A Relaxing Day

I DO call this relaxing.

“Why can’t we just have a RELAXING day?”  This is the constant lament of our children – never any time to just relax.  “Why do you always make us travel on our vacations?”  They do not appreciate our need to see and do everything we can this year.  You would think they are allergic to exercise to hear them complain every time we have to walk somewhere. So, from time to time, we acquiesce and give them that relaxing day. That typically means an overdose of Cartoon Network at the hotel, lots of computer time, and never having to leave the hotel to eat. 

Yesterday was one of those days.  In anticipation of a hard travel day back to Vietnam (a twelve hour bus ride), we decided to give them that relaxing day.  In the end we are usually all happier.  John and I got out for a run, relaxed by the pool, rented the world’s most uncomfortable bikes for a ride into the countryside, and browsed the stalls at the market.  We checked back in with the kids after each activity to see if anyone was ready to join us.  Apart from a swim in the pool, we had no takers.

BBQ

As the sun set, we decided it was time to drag them kicking and screaming from the hotel room for one last dose of Cambodia – a Khmer BBQ.  At a street-side stand we barbequed our own chicken, pork, beef, prawns and squid on a table top BBQ.  It was tasty, cheap and entertaining, but we all decided the food tastes better when someone else cooks it (hmmm….some things never change).  John and Nolan said good-bye to Dr. Fish with one final toe sucking treatment.  Brianna and I opted for the foot and back massage at the night market.

Foster chose to be the photographer and was thankful he made that decision.  He laughed and photographed as Brianna and I had our feet stretched and pounded, our toe knuckles cracked and our calves slapped silly.  Foster nearly lost it when the women doing the massaging crept their way up our legs applying their full weight in the process.  I’m pretty sure they were trying to restrict blood flow to our feet or something, but I was too busy stifling my giggles to ask.  Brianna just kept repeating, “This is a little weird.”  When the time for the back “massage” arrived, I was a tad concerned.  As this little woman bent me backwards over her knees (with knee bones jabbing into my back), I wondered if this was really a good choice.  As she twisted, stretched and jerked my arms and shoulders, I found myself wondering if there is some kind of certification process required for massage “therapists” in Cambodia.  I think not.

By the end of our thirty minute ordeal I was thinking I might need a relaxing day too.

Toe Torture Fest