Bangkok Weekend!

Since roundtrip tickets to Bangkok are only $150 my group decided to go to Bangkok for a long weekend! It was sooo much fun! Jess has friends at the Intercontinental so we were able to get employee rates of $60 a night (compared to $250). We arrived and went out for some great thai food, I had the coconut milk spicy soup. SO good! Then we went back and were all exhausted and decided to go to bed and check out the night life the 2^nd night. I don think any of us had ever been so happy to be in a hotel room. It was SO quiet. I mean silent. and the beds were the most comfortable beds I’ve ever been in. We all slept for 11 hours. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned how awful the mornings are in Phnom Penh. The entire night there are dogs barking, constantly. Then at about 5:45 the vendors start coming out and squeak the bike horns we used as kids, or use a microphone that is loud and sounds like waa waa waaaaa. There is construction going on throughout the entire city. At 6:05 the ear piercing banging begins. Its beyond painful- torture really. The entire western population is sleep deprived (which may explain why there are so many NGO’s with badly thought out projects). Even with my computer blaring “peaceful music” it seems as though the construction workers are in my room. So yes, a silent night and morning sleep is something all of us were sooo happy to enjoy. I woke up at 8am and just squiggled in my bed and acknowledged the happiness I felt in a cold dark silent comfy room. Thankfully every morning was like that (no morning people thankfully!!). The first day we laid by the roof top pool for a while, then walked around the city and got massages then went to the backpackers district at night. Very fun- buckets of booze and Leo beer! Then there were the food carts which were plain amazingness. Eatable noodles and spring rolls for $1! SO gooooood!!!

The next day we did the tourist thing and checked out the royal palace and sleeping Buddha which I did with Christian but still was an incredible site. That night we ate at a cute amazing thai restaurant and checked out the high society clubs at night. Sunday we hung out at the pool all day then went to a movie at night. The movie was something else- you walk in and its like a classy lounge with massage chairs. Then when its time for the movie to begin they bring you in and there are huge leather recliners that go all the way back. They bring you pillows and blankets and take your order. SOOOO amazing! it was really fun, and we saw a great movie! (no theaters in phnom penh) They also had a great food court in the mall so I was able to get some annies pretzels with dunkable cheese.

I spent Monday morning before my flight reading by the pool then took off for the airport. I finally had time to get a huge sub and make a burger king run quickly before my flight took off. I ordered onion rings, French friends, chicken nuggets and tater tots from burger king. The guy beside me gave me a funny look as I totally pigged out - I had to explain there are no fast food restaurants in phnom penh and I had to eat it while I could. It was pretty tough leaving the city. It was SO nice to have sidewalks and skywalk and public transportation to get around. And the city was so manageable, the traffic followed rules and it was so nice to be able to eat without worrying about getting sick! We are opening a SISHA office in Bangkok soon, so maybe in the future I’ll be there!

So today I’m back in Phnom Penh, having the dogs keep me awake all night and woke up nice and early to the sounds of toy horns and construction. Hopefully my new place will be a little quieter, I’m paying quite a bit extra in the hopes that it is. But it was such a fabulous weekend!!