By Road from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap 9 (Updated)
Trip Start
Unknown
1
2
8
Trip End
Ongoing
Siem Reap,
Cambodia
Saturday, November 7, 2009
When I first arrived Phnom Penh it was like being transported into a different world, the way they drive.Chaotic, to those not used to the manner they drive here, but there seems to be some mutual code among motorists here and their natural instinct to give way at the last minute.The few days spent here I have not seen any accident
The Amazing Bullock Cart
.The road to Siem Reap is paved all the way, in fairly good conditions and almost a straight line due to flatness of the land.It must have been fairly easy to construct and costs cheaper than where I came from, where most of our roads have to go through hills and mountainous terrain.
The journey takes us through small villages,towns and infinite stretch of paddy fields all the way, broken only by rivers and flooded plains.The green stretch of carpet as far as the eyes could see is awesome.Where the paddy has ripen and ready for harvest you get a mixture of yellow and green.
This country is blessed with water.Even in this dry season, there are water everywhere.The great Mekong gets some of its water from the Tibetian mountains and as winter approaches and water starts to freeze there would be less water in the river. Water in the Tonle Sap lake and river would also recedes.The Tonle Sap is lower than the Mekong and during the wet season the Mekong helps to fill it up.
The river system has one of the most unusual natural phenomenons.In the rainy season water from the Mekong flows from Phnom Penh to Kampong Chhang in the northwest.In the dry season the river reverses its course, and the water flows from Kampong Chhang in the direction of Phnom Penh
Rural Cambodia
.There are few rest areas and toilet facilities along the way.If there were any, they were mainly restaurants with badly maintained toilets.
The biggest town along the way is Kampong Thom.
The vehicular traffic in rural Cambodia is an amazing mixture of cars that you only see on the roads in very developed countries, from the latest Hummer, Range Rover,Lexuses to bicycles, tuk-tuk and bullock carts, all sharing the same roads without the slightest hindrance to each other.
It hits me why they have to drive in the middle of the road.Not only they have to look out for oncoming traffic, they have also to constantly avoid the snail-paced bullock cart and bicycles.
The uneventful journey took almost 6 hours covering 315 kilometres.
Next:The greatest manmade wonder of the world, The Amazing Angkor Wat.
