What the guide books say.

Phnom Penh is often overlooked by visitors to Cambodia who head straight for the temples of Angkor at Siem Reap. However, this capital city has a certain charm with its colonial buildings, wide boulevards, pagodas and riverside walks.

Those who take time to visit Phnom Penh will find a bustling city, emerging with renewed confidence from troubled times. Much of the city was badly damaged and its treasures thrown into the river in 1975 by the Khmer Rouge, and when its citizens returned in 1979 they found just shells of buildings in which to live.

Decades later city life has improved and there is optimism in the air, with the expat community and visitors providing employment opportunities for many.

Phnom Penh was founded in the 14th century but didn’t become the capital until 1866 when Cambodia became a French Protectorate. The 20th century was a difficult one for the city and country: it was occupied by the Japanese in WWII, then sided with the North Vietnamese against the Americans, resulting in them dropping bombs on Cambodia and causing a flood of refugees into the city.

Dissatisfied left-wing fighters, known as the Khmer Rouge, engaged in a civil war with the right-wing government culminating in them emptying Phnom Penh of its residents in April 1975 and returning the country to Year Zero with great brutality.

The invasion by the Vietnamese in 1979 started the very slow recovery of the city and country and it endured political turmoil until UN-backed elections in 1993 and the crowning of King Sihanouk the same year.

Since the late 1990s, when the Khmer Rouge were totally disempowered, political life has settled down to a certain extent and 2004 saw a new king, Sihamoni, take up residence in the Royal Palace following the abdication of his father. They city is now dynamic and evolving all the time, with stylish restaurants, bars, shops and hotels opening, and there is a new found confidence in its future.

The Royal Moger Hospital

I have more drugs than the Corbys could dream of. Our cases will rattle as they roll on to the plane. And our pockets won't jingle because they are EMPTY! Man, that was an expensive couple of days. Went to the travel doctor with the kids yesterday. Nicks work paid for him so for Quiddy, Scarlett and myself it was $500. Then did the big chemist warehouse run today to get stuff like pain relief, stuff to make you go, stuff to stop you from going, antihistemines, cold and flu medicine....the list goes on. I would not normally be this extensive and anal but firstly I have not been to Cambodia before so have no idea what to expect and what is available. Secondly, aparently there is little to no regulations when it comes to medicines over there. I am told a high percentage are fakes. There is of cousre an SOS clinic that we can go to but who wants to fork out that kind of money when you just want to stop your nose running? Thursday looks like the day at this stage. Meeting for drinks at the Anglers on Sunday if anyone is interested. Nick has just headed off on a 3 day morotbike trip with some mates. He has had it planned for so long and as it turns out he did not have to miss it. Off to pack the first aid kit......gunna have to take out some shoes!

I'm outta office!

Yipee.....the "out of office" is on. The inbox is empty, the outbox is full, the in tray has nary a scrap of paper in it. I have officially finished work. Strange feeling. I'm sure I'll get back from a life changing experience and someone will say "haven't seen you in a while....been on days off?" Life will go on without me at 3MO but I know when I return at the end of Feb I will certainly be a different person to the one who walked out today. We don't know what our futures hold, but I am just one step closer this afternoon to finding out mine!

and counting.....

Huge day today. Mainly trying to tie up all of the loose ends at work and get the flights organized. Had a wonderful chat with the beaautiful Louse Mooney who has spent a lot of time in PP. Thanks louise for making it all real and for your wonderful advice. She has some some contacts who may be able to help when we get there which is invaluable. I am not normally one to feel the pressure but have to admit, it's a big job. N is still planning to go on his motorbike trip this weekend which he has so been looking forward to. I think once work is finished up tomorrow and I can concentrate on the task at hand I will feel more in control. Looks like a Tue or Wed departure next week at this stage. Hanging in there........

Not waving.....drowning!

So, it appears that this is all actually going to happen. Denial is no longer a river in Egypt! I hope to have just two days left at work and finish up on Wednesday. Not too sure what the Boss will think of this but at this stage I really have to think a little selfishly and put my family first. There is SO much to do. I guess it is not even really that, it is more the unknowns. All I know is we have a 4 bedroom furnished house available. Have seen 5 pictures. I don't know where it is in the city, I don't know ANYTHING else. I DO know that there are no cups, crockery, linen etc but am assured this will be supplied as as settling in kit. I don't know if we have a backyard or any sort of outside area. Will they supply fresh drinking water? Will they supply 4 of everything or just one as it is an unaccompanied post? Will my obsessive thumb sucking son be constantly sick? Will we be able to COPE? One minute I feel quite brave and the next I think we must be totally and utterly insane. I just need to remind myself to breathe and know that all of my questions will eventually be answered in good time.

D Day.....and V day!

So today is the big day. The phone calls will be made, Travel Agent and TMVC visited. I should know by midday if this trip is a goer. N making the calls first thing this morning after an anxious weekend for me. He is very cool calm and collected about the whole thing but I think that if the pin was pulled now I would be very disappointed. So am dropping Q off at kinder then going to book the flights with my wonderful travel agent Kay. 2.30 is TMVC which should be a barrel of laughs....not. I think I am pretty much up to date and the kids have had all of the routine shots. After much web browsing it looks like I need to decide re Rabies and Japanese Encephalitis. Kids will definitely need Hep A. Obviously I want the best for the kids but I also don't want to put them through any unnecessary pain. Will have to go Docs advice on this one. Will probably give them some panadol before we leave. Scarlett also has a cold so not sure how this will affect things. Why are there so many more questions than answers? Dang it....thats another question.

Where to begin?

Bloody Hell....where do I start with all of this! I guess the first thing to do is to convince myself that it is actually going to occur. That part is slowly working itself out. Second thing to do is what any normal person with 9 days to move to another country would do.....buy the Lonely Planet Guide! Have to admit it left me feeling a little better about the country than the report from husbands work which I shall refer to as "The Doomsday Report". In fact, I won't refer to it at all as I prefer to store it away in the dark recesses of my mind where all the bad stuff I don't want to know about goes. Thirdly I do what any good Capricorn will do, start writing those lists! I love lists. I love the satisfaction I feel when I get to cross something off with a big black texta. They keep me feeling organised and in control. Luckily, N is a Capricorn too so he is as big a list writer as me. So we have started to put pen to paper and scribble away. Been to the shopping centre and bought 3 months worth of vitamins and booked in at the travel doctor for Monday. I get the feeling I will be a travelling pharmacy. Now, back to writing that list.....

Found it!

I told you I knew where it was! Have set the ball rolling with work and dropped the bombshell. So far it has been taken quite well which just goes to show....we are not really as important and irreplaceable as we think we are.

Oh, by the way....

Guess what my wonderful husband proclaimed on the phone yesterday? Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you last night, I have been offered a temporary post to Phnom Penh for 10 weeks. Ummm....hello? You forgot to tell me THAT. I thought maybe you had left your lunch in the fridge. Silly me. Sillier me. Oh, OK, lets do it! And I hadn't even had a wine yet. (Most of our major crazy life changing decisions are made over numerous bottles of the stuff). To be honest, he's come out with worse. Like the time he asked if we should take up a position in the Cocos Islands. When I asked him where that was he said he was not sure but he thinks it's where the Coco Pop Monkey lives....but I digress. So begins this mad journey that I invite you to join me on. There is a hell of a lot to do in the next 10 days and I have no idea where to start. But start I have, at the beginning. I finally learnt how to spell Phnom Penh. Mind you, I have every intention of calling it PP henceforth. It's a start. A least I knew where it was on the map, sorta...........