Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia.  Situated on the banks of the Tonle Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers, the Phnom Penh metropolitan area is home to about 2.2 million of Cambodia’s population of over 14.8 million. The city is the wealthiest and most populous city in Cambodia and is home to the country’s political hub.

I've spent multiple days in Phnom Penh as this is where my father was born and raised.  In addition, I still have relatives residing in this city.  My cousin Kosol, a government official with the Cambodian Military BHQ assisted us in touring and exploring the country:

 Kosol was definitely helpful as he provided security and protection services while we explore the scums and wealth of Cambodia.

I noticed Phnom Penh housed many upper class citizens, and many lower class citizens; in fact, I think the whole country is this way.  There's a small percentage of middle-class citizens in Cambodia.  I see lots of fancy cars (Land Rovers, Land Cruisers/Lexus LX, GT-R, Maserati, Rolls Royce, Bentleys, etc.) and it makes me wonder how these people earn that kind of living... hmm.  Then again, there's a lot of suspected corruption, bribery, extortion, money laundering, etc.

Some of Phnom Penh looks like shit during the day.  There are limited laws and enforcement in place regarding litter.  I was eating some snacks and ended up putting the left over wrappers in my pocket; the locals look at me as if I was weird or something for putting trash in my pocket. haha.  It's normal  for people to trash and litter all over the place; however, when night hits, the litters and trash are no longer visible and the city lights takeover.  There's lots of things to do in Phnom; monuments to see, palaces to explore, and islands to trek. 

Cambodia's Traffic and Road Rules

I'm back in the states now and it feels miserable.  Everything is fast-paced here.  The best way to describe life in Cambodia is SIMPLE.  The people generally work from home... and still have the time on a day-to-day basis to spend with their kids and family.

I arrived in the city of Phnom Penh (Capital of Cambodia) on November 2nd and couldn't believe the traffic.  My uncle lives in Phnom Penh and warned me ahead of time that the traffic will be an eye-opener.  As we were leaving the airport, he told me this, "Jack, the U.S. drives on the right-side of the road, the U.K. drives on the left side of the road, and Cambodia drives anywhere on the road.  FYI, there aren't any major freeway systems in the country.

Now imagine the roads:  a city population of over 2.3 million people, and little to no traffic rules/enforcement...  one word:  CRAZY!

And guess what the leading cause of death in Cambodia is..?  Traffic Accidents.  By the way, a couple of days prior to my trip ending, I came across a motorcyclist that was killed in a traffic accident.  Head smashed, face caved in, and blood smeared all over the asphalt.

I'm in Cambodia now!

I've been in Cambodia for a couple of days now.  It's been hard trying to gain internet access, yet, having the time to sit down and updating the blog.  I landed in Phnom Penh and stayed at a guest house for a couple of days to adapt to the environment prior to starting my trek.  I can't believe how cheap the rooms are... $10/night; but of course, with the price there are strings attached:  cockroaches, very firm bed, "happy valentine's" bed sheets with prior guest's hair attached to it, shitty cable television, and one NEW pack of condoms.

The weather is consistently in the 80's with ridiculously high humidity.  I'm sweating 24/7!  I hop in the shower to take a cool shower only to wipe my self down and be drenched in sweat again.  The traffic is congested with people riding motorbikes and driving cars in all kinds of damn directions.  People honking left and right, yet, there seems to be no road rage at all.

I picked up a buddy of mine this past Sunday at the Phnom Penh Intl Airport and rode 5 hours into Siem Reap. I'll be exploring the ancient Angkor Wat, and hike the mountains of Phnom Kulen in search of the old ancient buddha that was carved at the peak of the mountain.  From there, my buddy Jason wants a massage (haha) in the city of Siem Reap.  I'll be sure his masseuse is a lady-boy.

I'll be uploading photos and adding pictures in the blog in the upcoming days... stay tuned!

I can't believe this country was driven by mass murder and genocide during the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot era.  It's definitely recovering and the people here are working extra hard to restore life here.

Anyhow, what more could be asked for?  The people are extremely nice, everything is cheap, and the food is pretty damn good!  I've also learned the importance of knowing how to shit the "Asian-squat" style AND the pack of fresh ass-wipes from Wal-Mart IS your best friend when you're in countries like this...

UPDATED pics:
Guest House:

 No Bribery, drugs, explosives, etc...

 Cambodian Lady painting to brighten my day:

 Lovin' the bedsheet:

Toilet at the local park:

Trip Preparation

Well all, I'm prepping for a one-month trip to Cambodia!