Daydreaming of Cambodia

The road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is smooth compared to the bumpy road to Battambang. For $10 USD on the air-conditioned Mekong Express bus, you get two pastries, a cola and a local tour guide that is called a tour guide because he stands up to announce the town you are about to approach. That’s it. Not the usual, “This town is known for…” More like, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to pass Kampong Cham province. Thank you.” I boarded the Mekong Express from Phnom Penh and was seated with quite a few passengers that spoke with familiar American accents. Behind me sat four New Yorkers that talked about their Wall Street jobs the entire six-hour journey to Siem Reap. Returning to Phnom Penh, I decided to take the bus chartered by Capitol Tours. The ticket price of $4 USD includes only your bus seat. No pastries, warm cola or fancy tour guide. I recognized only two other tourists on the bus that was nearly filled to capacity. The air conditioner also broke down soon after we departed our last rest stop. We got out while the driver tried to figure out what the problem was. I sat on the steps of a home in a Cham (Muslim) village while some stood under the shade of the trees. Both bus companies did have one thing in common. Their bus drivers were both speed demons that drove through the provinces believing that the pedestrians did not have the right of way.

The views from the bus are amazing. Endless rice fields, rural villages, giant carribou, even life-sized Buddha statues being carved by artisans. The bus ride along the Cambodian countryside is amazing.

This is the beautiful view from my seat on the bus.