets, wooden fires burning with large blacken cauldrons cooking the daily rice, and the monks in their orange robes walking in the dark through the quiet neighborhood street.  It was an easy, but long day.  Flying first to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.  Our bags were unloaded by hand, placed on the carousel by hand, and were pretty dirty by the time we grabbed them.  Then we rebooked them for the next flight, changed our last remaining Kip into $5 dollars, and sat in a small cafe and ate the boxed breakfast our hotel was kind enough to pack for us.  We arrived in Cambodia and went through the process of getting a visa on arrival, filling out the forms and giving them a photo and $60 dollars cash.  Everybody wants American dollars!  Very easy.  We arrived at our beautiful hotel, The Pavilion.  We had stayed there two years ago and loved its olde world charm.  It had originally been the home of the last kings’ mother.  Central and close to the river, the palace and temples, but enclosed within high walls and tropical manicured gardens.  A secluded retreat in the city.  The staff were so kind. Showed us a couple of rooms, but we choose the same one we had last trip.  Beautiful embellished high ceilings, netting around the four poster bed, modern bathroom, and sweeping staircase up to the second floors.  Outside a pool where we immediately went for a swim.  Coffee and a small cookie were offered upon request, a treat from the management.  We felt like royalty!  We only spent two nights in Phnom Penh, but it was actually nicer than the last trip.  Air quality was better as there had been some rain.  The temperature was around 90 instead of 100, and we were happy the to see blue sky after the hazy and dusty pollution in LP.  After a shower we wandered through familiar streets to the riverside, where we went to the Foreign Correspondents Club, or as it is known by locals, the “F”. Housed in an old colonial building, a storied cast of foreign war correspondents and diplomats frenquented this funky bar all during the french and American wars.  Now,  “happy hour” means Khmer foods and stiff drinks.  We happily drank our gin and tonics beneath the ceiling fans watching the scene in the bar as well as the river beyond with the many small boats cruising slowly by.  I love cities with rivers passing through them.  Later we found our way to the homemade noodle cafe we enjoyed our last trip.  It is on a corner surrounded by girly bars, tiny beautiful Cambodian girls sitting around in teeny black formfitting dresses, high heels and long black hair.  As we ate our noodles we caught some of the action.  Yep, we were back in Asia!   The next day we hired a tuktuk to go to the Smart Shop, where we bought our new SIM card.  So cheap, $2 a week for 4 G.  Plus a dollar for the SIM card.  Off to the old central market, housed in an incredible deco round building.  Very hot and a tad frustrating, but so many small venders with beautiful silver, textiles, sunglasses, foods...you name it, they have it.  We happily bought a few carved small Ganesh, a few silver bowls.  Lots of sweaty fun.  Then it was back to our lovely sanctuary for swimming and relaxing.  I seem to be really perfecting the “Art of Relaxing”.  It is a required skill here in the heat of Asia.  No guilt!   Then it was back out walking through the evening traffic, streets alive with street venders, small stalls grilling food, sidewalk Restaurants and bars,  and the usual broken treacherous sidewalks.  Dinner at Dave’s Homemade noodles, with a young guy out front pulling a slab of dough into hundreds of thin fresh noodles.  Simple crowded room, filled with young travelers and a few expats, the owner running back and forth serving draft beers and sweating.  Asking everyone to share their tables.  Making new aquatinences.  That’s what I love about traveling here.  The energy, the night life, the never a dull moment.  We happily walked back to the hotel.  Went into the pool for a swim under the stars.  After about ten minutes, the wind picked up and swirled around, baby mangos dropped from the huge tree draped over the pool, lightening flashed in the sky and thunder announced the coming storm.  We got out as the first rain drops hit, went up to our room, and enjoyed the sounds of the storm raining like only in the tropics sounds.   The next morning it was clean and clear.  Breakfast was served around the second pool.  All very serene and peaceful.  Fruit, eggs, fresh croissant and rolls, and good coffee.  The waiter took the time to teach me how to say good morning, good afternoon, and good evening.  I had to write it down.  He was smart and his English excellent.  Later, we were rolling our bags down the walkway, saying farewell to the wonderful staff.  Our driver was waiting for us to take us to our next destination.  We were sad to leave...