One for the road

The crazy trip down from Siem Reap to Kampot was made all the more pleasant by constant use of the bus’s horn. It seems that again here the horn is used constantly to warn motos and cars of the oncoming (at great speed) of the bus. We were told there was a change of bus in Phenom Phen, with a 20 minute wait (which turned out to be 2.5 hours). We ended up getting on exactly the same bus we had come from Siem Reap on (we knew this because we had been assigned the same seats – one with a broken back which didn’t recline). Where the bus had gone for those couple of hours who knows.

There is a road sign they have here which I am yet to figure out the meaning of. It has one straight arrow (pointing up) and one swiggly arrow. I would assume this was straight road and windy road respectively. However these arrows are side by side on a sign which also has a cross out through the middle (so the road is neither straight nor windy???). Another sign I really like is the no horn one (picture of a horn crossed out) which is blatantly ignored by all types of motorists. 

Lots of small children in a moto and a crazy amount of people and animals in a van

As anyone who has been to South East Asia knows, the sights you see on motos never fails to both amuse and impress. Motos carrying families of five or more, motos carrying other motos (yes I have really seen a moto on the back of another moto!) and vast amounts of any type of good you could possibly think of.

Cycles are really popular too.  When travelling there seems to be a never ending stream of children and teenagers biking to and from school at all times of the day. I find it really cute when brothers and sisters or interested boys and girls bike along holding hands from one bike to another or both sitting on one bike and pulling the second one along.

I brought some chips the other day (they are much cheaper here than the other countries we have been to so far) and there was a little girl, about six months old who was fascinated by me (as many children are with my white skin and blonde hair) and we played touch my hair and she got really shy and all the adults laughed. I love those moments (more common in places like this where they don’t see many white people). Like playing colouring and kick ball with a two year old boy while Spike was doing some printing at an internet cafe. He would get so shy and run away, but then his fascination would take over and he would come back.

Fish & Ships anyone?

The way they spell things and the use of english here never falls to crack me up. Fish and Ships, E-sern (eastern food), deet fry, marchine, or outside one of the many many wedding we have seen over the weekend “Love lasts through history”. I have no idea what they really mean.

I think I need a break from writing, will continue trying to catch up soon.