Travel Talk

Sweating it out in Phnom Penh

phnom penh cambodia traffic

Man, I’m sweating to death right now in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I feel like I just finished participating in an athletic event wearing the thickest garbage bag I could find for a shirt when all I did was leave a pub and come here.

Went to some North Korean dinner joint last night, good times. Supposedly not many of them around the world, was with a reporter who “filled us in”. Either way, it was a look into and a taste of North Korea. After that, usual good times stuff.

It’s like, really hot. I can’t believe I haven’t gotten around to moving guest rooms, every day I’m like “I’ll leave” but I don’t. I need a/c here, big time.

I bought a $1 meal off this lady on the street for a snack. I paid her $5us, she gave me $23us. By accident she gave me a $20us instead of $1. Considering the average monthly wage here is ~$75-$125us, I figured I should give it back. Give it back even though I typically never refuse money, in fact rejecting money may be a bad omen. That said, when I gave it to her, her husband looked at me like you crazy, they had no clue what was going on and some tuk tuk driver said “wow man”.

I have mixed emotions about that whole scenario.

I keep hearing “beat it” by MJ wherever I go. Like on this poorly lite alley and suddenly you hear the intro start and tuk tuk drivers fall into suit doing front flips and hand springs to begin a show. Ok, it’s not like that but I have heard it numerous times, including in poorly lit alleys aka this city.

On the topic of MJ, my moto taxi guy yesterday wears gloves, a dress shirt and kinda looks like MJ. Hey, on this topic but not really… If you’re approached by a crew of tuk tuk and moto taxi dudes and a few say they will take you… Ask the tuk tuk his LOWEST price, then give the moto guy half and it’s a done deal.

Finally, check out this missile testing going on in Cambodia.