As planned, TukTuk No9 was waiting for us outside the Pavilion hotel to whisk us through the bustling city to our first stop, the Central Market, a great circular building with a towering dome that also helps keep it cool. Every corner of this place is stuffed with stalls selling everything from gold chains and bracelets to t-shirts, shoes, pots and pans to live fish and fruit and veg! Everything you could want and more!
Despite being implored by the stall holders to buy stuff from every stall, we left with only a blouse!
Finding our TukTuk as No9 advised, we zipped across the city to the Russian Market that was as claustrophobic and hot as the central market was open and cool. We loved exploring the tiny cramped stalls that again sold everything possible. From TukTuk engines and carburettors to cashew nuts and silk scarves and again, only coming away with a T-shirt!
Karen was desperate to visit The Daughters of Cambodia, a social project that takes young girls from the sex trade, giving them skills, counselling and even housing until they can live safely and independently. The combination of a driver who couldn’t read and the crazy road structures meant a meandering walk in intense heat to find somewhere that turned out to be literally round the corner! The shop and spa are on the same site and although men are allowed in the shop, they are not allowed anywhere else. An hour later, Mrs Y emerged from the upstairs spa with perfectly manicured and polished nails and totally relaxed from her head and shoulder massage – all for the crazy price of $13. This project is doing such great work and are giving hope to some of the most vulnerable girls. At the end of our trip, our final day back in Phnom Penh we will definitely include a return visit.
We returned to our hotel for lunch and a swim to avoid the heat of the day.
After a couple of days riding around in a TukTuk we had a good idea of the local area so ventured out on foot after dark. The heat was still oppressive but the occasional breeze off the river made it manageable. We joined the locals on their evening exercise/promenade along Suramarit Blvd. The illuminations and general feel of the park made it feel like a celebration and we wasted time just enjoying the evening before stopping of at a local Pho restaurant on our way back to the hotel.
mrandmrsyoung 