Countdown . . .

Bradyn and I can't decide if the countdown is backed up with feelings of excitement or sadness. I'm sure it's a bit of both. We're excited to come home and see family and get a rest from tuk tuk drivers, moto drivers, tourist traps, beggars, noisy city streets, climbing endless stairs up to our hotel rooms. We're excited to eat garden vegetables, taber corn, icecream on waffles with berries, milk shakes and crispy cream donuts! Oh and icecream and raspberries! We're excited for our soft bed, the quiet sounds of the countryside and fresh, clean air! Mmmm! But on the other hand we will miss much about Cambodia and would love to come back. There is still so much that we wish we could do but just don't have time for. The people here are wonderful (give or a take a few) and the children are cute!!!!! The life is simple and happy and people just live and love their families. What a blessing it has been to be among these people! We will miss the lush green countryside dotted with rice fields and people working in them. It's just been wonderful and tomorrow we leave Cambodia perhaps forever! :(

Today has been a day like most other days - not quite as planned! I think we've decided to stop having expectations because things always turn out different then what we expect! Breakfast was good though at a bakery! All for two dollars. Then we called a lady that works at the orphanage we were planning on visiting today. Arrangements were made for us to meet her in front of central market at 2 to be picked up. She did warn us that there was lots of water but the warning didn't really sink in.

Meeting Botevy (the lady from the orphanage) at 2 meant we had a full morning to kill and a full wallet! We've since learned that those are bad combinations!!! The day was spent walking around looking here and buying there. The deals were good and perhaps a bit too good because our wallet emptied much quicker then we had hoped. Well, not emptied but dangerously close! After a yummy lunch consisting of mostly fruit shake (So yummy here!) we met a tuk tuk driver who took us around to buy rice, candy, noodles and balloons before we were to meet Botevy. Bradyn and I had already bought a big branch of bananas and a bottle of nail polish. We were prepared so we sat and waited on a corner in front of central market.

Botevy arrived shortly after two. Problem - she was on a moto! And not even by herself. How to fit 50kg of rice, a branch of bananas, a box of noodles and four adults onto a motot? We didn't. Bradyn and I and another lady from the orphanage found a tuk tuk (which was quite easy really! It's actually easier to get a tuk tuk then it is to avoid them all! We had three at our disposal in a matter of seconds.) The ladies spoke to the drivers all in Khmer so Bradyn and I just looked at each other and shrugged!

It didn't take long for us to fully understand Botevy's warning of lots of water! The road a km before the orphanage became a lake! Our tuk tuk even died from flooding! So... we waited and soon a bunch of little boys on pedal bikes showed up. Three loaded the rice onto the back of one bike (we thought they were going to ride the bike and I was ready with the camera!) They walked them. The bananas were put on the back of another bike and Bradyn and I were both taken by the hand and walked through the knee deep water. So much for keeping our feet clean! The gauze we had on our toes quickly came off and we walked on. Soon we came to the orphanage but you couldn't tell by looking at the ground. The yard was an extension of the lake and the kids had built a dam out of mud to block the water from coming into their sleeping area. Their classroom was even filled with water!

The kids were so cute! They lined up, girls in one row and boys in another as we handed out bananas and candy. Only after all the bananas were handed out did we notice the slew of banana trees they had in their backyard! Oh well! We tried. Bradyn then started blowing up balloons while I started painting nails. The kids also performed for us. They began by singing songs that were oddly familiar! They were primary songs! They sang Children of the world, Love is Spoken here, A child's prayer, There's a right way and a few khmer songs. Then they danced for us. I couldn't see much of the dances because I was focused on nails, but Bradyn did some filming! Then they played a game of .... MINGLE! One I knew! And it proved to Bradyn that it's not just a crazy Johnson family game! It's played on the other side of the world too!!! :)

Too soon we had to go. They were getting ready to eat supper and the clouds were moving in. As a gesture of kindness, they offered me gum boots to protect my feet but the boots had a great big hole on the top of the foot and it was 2 sizes too small. So, not only did water and little rocks get in, but my sore toe was squished against the front of the boot. Oh well! They tried too and I just grinned and bore it. Cute kids and we have an email address to send pictures to.

After a shower and a supper of Japanese food (it was yummy but too expensive! Prices here were the same if not more then as at home and we got half the food!) Bradyn said he wasn't sure if he liked the place not because of the food because it was delicious, but because of the service! It was amazing and we felt obligated to tip lots! We didn't even half empty our glasses before they were filled again and if we set anything down wrong, it was soon put in its proper place!

Across the street from us was a taste of Vegas. Not the gambling but something very similar to the Bilagio. There was a fountain that kind of danced to the music and was all lit up in cool colors. We watched it for a little while. I think it was something new to Phnom Penh because the locals gathered too and were all taking pictures. It was beautiful and neat to see. Now we're on our way to the hotel for a good night's sleep!