M-whY

At 5:40am, transportation arrived to shuttle me across town to the floating village. A smell of fish filled the air, just what I needed first thing in the morning. We were herded into wooden boats and taken for a slow cruise. Even at this ridiculously early hour, the village was bustling with activity. Kids rowed their way to a school on stilts. Boats laden with fruits and vegetables made the rounds. A sharp contrast from Siem Reap, where glamorous hotels seemed to outnumber local residences.

A speedboat with tinted windows that made it feel like evening instead of dawn awaited us at the other end. Once everyone was seated, we began zipping across the massive Tonle Sap Lake. I wanted to get some rest, but in the frigid airconditioning, it was like trying to sleeping in a refridgerator. A couple hours of being treated like perishable goods was enough, and I joined the dozen or so passengers tanning on the upper deck.

The lake converged into the Tonle Sap River, which is connected to the Mekong some 100km downstream. Or upstream, depending on the season. Every year during the wet season, the Mekong rises considerably, causing the flow of the Tonle Sap River to reverse itself. The Tonle Sap Lake itself also expands, to nearly 12,000 sq km, four times its dry season size. Like Laos, the view was beautiful. Little kids waved hello from the river banks and aboard boats. A few of the more bold danced a jig for our entertainment. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Scenic, comfortable, and best of all, short. It only lasted six hours.

Unlike Laos though, where the touts were laid back and understood the meaning of 'No', Cambodia's touts were rude and in your face. Upon docking, we were greeted by thousands of tuk tuks and motorbike drivers. (Ok, I'm exaggerating. More like hundreds.)

"Where you go? You want tuk tuk? Guesthouse?"

"No, NO, No, NO!" I thought Khao San road was bad. This was ten times worse.

I pushed my way through and trekked on by foot. Even on the streets, the harrassment continued.

"Hello! Moto?" If Motorola knew how annoying these words were, they would've never adopted it as their catchphrase. They wouldn't give up, following me down the street, as if they pestered me enough, I'd just give in. Eventually, I got so fed up I crossed to the other side of the road, so I was walking against traffic. At least this way, they couldn't follow me.

Arriving in the early afternoon gave me some time to wander around before nightfall. With my bags stored safely in my room, offers for rides weren't as frequent. One word can sum up Phnom Penh. Mayhem. Traffic was unbelievable. Crossing the street was an adventure in itself. All I could do was maintain eye contact with oncoming traffic, walk slowly, and pray silently that no one would hit me.

I strolled through the city, dodging motorbikes and cars, to the Royal Palace, where the king made his residence. Admission cost US$3, plus an extra US$2 to bring a camera. Knowing that pictures weren't allowed to be taken inside the buildings themselves, I hadn't bothered to bring mine. Upon seeing the grounds, I regretted the decision. The flourishing gardens and extravagant buildings were definately photoworthy.

What I really came for though was to see the Silver Pagoda, named after the 5000kg of silver tiles that made up the floor. A collection of gold and silver artifacts, some decorated with precious jewels, were also on display. Most impressive was a 90kg, solid gold Buddha, studded with over 2000 diamonds. Bling bling, anyone?

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!