Asia Trip – Day 11

Siem Reap – Phnom Penh

Our 6am bus to our 7am boat ride arrived at 7am, so the day didn’t start well. Once we got to the boat, however, things started to look up. I found a seat inside and Shannon chose to sit on the roof. The scenery along the river was gorgeous and the boat was fast and air-conditioned.

When we got to Phnom Penh, we found a little backpackers mecca. It was small, with about 50 guesthouses packed into a 6-block radius. Intersperced were countless restaurants (selling happy pizza), internet cafes and travel agents. It even had a mosque and a lake.

We went to a bank machine and it gave me a $100 bill. A bill that size is practically useless unless I want to buy a car. It’s like walking into a corner store with a million dollar bill and trying to buy gum. The best part of the banking experience was that the bank was beside the Royal Cambodian Airlines office. Their mascot is a chicken (probably a rooster). Either way I don’t have a lot of confidence in an airline whose mascot can’t fly.

We watched the sun set over the lake from the rooftop bar of our hotel. Then we went and had dinner at the Flying Elephant Café. Happy pizza is an extra dollar.