Post # 33 Phenom Phen

Day 39 1041 days to go. Distance : today: 30km total 2090. It’s 3.40pm Sunday the 8/1/2012 Phenom Phen. My girl loves me again. I had made such a muddle of her gears when I high pressured her with good intent but it was an oppsy. Now in hindsight I think I knew not to do that but it seemed like a great idea at the time and I was so happy with myself that I had spotted the hose at the bus terminal. As taken from one of my favorite songs currently Tinpan Orange ‘Lovely’ …Ïf I ever break you I swear I’ll put you back together again.’ So that was me 1^st job o’clock this morning, Barnett’s Manual, tools, no idea but determined to put my Rubes back together again. And now she sparkles and works and loves me. Likewise!!! My very authentic Oakley’s are Red just like her. The bond is back and stronger then ever in time for us to head to Siem Reap tomorrow to check out Ankor Watt and the temples for a few days – very excited. After that effort it was shower and pamper and off to check out the Russian markets. Actually they were a bit of a fizzer probably because what they offer I’m not interested in ie clothes, jewelry cheap brand names and the interesting stuff I felt like I had seen before. I found this place outside a bank to park Rubes and there were a couple of security guards sitting having a big laugh as I locked up my bike. I could feel my cranky shackles want to ruffle but instead I went over to them introduced myself and sat beside them while I drank my morning takeaway coffee (Thermos style). Soon we were chatting about beer and eating lychees which they offered to share. Lychees are called me hen in Cambodian. Delish and a really cool experience indeedy. I headed then back across the friendship bridge and to the market bakery I found yesterday to buy some more baguettes as apparently you can eat 10 in 24hrs. I quite like calorie-ing up and am so good at it J  Another 10 on board I headed for a tour around the city. Phenom Phen has very grand avenues with centre monuments and manicured gardens. They pretty much form the grid system for the other roads so it’s easy to navigate about. The city is building a huge manmade island off the dockside lots of bucks spent to help along its reputation as one of the new “in” cities in the world.  It was good to get a better feel for the place and its layout. I did have some cool encounters with some vender families along the way. One woman was selling peeled huge grapefruit. She had a baby and 3 other children under 5. Full on! Anyway a dollar well spent and I sat with them while I ate my grapefruit and amused the kids. I passed this other woman tying together and selling those stalks I saw the other day opposite the fields of pink lotus. So they are the lotus stalks that you break open and peal and eat the little pods inside. They’re a bland texture something like a water chestnut. Again I sat with her while I ate my share and I loved sitting on the street listening to her chatting away to me. Eating my lotus pods and watching the city move past from a street perspective I loved it. I think this was my most favorite Cambodian experience so far and worth every bit of the 50c. Yesterday I left out a few bits I had seen during the day. The boys of all ages and boys at heart play this game like badminton but with their feet and the shuttle cock is a bit bigger. God they’re so coordinated and clever. I watched them for ages on dusk yesterday playing in front of the fountain opposite the night markets. I also watched them playing outside the fluoro lit restaurant hence the photos.  I’ll attach them to this post so they make more sense. After I update the blog and upload the photos from Cambodia so far, it’s back to the guest house to pack up for tomorrow and head to the riverfront for dusk and dinner. It’s a nice way to end what’s been a full speed full on few days, very interesting both as a place to experience and personally manage. We have it so good at home and that’s always good for me to keep in the front of the brain. Hey I almost forgot I say my first monkey today climbing over a wall near a central park area how cool!!! Talk soon x