Phnom Penh, Cambodia
We packed our luggage and met the airport shuttle driver in the lobby a few minutes before 10 am. We had to allow one hour for the trip to the airport. We actually took only 15 minutes. Traffic still seemed slow but we never actually stopped in gridlock so we got to the airport about 30 minutes faster than expected.
We actually got to the airport before our airline was accepting check ins for our flight. We sat and waited. Finally 3 hours later we were sitting at the gate with frozen Mocha drinks to combat the dehydration. We aren’t getting enough liquids. This will help. Did we mention the cluster flick they have going on at Saigon’s airport security? It was the most unorganized thing going. Very few trays and no place to set them if you managed to fight the mass to grab some when they became available. And no long conveyers into the scanner. We may have been x-rayed as bystanders, by standing to close to the scanners. There was no direction from security staff, no place to load trays, open laptops or take off your shoes. Basically mass confusion.
Our flight landed and we were at immigration with our photos applying for visas. 10 minutes and $60 USD later we were at the luggage carousel grabbing our bags. We went out the doors, found our driver and bought 2 SIM cards for $5USD each. From now on we are talking USD in Cambodia. I think the US lost the war but won the currency battle.
We’re staying at the coolest place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Foreign Correspondence Club Hotel. We have the first floor corner room. If you watch the movie “Killing Fields” with Sam Waterston, the hotel is centre stage when Phnom Penh fell in the Vietnam era war. The hotel Is old but seriously cool. And the rooms are big! We have a corner patio outside with chairs and ceiling fan overlooking the river and street. Life here before air conditioning must have been pure hell, thus the ceiling fans outside. We are sitting out side as we write this blog, the noise is earth shattering and exhaust fumes are occasionally strong. We are getting a nice breeze from the ceiling fan. We left the air con on in the room and its too cold now.
We went for a sunset cruise down the Tonlé Sap River and joined into the Mekong river. Linda was accosted by 2 Cambodian girls for pictures. It’s only beginning! After the cruise we ate at a restaurant behind the hotel down the side street. It was cheap and very good. We finished off with a cappuccino coffee.
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