Death by Chocolate Cake

Sunday 13^th February 2011

MP3 track of the day: You sexy thing – Hot Chocolate

Weather: Hot and sticky (some local got my hopes up and said that it might rain today. It didn't.)

Once again I was up a decent time and sitting in my favorite breakfast joint. As I would be moving onto the capital tomorrow I had my last 'bacon butty' and 'coconut shake' before heading out to photograph Siem Reap. Like I said yesterday, there isn't much to see within Siem Reap itself, it's a city that has grown in wealth due to the temples of Angkor being on it's door step. I looked at my map and plotted a rectangular route around the city taking in the main streets. As I photographed 'this and that' I noticed that there were a lot of police. Cambodia has two police forces (good cop / bad cop) patrolling the cities. The police wearing black uniforms are the military police and should be avoided at all costs (bad cop); the police wearing blue or khaki uniforms are the civilian police and, so I've been told, are more 'tourist friendly' (good cop). As I continued on my walking 'tour' of the city I noticed that the military police were quite young; what was more alarming was that some of them were armed with AK-47's or police nightsticks. I kept walking quickly past these officers.

It didn't take me long before I had photographed most of Siem Reaps 'attractions'. I looked at my watch to notice that it had only taken me until midday and, as I only had my breakfast at 10am, it was too early for lunch. I retired to my guesthouse to get out of the midday sun.

I was soon back out within the city and I stopped at KFC or lunch, delving into more kentucky fried goodness (South East Asia top tip: If you find something you like eat as much as you can because you never know when you will get another opportunity). Just like yesterday I made my way to the 'Blue Pumpkin' and ordered a slice of the 'death by chocolate cake'. $1.75 (£1.05) later a waitress brought over said cake on a very posh white plate. The cake was very similar to a normal chocolate sponge cake. It was delicious however I think 'death by chocolate cake' could be considered as false advertising. After eating said cake I was satisfied and full, however I didn't feel ill or bad in anyway (I preferred the 'Royal' cake that I ate yesterday). I think it should be renamed to something like 'satisfied hunger by chocolate cake' or 'if you already have a heart condition this may give you a small heart attack chocolate cake' or maybe 'clog up your arteries with this chocolate cake'. Something like that.

I literally had nothing left to do within Siem Reap and so I walked back to my hostel, stopping off at the local mini-mart to purchase snacks for my bus ride tomorrow (the cashier was breast feeding her child as I approached with my shopping basket ... Another first for South East Asia). Once back I got my computer out and got on with even more jobs. I discovered that I wouldn't need a visa for Hong Kong however, as I will be entering mainland China before Hong Kong, I will need to make sure that my Chinese visa is 'multiple entry' so I can leave Hong Kong after a couple of days and back into mainland China. I also read abit about Phnom Penh and a few pages of my 'teaching English' notes. I do hope that my voluntary company (I-to-I) aren't expecting me to teach 'American English'. First of all there is no such language and second of all I will be doing my job properly whether they like it or not. Trousers will be trousers and not 'pants'.

I continued my revising late into the day before having tea at the hostel. I then went to my dorm to pack my bags and read my book. Tomorrow I'm off to Phnom Penh where I will be spending almost a month there. I hope I like it as much as I like Siem Reap.

Toodle Pip!

P.S. If I got a pound for each time I was asked if I wanted a tuk-tuk or motorbike ride I would be a millionaire. People of South East Asia! If I want a tuk-tuk I will ask … ALRIGHT!