Off we go on our hols ...

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Geo: 13.7308, 100.521

Up with the alarm at 05:30 for a quick breakfast. Check all documentation whilst Jai packs the last few bits and pieces and makes some sandwiches for lunch at the airport later.
Lock up the house like it's Fort Knox. Our 'taxi' arrives on the dot at 06:15 we are soon making our way about 50km to the airport outside Roi Et. Check-in for our Air Asia FD3567 08:45 departure to Bangkok then sit to begin the first of our many waits for the day. Flight departs on time and it doesnt seem as though we have been in the air for long when the pilot announces that we are going to start our descent into Bangkok. By 10:10 we are down, have been bussed to the terminal and collected our bag.
We make our way to the International Terminal which used to be straightforward but with a lot of work taking place at the airport at the moment managed to confuse me briefly. I need to get some US Dollars for our trip and between the fact that I have to change GBP to Thai Baht to USD and the fact that airport exchanges are notoriously poor anyway I lose out twice.
We sit down with a coffee and the egg sandwiches we brought with us to use up our bread and watch the minutes tick by.
At 12:00 we join the check-in queue that snakes around the hall. It is a long queue but there is a lot of people working and it doesnt take too long before we are checked-in for Air Asia FD606 15:20 departure from Don Muang to Phnom Phen. Similar queues at immigration but we soon pass through into the departure lounge and make our way to Gate 6 and begin another wait.
The flight is a little late in departing but by 15:40 we are airborne and waving goodbye to Bangkok. Jai has a window seat for this flight which is something I never book for our long haul flights and we get a great view over Bangkok as we leave. Fly along the Chao Phraya river passing the Royal Palace and the hotel we always stay at when in town. Flight takes a little over one hour and before we know it Phnom Penh is in sight out of the window.
Unfortunately we are in the penultimate row of seats on the plane and are one of the very last to get off. We queue in chaos for me to pay USD30 for a Cambodian visa and again to pass through immigration who needs persuading that Jai didnt need a visa before he would let us through. Collect our bag from the carousel which has had an easier passage through the airport than we had and head outside to get a taxi into town.
Traffic here appears to be an instant nightmare. I am sure that there are traffic rules but nobody appears to be following any. You can drive on either side of the road and the only give way priorities seem to be based upon size of your vehicle. We are going to have to take a lot of care when we are walking around town that is for sure. In fact I soon realise that what pavements there are simply make the roadway wider for motorbikes and bicycles and there are not many pedestrians at all.
We check into the Blue Corner Boutique Hotel on Rue 63 and first impressions are favourable. The pool area looks nice, the staff are friendly and efficient but the room turns out to be a little disappointing. To be honest there is nothing wrong with it at all I was just expecting a bit more.
Time has ticked on to 18:30 by now and we are both pretty hungry so 10mins in room and we head out. It is dark, there is traffic everywhere and pavements nowhere. It feels a little dangerous to be out here in our disoriented state so we decide to eat streetside near the hotel and get a feel for the area in the morning. It is not just us that is confused as I picked up a map from reception on our way out and the lad at the desk seems to have marked the hotel in the wrong place !!
We find a place on the street corner that is selling food but immediately language becomes a problem and we have to settle for lifting the lids of pans to see what is available, even then I am not sure what it is we have settled on ?! I was told at reception that I wouldnt be able to change any money at this time of night so I have to use USD. Whilst I was trying to explain to the chap that I couldnt get any Riel till tomorrow he thought that I was saying that I wouldnt be able to pay him until tomorrow !! Either way I dont think he was that bothered and appears to have been quite willing to give us the food anyway. We end up with plates of pork filled aubergine and rice and for USD - for the two of us - was really quite nice.
On our way back to the hotel we stop at a corner general shop just to see what is for sale and how much it all costs. I notice, in particular, that they have a good selection of cheese and wine and not too badly priced either. Everything was in USD though so perhaps I shouldnt bother changing too much cash into Cambodian riels at all.
Back to our room by 20:00 for a coffee and some much needed sleep.

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