2. Bangkok to Phnom Penh

I think it's Thursday. I woke up about 4:00 AM this morning disoriented and feeling out of place. Tried to go back to sleep, but could not. I find the beds in most of these hotels hard as a rock. However, the first hotel I stayed in had a very nice soft, yet firm, bed so I will probably go back to that one. Sacha's Uno is the name, and I recommend it. The other hotel I stayed at was Boss Suites. It's an odd name, but it bolstered my self-confidence. It was not my intention to split up the week like this, it was the result of me rescheduling. I initially scheduled this trip during October and November when the floods were bad, so I cancelled. One of the hotels did not allow me to cancel but they did allow me to reschedule, and that was Boss Suites. I suppose I could have stayed the entire week with them, but I wanted to try Sascha's Uno. I'm glad I did, they are a little better than Boss Suites in almost every way.

I got up and went out for a long walk this morning. I'm tired of walking up and down this Soi. I have not been able to feel very comfortable in this huge city, probably because I don't know anyone. I was missing my usual four shots of espresso so, after having the American breakfast here in the hotel for about $4, I set out looking for a place that could make it for me. Not many places around here except Starbucks do it. I found a hotel down the street and though they were appalled that anyone would want four shots in one cup with no cream or sugar, they made it for me. I almost choked at the price. Things are not so cheap here in Bangkok. As I was savoring the most expensive cup of coffee I ever had in my life, I watched the street in front of the hotel and was struck by the various sorts of regular bicycles I saw. I include a few pics of them here.

The $9 cup of coffee

They are exactly the kind of city commuter bicycle I tried and tried to find back home. Nobody seems to make these things, or at least no one is interested in importing them at a decent price. There is nothing sporty about them except the paint, and that's what U.S. bicycles are all about, sport. I bet you can get one of these babies for $200 or less. You can special order an Amsterdam bike, handmade, for $1,800 to $3,000--nothing special, just a high quality, step-through, urban commuter in the delivery bike genre. Except it has to be hand made. Something is wrong there...


I wimped out on the "adventurous" route to Cambodia, and so last night purchased airfare to Phnom Penh for about $150 one way. It's the half-adventurous route...couple rungs down the ladder from the O'smach crossing near the skirmishes. My friend's cousin will meet me and show me around, I'm very grateful for that. In addition, I'll probably try to find a young Korean man who's name I cannot remember...maybe it was Hun. He sat next to me on the trip from Narita to BKK, a member of YWAM (Youth With A Mission). In case you didn't know, South Korea is mostly Christian. He said he was Methodist, and mentioned that he will be in PP at the same time as me, so I will try to duck my head in the YWAM headquarters and ask for him if I see the place.

Yesterday the weather was cloudy and a little oppressive. As I write this at about 8:00 AM it seems as if the skies will be clear today. The weather is really not hot at all, it feels like about 78 most of the time, and at the hot part of the day maybe the mid-80's. The flight I booked leaves BKK about 3:00 PM, and arrives PP about 4:30 PM, so I'll have plenty of time to find a hotel before it gets dark.

I've made several excursions out and about on both the Sky Train and the subway. Both are very cheap and quick, but can be very crowded during rush hour.

This was very scary to me

The Sky Train stations are monstrous elevated concrete structures, and walking about on them was very frightening to me, as the walkways had only handrails, and it was really high! Seemed like a 100' drop. My knees get shaky just thinking about it now. In that last pic right above there, I was just imagining bumping into a commuter in a hurry and going headfirst over that railing.

The I arrived next day at the Bangkok airport around 1:00 PM. I passed the time while waiting for my flight to Cambodia having lunch with a very interesting and entertaining Bangkok lady I met last week. The flight to Phnom Penh was good and quick. I like Air Asia.

Jeab and Clay having lunch at the airport

I met a newlywed Italian/Romanian couple on the flight, simply by turning around and saying hello. This is one leg of their honeymoon vacation and they are here for two nights same as me. I met them in line while boarding the plane, and what do you know they sat next to me also. I had a fun conversation with Giuseppe and Daniella, and when we arrived we shared a taxi into town with a very entertaining taxi driver. I ended up choosing their hotel, the Silver River. The flight to Phnom Penh short, and it became clear during the ride to the hotel that I was going to like this town better than Bangkok...not sure what it is....streets wider, see more of the sky or something. When we arrived at the hotel and I got out of the air-conditioned taxi, it was so humid my glasses fogged up. More tomorrow.