Cambodia

Haha, it's a nice place. I have a ton of pics, and hopefully my camera will commence functioning before I am done typing this post. If not, well...bummer that. So, I started writing a bit on the bus on the way to Phnom Penh. Here's what I've got.

On the Road

Cambodia

I was ever so rudely yanked from a dream this morning (something about Bill and Charlie Weasely...don't ask, I don't remember) by Anne. When she told me to wake up and there were no signs of life, she started digging through my hair saying "I know Hilly's in there somewhere!" Sooo amusing. Hmph. At that point I rolled my face in to the pillow and said "Mlmphlm." Or something to that effect. Anne exclaimed, "She lives! Now get up, we're leaving in 15 minutes."

15 minutes of strife and one taxi ride later we are all seated on the bus that will take up to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Kenai is very excited about the prospect of staying at a hotel. How can I tell?

Haha. How can I tell. If you were sitting where I was, you wouldn't even have to ask.

"Howee, are we going to a hotel this day?"

"Yes."

"Today? This day?"

"Yes."

"Will this bus take us to the hotel?"

"Yes Kenai."

"How long will we be on this bus?"

"A long time."

"But this bus will take us to the hotel?"

"Yes."

"Dad! We are going to a hotel this day!"

"Are you sure? You don't want to check with Hilly a thousand more times?"

Yeah. Then there was a stop at this place somewhere outside the HCM City limits. Standing in line for the bathroom I saw a massive web...then a spider in porportion. I'm talking roughly the width of a U.S. dollar and about 3/4 of the length. The spider I mean, not the web. There were several of these monstrosities scattered around the stop.

I didn't have to pee anymore.

A bit more bus time, then the Cambodia border where we sat around for about 20 minutes and somehow without moving miraculously got visas, then re-boarded the bus for about ten seconds before getting off in CAMBODIA!

That was as far as I got writing, but there's more. After we got off in Cambodia, we saw a dragin dance, then had to wait for a ridiculously long time for the bus drivers to get themselves in order before taking off for Phnom Penh.

The roads in Cambodia are crazy! They are soooo bumpy! I had to hold tight to a sleeping Kenai (whose head was incidentally across my thigh) to keep him from bouncing right off the seat!

Upon arriving in Phnom Penh, I was introduced immediately to tuk-tuks. Tuk-tuks are little trailer type things that you hook up to motorbikes. They are the Cambodian taxi. Soooo much fun. But potentially perilous on the bumpy roads. A tight hold on the babies and the bags was required for an enjoyabl ride.

Not all o fCambodia is enjoyable though. It brings to mind a quote from tick, tick...BOOM, "How, as we travel, can we see the dismay, and keep from fighting?" Cambodia is, in essence, a war torn country. Most people my age have seen war and terror, and there are almost no old people. If you want, research Cambodia's history. It's a sad one, but interesting. And inspiring I guess...if you look at it now. Although there is so much poverty, it really is a wonderful country. I saw many thing I will never forget, and human suffering was among them...

However, I had many new experiences on this venture as well. Here they are:

1. Crunching on sugar cane. Yum!

2. Riding an elephant (not strictly new, bu tI don't remember the last time I rode one.) Very bumpy
3. Eating curry. Eh...no tmy fave.

4. Sitting on the floor in a restaurant.

Got to go, time to watch Romeo and Juliet!

More later!