Travels days- Running Cambodia v3

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Travel days......they need to happen but honestly aren't they a waste? Really, you've already spend days if not longer, thinking about all the things you need, want and must have. Countless hours of checking in, checking out, then trying to remember where you put everything just so you can check in to check out again, finally arriving and realizing you can't remember where you put everything, once you are arriving...There is not a complaint here just an acknowledgment, that it is a process we go through, happily and willingly.... Running Cambodia v3 is in go mode.....

If you had asked, or if we had done the same actually, would the answer have been yes we will run three times through Cambodia? We know the answer now but the details we will only glimpse because if the past is an indication, we will learn more and more the longer we spend thinking about the run....

Planes, planes and more planes, we arrive in Phnom Penh and our friend Bunna is there to collect us and all of the <em style="font-size: 1.4rem;">gear we drag with us...Some of it more important, like gifts, toys, soap from Lush for the tribal families, and then required running and camping gear, water filtration kit the team needs...the arrival is wonderful as always, coming home in a sense, something familiar and magic, the adventure has finally begun!

When we get to the Eureka Villas, everyone is there, Paul, Sophea, Liza, the staff and of course Kiri, Paul and Sophea's son who we had not seen. A treat for sure!

While it's been two years sine we've been here but we don't skip a beat. Straight to planning and expedition mode we go. Bunna and Mombo meet us at Eureka and list in hand we wander our way to the market. The road block which are in place to prevent people from crowding in the streets come Monday, are working just perfect today. We are constantly blocked and turned back...'this way blocked, go down street' only to be told the exact same thing at the next intersection we just left. As we are prevented from crossing the barriers, many don't seem to have the same issue, they are walking freely around or climbing over them, they just don't ask. Lesson learned!

In the market, Mombo heads straight to the fresh meat section and selects several kilo of chicken and then the same amount of beef. Vegetables have been prearranged and will be dealt with tomorrow so we make our way to the cooking pots and pans. A wok, fry pan, several bowls and spoons are picked, another two mats for sitting on, those will of course make their way home with us, and finally the small propane cook tops we will need for every meal. Done and done it's back to Eureka Villas for a much needed splash in the pool!

We decide on a short nap, only to be woken by what sounds like gunfire and rocket blasts, complete with the hotel shaking from the vibrations. Our panic is not required, it turns out to be one of the several fireworks displays celebrating for the King's funeral. A short nap it was not, we'd been a sleep for several hours and everyone thought we'd gone out. Paul and Sophea had even stopped by, knocking loudly on the door but that certainly didn't wake us. The hours of flying caught us quickly....tomorrow is another day.....

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