Cambodge

In elementary school the cool kids sat at the back of the bus.  On the Mekong Express from Saigon to Phnom Penh, the back of the bus is where to go if you want to melt the cheese on your sandwich.  The diesel pusher under the floor was heating things up very effectively; cue A/C failure and you have the recipe for a really hot bus ride!  On the plus side, the $5 border fee levied by the bus company seemed to grease the way into Cambodia perfectly.

The tuk tuks were more like wagons being pulled by scooters.  The drivers really wanted to take us sightseeing the next day.  The roads seemed quiet and orderly compared to Vietnam.  Every three to five minutes on the road my nostrils were assailed by barnyard smells, regardless of my location.  The bank was called Canadia but dispensed USDs.  We arrived at the Hang Neak Hotel without further issue and went up to the rooftop patio for a sundowner.  Anchor and Angkor were the beers available, it was best not to be too picky if trying to select one over the other.

The Pearl of Asia!

What is there to do in this Asian capitol?  "Would U Like to Rifle Range?"  Confirmed.  The AK47 is lethal against coconuts at 35m.  How about the wildlife park?  Gibbons enjoy beer and elephants enjoy potato chips.  Deserted Brewpubs?  Check.

Trust me, you want the earmuffs.

The elephant's name was Lucky, which also made it easy to select a photo editing macro.

Phnom Penh also offered new and old history.  The frightening legacy of the Khmer Rouge was shocking, but equally powerful were the 20,000 monks and thousands of other people on the streets praying during the last days prior to King Sihanouk's cremation.  The cremation took place 100 days after his death, and public music was banned for the five days following.  This really changed the vibe in the dance clubs!

Memorial Stupa at the Killing Fields.

This crematorium was built incredibly fast to accommodate everyone.

Dave