Spider Snacks and Monks on Bikes

Our few days in Phnom Penh turned into a week, so that we could take time to meet people, move slowly and enjoy the street sights, before visiting the sickening darkness of S-21 and the Killing Fields.

We saw BBQ spiders at the market, alongside skinned frogs, foetal chickens, cockroaches, beetles, grasshoppers… Apparently they’re great foods to eat when you’re drinking beer! We were tempted, but left it all untouched.

See photos at http://web.mac.com/erinfearn/iWeb/SE%20Asia/Phnom%20Penh.html

We spent time with Lasda and her mother, two beautiful women who own a restaurant business – “Family Restaurant” – and who serve terrific Khmer, Viet, Chinese and European food: $1-2 for a meal, with a free beer/coke/coffee! They moved to Cambodia from Vietnam following some family hardships, and have worked hard to independently support themselves. They are busy saving and are hoping to sell their business (for $4000!) and leave Cambodia, and preferably go to Australia. We would like to help them if we can, so if anyone knows of a potential employer…? Lasda is 19, speaks Khmer, English, Vietnamese and some Mandarin. Her mother, Rose, speaks Khmer, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and some English. Both are gorgeous, honest, friendly and cook amazing food!

We also met Minakshi and Sunil, and their 2-year-old son, Dhruv. They have been in Phnom Penh for 6 weeks, having moved from India to open an Indian restaurant. Their food was excellent too, and their son was very funny and liked to dance.

We went twice to Seeing Hands, where we decided we had received the best ever massage by people who could tell at a touch what was tight and what needed work. The masseurs are blind and the organization was set up so that blind people could have dignified employment. The training takes years and the people that we spoke to had been with Seeing Hands for more than 10 years. They were really good.