Phnom Penh Sauna

So...today was my first real day in Phnom Penh and just like my mom warned me, it's hot and humid! We started the day with breakfast at a noodle shop called Thromda. Over here, they usually eat noodle soups or rice soups for breakfast and not for lunch or dinner like we would do in the states. Of course, when we were little, we did the same as the Khmers so I'm pretty use to this; others might think it's a bit heavy though. Again, this restaurant is like a normal noodle shop in Houston. I can now say I've had Phnom Penh noodles in Phnom Penh, delish. If you haven't had it, it's pretty much pho but with pork broth, ground pork, shrimp and duck. You'll have to try it one day:) I suspect I will be eating this a lot here as it's one of my favorites.

After breakfast, we hit the various markets and this is when I experienced my first blast of heat and the crazy driving. If you've ever been to any sort of bizarre/outdoor market, it's pretty much the same. T-shirts, souvenirs, food, and knick knacks for sale. They had little bar like eateries lined up along the shops with people offering their special for the day. A group of 3 can eat for $3 here! The clothes however are a different story. Again, I was shocked at the price, $50 for a shirt? No, thank you. To be fair, there were a bunch of cheap items as well but i didn't get around to buying any as the heat drained me and I didn't feel like bargaining. :) I did however buy a piece of each insect you can think of for a dollar. I said what the heck, I'll give the spider a go! It took me maybe 3 screams before actually attempting to put it in my mouth and at the end of it all, I just couldn't do it. I had a bite of the leg but it was too soft and hairy for my liking. At least I made an attempt to try it, right? The cricket, roach and beetle stayed in the bag and went in the trash....haha.

We went to another shopping mall that reminded me of a bigger Hong Kong market and just had a nosey. Knock off galore, products to whiten your skin, and cell phone cases were for sale, go figure. This market was nice though as it had air conditioner and escalators, which is fairly new to the culture.

On we go for some real heat during our picnic lunch at veang svey with my second cousins and their friends. The place was about 30 minutes from Phnom Penh, by the river. We bought food from the street vendors and brought it to a picnic stop equipped with hammocks and freshly cooked snails! I've never really eaten snails before but really took a liking to these, escargot please:) The picnic was nice and peaceful and I got to learn a little about my family here over some Angkor beer, this time without the ice.

We ended the night at another family gathering with home cooked food and called it an early night as we had to be up early for our car ride over to Siem Reap. I'm excited to see the country side and to start the volunteering part of this story.

Lee-hai!