Settling in...

I've now been in Phnom Penh for ten days, so this first entry is well overdue, at least according to my mum.

I was last here eight years ago. In that time lots has changed; there are now large buildings; Beoung Kok Lake, where the backpacker area was located, has sadly been filled in ready for development; there are scores of ATMs (there was one last time); the roads are now mostly paved; there is development everywhere (some apparently halted since the GFC); you can buy almost anything Western you want now (Vegemite, tampons, French cheese, Corn Flakes); and every second café and bar has wireless internet.

But, with all that said, Cambodia feels the same. When I walked off the plane onto the tarmac (yes, you still walk on the tarmac), I got an instant dose of nostalgia based purely on the smell; a smell that I had never known I had classified and one I only knew I knew once I arrived (just call me Jean-Baptiste Grenouille). The vibe is the same, the people smile like they did before, the traffic functions on the same organised chaos, the moto is still king on the roads (although there is now an abundance of Lexuses (Lexi?), many of which have a government-issued VIP badge on their dash), and the food is still cheap.



Speaking of which, I have made the acquaintance of a street-vendor I name "noodle man" who pushes his cart around my neighbourhood and cooks up the most delicious (can you guess?) noodles! I first found him outside my house, then down the street, but unfortunately yesterday, when I had a hankering for his noodles, he was nowhere to be found (and I roamed the streets for a good ten minutes on my bike). I might have to get his phone number or install a tracking device on his cart.

Noodle man's noodles, all for 3000 riel (75 cents)

Rebecca and I have also managed to find and move into an apartment. The task of finding a place to live presented at first as daunting, however, as is my experience with these sorts of things, you search and find nothing and then suddenly, out of the blue, you find something. We live on the third (or fourth, depending on how you count) floor in a place that I would describe as clean, relatively modern and maybe a bit light in the character department (although we'll fix that).

The main boudoir

Living room

Rebecca gets straight onto the dishes

Guest room (coming?)

Guests!

One of two balconies with some construction as a view

It goes without saying, yet here I am saying, that there is a lot still to say about our stay so far. But I think this is a good start and I am well aware that in this, the digital age, I have already written more than what most people have the time, concentration or inclination to consume.

So, I hope everyone's well. Write back if you like...