Driving around Cambodia in a tuk-tuk all day with a driver gives you a sense of what it was like to be Somerset Maugham in colonial days. According to one of my fellow-travellers, Somerset Maugham had a house built ready and waiting for him at one destination. Just for an overnight stay!
After several days, seemed like a lifetime, was it only three days, the Australian co-owner of the Lemon Grass and Ginger guest house arrived.
He said they were pleased to have the hotel open at last, after all the initial problems.
I asked, "What went wrong?"
"Everything."
"By the way," I said, (I'd been wanting to ask for days), "How do you get out in a fire?"
He reassured me, "The building is cement. And it's no smoking."
"Good," I replied. "But if there were a fire, I suppose that as the poor to the back is locked, I supposed you go to the front balcony, which is open, and wait for the fire brigade."
He laughed.
"Is there a fire brigade?" (No signs on the backs of bedroom doors, showing you the route of escape, telling you to shut windows, take your key, assembly point, etc, like in some US states.)
"They will come," he smiled. "But they might stop 100 yards away, until somebody bribed them."
Time to start travelling with your own traveller's fire escape rope. Do as I say, not as I do.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Angela Lansbury
Please share my post.
No comments:
Post a Comment