Chapter forty nine - Phnom Penh (Act II)

Day 173: Phnom Penh, Cambodia 21/03/2012

Up early for our bus from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh. We grab a tuk-tuk to the bus stop, get a noodle soup for breakfast and I am told to eat it outside by the bus driver. I manage to wolf down the piping hot broth in record time, managing to only spill about two thirds of it down my shorts and take my seat next to Gemma, who has already made herself comfortable. Our travelling companion for the day is a rather portly young man of about three, who is overweight, hyperactive, disobedient and hilarious in equal measures. His mother has absolutely no control over him and he returns to the bus a triumphant man after the food stop, grinning to us as he shows off his snack for the next ten minutes - a healthy six boiled eggs.

After a brief nap, during which I repeatedly headbutt Gemma as my neck fails to support my lolling head (sorry!), we arrive back in Phnom Penh and take a tuk-tuk directly to the same hotel we stayed in before. They seem amused to see us so we must have made an impression first time. A trip back to the market sees me purchase some fine fake Louis Vuitton ankle socks to wear to the gym, which I visit whilst Gemma stuffs her face in the room. We watch a good couple of hours of Fox Crime channel and then head for some dinner, Vietnamese tonight where Gemma drinks bright green, deep heat flavoured Fanta. Bed.

Day 174: Phnom Penh, Cambodia 22/03/2012

Our last day in Cambodia today, so we make it a good one! A visit to the Russian Market (virgin territory) results in a fine bag made of an old cement packet being purchased, which we have wanted for a while now and us getting lost in a real maze of market stalls, selling everything from noodles to clothes to motorcycle parts.

Lunch today is a bit posh, in a social enterprise cafe across the road from Tuol Sleng, red Cambodian curry and something 'deliciousy' for Gemma (chicken baguette), a term she has been bugging me with as we have searched high and low for something to fill this description for days. Dinner at the Vietnamese place again after another gym session and I end up with a dinner that I think was intended for two given its size. Get online to update the blog and we experience a power cut so straight to bed.