You Ain't Seen Traffic Until.....

...until you see it in Phnom Penh

Monday, October somethingth

I like the fact that I have absolutely no clue what the date is.

Yesterday, our final day in Siem Reap, was spent relaxing, changing some money, relaxing some more, and then i got to spend a few hours last night just talking with Savong at the guest house. This was after we went to a bakery and bought about ten pounds of goodies (total: 3 dollars), then took it to the guest house and set it out on the tables in the common area. It was all gone in about 3 minutes. Again, so many people...so little food.

Went to get a manicure and pedicure. While there, I noticed an interesting hair treatment being done on a couple girls. After a while, i realized they were being treated for lice. Hmmmm...am I itchy yet?

I am going to miss geckoes on the walls, frogs on the floors, and bees the size of my fist (well, maybe not the bees). But we are now in Phnom Penh, after a five-hour boat ride down the Tonle Sap river. The guest house we are in is on the river itself, which means there is a nice breeze out on the balcony (and not too many bugs, since the breeze is fairly brisk). We have a driver hired for a couple days. This gentleman, Along, is well-spoken, has the best English of anyone I have met here so far. Over lunch, I asked him where he learned English, and he said a little here and there. I asked about his education, and he told me that he went to university, but before they started teaching English in the universities here. He has a master's degree in Khmer literature, and was an assistant professor at the university. But, he found that he could not support his family (wife and two kids) on his $20/month salary, so now he drives a tuk-tuk. He hustled us from the time we got off the boat, and finally we gave in because his English was great and he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. It paid off for him - these next two days, he will earn what he would have made in two months as a professor. What a dismal shame. Until people really value teachers, education will not be taken seriously.

Anyway, I tried something new for lunch - chicken in coconut milk and lemongrass. The color was atrocious, but the taste was incredibly good. I am already paying a gastrointestinal price for all this new food, but hey, that's why God made immodium (which is dirt cheap at any pharmacy here). We were given some sort of sweet gelatin with some kind of sweet masa-like substance in it, wrapped in banana leaves, for dessert. Hey, as long as it isn't dog or spiders, I'm game. It was, as expected, fantastic.

But, on to the traffic. I cannot possibly describe it. At any one time, I can look up and see maybe 50 vehicles, ranging from bicycles to trucks, within 30 yards of us. Maybe even 30 feet. I was closing my eyes, to avoid the fear, but it is so fascinating that I have to open them. Total gridlock appears unavoidable, and then suddenly everyone weaves in and out of each other and keeps going, like a choreographed driving team. These kids put the blue angels to shame, let me tell you. I have pictures.

We did see one moto accident today, but it involved an American driving a rented motorcycle - there is no way any person who hasn't grown up driving in this mess could navigate it. Poor guy - he was dumping his bike and falling into the street just as we passed; I hope he is OK.

Saw the killing fields and a high school that was turned into a prison by the Khmer Rouge today. I'm glad we got the depressing stuff out of the way first. On a brighter note, the kids here actually make noise, and play, and always have a smile and a wave for you. They look so much healthier than the kids in Siem Reap did. I think they just eat better. I actually saw a couple of overweight people today (a first!). It's good to see.

OK, I am sitting on a barstool typing this (my hotel has unlimited internet access for customers!) and my back is getting sore, so I am going to scoot off to the room and have a shower now. then sit on the balcony and feel the breeze.

As always, life is good. I miss my friends and my family, but I wouldn't give this opportunity up for the world.

Tomorrow, perhaps I'll discuss that fact that boys with no money can study in Pagodas with the monks, but girls are out of luck. I'm sure my lovely daughter will have something to say about that.

Oh, and massages here are the cheapest yet - $1.25 per hour. BUT, I think I'll stick to the $5 variety - cleaner places, fewer lice.

Be happy! --Janine