After we returned to the Hotel, the four of us when for a short swim in the roof top pool. It has been my experience that pool in Cambodia are always a little warmer than you might want them to be. In this climate, the colder the pool the better. Problem is the water will always get warm. To be fair, they are cooler than the air so they do serve a purpose.
Tree had arranged for us some pre-tour activities. Our first adventure was taking the kids to into the busy rush hour traffic in a tuk-tuk of downtown Phnom Penh. Unfortunately they did not freak out as I hoped. They were pretty calm about it. Even when we would drive down the wrong side of the road with large trucks and cars headed right for us, they all seemed to handle it fine. I wanted some pained grinning, maybe an 'Oh, boy.' Heck, I would have been good with finger nail marks in something, but no, after paying all this money to bring them here, I don't get anything even close to anxiety. Kids...you can't live with them, can't keep then on cages.
From the start of this trip planning, Tree had mentioned that he might be able to take us to a Kon Khmer Boxing match. It was serendipitous because Liam has been doing muay thai for about a year. It wasn't a sure thing so I forgot about it, and I failed to read the final itinerary because I like that.
On the night of our arrival, Tree again mentioned the possibility...if things worked out. After the University, things worked out. He took us to a small arena, somewhere. But instead of going in through the main doors were everyone else was going, Tree broke us off to the side and spoke to someone in a military like uniform...
The both led us to a large door, that looking more like a freight door. Where the man in the uniform spoke to some other guy, who let us in, then ushered us down to the front row, ring side. I wasn't sure what funny stuff Tree was doing but it was really cool.
Turns out the event organizer like to place tourists and foreigners up from so then the T.V. cameras swing over the crowd, the people will see an international audience, which is good for ratings.
So, we ended up with some shots of us on Khmer Channel 5 Phnom Penh: Camel Brands Presents International Kon Khmer fights. Elsa didn't know what to think and I was a bit on the shook side. Liam and Vincent were getting into the fights and over all it was an unforgettable evening, courtesy of Tree.
After the matches Tree dropped us off at the Hotel and raced to the airport to pick up Christal and her daughters and John. Wow, This is really happening.
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