Phnom Penh

We (5 of us from Battambang) arrived after a long bus trip from Battambang to Phnom Penh to a mob of Moto and Tuk Tuk drivers. It's was like being a movie star where the media and fans are held back by ropes to aloow the Celebs through. We were very grateful that the bus company did this otherwise we would have been mobbed by the hordes of drivers. It's was rather scary and a bit disconcerting really.
Fran, our lovely self appointed leader, managed a good deal with a tuk tuk driver and he ushered us safely to our awaiting chariot. (what am I going to do without him?) Finally we arrived at our guest house, after long mechanical problems with said tuk tuk, and relied that there was a little miscommunication with the price. After a little screaming by our fearless leader and Tuk Tuk driver, we agreed on a price and we all went our separate ways fairly happy. Until we had to walk up 5 flights of stairs with our backpacks to bargain over a room..I got the best deal though and pretty proud of myself too.
The following day we all set off together like a nice happy little family with "Dad" as our tour leader. We were advised not to walk and bet ourselves a Tuk Tuk because we had to go through a slum area.....We decided as a group we were pretty safe...So off we set on foot.
All was fine until we gottp the central park area which has a giant Chedi on top and something that resembles a circus below it. Beggars, nuddie Kids swimming in a fountain....And monkeys!!!
That's it that's were you lost me!!
I hot footed it out of there in a hurry straight for the slum area. Bag snatcher I can do but not a monkey!!
Anyway we all made it through the "bad neighborhood" unscathed and even ventured into the local post office which is advised against. Those postal officers are vicious!
were walked to the Mekong River and finally made it to the Grand Palace..Which was of course closed until the arvo. So myself and Fran and Annnick took a walk around the grounds of the National Museum. We were approached by a kid begging a whining for money and when we ignored him he promptly said "fuck off"..Nice!
Finally we all made it to the Grand Palace and the silver Pagoda and cruised around there saying how opulent it was considering that there were starving families sitting just outside the gates!
And the silver Pagoda was not actually silver but rather had a floor of pure silver tiles.
Just between you and me. It was all beautiful even though I do agree with the point.