It was very modern and professional, excellent set up. Checked my name off that days list, got my number and joined the queue. In and out in 10 mins. Then a nervous 24 hour wait for the result. As my visa expired on the day of my flight; a positive test could be problematic. But: all good, I was free to leave Cambodia.
So, a bit more sightseeing (I won't mention the Scotland France game which I saw in a bar surrounded by braying Frenchmen). I packed up and was ready for the next leg of the trip.
Off early to the airport; presented my documents to the check-in and they gave me a boarding pass; got through immigration and spent the last of my Riel on breakfast. This is all too easy. Boarded the plane and waited for take-off. And waited......and waited. Then the announcement: "apologies for the delay to this flight but we have lost some passengers" !!!! This is a small airport with only a handful of flights a day, how do you "lose" some passengers?? Eventually, the 3 strays arrived without a care in the world and we finally took off for the 50 minute flight to Bangkok.
I was one of the first off the plane, but one of the last to leave the airport. On the way to immigration, you come to a couple of checks which I was waved through. Got to immigration and was told that there was a stamp and signature missing off one of my myriad forms. At first I thought that they said it was supposed to have been signed in Phnom Penh (gulp..), but it turned out I should have had the stamp in one of the checks I was waved through earlier. Soon sorted out and into my isolation taxi to the hotel where I was driven to the top of the multi-storey car park where my pre-arranged PCR test was conducted. Then driven back down to the hotel reception to check in and be told not to leave my room until I get a (negative) Covid test result. Could be anything from 4 to 24 hours.
In the end, it was about 6 hours, so still in time for Happy Hour drinks!
The following day, there was a bang outside and the power went off. Went out to see a fire raging in a nest of wires on an electric/telephone pole. Wires were burning through sending sparks flying and people running. I thought Putin had started his invasion of Thailand....
One guy on a rickety step ladder was firing several fire extinguishers into the flames, finally getting it under control.
Soundtrack: Extreme Noise Terror - "I'm a Bloody Fool"
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