Two Weeks in Cambodia - The one where I'm not a Larry!!

As with all of my countries, I had a hit list of what I wanted to do in Cambodia (Angkor Wat and genocide learning) and the rest was all up for grabs. The second week was fixed, as my partner in crime was flying out for a super awesome week in Siem Reap full of temples and celebrations and hanging out by pools together, so that left me with the first week of February to kick around in Cambodia by myself.

First up was a 7 hour bus trip to Phnom Penh filled, as ever, with the blended harmonies of Cambodian Karaoke on the TV, a man hocking and spitting to the left of me, and a woman violently vomiting to the right. Delightful. Spent the first hour becoming Kirstie the mozzie slayer, ruthlessly Jackie Chan catching and crushing mozzies with my bare hands like my brother-in-law taught me. Life skills. 

Fun fact: the dengue carrying mosquitoes are quite easy to see, as their backs have white stripes. Handy. 

Gross fact: when you kill a mosquito which has just fed, you get a smear of blood everywhere which is probably not yours. Nazz.

Whilst a night bus would be economically ideal (save a night of accommodation and half a day of exploration time!), the reputation for night buses is truly atrocious. Accidents are often not recorded, being chalked up to 'hitting a fallen log' or 'pot holes', security is terrible with reports of random extra passengers being allowed on to sit in foot wells and pathways so the drivers can get more money, and there have been numerous horror stories of sexual harassment and molestations with solo female backpackers. All in all, then, that'd be a hell to the no.

Sandan Restaurant, Sihanoukville

I've written a fair amount about NGO work in Cambodia, and this is another one which is worth a special mention. Similar to Daughters of Cambodia in Phnom Pehn, Sandan works to give its students a better life. Rather than escaping the sex trade, however, Sandan helps the homeless and at risk population of Sihanoukville by accepting them into their programmes and training them as chefs and front of house in their ever popular, successful, and high quality restaurant. The students get accommodation, income, and training, and we get a great meal. Win win! 

If Sandan were in London, paparazzi would buy apartments across the street. It's a glamorous place with crisp, white tablecloths, dazzlingly shiny wine glasses, and a gorgeously relaxed yet special ambiance. I went with two girls I met in my hostel and had the best meal of my travels! We were shown to our table, given wine and food menus, and made to feel like super smooth VIPs.