14 November 2010

First weekend In the Penh

To answer your questions, this is what I've been up to since Wednesday...

Thursday and Friday - Flying, flying and more flying.  


After the long DC - PP trip, I was greeted at the gate by a nice Cambodian man that ran around the airport with my passport getting my visa and ushering me through customs.  When I say "ran," I mean it.  I flew through customs like it didn't even exist with a visa in my passport that just magically appeared.  Of course, this was totally unnecessary since my third bag was the last one on the belt.  After we finally got all of my bags, I was escorted through Phnom Penh to my apartment - which, btws, is kind of ridiculous:  2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and 3 balconies.

The view from one of them:


yes, mom. those are palm trees!

Saturday - Lucky


After waking up at 6:00AM (thank you, 12 hour time difference and loud monkeys), I unpacked a little bit before connecting with Kitty Non Grata (KNG).  It's so nice having a friend that lives in my building - especially one that's already been here for three weeks and knows what's up.

We decided to walk to a place called The Living Room for brunch where I got a Vietnamese iced coffee and perhaps the most delicious omelet I've ever eaten...cheese, mushrooms and BACON nom nom nomnom nom...

After brunch, we headed over to Lucky Market to get some supplies and a $15 spa mani-pedi.  be jealous.

One quick nap later, it was time for dinner and people/gecko-watching at the FCC. Drinks at an Irish bar called Paddy Rice on the Tonle Sap quay came later, where we ran into an acquaintance of KNG.  We decided to join him and his friend at a swanky martini bar called Metro before finding our tuk-tuk driver and heading home for the night.

The view from the FCC balcony:



Things I learned during my first day in PP:

1. No one walks anywhere during the day
2. Crossing the street is a feat of strength, but not impossible
3. Things are oddly priced...some things are cheap, some are really expensive
4. It's really hot here
5. Geckos are cute


I think the plan for today is to get to the Russian Market and maybe a massage to get myself ready for my first week of work!

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