Surprise, for me too !!!!here I am in Phnom Penh, last Friday I messaged my friend in Kampot to see how things were proceeding with the Kampot readers and writers festival that he organizes and I am to help with. He asked when would I get there? I had booked to be there on the 15th October. He said he was swamped as he is also organizing a music festival the week before here in Phnom Penh. As well as having an art exhibition in Hong Kong last week. I thought well I have done what I need , got my site updated and fixed, been to the dentist. I hadn’t caught up with a few people but my main biz was completed.

To change my time and date on my ticket would be easy, of course it costs money. I saw on line I could get a cheaper fare through Malaysia airlines , thus forfeiting my Air Asia flight so I trekked out to the airport on the bus on Saturday.

I have 20kg of baggage so when I enquired of course the fare zoomed up and would cost me an extra 180 Aust . So I went to the AirAsia counter at the airport and managed to change my Penang-Bangkok time and date at a cost of $50 then I booked a Bangkok -Phnom Penh flight for $150 Aust, that luggage costs you but I can’t travel light what would I do with the 4 pair of shoes I never wear but love!!!! I knew my accommodation would be cheaper than Penang and sure enough when I received an email from a manager of a guesthouse/ hotel I had spoken to on my last visit it was indeed $200 dollars cheaper per month so all was well financially. My budget was on track.

When I returned after a 2 hour bus ride from the airport. Saturday afternoon traffic jams in Penang are legendary plus it was another long weekend , the Kings birthday it usually takes 45 minutes max. The manager of my accommodation ‘The Red Inn’ Kita a lovely Thai lady who has become a good pal asked if I would like to join her on Monday night for a vegetarian feast to celebrate mid Autumn, the lantern festival. Of course I would love to , it would give me an opportunity to catch up with another mutual friend Juliette and Alyssa . I sort of didn’t really know whether it was 4 of us in some ones home , or part of a festival scene. I didn’t want to ask.

On Monday I finally bought that goddamned umbrella !! Along with lots of good shampoo, conditioner and other hair products, more BB cream , lipstick mascara. Hey a girl has to look good even in the wild east of Cambodia!!! It dawned on me I would be over in my baggage allowance. I had noticed at the Air Asia counter it would cost an extra $70 dollars for an other 10kg. So as I had an address I would post myself a box of my clothes. Do you think I could find a box? No, you see there are a lot of elderly people here who collect cardboard along with plastic bottles to sell to supplement their meagre income. You see them daily, one lady she must be 70 and works tirelessly every day going from shop to shop collecting boxes on her pushbike with a side bit where she stacks the boxes. Every night around 5.30pm her husband is seen on his motor bike beside her pushing her along . He must finish work and come to help her home its beautiful and sad at the same time .

Finally I found a box big enough packed it with a blessed pair of shoes lots of clothes and numerous things I have collected on the way. I then went to Little India to get my Rice milk soap, some incense and fell in love with a little mobile of a red elephant. I would trek to the Post office the next day to post the boxes. I had found another smaller box and planned to use that if I had to, something for Tuesday I thought.

My friend was busy making spring rolls when I returned so after a wash I joined her and a friend . They taught me how to roll them, I got in trouble for making little fat ones so put less mixture in. Being vegetarians the filling was glass noodles with garlic, onions, carrots beans cut very small, spring onions , and chilli. Everything had been precooked and cooled. The wrappers where pre bought. I got the hang of it and it was a lovely way to spend an hour or so. Her friend next door was cooking them so we could take them to our feast. I had bought 4 mooncakes to take. I don’t eat wheat so I couldn’t even eat my little fat spring rolls yet alone try a mooncake. The packaging of these moon cakes are so ornate and festive . Our friend Juliette couldn’t make it in the end so it was Kita, Allysa(who is from New Guinea), little Lovelane our 6 year old adorably cheeky friend and myself

We arrived at a closed café, went in put our food down and Kita beckoned for us to go upstairs. We got there and there was a little temple/shrine/ place of worship . Turns out they are Ch’uan Toaists which is an order for peace and harmony, inner peace and rituals that date back centuries. Kita taught Lovelane and myself (Alyssa is already a follower) how to put your palms together with openings between the fingers and bow three times then again, as always I never know what to think/pray when I do this so I always wish my sons and sisters and friends health and happiness. Afterwards we went downstairs and I met an amazing group of happy people, all quite young in their late 20’s a few older followers where there. They made me feel so welcome , one of the guys , he owned the café had made the best vegetarian green curry I had ever tasted. He is also a musician goes around teaching traditional Taoists songs to other like minded groups in Malaysia and Thailand. Lovelane made friends with other kids and they happily played with the lanterns in the balmy night air. So it was a lovely way to spend one of my last nights in Penang. Met up with my American friends Dion and Dominic for a last coffee at Mugshot on Tuesday, they may come and visit Kampot on their visa runs. I will miss the intellectual banter that these too have brought me .

Off to the post office with 2 boxes !! There was writing on the boxes so I had to go to the little Indian man who ran a tiny shop near the post office and bought brown paper and tape. he must make a killing from ignorant tourists. By the way the post office doesn’t sell big boxes just jiffy bags. So I spent a sweaty hour papering over the writing on my boxes . A lady came in when I was finished and the jiffy bag was too small for her present so I gladly gave her my left over brown paper and tape, she was very grateful. It will take 2 to 3 weeks to get there I could have opted for sea mail but that would take 3 months and I may have another address by then, It ended up costing me $10 Australian less than if I had taken it with me , all up the combined total was 8kg. I bit the bullet and sent them , saves me trudging around with all that extra luggage which in hindsight was a good move made by me for a change .

When I checked in the next day I found out I couldn’t check my luggage right through to Phnom Penh but had to collect it in Bangkok which meant I had to go through immigration in Bangkok. All this because my flights had different ref numbers. I arrive at Bangkok, go through immigration they ask why I have no address where I am staying I explain what Air Asia have told me , they make a phone call , speak to each other in whispers , I could hear the line up behind me shuffling their feet impatiently, finally he stamped my passport, I picked my bags up then had 6 glorious hours in international departures lugging my luggage around. Wow so many people,masses of tour groups from China all hustling and bustling for seats . I worked out I could check in early and put my bags in early check in, crossing fingers in this busy airport that my case would be in Phnom Penh with me, this led me through immigration , 2 hours in Thailand, to the actual departure lounge , I thought a cup of coffee, read my book sleep a little maybe spread out on 2 or 3 seats. BUT no the 6 gates in this area were constantly thronging with people on the move. It was like a mass migration. I watched in awe who needs nonfiction when this is real life. Flights to Yangon Myanmar, Bali, China, Jakarta, Macau. Ho Chi Minh, Siem Reap, Tapai and more. I spent the many hours when I could find a seat just watching. Wondering , I know it’s mid Autumn festival so that may explain the full flights to China , but as every flight was called the line up of people was so long a full plane definitely . My flight was full, on time and the driver was waiting for me , brought me here to the Billabong Hostel. A very nice place I highly recommend it.

I was forced to eat carbs therefore gluten as the choices were fried chicken or pastry type things, oh I am feeling it today all clogged up , travel days we have to go with the flow.After a fresh mango juice I feel a little better.

My bus is arriving in 1 hour to take me to Kampot.

Just go with it, until next time.