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Phnom Penh, May 2018Phnom Penh, May 2018
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A 15-day adventure by Erik Read more
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  • TravelerPhnom Penh, May 2018
    Day 5

    Last Day in Phnom Penh

    May 20, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We made time for another visit to the Hard Rock Cafe again last night, apparently because we didn’t make it to the shop last time! Well, shock horror in the shop, Tanya couldn’t find anything she wanted and I got two t-shirts, there’s a first. After that we went for dinner and a few beers (well 4 jugs of beer to be precise) and to watch the band. Tanya had stated quite categorically that we wouldn’t be staying until the end but we ended up leaving at closing time again.
    Fortunately we had nothing planned for today so it was a lazy start followed by a bit of breakfast and after we had checked out, a tuktuk ride to the airport where we are currently waiting to board our flight back to Bangkok.
    So what did we think of Phnom Penh, well we both really liked it. It’s not a particularly touristy place, there are things to do but not as many as in other places we have visited. We saw everything we wanted to - we deliberately didn’t go to the killing fields and the associated museum - and I think we got the amount of time required here just right. Would we visit again, yes I think we would and perhaps try to see some of the things the average tourist doesn’t.
    Next stop Bangkok then on to Mandalay tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerPhnom Penh, May 2018
    Day 4

    Oudong

    May 19, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    It was an early start this morning and by about 0745 we were in the tuktuk and on our way to Oudong, stopping only for a coffee at the waterfront so that Tanya didn’t get too grumpy. it was a fairly long ride (about an hour and a half) but interesting as we left the city behind and drove into the countryside.
    Oudong was the site of the royal capital of Cambodia from the 17th to the 19th centuries but as the majority of buildings back then were wooden all that’s left now is a collection a temples and stupas across the tops of a couple of hills but still well worth a visit and the effort to climb the stairs to the top. Even though it was a hot day we fully explored the area accompanied by our driver who was able to tell us about the various temples and stupas. On the way back to the tuktuk we came across a group of monkeys being annoyed by some young tourists and saw one of the monkeys drinking water out of a bottle he had liberated from them. Then we visited the National Meditation Centre before stopping off for a bit of lunch.
    On the way back we stopped off at a silversmiths village where they had some beautiful pieces of hand made silver and we could see some patterns being hammered out by hand. Was it good silver, well there were three monks there negotiating a price for some so I think it was and needless to say Tanya had to have a couple of bracelets!    Read more

  • TravelerPhnom Penh, May 2018
    Day 3

    Silk Island

    May 18, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    This morning we crawled out of bed a bit later than usual (nothing to do with last nights beer of course) and having had a coffee we were ready for our 10.00 start to go off to Mekong Island or Silk Island as it also appears to be known. A bit of a drive out of town to catch a local ferry across The Mekong River, how do I know it was a local ferry, well we were the only westerners there and I think the photos make it fairly clear. Interesting to see that there are still some stilt houses along the river and that new ones are still being built. Then once we were across it was off to a locally run silk farm. I get the impression that our driver is very much into local businesses and projects run by local people for the benefit of local people, which suits us down to the ground and means we get to see things the average tourist doesn’t.
    The silk farm was really interesting, did you know for example that you can get a thread of between 700 - 1000 metres in length from a single cocoon and that the threads from 20 cocoons are picked up using egg plant leaves and then spun together to make a single strand of silk thread, or that the colour of the raw silk varies according to the temperature. I was also surprised at just how complicated some of the weaving processes were and that it is still not possible to duplicate the process accurately by machine. And as all good tours should it ended in a shop where Tanya bought a silk scarf, nice to know exactly where it was made and that it really was hand made.
    Time then for a spot of lunch sat next to The Mekong before visiting a local Wat and then heading back to the hotel. On the way back Tanya asked if I knew what she could really do with now, no not a coffee, a short nap or perhaps a toilet stop as I thought, what Tanya really wanted was a couple of cold beers. Fortunately there is a small convenience store next to the hotel so that was no problem.
    A bit later on fully rested and refreshed with a couple of cold tinnies each we ventured out to the night market, which was actually quite disappointing compared to many of the markets we have visited elsewhere. So we went for a bit of a stroll alongside the Mekong before finding a restaurant to have a bit of dinner. Needless to say Tanya ordered beer again and although I suggested a glass of beer each she opted for the jug of beer option again and we had a very pleasant meal and beers as the sun went down, no sunset to speak of as it was too cloudy but lovely as it started to get a bit cooler.
    Tomorrow is an early start, off to visit Oudong, the old capital of Cambodia, where we have been told that some walking up hills may be required (much to Tanya’s disgust) so its time for an early night.    Read more

  • TravelerPhnom Penh, May 2018
    Day 3

    Hard Rocking

    May 18, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    I thought it was probably best to leave this entry until this morning, not quite sure how it might have turned out if I’d done it when we got back from Hard Rock, might have made amusing reading, but then again.....
    So after resting up for a bit then going for coffee and a bit of shopping (Tanya got another bag) we dodged the rain and caught a tuktuk to the Hard Rock Cafe, arriving about 1930. Surprisingly Tanya didn’t make a bee line for the shop and instead we went straight to the restaurant where we grabbed a seat near the front of the stage and settled in to eat and wait for the band.
    Well we ordered burgers and beer (by the jug) and had a chat to the duty manager, who also used to work at the Siem Reap restaurant. Then as the band arrived they recognised Tanya and all came over to say hello, you could almost feel all the other customers and staff thinking how do they know them? Soon enough it was time for a second jug of beer and we were told we were getting it at happy hour prices, in fact we had happy hour for all of our visit, which might account for the fact that jugs of beer kept magically appearing every time I popped off to the toilet.
    Anyway the band were great, they kept dedicating songs to Tanya and her husband, or that bloke with her or him over there (I exaggerated but only a bit, I’m used to it by now though) We even enjoyed their practice session for tonight’s Latin night, which we will be giving a miss and some time shortly after midnight (closing time) and having shared five jugs of beer we left. Well I say having shared but I did notice that my glass seemed to be getting filled up by the staff and Tanya on a much more regular basis than hers, which is probably why I was just as tipsy as her. We managed to get a tuktuk back to the hotel but ended up having to give the driver directions as he didnt know where the hotel was, fortunately we are close to the Central Market which is a bit of a landmark.
    Not much in the way of photos or videos from last night I’m afraid as Tanya went for the live stream on Facebook option and we haven’t found a way to save them in such a way that I can add them to the blog. Will try to do better after tomorrow’s visit - well you didn’t think I’d get away with just one visit did you!    Read more

  • TravelerPhnom Penh, May 2018
    11
    Day 2

    Culture Time, extra photos 4

    May 17, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Street scene and victuals. Notice how sad Sherwood Bear looks when he is sat in front of the glass of water and how much happier he looks next to the beer.

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