10-19-2012 phnom Penh

10-19-2012  Phnom Penh

LAT Report

In case I have not mentioned it in my last couple of posts....it remains hot then "heck" here...but as my brother would say..."it's next to the equator...what do you expect?"...but oh  my gosh the humidity!  We ran into a shop manager who is from Seattle who told us how lovely and cool this is ..as it is the fall season..oh ok? If you say so!  Today after breakfast we did a  city tour by rickshaw...there were 54 of us all lined up one per shaw.  I got several bruises getting in and out of it..I do look like I have been thru a war my legs are bruised from head to toe.   One stop was the silver pagoda..at the palace ...it was gosh as all are..see pics when posted, then on to the  museum and Linda and I split from the tour  and went shopping (what a surprise).  The afternoon was the killing fields an S21 which was a school converted to a torture house...this was all pretty sad and hard to relate to..I wish it had not happened..and it was in my life time...

Ok the biggest thing of the day was at dinner I actually tried Darien!  On my brother's dare...it was sweet at first then very very awful...the smell was all it was racked up to be..I have six people that will voucher that I did it and I,have a picture to prove it.  I brushed my teeth twice and garbled with mouth wash and it still was in my mouth this morning so I had to have a beer...more might help?

LMR Report

We have been requested to wear conservative clothing today in the AM,  preferably black and white, in honor of the kings passing. We were suppose to visit the palace today but the kings body is there so we cannot.  Candy bought us black ribbons which our group all wore throughout the day.  Many in our group were concerned the clothing was not conservative enough.

We leave after breakfast in individual rickshaws, should be quite a site as there are over 50 of us.  Sort of like a children's daycare line all holding onto a string.  Rickshaws went through town quite an experience at ground level.  With all the motor bikes, tuk-tuks and cars zooming around us in all directions.  Went first to royal palace gardens and walked around.  Saw silver pagoda with a solid gold Buddha that had over 28000 diamonds...

Left there and headed to museum, Dick and Candy's rickshaws ran into each other...no body but the rickshaw was hurt!

Amazing sites of businesses all street type vendors with pictures of king surrounded with many flowers.  Passed flower shops doing booming business.  Second stop was the museum, LAT and I skipped and went to a store called "daughters of Cambodia", items made by women trying to learn a trade and escape abuse.  Of course we made some purchases.

Met back at boat for lunch.

This afternoon was the killing fields and genocide display.  Truly awful what people can do to each other.  We had a subdued bus ride home through heavy 5:00 traffic...which was very heavy!

Dinner when we got home followed by Cambodian street kids dancing performance.
10-19-2012