I check the map of Phnom Penh and the museum calls. Set in a beautiful old building not far from the FCC I brave the roads. I have finally developed my strategy for crossing. Look out for and keep out of the way of cars, buses and lorries, but don’t bother about bikes, cyclos, moto taxis or tuk tuks, they will find their way around you. But develop your “helicopter head” technique, some of the roads are quite wide so a continual turning of the head to stay aware is wise. If all that fails, use a local, as long as you keep the other side of the traffic from them, they will act as a human shield and you can cross in their shadow – it’s worked so far! The museum is more about ancient Cambodia than new, and is full of beautiful Buddah’s, bowls and carving from ancient times, some taken from Angkor Wat, but a lot of what was there has been taken back to Siem Reap for the newly opened museum there. And it’s interesting, whilst you can’t touch the exhibits, most are out in the open, not behind great glass cases so feel much more accessible. The setting is beautiful, around a garden with lotus and fish pools and relaxing greenery. But enough of old stuff, I then ventured on to the modern temple, shopping in the central market. On the way there I walked through an area where they are carving new stone statues, but the noise told me they are using more modern techniques of electric drills rather than the old fashioned hammer and chisel. They were producing some beautiful things, but alas too big to go in the case. And as usual you are approached to buy other things whilst walking along the streets – but the man with two bunches of feather dusters on a pole over one shoulder really was approaching the wrong customer… The central market seems more for local people – the Russian market yesterday seemed more for tourists. It’s a great labyrinth of dark stalls selling everything, watches, electricals, jewellery, shampoo, silks, scarves, shoes, clothes, food. The shoes were interesting and some had an eclectic mix of styles and labels even on the one pair of shoes, I didn’t realise that Burberry and Chanel had co-operated in their latest footwear offering… They don’t seem to be desperate for business though – I saw a very simple blouse I liked and she was asking $10 which was too much – I don’t want to bargain down too much, but wasn’t prepared to pay that so walked away – I didn’t get called back… The market is shaped like a big cross and marooned in the centre of a wide circular road teeming with people and vehicles; my newly developed helicopter technique came into its own. But I had had enough of crossing roads by the time I had finished there, so braved a tuk tuk ride back to the hotel for a decent coffee. I decided to while away the afternoon up on the terrace and whilst there met two guys from California who were real journalists (one a writer and one a photographer) actually filing their copy – a story about a village girl from the North of the country who is being taken to the US for life saving heart surgery in the next couple of days. You can read all about it at the Press-Telegraph website this Sunday. I felt at home as I also discovered that as a blog writer, I am a journalist after all – a “citizen journalist” apparently. So spent the rest of the afternoon whiling away the time “filing” my blog copy and generally enjoying the comings and goings of the FCC and musing on my time so far.
