Achoo

I've been slammed with a head cold I just can't shake.  It's migrated to my stomach and chest making it difficult to muster the energy I need to see the sights and deal with the influx of new stimuli.  Thankfully I can depend on the group to navigate, read the map and find our bearings in a new city.  I'm saving my energy for my solo jaunt to Vietnam when I will have to be self-reliant.  Yesterday, after an intense six hour drive where cows were narrowly averted and mini vans almost grazed our side mirror we arrived in Phnom Penh.  I immediately missed the quieter chaos of Siem Reap.  However, on our walk to dinner I encountered the Penh's charm behind large French colonial walls.  Shuttered windows, ceiling fans, porches -- echos of another era, another regime.  Dinner at Romdeng, a restaurant where street youth are trained in service and cooking, was delicious -- prawns in thick curry, eggplant and black mushrooms, pork and coconut, lightly fried fish with chilies, and coconut/ginger ice cream that melted in the heat before the spoon could reach one's mouth.  Another day, another adventure about to unfold as we head to the National Museum and Royal Palace.