Friday 19th January

Hi to one and all. Well it’s Thursday 18th and everything’s OK. The flight was uneventful – well getting to the airport was interesting because I forgot to veer left on the freeway through Essendon and went happily careering up the Calder freeway for a few minutes. Rhonda did a big panic, I did a U-turn across the median strip and we duly got to the Airport – where we joined the longest queue ever seen at Tullamarine. See photos (if we’ve been able to post them!!). Anyway the flight to Ho Chi Minh City was easy and we then had a quick change of ‘plane which thrilled Rhon when she saw it was a 60 seater with propellers!!!!

Met by the local contact, Chonda, at the airport and taken to our guesthouse which was fine until we found our room had twin beds – no double. Easily fixed by moving down the corridor. Air con worked, TV (60 channel) worked, hot water worked – so good night!

Woke about 7am and down for breakfast in the ‘restaurant’. Although a standard brekky is included in our package (which we pay of course) I decided to go for broke day one and ordered the American Breakfast – Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, baguette, fruit platter and coffee – US$4 (the standard is $2.00). Rhon settled for standard pancakes and fruit. Met 3 other girls who are with the same volunteering program but with different NGO’S: two from UK, and one from Melbourne. Then we all went off to the Interweave office for an info session – local habits, do’s and don’ts etc., and some brief outline about our placements. Then back to our home and lunch across the road at the Hawii (that’s how they spell it) pizza place.
Boy has this place changed in twelve months. A year ago there was one ATM in town. Now they are everywhere - there are many more shops with a much wider range of goods - buildings and particularly hotels going up left right and center with road building to match. But still there are thousands of people living in atrocious conditions, piles of rubbish everywhere, streets with huge potholes, and organized chaos on the road; tuk-tuk and moto drivers asleep waiting for fares, and that unmistakeable rotting smell that occasionally hits your nostrils and makes you wince.
On Wednesday arvo we had a sort of guided tour around the town tuk tuk and then in the evening we all went to a pre-arranged dinner at a Kmher restaurant with a traditional dancing floor show. Today (18th) we’ve had lazy day –went to the old market and bought a few odds and ends we needed, then in the afternoon we decided to go to one of the upmarket hotels where they had a big fancy outdoor pool. You can pay US$5 and use the pool/spa/gym facilities all day. Or you can pay US$40 for a month and come and go as you please. There are no public pools in Siem Reap so it’s a good idea. Then Rhon had a 1 hour massage at a place run by visually impaired people, called Seeing Hands and tonight we’re all going out to another local eating place.All sounds a bit like a holiday so far doesn’t it? We’ve got some more orientation stuff tomorrow plus a 2 hour Khmer lesson, then the weekend free, but start in earnest on Monday. Our placement will be 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday so it will be full on. The weather is HOT and the sweat is pouring freely.