South East Asia trip 2014: JANUARY 25, 2014: TOUR ASSISTANT PROGRAM TOUR, LUNCH-LA ROSE, DRINKS-FCC/FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB, DINNER-LIMONCELLO, DESSERT-BLUE PUMPKIN

January 25, 2014

Feeling better we head down for breakfast. You can sit outside at a table in the courtyard area or inside the Rose Apple. Since I'm just starting to feel better we opt to sit inside. We are presented with menus that have 9 different breakfast options. We choose Option 1-omelet, toast, bacon, fruit, juice, tea-and Option 5-fried rice with veggies, fruit, juice, coffee. I'll let you guess who had which!

Some of the breakfast options

Today we will spend with MS. KEO DAVY from the TOUR ASSISTANT PROGRAM. I had prearranged this with TA regular Angkorlad/Ian. She arrives around 9:00 am and negotiates with a tuk tuk driver down from $20+ day to $15. I have some things I want to see/do but the rest I leave up to Keo. I'd like to just drive around and see some interesting architectural buildings. First we head over to KOH PICH/DIAMOND ISLAND. This place is obviously being designed for the wealthy. Brand new construction here. We head to the riverfront where we park. Here on SISOWATH QUAY we can walk around. Good views of the Royal Palace/Silver Pagoda. There's a small shrine where there are lots of locals paying their respects. There's even a whole roasted pig being offered! We visit WAT OUNALOM. Built in the 15th century. Home to the Buudhist patriarch. We ride up and down streets seeing examples of Chinese shophouses, French colonial buildings, new Khmer, 1960s apartments, 19th century buildings, Post Office square, old police station used in a movie. We pass by the US Embassy but no pics allowed even if you're riding by in a tuk tuk! We stop to shop and wander around the CENTRAL MARKET-a fine example of art deco movement. Here I buy a carry on suitcase to hold my expanding amount of souvenirs! Keo has us sample coconut water-I don't like it so my husband drinks his and mine! She buys us coconut dumplings takeaway for us to enjoy later tonight. I make a few purchases mindful of our luggage weight as we have lots of local flights scheduled for our trip. We stop for us all to have a nice lunch at LA ROSE for the grand cost of $21. We visit WAT PHNOM, admission $1 pp. This is the legendary founding place of PP. Lots of people here. On a later day I will stop nearby to visit the statue of Lady Pehn/Yea Penh who built/had built the hill and small temple of Wat Phnom in 1372 which has been since been rebuilt. Normally you can't stop by the INDEPENDENCE MONUMENT but I get out while he drives around so I can see it up close and take some pictures. By now it's hot, I'm feeling tired so we call it a day and return to the hotel by 3:00 pm. Cost for Keo's services was $40 plus her lunch. We really had a great time with her and learned so much. I wish I had been feeling better because so much of what she told us and what we discussed has gone out of my head. I'm glad we saw PP through the eyes of a local who exemplified the heart and soul of the Khmer people who lived through the Khmer Rouge past but haven't let that define them. We had a very enjoyable day. Thanks Ian!! And hats off to you too Keo. We will always treasure the time we spent together.

Koh Pich/Diamond Island

Riverfront area

Offering-roasted pig!

Sisowath Quay

Wat Ounalom

Indochine Hotel

Post Office square

Former Central Police Station-1890s-used in movie "City of Ghosts."

Lunch

Us in front of Wat Phnom

Wat Phnom

Signs

Monkey in a tree at Wat Phnom

Independence Monument

Central Market

Ceiling-Central Market

Central Market

Our tuk tuk driver for the day

Ms. Keo Davy

Now we relax by the pool for a few hours. Feeling refreshed and ready for the evening we get a tuk tuk #006 from the front of our hotel. His name is rayban, phone #011 439 391. At 5:00 pm we go to FCC for drinks (another of my daughter's recommendations). I have a Long Island Ice Tea and my husband has a Blue Margarita. Cost $5.45. We're in luck as we have stool seats right at the edge with a great view of the river. Next is LIMONCELLO for pizza-very good! Cost $10. Last we have our tt driver take us to the BLUE PUMPKIN for dessert-American Cups sundaes-yummy!! These set us back $8.50 but I've fallen in love with BP ice cream! We return to the hotel by 9:00 pm and make plans for Hae to take us to the National Museum tomorrow. I ask him "how much?" for tonight. He says "whatever, you think." I volley back with "give me an amount, please" and remember he took us to 3 different places and waited for us. He says $10 and I give him $15.