Here I Am! - Cambodia blog entry #2

           I didn’t know where to start, so I decided to show you pictures of the Projects Abroad volunteer house first. After you’ve looked at them, if you want to read my ramblings of our arrival in Cambodia, you sure can. Didn’t want to bore you from the get go.  

My bed

The other side of our bedroom

The living space / dining room downstairs

We had a very small balcony from our room and this was the view from it. 

There was a roof top deck, however, on the six story building we were in and this is the view from there. 

This will be the first trip in a long time where I didn’t bring my trusty laptop. I prepared a journal with typed descriptions of all the places we would be visiting, leaving pages in between each place to write facts and my thoughts at the time.

Then I decided that maybe I’d try journaling into my cellphone. I wasn’t sure how it would work as I hate typing on my phone, with my big clumsy right index finger. Type with both thumbs? Are you kidding? That’s even more difficult for my arthritic hands. I gave it a shot, though, first sending myself an email via my phone, then typing a Google document on the Drive.  

Our flight arrived on time at 11:15. Getting thru immigration was easy, as our paper work was in order. Just hand him my passport, Visa, and e-arrival QR code. Stick my hand in the finger print reader. Or is it really a device which sucks out part of our life force for the government to use to strengthen its military?

Baggage claim. Wait and wait. How do some of those bags spit right out and ours is always one of the last. When Denise's came down the conveyor I thought, yeah, mine is next. But then it was another 20 minutes. Or so it felt. Really probably two more spins of the belt.

Outside, our ride Phirum, was waiting with the Projects Abroad sign and wearing their signature green shirt. Greeting us with a smile and a wave. Did our American looks stand out that much. Considering there were only two other non-Asians on our flight and one of them was a man. Yes, I guess we were easy to pick out.

Ride to house was maybe 20 minutes. The streets! So, like Nairobi. It was like being back home in Africa. The chaos. The vehicles whipping by on all sides, many more scooters and motorbikes than in Kenya though. Whole families - mom, dad, a little boy, a baby girl, all riding lined up on one bike. Sometimes wearing helmets and eye protection, sometimes not.

And the smells. Garbage of course, but fried food too. The occasional whiff of raw fish hanging in the hot sun. Didn't notice the diesel fumes which are prevalent in Kenya though.

The sounds of motors running. Somebody grinding metal, lines and lines of auto and bike shops. Very few horns honking in the chaos. Such patient, pleasant people.

Anxious to try the street food but will wait for one of the workers here to direct us.

We met out guide for the two weeks – Khouch Ken, who we will call K. After a short rest and some unpacking, he took us out to eat supper at a place called Eleven One.

Tuk tik ride there thru the same busy streets, even more crazy in the twilight.  And because we rode in a tuk tuk, as opposed to riding in the car from the airport, we were closer to the sights and sounds. No obstructing car windows, closed so the air conditioning isn’t wasted.

Oh, yes, the heat and humidity. The rooms at the volunteer house were air conditioned, but as soon as you open one of the doors, the oppressive weather takes your breath away.   

Anyway, the restaurant was very nice. Had an open air ceiling, so no AC but not too warm with the sky above and fans churning in all the corners.       

I had the stir fry chicken with mango and cashews. Denise had the shrimp with toasted hash brown potatoes. I don’t remember what K had but it was adorable, a little teepee of rice next to his main dish of some meat in some sauce. Because we just met him, we didn’t try it, but as the week went on, we all tried each other’s meals. Pictures of all those meals will be coming later.

          Back to the house and fell into bed at eight to sleep like the dead.