Our beautiful stay in Siem Reap has ended as this morning we shared our last breakfast omelette and headed to the airport.

The hotel staff are just lovely. They try and look after your every need and there is a lot of hands together in prayer position, greetings. When we left they lined up to stay goodbye and the next minute the girl at the reception desk ran out and jumped into the car for the ride yo the airport. I like to think it was to chat to us because she liked our group and not because she wanted a tip!

Pete has made friends, as usual, with the locals particularly with Chilli a young man who works at the hostel Pete usually stays in when holidaying in Siem Reap. It’s opposite the hotel we have been staying in and we have called in several times for a drink at his friendly little bar.

The plane flight of 40 mins to PP cost us all of $25 each!

Pete had warned that PP was much busier, noisier, dustier then SR and I think he’s right. On the road in from the airport we spotted  many shops of all types especially tile shops. They must be retiling the whole of PP! Quite a few coffee shops, tools and spare parts, taps, wooden items, little local cafes and wires. All over the place wires hanging from pole apparently connecting the entire city! Pete says electricity is very expensive here. A lot of the cost is in the wires!

We went to Pete and El’s apartment first. It’s in a street one back off one if the boulevards and is typical of PP streets. Not paved – yes really- lots of wires , and tall gates providing security. His building is ground and 2 floors and they are on the first. It has a very large balcony which is really their living area.

 You enter up a staircase into a large  kitchen and a little laundry. Then a long hall way runs along and out to the balcony where the love of El’s life  live happily.  ( after Pete). Her two little lovebirds !

 There are two bedrooms , each with a double bed and own bathrooms Camodian style – a shower just in the room with no curtain or seperate wet area. Mind you I have had several bathrooms of this style in Italy!

We left our bags and got their local tuk tuk man to take us to the Russian market. El wanted to get a few things including new shirts for Pete. He hates shopping so she took advantage of showing us the market and doing some shopping.

We had to recover in a nearby cafe with Cambodian beer and then their favourite little noodle bar for a quick lunch before tuk tukking it back to get our bags to get to our hotel. They really aren’t set up for visitors! We’re staying at the lovely little Hilary’s hotel a few doors down from the bar restaurant Petes friend Nick owns and where El works.

It’s a lovely little place so after a swim two of us painted our nails and two had a business style meeting ! Guess who!
More later with pictures after the Engagement Party tonight.