Easy Like a Sunday Morning

On Sunday, since it was overcast and slightly cooler than usual, we decided to have breakfast out, and then go for a walk in the riverside area. Since we're not quite ready for a Khmer breakfast (which generally consists of rice or noodles), we broke our fast with melt-in-your-mouth crepes, French toast, fresh fruit and juices at a restaurant called the Bopha Titanic, which overlooks the river. As we sat there, we observed all the traffic on the river, and many locals out on their fishing boats casting their nets in the hopes of getting a catch. Once breakfast was consumed, we started out on our walk, which took us past some quite trendy cafes and restaurants which are adjacent to an odd assortment of shops, kiosks, pirated DVD/CD stores and photocopy and translation services. Suddenly, on the sidewalk up ahead, we saw several monkeys, just hanging out, nibbling on something. Turns out we were approaching the main post office which is their favorite hangout. As we got closer, they very nonchalantly started climbing up the gate in front of the main door, and then grabbed on to some wires that took them up to the top of the wall where they very nimbly passed through the barbed wire and onto the roof. We continued down the street and came to a great playground which was packed, mainly with little Khmer kids. Caroline had a ball, until we all got too hot and decided to head for the shade of the trees surrounding Wat Phnom. One of the most important pagodas in Phnom Penh, it is also the tallest religious structure of the city. Dating back to 1373, the original pagoda has gone through numerous changes but remains a popular place for locals to come and pray for good fortune. It is reached by a winding staircase that is guarded by statues of lions and serpents. You have to make your way through a horde of vendors and beggars but it’s worth it to check out this true slice of local life. The trees around Wat Phnom are filled with monkeys, but locals warned us to be careful and carry Caroline, as the monkeys are prone to be aggressive, and can attack. Someone was going on an elephant ride, and that was a fun sight. We’re leaving that experience for cooler days to come. From Wat Phnom, we started in the direction of home, and soon stopped in a little boutique selling crafts hand made by disabled people, a way of helping them make a living despite their disability. That’s where Caroline picked up her little puppet. I’m sure we’ll be going back there once we settle; they had some nice things in there. We decided to take a tuk tuk home, because Caroline was getting tired, and it had gotten hot, and we found a tuk tuk driver who kinda looked like a Khmer version of Julek! At home we all jumped in the pool to cool off.