Again, I am so sorry about the time I have let pass. Life is crazy here in Cambodia and the wifi is even crazier. So please forgive me and keep reading.
Thursday was a day full of excitement.
The good kind and the bad kind.
We asked for Thursday off *upon Sharon's request* so that we could run errands and prep for our trip. We also thought it would be easier to all leave from the same spot in order to avoid miscommunications and tuk tuk drivers that say they know where there going but actually have no idea. Which is a common occurrence here.
We planned to sleep in and leave the hotel *by tuk tuk* at 9:00 am to meet Shanleigh and Mallory at the Russian Market, which is within walking distance of their apartment.
So we woke up, facetimed our families, and then had the hotel call us a tuk tuk. The driver showed up and the receptionist told him to take us to the Russian Market. We decided on a price and then hit the road. The trip was great and we started to see some familiar sites from our drives around town. We called Shanleigh and told her that we were getting closer and so she left the apartment and headed our way. Our tuk tuk driver got a tad turned around and asked us something in Khmer and we just kept repeating Russian Market. He nodded and kept driving. Then he pulled up next to another tuk tuk driver and started talking to him in Khmer. The other driver gave him directions and then we were on our way again. We finally got to the market, paid, and then jumped out.
All the markets are the same. Huge sheets of metal arounnd the outside and then a maze of stalls on the inside. We jumped out and just picked an entrance. We called Shanleigh and asked where she was. She said she was on her way still but that she would meet us at the produce area of the market. So we wandered around the maze... I mean market. *Please keep in mind that we both had our purses and traveling bags with us... It was a nightmare squeezing between people and weaving in and between the stalls*
Nothing was looking familiar but everything looked the same.
We were getting frustrated.
We finally made it to a meat and produce section but it didn't look like the one that we had been to the other day. It smelled really really REALLY bad
and it was hot
and there were so many people
and the fish were flopping on the tables
and the floor was covered in an unknown liquid
and I brushed up against a giant pig head.
We called Shanleigh and told her that we were there, she described the location that she was at and we concluded that we were at opposite sides of the market.
So Sarah and I went back in.
We got to the other side and called her.
Still in the wrong place.
This happened a few more times.
For about thirty more minutes.
We then concluded that we were at the wrong market.
Sarah and I staggered across the street.
We asked around and found out the name of the market and relayed it to Shanleigh who then told Sharon who then looked it up. Sharon picked up Shanleigh and they began their search for us.
As we stood and waited, we declined many tuk tuk offers and had many conversations about how we were not going to the airport even though we had bags. Quite a while went by and there was no sign of Sharon and Shanleigh. Then they called...
Guess what.
They couldn't find the market.
So we hailed a tuk tuk and handed the phone to our driver. Sharon then told him how to get to the Russian Market and then we headed that way. We reached a corner where we had all bought bananas together so we quickly called out "chop chop chop!" *stop* We paid and hopped out. Once we were out we called Sharon and told her that we were at the banana corner and Shanleigh knew exactly where to go.
PRAISE THE LORD.
They told us to wait there and they would be there pronto. So Sarah and I moved out of the way of pedestrian traffic and waited for them to arrive. As we were standing, a man called out to us and offered a place next to him on the bench by his fruit stand. We gladly accepted and sat down. I began talking with him and we talked about where I was from and how long I had been in Cambodia and what I was doing in Cambodia for so long. He asked about Texas and the weather and where we were headed with all of our luggage. The car finally drove up and I thanked him for his generosity and kindness.
Have I mentioned how many beautiful there are here in Cambodia?
We piled into the car and sighed.
Relief at last.
The rest of our day was wonderful. Theary *the Welch's adopted Cambodian daughter* taught us how to make spring rolls and stir fried vegetables. We had a wonderful lunch at the Welch's house and then relaxed for a bit. We then decided to walk down to a local coffee shop called Jars of Clay and kill some time. It's an adorable coffee shop that appeals mainly to Westerners. It's a Christian run shop and they employ women that have escaped from sex trafficking.
After our coffee break we prepared to leave for the bus station. We were quite a sight. All 6 of us walking down the street with our suitcases. We drew a few crowds.
We made it to the bus station and boarded our bus.
Then we took off at 5:30 for our 6 hour bus ride.
Y'all.
A 6 hour bus ride in a third world country is not on my list of favorite things. I don't mean to sound entitled or like I'm too good for a bus ride, but I suffer from extreme motion-sickness and these roads are not my friend. I even over-dosed on motion-sickness pills and was still miserable.
It was so bad.
Those 6 hours are a blur.
There was Khmer music videos playing at max volume the whole time.
The bus driver honked the entire time.
The lights kept going on and off.
The air kept going on and off.
It felt like I was on a roller coaster.
And it smelled awful.
Quick side note:
I'm a big smell person.
I have a strong sense of smell.
I also have strong gag reflexes.
These do not always get along.
Especially here in Phnom Penh.
But I have this really great defense. For as long as I can remember, I have been able to block off my nasal passages and therefore, avoiding smelling and or tasting something undesirable. It's a really great feature and I appreciate my body for being able to do that.
Anyways, sometimes it's really hard to walk or ride in a tuk tuk down the street because the smells are so strong.
The open markets are really hard because they are always swarming with people that are hot and sticky and pushing each other around. Plus you have the smell of raw fish and meat and fruits and veggies and seafood and everything else. When you watch a movie that involves picturesque open markets, you don't really think about what it all smells like. And let me tell ya, if you did... Hollywood would lose some money.
It's real.
Here are some distinct Smells of Cambodia:
Incense
Burning trash
Raw meat
Garbage
Cows
Filth
Perfume
Exhaust
Body oder
and last but not least...
Durian. *it's the worst smelling fruit and it is typically illegal to take it into enclosed places... look it up*
So. Yeah.
Sometimes it's not toooo pleasant.
That bus was full of all the smells of Cambodia.
And I wasn't too thrilled.
Neither was my stomach.
Poor Sarah.
She always has to deal with me.
But like always, she was the best caretaker.
She checked on me.
She talked to me.
She gave me her neck pillow.
She monitored my medicine intake.
She rocks.
6 hours later.
I was still alive.
We all piled in a tuk tuk and made our way to the hotel.
We arrived, unloaded, and went to bed.
Phew.
It was a crazy, whirlwind of a day.
It was filled with good times.
It was filled with not so good times.
And it was filled with the lovely smell of durian.
And yes, that was me being sarcastic.
I'm so glad I get to have so many adventures.
Even if they aren't too fun.
They make for great stories.
Blessings,
Cassie
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