In Cambodia

It was a long trip from RDU to LAX to HKG to PNH. The weather didn't help as the flights were bumpy and the winds were not in our favor. I don't travel as well as I used to! We were delayed getting into Hong Kong and landed with little time to make our flight. However, Cathay Pacific had a gate rep to meet our group and check our boarding paperwork to pre-clear us. With the rep holding a sign for us, the 30 of us ran across the airport, cleared security again, and made it down to the transfer bus to take us over to another terminal. We arrived at the gate as they were calling "Final boarding call." They had held the plane for us.

Arriving in PNH, we all got our visas on demand and two buses were waiting for us to take us the short trip into town. Flying into PNH, it seemed alot like Northern Thailand, perhaps Korat. Once in town, the French influence appeared in the city street layout and some of the buildings. But the traffic is totally crazy. Bikes, tuk tuks, buses, cars, motorcycles all vie for the same space, and stopping at stop signs is completely optional (though they do stop for traffic lights.)


We are staying at the Phnom Penh Hotel, a very nice new property. Jennifer and I were going to go for a walk but the bell captain convinced us to hire a car for $20 and have him drive us around. "Too hot, missy" It was a good idea - it was hot and dusty! We were able to get a good sense of the city and noted the new building going on. A new casino complex, which could have been built in Atlantic City, is going up on the Tonle Sap river. Malaysian investment dollars have funded this. We saw a number of joint building efforts, including a Korean-Cambodian convention center and the new Canada-Cambodian bank.


This evening Jennifer and I took advantage of the hotel spa and got a two-hour Thai massage for $20 each. The petite masseur managed to do a good job getting most of the kinks out from the travel.

Tomorrow we are off to see a bit more of the city including the Tol Sen Genocide museum. There's no sense of the events of 1975-1979 currently, but it is easy to picture the city empty, after the population was forced down the broad boulevards, out of the city, into the Killing Fields.