31.1.2018 Phnom Penh

It's 5.30 in the morning. The luxury sleeping bus that took us from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh abruptly stops in front of a supermarket. Uncertain, we stay in our sleeping cabin and watch as everyone gets off. When the driver starts taking the luggage out of the bus, we know it's time for us to head towards the exit. Personally, I'm very glad about it. I may have slept for only 30 minutes that night. The driver insisted on playing loud music all night, and the person sleeping behind us seemed to be sawing down at least an acre of forest. So the earplugs and the audiobook were useless in my ears. Completely exhausted and a little annoyed, we unnecessarily argue with a tuk-tuk driver about the price for the ride to our hotel. When he realizes that we don't depend on him and are also willing to walk, he finally agrees and takes us to the hotel.

We booked the Flora Boutique Hotel. It is located in Biz 19, Street 320. It is a quiet side street, 2 minutes' walk from the S-21 prison. The hotel is small and has a total of 10 rooms. We arrive at 6.00 in the morning and the night guard asks us to wait in the reception. I would love to. There are two sofas there that immediately invite us to sleep on them. I manage to pull a pillow under my head just before my eyes close. Three hours later we wake up again and decide to have a coffee and a small bite to eat nearby. We can check in to our room at 12.00 noon. Still completely sleep-deprived, we get into bed and sleep for another four hours.

In the evening, we rent a motorbike for 6 dollars a day and ride it to the night market. We eat fried rice with vegetables and beef and end the day by the Mekong River.