Onboard the Russian Destroyer - Admiral Panteleyev

So, when I was visiting Phnom Penh recently, three Russian Navy ships bound for a mission in Somalia made a stop at the docks of Sihanoukville. My friend, who is, like, super duper important, was invited by the Russian Military to visit the monster Destroyer. Lucky me got to tag along. and behold are some very cool pictures of me on this nuclear powered machine.

I can't really give you a good commentary as our guide had a very thick Russian accent, and I was more concerned about not tripping and falling and getting good photos than listening to military talk. I can tell you though that the four round things (numbered 1,2,3,4) are one of the many nuclear weapons onboard. And the chair I was sitting in was the Captain's chair, and the men aboard the boat were not going to see land for the next 6 months as they parole the straits of Somalia for pirate activities. Oh, and that pic of me squished between two men whilst grinning awkwardly? On the left's the Russian Military General or Colonel to Cambodia, and on the right's the Captain of the ship.

The rest, je ne sais pas. I so would not be a good spy.

 

Phnom Penh

The sun's shining brightly today, but I've been stuck to my sofa since 6am today and have been very reluctant to move. It's a veryyyyy painful time of the month. Almost makes me think that giving birth would cause less pain. Just almost.

Anyway, sofa time is a good time to catch up on blogging. Today, let's take a trip to Phnom Penh. I might end up giving you some good travel advice or I might not. I dunno.

Donc. Here goes.

I liked Phnom Penh very much. Had a lot to do with the fact that I loved my company very much too. I'm all about the company, ya know?

Then, there was the hotel we stayed at. A brand spanking new boutique hotel owned by a super elegant, chic and teeny tiny lady who's also the chef of the hotel restaurant. Super Mi and I became her super fans.The hotel is small, cosy, clean and wonderfully maintained by a dedicated and friendly crew. It's cheap too. I'm debating on whether or not I want to share the scoop about this awesome place, and I thought I should. And I just might. If you ask me nicely.

Then comes the next best thing. The food. We decided to eat a LOT at the hotel simply cause it was just so brilliantly good. And our gorgeous idol did all the cooking. *swoons. she's so awesome* Look at the pictures. I'm salivating again.

I didn't take many pictures apart from these because it was infuriatingly hot and humid while we were there. Super Mi and I were also getting over our jet lag and we somehow wanted to sleep ALL the time. THAT could also have been due to the fact that the beds in our rooms were crazy comfortable.

I was about to end here, but thought I should add in some travel tips so you don't feel your 3 minutes of reading this was entirely un-informational.

So, voila: Heather's guide to discovering Phnom Penh.

1. Bring lots of USD in small denominations. You don't wanna get change for $20 in trillions of riels (Cambodian currency) which will confuse the hell out of you.

2. Tuk-tuks are the main and best form of transportation for tourists. They're available everywhere, 24/7, and they take you everywhere. I tried bargaining real hard, but the lowest I ever got was $1 for a 10 minute ride. On an average, rides are $2. Though they will try to fleece you and say something like $5. Stick to your guns, and they'll cave. But tip the ones that are nice to you, please?

3. Shop at the Russian Market. Yes, it's commercialized. Yes, it's hot. Yes, it's disorganized. Yes, it's full of stuff you can find at lots of other markets all over Asia. But it's also a treasure trove of very fun stuff and good quality factory overruns. It's also THE place where the locals shop. Be prepared to dig and sweat a lot though. And bring a huge bottle of mineral water. I think I almost fainted from dehydration when we were there once in the afternoon. Average prices we forked out for some buys are as follows: polo shirts for men: $5 / 925 silver hoop earrings: $7 / Backpacks: $7 - $10 / Lace panties: $2 / Men's boxers: $2 / Assorted silver stuff: $5 - $20 / A kilo of fresh lychees: $2 / (I'm told I paid too much for everything, so if you're a better bargainer than me, knock yourself out and go as low as you can) 

4. Dress decently when you want to go visiting. I know, I should have known better but the heat had fried my brains, and I went a-visiting in teeny tanks and shorty shorts. I was of course denied entry to the Royal Palace. I learned my lesson and covered up (my legs) when we visited the museum the next day.

5. Eat at nice places. We didn't try any street food, and judging from the violent reactions of our stomachs the last night we were there after eating at a shopping mall food court, I'd say we were smart not to. Also, since food is so cheap in Phnom Penh, a nice meal at a nice, slightly upper market Cambodian restaurant costs approximately $10 - $20 per person. Which is a fortune compared to the $1 you'd spend on street food. But I tell you, great dining places in Phnom Penh are aplenty and comfy, so why not splurge on something you'd probably pay 4 times more for in your own country/ somewhere else? Also, good Cambodian food is fine, flavourful, and most importantly, plays with your senses very, very delicately. Something they do really well in their nice restos.

6. Eat beef. Cambodian beef. They have good beef there! Tender, succulent, flavourful... Not at all like the local beef we normally get around South East Asia. I had steaks, beef salad, beef soup, beef curry... All tender! All good!

And that's it for now folks! If you've got more to add on Phnom Penh, I'd love to hear from you!