Day 5: Phnom Penh Day 1

**updated with photos**

I don't think I've taken a 6 hour bus ride since 2001 when I took the Greyhound (yes, the Greyhound - oh how far I've come) to western Saskatchewan for my friend Kevin's high school graduation festivities. And, if it wasn't obvious enough, buses in North America, even Greyhounds, are a tad bit more comfortable than Cambodian buses.

Let me repeat that: Six. Freaking. Hours. But, it's the cheapest and easiest way to get from Siem Reap to the capitol Phenom Penh. There must be some sort of diety smiling down upon us because all the roads were paved and relatively smooth. I bet it wasn't always like that.
The bright side to this day is that we didn't have to get moving until noon. So, after a 2 a.m. night for me and 4 a.m. night for Marv a late start is just what the doctor ordered. Me, knowing my limit on beer towers, felt smashingly good. Marv, though, not so much.

One thing my North American bus tour did not offer is on board karaoke, which is pretty much the most annoying "amenity" any bus has ever offered. However I don't think you're actually meant to sing along with said karaoke, since the bus driver shut it off about a half hour into the journey because we were belting out "My Heart Will Go On". I don't know if you knew this but Celine Dion is ze greatest singer in ze world (more like ze biggest douche in ze world).

The thing about traffic in Cambodia is that there's no rhyme or reason to it. None. Nada. Absolutely zip. But, it works incredibly, amazingly well. The sucky part about traffic in Cambodia is that the horn is not considered an emergency, sparsely used tool, it is used AS A BLINKER...except way, way more often.

I am not joking you, every 30 seconds of our 6 hour bus ride the driver was laying on the horn. LAYING on it! As an indicator to the vehicles (motorcycles, trucks, bicycles, whatever) that he was right behind and overtaking them.

It was absolute misery. I tried to sleep but I kept getting woke up by that horrific, horrific horn that will haunt my eardrums forever. For 6 hours!

The highlight of the bus ride was the episode of Glee I watched on our laptop (thanks for letting us borrow it, Berit & Petter, as you can see it's getting put to good use). I have only 1 more episode to watch and I'm done with season 1.

Priorities, people, priorities.

After getting to our hotel in Phnom Penh we weren't in much of a mood to do much, so we went to a restaurant next door that our tour guide recommended, then went to a bar next door for a $2 pitcher (about 4-5 glasses) of beer, then called it a night.


We need our rest for tomorrow, which will be heart breakingly gut wrenching to say the least (see: killing fields).

G'night for now!