Miracle of miracles! My aircon unit spontaneously began working around 9am today! I don't know how long it'll stay on, but I'll be soaking in the cool air as long as possible!
I started the morning with one of my favorite students - a senior veterinary student from Taiwan. He told me about the upcoming camping trip he is going on over spring break, and I showed him the view of the Phnom Penh skyline from my window. It is a gloomy, overcast sort of day, and I don't think I'll mind spending today and tomorrow absconded in my room working. However, the views of the National Museum make me feel a bit wistful, and I think I'll spend some time sightseeing after submitting my passport on Monday.
I taught all morning, with a quick trip to the local Smart Mart for some canned coffee. I also got an orange and some cheese wedges for breakfast, which I spread over bread.
For lunch I got a packet of these instant Phnom Penh noodles. One of my big budget travel tips is to always travel with a Tupperware box, a spoon, and a fork. You can use the Tupperware as a bowl for most dishes, and can use the lid as a sort of plate. Cooking in the room of your hostel or guesthouse is a fantastic way to save some money whilst traveling. In fact, this is how Pinky and I were able to travel throughout Vietnam and Laos for so many months back in 2018 on such a small budget.
Phnom Penh noodles are one of the national dishes of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Phnom Penh noodles are a rice noodle soup served with a slow cooked pork broth. The instant noodles are probably not quite as good as the real thing, but honestly, I found them really tasty!
Instant noodles here in Asia are way more delicious than the cheap ramen found in US supermarkets! Here, it's not just a cheap food for poor college students, but a valid meal in and of itself.
Around noon, a monstrous thunderstorm broke over Phnom Penh. Rain pelted the city, and the thunder rattled the windows of my rented room. It went on for hours!
In late afternoon, there was a knock at my door. The hotel owner had come by to check on me. He hadn't seen me since I had been working all day and hadn't gone out of my room except for my morning coffee. It was really nice of him to come by to make sure I was ok! I have always found the Cambodian people to be extremely kind. It really meant a lot to me that he took the time to check in with me.
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