Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Tuesday 21st February 2017

This morning we had a private tour with an architecture graduate which explored central Phnom Penh including colonial buildings as well as modern, post-independence architecture. Our mode of transport was a cyclo which were cycled by old men!

It was my first experience in a cyclo but it didn't start off well....my cyclo was driven in to a massive pot hole and I was precariously hanging on, shouting shall I get out? until another cyclo driver came to the rescue. Peter and the guide were oblivious to my plight as they were half way up the road on their cyclos and my man had to peddle extra hard to catch up!

We explored many different places including the colonial French quarter, Chinese temples and the Central market. We even went in to apartment blocks to look at the architecture which did sometimes feel like we were intruding a bit, especially when she told us to peer in to an open door of a house to look at some chinease architecture to find a man sitting there in his pants! The locals didn't seem to mind though.

Post office in French Quarter

Chinese temple

The central market building

One shocking thing happened as we were walking along a busy street with the guide. We heard lots of shouting and then a man came off his moped right next to us and skidded along the road - we, as well as the whole street, just stopped in our tracks staring at what had happened. The guide then said that she thinks he was doing a bag snatch (hence the shouting) and he came off his bike whilst trying to get away. He was ok as he had got up but there were lots of people surrounding him so I don't know if the locals were apprehending him but we went on our way a bit freaked out.

Unfortunately, our camera has stopped working so we are now relying on our phones for photos.

Later in the day we went on a sunset cruise - we were picked up by a tuk tuk who already had some passengers (they were also on the cruise) and we were chatting to them and found that they lived in Plumstead (where we use to live) - what a small world! The cruise was very good - it was nice and relaxing.

Today has been a particularly hot day - it was 96 degrees with a real feel of 102 according to Accuweather - even the Cambodians were complaining about the heat! I have also come down with a cold which is not great - how I have managed to get a cold in this heat I don't know!

 

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