The neighborhood is a lot like some streets in Vilnius, only on a grander extreme, and with (obviously) an Asian feel. There is expensive apartments surrounded by true squalor. Everything, and everywhere, smells badly. But the interesting thing to me has been how I can recognize the smells as bad, but yet, somehow, unoffensive. Trash is everywhere, and very few roads are paved-I'd say less than 30%. Our road is paved for several blocks. As of 5 years ago, however, only 2 main roads were paved in Phnom Penh, so some long termers talk of the true progress they see here. There are twice as many people here as a re in SD, and in a geographically much smaller area. everyone gets arounnd on scooters, and I have some video to show you, that will blow you away, but still doesn't really give you the true feeling of what it is like to drive here.
Vilnius was filled with people socializing. This place is filled with people trying to eek out a living. It reminds me, in some ways, of TJ, only it appears more industrious.
You can smell the corruption, and deceit in this place, though.
The airport has a Dairy Queen, so I had a small Blizzard for breakfast yesterday before I got Bob. MMMMMMMM. The gal even held it upside when she handed it to me, jst like in the states, so you know it is a thick, sweet concoction.
More later, Bob is back from breakfast with Christian.
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5 comments:
Glad to hear from you! I hope you have time for more descriptive entries like this.
Yea, Kyle.
OH how I LOOOOVE traveling vicariously! Yes, please do keep this up! Is facinating!
Is this the Bob who was original
ly to go there with you? If so, GLAD it worked out afterall!
mc
Sorry,
Windy pasted this from an Email I sent her, which I don't mind. I would have proofread a little had I known I was going to be published. Internet can be a bit sketchy, so I type like a madman when I try to do an Email.
I have been out a little more since Bob arrived. Before he was here I had stay in the small compund at all times, except for Sunday church, when we went together.
I did pick Bob up at the airport, have DQ for breakfast, and take some video of the traffic. Imagine 50 scooters, 4 cars, two dumptrucks, 25 bicycles, 10 pedestrians, and a tractor in the same uncontrolled intersection-all going different directions.
We did have a small accident with a moto on my arrival to PP. No one was injured, and no one stopped. Welcome to Cambodia!
The average moto has two people on it-but 4 is very common, and I have seen five!
It looks like this (a moto is nothing more than a scooter):
Dad drives, 5 year old on handlebars, 10 year old behind dad, mom rides side saddle on the rear and she holds a baby.
Crazy
BOY am I GLAD I rechecked this & caught your latest entry, Kyle! SHUDDER re that intersection! No WONDER I am praying for you yet! Oh yes, & I will NO longer gripe about the seemingly too many traffic laws in our good ol' USA, either!!
Do stay/keep safe!
mc
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