5/18/2013 -- Hello Cambodia, Goodbye Vietnam!

The Flag of the Great Kingdom of Cambodia

"Tuc Tuc?" "Tuc Tuc?" has replaced "Motobike? Motobike?" as the default words yelled to me as I walk down the street. You know what that means! I've arrived in Phnom Penh! These drivers have an aggressive pitch, but are absolutely wonderful once they earn your business. Its always a little anxiety inducing for me when I'm on a tour bus, or with a large group of foreigners being herded along in a group. You can anticipate being pounced on by a massive group of salespeople waiting at the next stop. They're like the paparazzi, only for non-famous people. Either way, I ultimately picked a guy - Mr. Kim Som, who waited patiently for me to repack my bags on the sidewalk. All the while asking friendly questions: Where are you from? Where are you going? Do you have a wife? How old are you? Its always the same questions - very sweet, and genuine. The wife question always miffs me a bit. I usually just shrug my shoulders, but decided to test the water on Cambodian gay culture and acceptance. "I used to have a boyfriend in California." I responded. Mr. Kim Som, who is very straight with a wife and kids, responded quickly and warmly: "Oh we have many gay bars here! And it is not illegal anymore!" "I will drive you there in my Tuc Tuc tonight if you like!" We chatted a bit more about gay culture, history and marriage. Policy on gays seems much like those in California - its a hotly debated, rapidly changing concept. There's apparently a big, out, and well supported scene here in Phnom Penh and neighboring Siem Riem. It's comforting to be able to speak candidly about ones sexuality, while still being incorporated and welcomed into a new culture. 

Standard Transport in Phnom Penh -
The Tuk Tuk
(Not My Photo)

Mr. Kim Som took me downtown in his hand-crafted Tuc Tuc. This was my first ride in such a contraption, as they do not seem to exist in Vietnam. Anyone who's been to SouthEast Asia will laugh I my naivety, but I have genuinely never seen such a thing before. The Tuc Tuc is simply a people trailer pulled by a 100cc manual shift Honda Wave scooter. The trailer is large and heavy - big enough to seat four, with a solid shade cover, sides, suspension, and full size car tires. This substantial heft is attached to the tiny motorbike by a hand-welded kingpin that pivots where the passenger would usually sit on the motorbike. It looks horribly unsafe, particularly for the driver! I get the feeling that if he breaks too hard the massive trailer might just push the motorbike right over and crush him to death. Luckily the drivers move slowly and carefully, and seem to go about their day unhindered by disaster. Mr. Kim took me to a decent hotel right down town, near the temple. I plunked down at the cafe out front, and without even hesitating he pulled up a chair had a coffee with me, all the while teasing my attempt to find a hotel on my cell phone. "This is the best deal!" He kept grinning, but allowing me to putter about on the web. I finally agreed and checked into the hotel - its affordable, standard, and right in the middle of things. I feel warmly greeted by everyone I meet - as though the public is looking out for my best interest. If anyone sees you start to make a mistake like leaving your bag behind, or forgetting your change on the counter, everyone emphatically chases you down to correct the mistake. Its usually followed with bit of a lesson on local safety, and how to not get swindled. Cambodians are so nice! :-)

The Bitexco Tower Skydeck
Ho Chi Minh City

I decided to leave Siagon a day early, as I was having the opposite experience there. I spent less than 48 hours in this mega-city, and during that short stay had people actively trying to swindle me at every turn! Purse snatching, tourist pricing, pay-first-then-later, pickpocketing, you name it. Nearly all the tourists and locals agree: HCMC is loaded with con artists. It's too bad because I had such high expectations for this otherwise beautiful urban center. There's nearly 10 million people living in Siagon, with an infrastructure to support it. The food is diverse and great, museums are plentiful, the waterways are scenic, and the traffic is crazy but fun. Its a great city, hindered only by a few problems. 

Driving in Siagon is more like thousands of fish

My Best Attempt at Capturing the Serene Madness
of Siagon Traffic

swimming together in a fast-stream. No-one stops, ever! To get into your lane, it is standard practice to merge directly into oncoming traffic. Instead of a huge commotion, oncoming drivers simply part around you as you drive forward through the onslaught of scooters. Its terrifying at first, but quite organic once you get the hang of it. Standard practice for street shopping is to cruise slowly in at the edge of the road - this may be done in either direction, regardless of the flow of traffic. As is standard anywhere in Vietnam, the sidewalks are reserved for scooter parking, not pedestrians. I loved riding in the city!

New City, New Ride!
The Impeccable Honda 'Air Blade' 150

I finally got the pleasure of returning my piece-of-crap Sufat 110 to its uncaring parents. I left two broken spokes, a loose steering column, non-working left blinker, dirty oil, and a chain dragging on the kickstand. I felt no guilt or responsibility for any of these problems. "Not my bike, not my problem!" As my friend and former co-worker Heidi Lakics would say. Relieved of the burdensome Win-Knockoff, I scoped out what the locals were driving around Siagon, and a particular step-through automatic scooter had caught my eye: the Honda 'Air Blade' 150. This sleek little machine is modern, quick, and easy to ride. I never thought Doug Lybeck would be singing the praises of a scooter, but this thing was AWESOME! It's balanced perfectly, with the weight distribution feeling almost as though it were under your feet. Its so stable that you can bring it up to speed, and then let it coast all the way to a stop with no hands on the handlebars! Lockable, waterproof cubbies for your cell phone and wallet are such a novelty for me, and they really make city riding so much more bearable! Typical Honda fit-and-finish though out makes for a very smooth ride, and all for only $6 a day. A+ Honda! What a great little urban runabout. 

Mugging for a Shot in Siagon

As planned, I took a bus from HCMC to Phnom Penh to avoid border-crossing logistics with a motorcycle. It was a very smooth trip, actually one of the easiest and fastest ground-based border crossings I've ever seen. The bus staff and border employees were all quick and efficient. I still have a dislike for bus rides, but it beats battling my way out the dusty traffic filled roads of Siagon for a fourth time. After the crossing, I kept my eyes peeled for cool new motorbikes that are available here, and I have not been disappointed. While the vast majority of bikes are still small 100cc scooters, there are many other options here. I've noted cruisers, dirt bikes, sport bikes and more - many appear to be in the 250-400cc range, which is GREAT! Particularly exciting are a series of dual-sport 400cc Suzuki and Honda bikes i've seen. I didn't catch the name, but i'll do some research and find out tomorrow. The speed limits are much higher, and road quality is much better in Cambodia, so a minimum of 250cc will be needed - hopefully more! 

Typical Opulent Temple in Cambodia

It was neat to see the instant change as you cross the boarder from VN to Cambodia. The most noticeable is the architecture: here most of the homes are raised, and tile roofs are much more popular. Gaudy, over-the-top gold plating and paint can be seen everywhere! It seems to stem from the opulent temples strewn throughout the countryside, but the shiny gold theme translates into newer buildings as well. Furniture shops, car dealerships, fancy restaurants - they are all glitter with absurd, almost tacky shiny gold accents. It's as though building designers take their inspiration from a big glimmering Rolex watch from the 80's. 

USD is the Strongly Preferred Currency of
Choice in Cambodia

The local currently is technically the Cambodian 'Riel,' but it seems to almost be an afterthought. The locals have a strong preference for USD - so much so that most ATM's only dispense American currency. Hotels, bars, Tuc Tucs, shops - they all expect to be paid in Dollars. I blows me away a little bit to be spending my native greenbacks over here, but on the other hand it certainly is easy!