A day of rest

Today (Sunday) was a free day for the team, nothing was organised but most of us wanted to go back to the Russian Markets for some more shopping. So after breakfast we called for the tuk tuks and headed off! Sean & Dan had other plans, so they set off to do their own thing. The markets were only just opening as we arrived, we quickly found the two NGO/Free Trade shops we had been looking for. There are a number of organisations that work mainly with kids and women, teaching them skills, providing work and an outlet for their craft. They are considered 'free trade' as they ensure that the workers are paid a fair wage for their work. The items for sale are a fixed price and a little more expensive than in the markets. But, they are a little bit better quality and a little different to the run of the mill market stalls.

The markets quickly came to life, with hawkers selling everything from watches and dvds to antiques and knock off designer hand bags. There were household goods, clothing, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and dry goods. The fruit sellers sell bags of peeled and cut fruit in plastic bags, served with chilli and salt - local food only!

DVDs were popular with the team, watches followed closely, then scarves, t-shirts and some jewelry! Precious stones (real of course) were very cheap, some of the gems as big as the Star of India........real of course!
The markets were narrow alleyways full of small stalls, full to the brim - all covered with corrugated iron, in some areas at about 2 metres. It was hot and steamy - too hot to stay in for long, so whenever you saw sunlight at the end of an alleyway you headed out for a breath of fresh air and to cool down (at about 35 degrees outside). It took dedicated shoppers to keep to the task. Many failed and headed off on other adventures.

By the end of the day we met back at the hotel and jumped the fence to use the poool in the hotel next door! We had the option of paying $5 for a swim, or spending $5 on drinks, food and snacks. It was an easy choice and a lovely way to finish a hot steamy day.

Dinner at night was at the Foreign Correspondents Club - a three story club on the water front with a mix of western and asian dishes. A great spot with lots of the now familiar geckos on the walls. a few did not venture out, rumbling tummies and weary bodies were starting to take a toll.

I think that we now felt that we understood Phnom Penh a little better, we had helped the local economy with our shopping and had stocked up on gifts for those at home! It had been a good weekend, and we were ready to head back to the build site again in the morning. There had been rumours of a few prayers for cooler weather, and lightning had been spotted in the distance. We will wait and see what Monday brings.