Phnom Penh – Girly day
Back in Phnom Penh for the second time, it was a relief to say that they were doing something to the road by the lake. What exactly is unclear – from what I could see, it involved placing medium-sized rocks all over the road, so not really making it better. I was assured, though, that this was all part of a grand plan to make it driveable.
It was great to be back in the throbbing metropolis that is PP (by Cambodian standards, anyway) as I was planning to indulge in one of my most favourite past-times – shopping. Yep, shallow to the core, that’s me. I don’t get much of a chance for it these days – lack of space and lack of funds both put paid to that – but I was shopping for a reason. My watch strap had broken in Kampot (think it cracked under the strain of so much water) and I could buy a whole new watch for less money than it would take to get it fixed. Welcome to Asia!
I commandeered a moto driver, and negotiated a price. Actually, it was a bit wierd, as he grabbed my nose. There’s something going on with my nose. On three separate occasions random people here in Cambodia have grabbed it. I know foreigners are known as ‘big noses’, but frankly, mine ain’t all that big – I know other people with much more impressive noses than mine, but they have never been grabbed. My hands, too – but I know why this is, as the first lady who did it spoke enough English to let me know that she loved my fingers. Apparently the bit below the knuckle is nice and plump (!), which is considered attractive. So, if I run out of money I could make a fortune here as a hand model. But my nose… not sure. I think this guy grabbed it as a flirty thing, as we were mid-negotiation. So I did the only decent thing, and flirted right back (gotta get that price down, and he was very cute). My tactic worked. All hail the nose.
We zoomed off to the Russian market, him trying to persuade me to carry on my world tour with him; we could go and see the world on a motorbike. Tempting as this was, I think the fact that he didn’t have a passport might have slowed us down. Once inside the market, I found the watch stands, and, though I know diddly squat about watches, managed to pick up a rather nifty little Rolex. For $8 – at the current exchange rate, about 4 of your sterling pounds. I think it must be real. I also got carried away at the DVD stand, for $2 a piece you can’t argue, although by the time I’ve posted them home I might has well have paid full whack in the UK. Still, gotta love a bargain.
Back at the lakeside, I got chatting to the lovely Leonie over lunch – she’s from Kent and is a real star. We bonded over a shared love of shopping and random gossip, and, both of us feeling the need for a lazy day, we wiled away the afternoon watching one of my new DVDs at the guesthouse (The Constant Gardener – and yes, it is as good as they say, but I think it might take a second viewing to get the full story. I got the jist, though – drug companies = bad, government = bad, Rachel Weisz = good).
And that was pretty much it for the day, apart from a large jug of cocktails back in my old haunt of Moskito – more gossip and chat with Leonie, and slight amusement as we were watching the tennis, every time the Rolex sponsorship logo was shown I’d look at my four quid job and giggle. I’m sure it’s real.
So not the most eventful day of my life, but when a day starts with shopping and ends with cocktails, it’s not too bad at all.
Tags: Cambodia, Travel
Suzanne
I know most people rely on the ‘do the hands sweep or tick’ test for a fake Rolex, but one way to tell for sure is to look at the first letter in the name:
If it’s a letter ‘R’, its real.
If it’s a letter ‘B’, it’s a fake.
Suze, I think you’ll be rushing out to buy a new watch strap when you get to see the wonderful designer watch I bought for you whilst in China!
Love you lots.
Mum