Easter with friends

Well firstly we are happy to report to the reflief of us all that  the Easter Bunny found his way to Phnom Penh!! He wisely chose the airconditioned lounge room downstairs  rather than the sweltering conditions poolisde to hide the bounty and the kids had a great time discovering the hiding spots. We were joined by our lovely Swiss friends from Laos who now live in nearby Myanmar - Meret, Michel, Elias and Benjamin - who know a thing or two about chocolate,  and a wonderful Easter was had by all.

It was wonderful to spend some time together and we enjoyed strolling the streets  downtown with them all.  Meret and Michel  had lived here back in 1999 and we even found their old apartment. We visited the National Museum and the kids had a great time playing out in the courtyard. The museum is a gorgeous old terracotta structure of traditional design built in 1917-20. Its bold red colour stands out and the lovely green garden in the courtyard  is very inviting on the hot days. The museum comprises four pavilions and houses the world's finest collection of Khmer sculpture. Sienna had been there previously on a school excursion and she enjoyed telling the stories  of Vishnu and Shiva.

We visited the temple, Wat Phnom, atop the only hill in town. Legend has it that the first pagoda was erected here in 1373 to house four statues of Buddha that were deposited here by the waters of the Mekong River and found by Madame Penh. Today many people come here to pray for good luck and success in school exams and business affairs. When a wish is granted the faithful return to deliver the promised offering. Apparently the spirits have a liking for jasmine flowers and bananas! I'll have to go back and deliver the goods if the Kangaroos make the finals!!

The temple was really lovely and inside the walls  and ceilings were covered with brightly painted pictures of scenes from life in Cambodia.

We also took a trip out to visit the wildlife sanctuary at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, home for animals confiscated from traffickers or saved from poachers traps. Oh my goodness it was so hot and dry out there - it might be better to visit at a different time of year. Having said that I don't think any of the kids noticed - they were off!. As for my expectations, they  weren't that high and I definitely wasn't expecting the Melbourne Zoo - but some of the enclosures left a bit to be desired. The conditions are improving though, through help from international wildlife NGO's, and in particular the Free The Bears area was fantastic with wonderful enclosures and first rate viewing areas. We stood for ages looking longingly at one of the sun bears who was cooling off in his swimming pool and playing with a ball - the water was dirty but we all felt like joining him as it was so hot and we were all covered in dust. We saw otters, moon bears, sun bears, lions, elephants, crocodiles, gibbons and a range of eagles, owls and storks. Where possible the animals are released back into the wild once they have recovered and the centre also operates breeding programs for a number of globally threatened species. So its well worth a visit.

We enjoyed a sunset cruise on the river and enjoyed watching the local fishermen casting their nets. There is a whole floating village not far down the river and it is amazing to see how life goes on there. Some of the rickety old long boats don't look so sea worthy but then again some have satellite dishes on their roofs and tv's on their balconies!

We spent time browsing through central market and wandering the streets, sitting at the cafes to watch the world pass by and the kids always enjoyed getting home to cool off in the pool.

But it wasn't all about the kids!

Cheers to Meret and Michel - our first visitors - we look forward to catching up again soon!