Early this morning, or at least early for me, I embarked on a bus trip from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. The bus ride lasted about 6 hours and cost less than $20. So it was slower yet much cheaper than a flight. I'll take a hit on time since money goes so far over here. Overall, the ride wasn't bad, but a girl in the seat in front of me did vomit an hour into the trip and some of it fell between the seat and dropped on my shoe 🤢. Thankfully, my seat mate from the UK had a wet wipe I could use to clean up my shoe. But I needed to wear my buff over my nose for the rest of the trip to block out the smell. As for the sites, there wasn't much between the two cities. Cambodian does have some giant, extravagant houses even outside the cities.
After arriving in Phnom Penh, I ventured out to eat some dinner. I had a fantastic Indian meal near my hostel. The meal was called Mutton Thali. It was like a Indian dinner sampler served on a metal lunch tray. All the different flavors and sauces were addictive, and the naan was a perfect delivery vehicle. I left fat and happy.
Finishing off the evening, I walked through the riverside park here that follows the Tonle Sap river to the point of convergence with the Mekong river. This was a site to behold. Young and old worked out at the outdoor fitness park. Other Cambodians participated in a group dance. I even got to try out Cambodian hackysack called sey with 3 other guys. I'd like to think they were impressed with my skills. Their hackysack is made of a feather and some plastic disks, allowing for more flight and a more satisfying kick than the hackysacks back home.
I think Phnom Penh will be a great stay. The people are great, the weather's hot and sunny, and there are plenty of restaurants to try.