A Visitor!

So Saturday night after the staff party a visitor showed up!!  Alex Brocklebeaner!! aka my friend Alex Brocklebank.  We went to Uvic together and met while living in the same dorms first year and have remained close ever since.  He began travelling South East Asia at the beginning of November with some of our other friends Sam and Evan and so when I found out I was going to be teaching here in Cambodia I had told him he better come and visit and he did! He was taking a bus down from Laos while Sam and Evan were planning on hitting the 4000 islands which he decided to skip.  The bus was scheduled to be in town at around 7-8pm which was perfect because my staff party ended at 8.  So I got home all excited for his arrival and I waited....and waited...and waited.  Finally I went to bed.  At around 11:30pm there was a knock at the door and he was here!  Apparently his bus broke down 4 times!  Finally they had to call in a new bus to get them here.  As it was late we didn't get time to visit and went to bed instead.  In the morning I got to hear all about his travels.  They started in Thailand then went south before heading up to Northern Laos to make there way back down and into Cambodia.  It sounded amazing from their hikes to swimming with sharks (the little none threatening kind) and made me even more excited to be here too!  So we started our day by checking out the cafes close to my house since I really haven't even had a chance to do that yet (only been here a week at this point).  We found a westernized cafe with some yummy food and some not so yummy westernized prices but it was worth it.  Next we went back to my place and had my security guard outside my building call us a tuk tuk.  Simon our tuk tuk driver (someone I've met before because he's Jamrods, the security guards, friend) drove us to the Central Market.  As it states in wikipedia, this huge twelve story building was built in 1935 in the shape of a dome with four arms branching out into vast hallways with countless stalls of goods. Initial design and layouts are from French architect Louis Chauchon. When it first opened in 1937, it was said to be the biggest market in Asia; today it still operates as a market. From 2009 to 2011, it underwent a US$4.2 million renovation funded by the French Development Agency.  Before 1935, the area was a lake that received runoff during the rainy season. The lake was drained and construction began in 1935. Since its completion in 1937, wet season flooding around the market has remained a problem and is vestigial evidence of the old lake. The entrance to the market is lined with souvenir merchants hawking everything from T-shirts and postcards to silver curios and kramas. Inside is a dazzling display of jewels and gold. Electronic goods, stationery, secondhand clothes and flowers are also sold. 
We did not spend much time inside as the vendors all sell very similar things none of which we were really interested in buying so we walked around, Alex bought a new portable speaker for when he's traveling and then we decided to head to our next destination, the river front.  We had to find another tuk tuk driver which was fairly easy as there were tons milling about outside and then we were off to the races.  The River front is very modernized and touristy with plenty of little cafes and restaurants to sit and relax.  We had our tuk tuk driver pull over in front of this really cool building that we wanted to explore.  Turned out it was the Wat Ounalom, a Monastery Temple.  As the seat of Cambodia's Mohanikay order, it is the most important way of Phnom Penh, and the centre of Cambodian Buddhism.  It was established in 1443 and consists of 44 structures.  It was damaged during Khmer Rouge but has since been restored.  The main complex houses a stupa that contains what is believed to be an eyebrow hair of Buddha.  It was absolutely gorgeous with all its gold trimmings and peeked food tops.  Definitely the type of architectural uniqueness you'd expect in Asia.  Walking around the Temple didn't take long but the heat was excruciating so we took cover in a cafe so Alex could have his first Cambodian beer (I had my first last night at the staff party...and my second and third).  After an energizing break in the air-conditioned cafe we made our way down the river front boardwalk to the Royal Palace, only to find out it didn't open until 2pm, so we took solace in a Dairy Queen where we got some nice cold smoothies and waited out our time, away from the heat.  At 2pm we joined the crowd making its way into the palace gates only to be turned away because we were not dressed properly in shorts and t-shirts (should have expected this as I knew shoulders and knees needed to be covered...wasnt thinking clearly I guess).  So instead we tuk tuk-ed home for a relaxing evening resting after our busy day exploring.  

Alex and I in the tuk tuk (Alex has not shaven since traveling...its why he looks homeless)

Simon our driver!

Inside the Central Market

Some of the vendors (sorry must have moved the camera)

As my sister would say...but first let me take a selfie!

Outside the Central Market 

A prayer spot (I think)

Wat Ounalom (Monastery Temple) in all its glory from outside the gates

One of the many structures inside the gates

Elephant in the garden

Another structure (I think this one is the one presumed to hold Buddha's eyebrow hair since there was a crazy statues inside...picture to come further down)

My artsy shot

another structure

Yet another structure (they did say there were 44!)

 Inside one of the structures it looked like a gift shop but i think it was just someones things for prayer

 My future home door

 Some very cool Buddha statues (if only they fit in my suitcase)

 I read that the three headed elephant is usually considered a symbol of wisdom, greatness and at some point in history an important instrument of war

 not sure what this one means

 The great bell...I wanted to ring it but was advised not to

 The statue in the building I thought might hold the eyebrow

 View from the river front...wouldnt swim here (hotel in distance)

 They had all the flags lining the boardwalk

 The King of Cambodia, his name is Preah Barum Reachea Veang Chaktomuk Serei Mongkol (try pronouncing that gem of a name!)

The palace grounds from the front terrace