"Over 700 honks to Siem Reap", Cambodia

Day 18


Today, our hotel ordered us a private car (toyota camry) to go to SIem Reap at noon. It was expected to be a five hour drive for $70.


I would give him an "A" for driving skills. He made good decisions, knowing the right time to pass cars and the right time to stay back and wait. He was averaging 60 mph and the road was surprisingly well-paved. He said he makes this drive everyday, drives from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, spends the night, and drives back the next morning with other passengers.


I couldn't really sleep. Meanwhile, Theresa is already passed out. That's typical Theresa. She can sleep through anything.
Instead of counting VW Bugs (none - EVERYONE drives either a Toyota or Lexus), I decided to count the number of honks our driver made in a 30 minute period. It was 90 honks in 30 minutes, basically 3 times a minute.


Again, drivers love to honk the horn. Most of the time, I think it's to warn cars and bikes that he is passing by. Other times, maybe just saying hi to people or warning the anorexic cows/oxen on the side of the road. It made me wonder how long a car horn in Cambodia can last until it needs to be replaced. Maybe we'll open up a horns R us here.


At 2:30pm, he said it would be another 3 hours. We arrived at our hotel, the Pavillon Indochine, at 4:00pm (he was quick). Our room was traditional with dark plankwood floors. There is a mosquito net over our bed. So far, we do not see any mosquitos in our room. I think a gecko in our room would be more likely. There are geckos everywhere outside. They are all over the walls in the hallway.


The mosquitos here are big and fast. We experienced it firsthand at dinner. I got two quick bites on my knee before i had a chance to order food. Theresa got a series of bites right on her hand. We never saw them coming. Sneaky buggers. We had an early dinner at our hotel, Luc Lac Beef and Amok Chicken, both seemed like traditional Cambodian dishes.


An hour after dinner, we got massages at the hotel. We were put in the same room. I was getting a 30 minute back and shoulder massage and Theresa was getting a 90 minute khmer and aromatherapy massage. Theresa said that her masseuse told her to take off her clothes. She did not leave the room, just stood there as she got undressed. It was slightly awkward because there was nothing to change into.


Tired from getting mosquito bites, we called it an early night and hid underneath our mosquito net.


For the pictures of the day, go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=theresang1977&target=ALBUM&id=5391012181720818609&authkey=Gv1sRgCM_-o6PE9cilcQ&feat=email