24th

24th
The city itself is surprisingly small in comparison with the mega-cities we have seen before and exhibits much more order and organisation than I expected. The architecture is a mixture of oriental palaces and European style boulevards with more authentic markets and makeshift houses, often down the back alleys and less prominent areas. You can actually cross the roads without fear of death, which is something we haven’t experienced for a very long time. The city is relaxing compared to the other places we have been and although very touristy, it appears more popular amongst older holiday-makers.
We don’t do much in the day as I take time to plan out some things for our anniversary and also the route for the next few days. Luckily Kath catches Jonny online and we make plans to meet at 3.30.
We meet up and it is great to be back in touch with a friend, someone you can really relate to and understand on a deep level, rather than all those superficial encounters that you regularly have. We spend a long time chatting over lunch, then head to the palace, but the tickets are $6 so we sack it off. We end up instead heading to the riverfront area for more beers and catching up. We enjoy cheap happy hour beers as little kids (who speak better English than anyone that age in England) repeatedly harass us to buy shit we don’t want: they start off nice but soon get cheeky when rejected, one outrageously suggesting he will die if I don’t give him some-money (something hard to believe when the cheeky shit has brand named clothes that are much fresher than yours!).
It sounds as if Jonny has had a very different, but pretty fun experience so far: and we enjoy hearing stories of crazy nights out and drunken shenanigans. The night quickly goes by and we begin to stack up the beers, getting on the jugs (approx 6 glasses) with our Cambodian meals. The waiter at the place suspiciously doesn’t write down our orders, which I find a bit worrying; however I hesitate to say anything for fear of causing offence. I realise this was a bad move when I receive some kind of fried noodle instead of what I asked for and the chef has to completely retake the order – not that were too arsed as we’re having a wicked time anyway.
We end up buying a bottle of solichnaya vodka ($7) and heading back to his hostel for a session. We chat away into the wee hours, making vile drinks with our cheap knock off Cambodian Fanta – and all in all it is a wicked night. We’re too knackered and drunk to get back home, so we all pile into the double bed and wake up together the next day (not feeling quite so refreshed as we’d like).