Day 5 - A relaxing day

Today was a more relaxing day in Cambodia. After a nice lie in after a busy Friday, we headed off to the "Russian Market" in Phnom Penh. We thought an hour in the market would be enough but we ended up spending the rest of the morning and afternoon at the market. It was amazing! You could buy designer clothes, DVDs, games etc. really cheap. As well as this, we could buy all sorts of Kamer souvenirs such as wooden elephants and bed throws. Jess was defiantly the big shopper of all of us, coming away from the market with about 6 bags! We had great fun bartering in the market. I bought a painting which was originally £15, but I managed to barter the price down to £10. What a bargain! As we went around the market and the city, there were so many different and "interesting" smells. Raw squid and fish is not a great smell.

During our time at the market, we saw many poor and homeless people on the streets begging. One man was very disabled, using a skateboard to pull himself along the floor. It was very sad and upsetting to see.

We finished our time at the market at the insect stall where you could buy spiders etc. to eat! Chris told us that we couldn't try any of them until the last day of the trip, in case our stomachs complained.

In the evening, we took a "Took Took" to the Royal Palace where the King of Cambodia lives. It was very amazing and the area was more set up for tourists, not like where we are situated. There were many people lining the streets, some very rich and some very poor. We couldn’t really see the palace very well at night, but hopefully we will be visiting it next week during the day. We had dinner in "Bopha" which is a restaurant alongside the Mekong river.

We had traditional Kamer food such as Curry, stir-fry and Lok Lak. Rachel ate water buffalo. While we ate there was traditional dancing accompanied by a Marimba player. I particularly enjoyed this and found it very interesting to see and hear traditional Kamer music. I found out half way through the meal that I was being watched by a Gekko (lizard)

who was relaxing on a lantern.

Up to now, I have been amazed by the culture of Cambodia. It is so diverse and different from home. I was surprised to see the contrast between the buildings as we went down the streets. One would be very posh, but then next to it would be a Slum. It was very odd to see. I am looking forward to going to the villages next week and helping the children.

Ash