The Kingdom of Wonder
In April of this year, I found
myself in Siem Reap, Cambodia and while exploring the famed temples of Angkor,
tuk tukking it through the hot and dusty countryside and enjoying the energy
amidst visitors and locals alike with a night out on pub street, I kinda fell
in love with the country. Personally, I think it's hard not to.
The Kingdom of Wonder, despite its not so distant past horrors, is a lively country and the Khmer people somehow, for all that they've been through, exude warmth and kindness to those around them. When I left, I already knew I wanted to come back...
I
landed in Phnom Penh at night, the
city lights not nearly as bright as those in China. Nor was the airport
nearly as crowded. I paid for my visa (a whole $5 extra to make it a
work visa)
and waited in line to receive it. I exited the airport to the welcoming
heat
and humidity and a smiling tuk tuk driver waiting with a sign that had
my name
on it (even all the way over here they still spell it 'Bridges' instead
of
Bridgers). We loaded my bags and headed off towards the city. Here I was
once
again, completely alone in a foreign country where I don't know a single
soul,
cruising the streets at midnight in a tuk tuk piled with my luggage, the
hot
air blowing in my face and the occasional scooter holding four or five
people going by on either side of me...and after 27 hours of travel and
lots of mixed
emotions about my latest decision and journey, I had a smile on my face.
I
think there is just something about a tuk tuk ride that makes you smile.
Phnom Penh is raw, rough around the
edges, streets and alleyways with dust and a fair amount of trash are lined
with street carts selling snacks and endless tuk tuk and moto drivers more than
eager to give you a lift. There is construction happening in just about every
direction you look and there are old, worn Khmer style buildings alongside
brand new, modern, high rise and high dollar apartments. If you are wanting to
take a stroll as I have opted to do to better learn my new city, you won't go a
block without hearing "Tuk tuk, madame?" or "Where you go,
miss?" or sometimes they will just motion like they are driving in hopes
that you will decide before you’ve walked by that you do, in face, need a ride.
Others that have given up on business and decided it’s best to take a nap can
be found hanging from a hammock inside their tuk tuk or stretched out on the
seat of their motorbike. The city hosts a happening riverfront area, a grand
Royal Palace and National Museum along with an array of boutique clothing shops,
numerous art galleries, several markets, and a diverse range of options for
dining and drinking. And I just recently discovered a rum distillery across the
street from my new apartment, open every Thursday night complete with a street
cart selling Asian style burgers that sits out front!
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