Sunset over the Mekong

The city centre riverside here is where the tourists/wealthy come out to play. Lined though it is with throngs of beggars/street hawkers/rubbish/etc it is also a cosmopolitan fairground displaying the more attractive side of Phnom Penh.

The last few days have left me emotionally and physically wrung out.  I ventured to the massive ‘Russian market’ this morning, an enormous cavern of stalls selling absolutely anything you may want and almost certainly don’t. Brought nothing this time, I do not feel comfortable yet in Cambodia, the dollars/reisch combination is confusing when I’m under pressure and stories abound around the pool from guests who’ve been ripped off.

And talking of the pool, that’s what I did this afternoon.  Guilt free for once, I sat under the shade of the fragrant blossoms, read my book, swam in the little pool, relaxed, slept and finally roused myself enough to go for a sunset wander once the heat dropped at 5pm.

There is a carnival atmosphere along the riverbanks at sunset and it was a pleasure to see Cambodia and Cambodians at their best, families dressed up to promenade along by the illuminated Royal Palace (see pic), monks happy to pose by their temple (see pic), locals going home by boat to their villages (see pic) and the setting sun casting a rosy glow over the buildings.

Illuminated Royal Palace

Monks outside temple

Time to go home

Sunset

I inadvertently got caught on camera; a BBC film crew are doing a documentary called ‘A cabbie in Cambodia’ due to be screened in May, little did I realise when I impulsively joined in the usual evening aerobics – much less energetic here than in Vietnam or Laos, quite a relief to be honest!!-that the presenter was not far from me being filmed sweating profusely….I have my fingers crossed that I was out of shot! As soon as I noticed the film crew I slipped out of the crowd to find out what was what, forewarned is forearmed-and the documentary will be fascinating viewing so that’s for the calendar.

Tomorrow I leave for Siem Reap on the Giant Ibis bus-oh joy, more bus rides. I cannot understand why my case seems never to get any lighter, I am sure it has shrunk, given all I have brought are two pairs of shorts and a tube of toothpaste!! At least there isn’t a weight limit, as long as I can hurl it into the luggage compartment, it should be good to go……………