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Published: April 19th 2011
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On the Way
No idea what these are. I have a friend in Wisconsin who used to live in Phnom Penh. She's been enormously helpful to me with both my travels and living abroad. Last year, when I visited, she asked if I could perhaps find her old home and some of the people she used to know. Since I was only in the city for two days, and both those days were filled with the usual tourist haunts, I didn't have time. This year, since I'm more familiar with the city and not visiting the tourist spots, I decided to see what I could find.
I got up early in an effort to beat the heat. I had plotted out my course the night before and had a pretty good idea where I was going. Or so I thought. It's amazing how maps make everything seem closer than they really are, especially when you misread the map! First I stopped at the bookstore I discovered yesterday to exchange books, enjoying the cool air. Then, I went walking.
There are a few major roads in the area of town I was heading, and I thought the first one, which was close by, was the one I wanted.
On the way
I like the resting hat. As I soon discovered after stopping in a coffee shop to ask for directions, I needed the next major road over... nearly a kilometer further down the road. It might as well have been 10 kilometers over because by the time I got to the intersection I needed, I was hot, sweaty, and my feet had blisters. (Mental note, flip flops are not meant for walking long distances, I don't care what my friends do...)
I found a major intersection I knew was just a few blocks from her street, but I couldn't find her street. So I stopped in a little pharmacy and asked the man who worked there. He was cheerful and helpful and I was so grateful; there's a lot to be said for genuinely friendly people. I was finally able to find the street, but I had no house number. My friend said it was a white house, so I took photos of white houses. She said there was a curry restaurant nearby, but I didn't see it or what could have once been it. I walked a few more blocks just in case, but no luck. So I walked back to the main road
and snapped a few more photos of the neighborhood hoping it would look familiar and she'd be pleased.
I then walked to the Boddhi Tree restaurant, a quiet little haven nestled in between a lot of trees and traffic. By now, I knew I had blisters on the bottoms of my feet and I was greatly relieved to be able to put off my shoes. Nearly burning them the other day on the boat's hot floor is taking its toll! I read my new book and enjoyed the fluffiest pancake I've ever seen with a side of honey and a fruit bowl of pineapple, passion fruit, dragon fruit, and banana. I washed it down with a coconut lime shake. Resting among the trees and quiet was so perfect, I nearly fell asleep reading. It's hard to believe that across the street is the infamous S-21 Prison, the site of so much suffering. The neighborhood feels alive; time heals.
I took a tuk tuk back to my hostel, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city as we zoomed along. Then I sat outside, taking in the view of the palace one more time.
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