Ryan McFarland

We hopped back on the bike trailers with all of our bags and got a ride to the riverfront. Cena pointed out that the previous evening it was much more romantic to ride the dim lit streets than during the daytime buzz.

We put our luggage onto our boat and then boarded small hand rowed boats.

Cena and i were lucky enough to have a mother and her child taking us…

We hopped out to see traditional silk weaving and of course, to be sold souvenirs.

We reboarded the motorboat and headed toward the border.  I expected the trip to be more rural - but many areas were heavily built up.  It also seemed that TV was very important - judging by the crop of antennas.

At the border we stopped for lunch and some kids played with our luggage and souvenir hats.

I finished eating and we still had some time so i walked around a bit.  Some bike shops are more spartan than others…

We transferred our luggage to a different boat and then motored a short distance into Cambodia for the customs run-through.

This boat was metal - a long hulking beast.  The windows opened and closed but it was terribly stuffy inside.  Fortunately, they has photocopied notes taped around urging passengers to not step on the window sills - to get on the roof from the back of the boat.  So some of us clamored through the engine room and sprawled onto the roof to get some air, sun, and an unobstructed view.

When we did ride inside we were lucky enough to have a decent stock of beer to buy - $3 for 4 cans.  Angkor Beer seemed fitting with our Angkor Wat destination getting closer.  Note the pull tab top of the can…

the whole ride was scenic - water buffalo grazing, farmers with conical hats tending fields, and homes all built on stilts of various materials.   Everywhere children waved at our passing boat.

We rolled into a small rest area and pulled our bags off.  We then boarded vans for an hour or so ride to our hotel in Phnom Penh.  The traffic can be frightening.  Even if there is a line painted in the middle of the road nobody pays it much attention.  The only rule of the road seems to be the rule of gross tonnage - he who weighs most wins.  Horns are constantly beeped.  Mopeds are laden with 1-4 people regularly.  We saw one in Cambodia with 7 people on board - most of them small children but - seven!