Phnom Penh and Bangkok, meandering back home

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Our supposedly poshest coach service in the region was a significant improvement on the other coaches that we had taken through Cambodia, but sadly had major wheel issues within no time of setting off. In fact this was a blessing in disguise as we stopped in “Mechanics” village. Seeing the team leap to work sliding mats under the bus and jacking it up was interesting, but better still was the pair of blacksmiths on the other side of the road, heating steel, and bashing it with large hammers into a gleaming splitting axe head. Coach repaired (with the baldest spare tyre I have ever seen) we were soon on our way again. It wasn’t long before we had another unscheduled stop, pulled over by the police as was all the traffic. After a 20 minute wait a couple police cars, then a couple of jeeps packed with police and soldiers sped by and then a cavalcade of 4x4s interspersed by more jeeps and a smattering of motorcycles. We think the president’s wife and her ladies who lunch were off on a shopping trip!

We arrived in Phnom Penh and headed to our hotel, where attempts to catch up on some of the sleep lost in the last couple of days were thwarted by the drilling and bashing noises of the adjacent building site and the boys attempts to get cartoon network loud enough for them to hear. We headed out. After umming and ahhing we decided that the right thing to do was to eat for a cause again - anyone travelling to these parts should really consider them, in our experience they are in most big cities, the food is excellent, and the cause so good they are irresistible. Friends was the one we chose, and was an excellent Tapas style eatery with all of the proceeds going to a street children community project. Great food, and about 13 courses left us satisfied in more ways than one. Most amazing was Jake’s new found willingness to try everything - it is interesting how much better he is especially in nice surroundings, in a nice setting he will now happily try anything. We determined to come back and look at the shop the next day, where sure enough we found several worthy and lovely things to buy. Meeting people who have trained at these places, and been inspired and taught to dream has emphasised just how important the work they do is.

Just about all we managed the next day was perhaps the breakfast of the trip at the Garden Centre Café, some shopping and drinks before taking a tuk-tuk to the airport and Bangkok. We arrived at the huge and posh hotel in Bangkok in which thanks to Wotif we were getting a suite - separate rooms and a living room with fridge and sink - for less than a single room! It was huge - 2 swimming pools one over 30m, 4 huge towers and our room number was 52003! There was some good (like the pools), but we soon realised we preferred our hotels at the smaller rather than the metropolis end of the scale. Still all good experience and we enjoyed yet another thing we are unlikely ever to do again.

I don’t think we will remember Bangkok as fondly as some of our other destinations, but then since we have spent much of our time here shopping that is hardly surprising. The boys are up to the tune of a Nintendo DSi (Jake), and a gorgeous little green i-pod (Elliot), and we adults have gained a little clothing. One of the more surreal moments was finding a supermarket on top of a mall that specialised in Waitrose goods, we lusted after the mature cheddar, but resisted at the premium price, well we are nearly home. Our reward to ourselves for coping with such a trial as shopping was the best massage of the trip (although the Sri Lanka one remains a favourite). We spent a little more, and got private rooms in a traditional wooden building, with showers, decorated with blossom, and with free drinks before and after. If only we could afford this every couple of weeks, or even once a month back home!

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Comments

[Chaz]

See you soon
Great stuff again, Joe. Posh hotel? Enjoy it whilst you can... see you soon - Joe Chaz