Poorly Sick
Trip Start
Jul 12, 2006
1
221
230
Trip End
Jun 18, 2007
Phnom Penh,
Cambodia
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The market is housed in a large mustard colours dome shaped building that was once home to a bus station. The dome has four 'arms' so to speak that you can wander down inside, each home to a different array of market stalls. To be honest, it was ok but not the best market we'd been too. Lots of vendors called out to try and sell us something but no aggressive sales techniques here. We didn't really see much so we jumped on another motorbike taxi and headed to the Russian Market, which is a bit further out but meant to be a lot better. The Russian market is undercover, under a low corrugated iron roof, it goes on for miles and miles and is packed solid, almost claustrophobically, tiny little lanes between the stalls mean you can walk down them, almost, in between the stalls. The stalls themselves are piled high, over 6ft, full of stuff. It's divided into two sections, one for tourists and one for locals. We wandered into the local area by accident, selling all sorts. I think we were in the hardware and tools section judging but the hand drills and such like hanging down. It's so easy to get lost inside and it's SO hot. You cannot imagine how hot it is in there, sweat just drips from every where, it's like being in a sauna literally. I don't know how the stall holders do it day in day out. I thought one lady vendor said 'freezing in the Russian Market' and I looked at her in horror, thinking she was mad until she repeated more slowly 'free steam in Russian Market' - pointing at me fanning myself like a real mad woman.
As it was our last day in Phnom Penh, we're going to book a bus to Siem Reap tomorrow, we went to Khmer Bourne restaurant again for dinner so we could have some nice traditional Khmer food again.
Yesterday, while we were drinking beer on the riverfront a little girl of about 7 came up to try and sell us a book or postcards. I spoke to her for a bit but declined to buy anything, she was really lovely, asked questions about us and where we came from and was really pleasant. She found it amusing that England got rain as well as Cambodia. So today, when we saw her I bought some postcards from her and hoped that some good might come from it rather than having to give the money direct to her parents or something. She seemed quite pleased though.
After we'd finished at the riverfront we hopped on another motorbike taxi and headed back to see the sun set over the lake. Motorbike taxis are great, London needs them. In Asia there's loads of them, all waiting on street corners to give you a lift almost anywhere for a few thousand reils or, at the max, $1. Both Lee and I can get on one bike so it's a great and cheap way to travel. It's not too dangerous travelling on them either because the traffic doesn't move too fast but it is a little hair raising at a major crossroads or intersection when the bike has to weave its way across several lanes of traffic.
I think Phnom Penh has been a really nice surprise. People we met along the way have given Cambodia mixed reports and I think we both had the impression it was going to be a hell-hole-den-of-thieves type place, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I'd like to come back, I really wanted to visit the orphanages around here but I'm too full of germs and cold to go near them I think. Next time!
