Sights and smells

I have arrived safely in Cambodia, just waiting for the other person I am working with, Steve, to arrive on a flight later today, The journey was a little long but went very well. I left a cold Sola airport in Stavanger at 7am headed for Frankfurt. After that was a lunch time flight from Frankfurt to Singapore. It was a 12 hour flight which made my arrival time midnight European time but 6am here. Lost a night somewhere on the journey!

Landed safely in Singapore, found my way to a different terminal by sky train and onto the flight in time.






 

 

It was so nice to be met at the airport and to see old friends again. I have spent some time by the pool, then into the nearby shops to locate factor 50 suncream. Not so necessary in the city but this evening we, the leaders are sharing a meal and having a planning/strategy meeting. After that I have no idea when I might get time for shopping before the last day! I will definitely need the suncream.

 

Travel in the city is either by private car, Bicycle, moped or tuctuc. Tuctucs are everywhere and the drivers are all willing to take you anywhere you want to og.

These are an inexpensive and reasonably safe way of getting around the city. It is helpful if your tuctuc driver speaks a bit of English, mine didn't! No problem though, he got out his map of the city so I could point to where I wanted to og to, but the map was written in Khmer! Still no problem, we just stopped a passing padestrian who happily translated for us.

It is almost three years since I was here last but I still remember the sights, whole families and shopping crammed onto a moped. Nor are the smells forgotten, the smell of oyster sauce, quite pleasant in small quantities is really overpowering when the streets are full of street vendors selling take-away food. The combination of that and the usual city pollution and grime means that Phnom Penh is not easily forgotten.

Tomorrow we head into the suburbs for the start of the conference I will be helping to lead. There will be lots of Church leaders from all over the country and various denominations gathered for a week of inspiration and teaching. Very exciting!