November 10 - last day in Phnom Penh

Sorry to have left you hanging. Our last 36 hours in Phnom Penh were rather hectic and we ended up being medically evacuated on relatively short notice.  We’re now back in the US and recovering from our jet lag and setting up follow-up appointments with Shirley’s doctors. 

Here’s a recap of our last day and a bit in Cambodia:

Friday, November 10. This was to be Shirley’s first day without having to have an IV infusion.  Unencumbered by hospital appointments, our guide suggested a morning tour of the National Palace, followed by a visit to the National Museum.  While that was the plan, it was not to be.

We arrived at the palace and as we were exiting the car, another guide who knew Nara approached and told us not to bother.  The King had decided to pray at Silver Pagoda inside the palace complex and the entire palace grounds were closed for the morning until he finished.

We hopped back in the car and headed over to the National Museum.  Nara had borrowed a wheelchair from the hotel because Shirley was very weak and not up to much walking.  After paying the entry fee to go into the museum, we realize that there were ten very steep stairs to enter the museum and no handrails.  ADA compliance does not appear to have a Cambodian equivalent.  The attendants at the entry offered to carry the wheelchair up the stairs, but that wasn’t an option that made Shirley very comfortable.

Oh-for-two for the morning’s original plan, we drove around the city.  Nara pointed out some of the French Colonial architecture that was the prevalent style in most of the public buildings in the area. We also stopped at a large tree famed for being home to a massive colony of fruit bats.  

Cambodian National Museum.
With entry not suitable for wheelchairs.


Post Office in typical French Colonial style

Tree full of giant fruit bats



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