Phnom Penh

Well I headed off from Angkor Zen with reluctance, had met some amazing people, young and old, world travelling house sitters, young people on uni break, full time yogis, and women in search of a baby to adopt, amazing. I had loved the yoga, meditated twice a day and generally felt renewed. Everyone warned me than Phnom Penh was noisy, busy and that you had to give it time to grow on you.

But for me it was love at first sight! Not sure if the funky, minimalist hotel that I had booked ( thank you again lonely planet), right in the river, hot shower, air con, amazingly cheap, was the reason.

I felt like a seventies porn star would appear at any moment, but it is fabulous . 

Each morning, after meditation for an hour if course, I open the blinds to see the sun come up. Smog can be really pretty.

I then watch the multitudes tune up their bodies. Tai chi, aerobics, strength training, cross training, running, watching,  they are all sports here in the dawn coolness.

Boats go by on the river, which flows amazingly fast.

Right next door is the home of Buddhism in Cambodia, Wat Ounalom and yes I did meet a monk and chat for at least an hour.

It is literally around the corner from where I am staying and houses1000 monks, and 500 students. So obviously it quite a business.

Inside they have a statue of Buddha which the Pol Pot soldiers threw into the river, as he was the only one to be worshiped. Years latter the monks retrieved it, and it now has pride of place. I did not want to photograph inside, but this is where the young monk talked to me. He had been a red Khmer soldier for a year, then became a monk.

I still cannot reconcile the poverty and the lavishness of architecture.

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And here is the  pick taken by another solo traveller

The monks are everywhere, in the back of bikes, in tuktuks, and collecting alms in the morning. That means they go from door to door with a silver bowl, like a large crockpot with a lid, collecting food.

It's proving to be an incredible experience, I feel like I am on another planet, but in a good way. Everyone is so friendly, especially when I'm rocking the grey hair. Traffic is hectic, but as soon as I stand looking each way some body grabs my wrist and stops the traffics and I cross. Haha, work it baby!