Day 1 – Settling in

As first days go, today was rather uneventful. This is probably because we arrived in Cambodia at 8pm (7pm local time).
Before we set off, we took the obligatory group photo while awaiting departure. It was quite the exercise in self-taken photography. Unfortunately, I can’t upload my photos now so the imagination will have to suffice. Here’s the first picture I took here:

Here’s a better one:

I think I’m one step nearer to mastery of self-taken photography.

It was a short flight to Phnom Penh; we landed two hours after departure. I rather liked the Phnom Penh International Airport. It had this cosy atmosphere, unlike the clinical efficiency of Changi. We observed few planes parked at the airport. Indeed, it only had one luggage belt. Evidently, Phnom Penh is not a particularly popular tourist destination. Which I had kind of suspected from my conversations with various friends. They typically went like this:

Friend: So, Roger, what’re you doing this summer?

Me: Oh I’m going on holiday. To Cambodia!

Friend: Oh! For CIP is it?

Me: ……

For some reason, Cambodia seems to be a very popular destination for CIP (Community Involvement Programme). Considering its apparently more established reputation for CIP (versus tourism), perhaps it could market itself as a CIP destination.

This new marketing strategy might very well turn it into a regional economic powerhouse. Imagine the millions of students who would descend upon Cambodia, cleaning it up, building new infrastructure, helping those in need.

Phnom Penh could definitely use the help. Compared to thriving Thailand and vibrant Vietnam, Cambodia seems stuck in the past. We paid USD 6 for a tuk-tuk ride from the airport to the Central Market. Phnom Penh seems fairly undeveloped for a capital city; it looks comparable to a rural province in Thailand like Sukhothai (visit our old blog to find out more!). I enjoyed the tuk-tuk ride though. Aside from the dust, we got to enjoy the evening breeze and experience some of the sights and smells of Phnom Penh. Admittedly, most of what I heard were the roars of adjacent vehicles and much of what I smelt were rubbish by the streetside but it was a worthwhile experience nonetheless. It is a good way to get a “feel” of the city.

After some “bashing” (colloquialism for courageously making our way on foot to somewhere the most sane would find alternative transport to) with a map and compass and another short tuk-tuk ride, we secured lodging for the night at the most creatively named No. 9 guesthouse. We pay USD 5 per room per night. It is situated by the lakeside and appears to command a great waterfront view. But then, we checked in at night and all things can look great in the dark once an appropriate amount of imagination is applied. We shall see if our hopes are fulfilled tomorrow. We plan to wake early to catch the sunrise. Photos will be forthcoming.

Dinner was another adventure in itself. We went to this coffee-shop like place for dinner. It was relatively devoid of customers. At first glance, the selection of food on offer looked promising. Unfortunately, our hopes were progressively deflated by the very earnest looking waiter. First we ordered a mixture of beef and chicken dishes. Then he came back with the sad news that they had run out of chicken and would sirs be so kind as to accept beef? Of course we would. Then he came back with the news that the vegetables that we ordered (looked like kailan) were again out of stock and could we choose something else. We obligingly chose kangkong. Then after rummaging through the freezers and refrigerators, he reported that he could not provide the “special fried rice” that I so craved. And so this went on… until we ended up with an all-beef dinner.

It was quite delicious and set us back by the grand total of USD 10.

I’m rather looking forward to tomorrow. We’ll explore more of the city and make more plans for the rest of our trip. =)

–Roger