Day 1 in Phnom Penh

I arrived in Phnom Penh yesterday a little after 9:00 AM after a full 24 hours of travel.  I was immediately struck by a couple of things about the city.  First, there are almost no tall buildings and the city has a very low-key and friendly vibe.  Second, there are pedal and motor bikes everywhere here, and that really makes me wish I had my bike with me to tour around a bit.  They have us staying at a really nice hotel here and it feels quite different from the world outside, but everything at the hotel is very nice.  I went out to lunch with some of the Room to Read staff and had delicious Indian food.  I was going to do some sight-seeing but I was pretty exhausted after the flight and took a nap instead.  I woke up just in time for our welcome cocktail party and dinner, where I got to meet the rest of my fellow travelers and the local Room to Read Staff.  We had a great  dinner at a place called the “Titanic Restaurant” but in spite of the forebooding name the food was quite good and we got to try a huge variety of local foods.  I really enjoyed meeting all of the local staff and hearing about the work that they are doing.  After dinner a few of us walked down to the night market and walked around, then went for a beer with the Room to Read country director and then crammed ourselves into a tuk-tuk back to the hotel.  Today we get to visit the Room to Read offices in Phnom Penh and visit a Reading room and school, which I am very excited about. Pictures to come…