A Brief Stint In Cambodia: Part One: Phnom Penh
Trip Start
Nov 30, 2008
1
20
27
Trip End
Feb 28, 2009
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Before I dive too deep into my spiel on Cambodia, just a cursory note: the division of this post into two parts is not because I have reams of happenings to relate - indeed, our time in Cambodia was rather short-lived, though far from being uneventful - but for the seemingly logical reason of disclosing how we progressed through this country, with the help of the ever-present map that accompanies this blog, and which has diligently tracked our meandering footfalls since the very beginning in Beijing.
Goodbye Vietnam (February 4th): this leave-taking depressed my spirits appreciably, though not enough to convey tears to my eyes; an aching for home has only the power to invoke such a reaction from me. Vietnam left us wanting nothing: the extreme ease of travel - us seeming to glide through it with the balletic grace of a professional skater, albeit a few stumbles, and all in the blink of an eye, too! - the hospitable locals and affable travellers; the cleanly lodgings, some at scandalously cheap prices; and the all-too-memorable sights. It is a place I would not hesitate in considering to visit again, or in sharing a favourable recommendation.
The effortlessness of Vietnam persisted all the way to the Vietnamese-Cambodian border, where, having purchased bus tickets from a tourist agency just down the street from our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City - for convenience sake - we weren't obliged to lift a single finger, so-to-speak; the assiduous attendants oversaw everything, even the stamping of our passports, and the only burden we were grieved with was walking our packs a few measly feet.
Apprehension - for me at least - quickly decended after the border crossing as the unfamiliar landscape slipped by in accompaniment to my selected music; trees, diminutive dwellings and fields blurring before my bleary eyes. An apprehension founded upon the fact that - and I admit it wholeheartedly - I am a spoiled kid. I'm filled only with deepest gratitude when I reflect upon how I was raised by my parents, subjected to the highest quality of living, never left wanting for anything more then the excessive frills of icing upon the cake, and even these were never denied; so, to toy with the notion that this standard might not be matched, well ... yes, it was extremely hard to swallow.
My fears were well met, too: in my eyes (not Jessie's, however - she's more accepting), Phnom Penh was certainly less: dirty, dark - harsh fluorescent lights shedding some illumination at odd intervals - and teeming with vexing tuk tuk drivers; I wanted to leave it as soon as I arrived.
Tuk Tuks - (in a few concise words) - motorbikes with carriages slapped onto their backs.
A swarm of buzzing tuk tuk drivers enveloped us upon alighting from the bus, catching hold of our arms and imploring us to hitch a ride with them. Persevering steps gained us refuge in a local convenience store, where we teamed up with two Australian girls to brave the tumult, and, at random, handpicked one tuk tuk driver out of the many.
He ferried us to two guesthouses - both at full capacity, much to our immense dismay - before heading to the Boeng Kak lake district, and subsequently to the Green Lake Guesthouse situated at the end of a precariously gloomy alleyway. With my opinions of Phnom Penh already dim, the lake district only served to augment them, and they became dismal indeed.
I will say something amiable about the guesthouse: it did have a chill vibe, hanging out over the water, and with a spacious common area to observe DVDs or order food, but the room itself was the worst we've had so far, with mice in the walls that sought to steal away our sleep with endeavourous chomping and dogged squeaking.
In terms of sightseeing, we weren't overly ambitious: probably a result of my desire to leave Phnom Penh, which manifested itself into a rather pernickety mood, and I fully commend Jessie for humouring my temperamental disposition at the time; and Jessie's mounting excitement for Thailand.
We did settle, however, on taking the walking circuit suggested by the Cambodian Lonely Planet Guide, and yet amusingly, we did not take in any of the sights along the way: notably, ONE: the Psar Thmei market was - for lack of a better word - a stink-hole; a concoction of ghastly reeks and sulfuric plumes pervaded the entire market and haunted it like ill-tempered poltergeists. With hands slapped across our noses - though, in truth, ineffective against the invasive odours - we briskly and willingly walked away. TWO: the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda: Jessie was wearing a tank-top and there was a dress-code, enough said.
But there is a happy ending, I assure you. Perhaps I have failed to mention that it was blistering hot that day; enough to fry an egg on the pavement, and I am certain they were doing just this in the market! So picture this: we're sauntering down a bustling sidewalk, mirages shimmering in the rising heat (perhaps I exaggerate a wee bit!), sweat beading upon our foreheads, when out of nowhere we are struck by the most refreshing of breezes! I immediately stopped, and turned. Air conditioning! There was no way I was not going in!
Turns out, it was a substantial shopping centre, with some six or seven odd floors, if I can recall correctly. We sought out some grub: Swenson's Ice Cream, no-less, and headed to the topmost floor.
Astonishment: I think my jaw hit the floor and bounced. What did we chance upon? An indoor skatepark with Cambodian kids skating up a storm - no joke! I saw some single-, even double-spinning aerials, and mammoth jumps over the backs of three huddled and semi-crouched bodies.
Needless-to-say, we rented skates for an hour; we tried a few ramps, though I wasn't entirely comfortable in my skates because they had somewhat slippy wheels, and I esteemed Jessie most for attempting the biggest ramp, after being encouraged at length by a younger kid to try it, and with utmost elegance and fluency - not! - fell flat on her ass. The raucous of laughter that her fall summoned forth from me was enough to alleviate my tetchy humour on-instant, and Phnom Penh brightened somewhat in my eyes.
Next: A Brief Stint In Cambodia: Part Two: Siem Reap
