Dharma bums

Thursday night and we’re about to leave Phnom Penh. It’s hard to believe we’ve only been here since Tuesday. The city is a blur of activity; there is something (or many things) to see everywhere you look…

motorbikes, cars, scooters, cycles, pushcarts, peddle carts, pedistrians, SUVs and trucks all weaving constantly along…no stoplights, stop signs, traffic cops, speed limits or apparent rules…but it all works

life happens on the streets and sidewalks with street pedlers cooking on charcoal burners, women selling gasoline by the soda bottle, boys and young men playing marbles in the dust near the corner, women working sewing machines and motorcyle mechanics repairing motos side-by-side on the sidewalk. Everywhere the sound of scooters, horns, and men calling out “Tuk-tuk, Sir?”

Every morning saffron robed monks with yellow parasols going out to collect donations…families on their fishing boats along the Tonle Sap River…the many Expat bars, restuarants, and businesses we sampled (thanks to Neil) in just a few days:

* Sea and Sand – owned by a frenchman named Stefan…buckwheat creps and Italian-style fish
* Pancho Villa’s – owned by Randy (from Canada) and Andy (from Madison, WI)…bordeaux wine and local treats…a bar like no other
* Rock Zone/Zepplin Cafe – an all “vinyl” Rock-n-roll bar and cafe run by Ju-an, a 60s & 70s rock-n-roll fanatic from Taiwan, who personally picks & plays the music on his twin turntables
*The Boom-Boom Room – MP3 s for your iPod on a disk – $1/album (no copyright laws in Cambodia)…and
*SpunCambodia.com – one of a kind clothing (and t-shirts) from Cambodia (Neil and Poojah’s business)

Vast markets with stall after stall of cheap clothing, fake Rollexes, fake Nikes, fake North Face backpacks, fake Channel sunglasses…you name it, you can get it cheap and fake at the Russian Market, or the Central Market, or any number of local markets and shops.

Tomorrow we leave for a motorcyle trip north up to Preah Viahvar, near the Thailand Border, to explore the countryside and see a temple. Then we’ll head to Siem Rep, near Angor Wat. It may be a few days before you hear from us again.

A few images from Phnom Penh (there will be more later)…

Boy selling birds along the Tonle Sap River

Outside the Palace

Sambo the elephant

Lakeside (Boeung Kak Lake) – backpacker’s haven

Lakeside Mosque

Local boys

Boy and boat

What can I say about our colorful friend Doug?, it is hard to narrow it down to just one incident.

Day One-My fellow dharma bums Norm and Don and I arrived at the Shanti Lodge only to discover that they hadn’t held our rooms and, at 3:00 AM no one else in the area had rooms available either. Doug went off with his “fiance” and we thought that might be last we saw of him until our return flight, this thought came with no small relief. It was not to be.

We stayed up the remainder of the night/early morning drinking beer and observing the incredible sights, sounds and smells of the awakening market just accross the street. It turned out to be a fabulous time for us to fully unite the Dharma bums, Don and I had just met prior to our SFO departure. By about 10:00 in the morning we finally got rooms at the Sawatdee Guest House across the alley from Shanti Lodge.

After a very full day(the events of which Don detailded on the previous blog)we went to bed about midnight, our jet-lag forgotten, only to be awakened at 5:00AM by commotion right outside our rooms. I awoke to an unmistakeable voice asking the hostess for a strong drink, when she didn’t immediately understand he spoke louder. He wasn’t much interested in the coffee she offered, he wanted something STRONG! Our friend Doug had unknowingly found us again.

So began Day2.

Dharma Bernie

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