Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
NP: Rollergirl - Superstar (Butterfly Remix)
Mood: Unorganized
Disrepair, occasional heavy traffic and ever-present darkness. Discontent about making it before the sun set. It was the essence of Phnom Penh.
When the sun set, stores and services closed their doors. Everything closed too early. Come on! This is the capital of a country! It is supposed to be the shining example to all other cities within the nation. Just like Helsinki was for Finland... Erhh, well there goes that argument.
The Russian market, or Psah Toul Tom Poung by it's proper name, offered claustrophobia and small stalls selling various fakes and souvenirs. Having nearly worn out my Binsin sneakers (there was just a small tear on the bottom and the inner heels were torn, plus there were a few holes on the fabric on top), I sought a replacement and found a pair of fake Timberland walking shoes that fit the bill on the second visit. The saleslady asked for 25 dollars for them, but my cunning and resilient haggling tore through the price tag like a hot knife through butter and we finished at 22 dollars and a complementary pair of socks. Splendid! It was a pleasant haggling experience, however.
We also found a few kramas (Cambodian multi-purpose scarves) at Russian market costing anything between 1 to 4 dollars, depending on size. Haggling was again required and the discount received was very little.
Having spent nine nights in Phnom Penh, we headed onwards to the southern port city of Sihanoukville where large stretches of beach awaited exploration. Six dollars bought six hours on the bus. Soon the streets of Phnom Penh faded away into snapshots from the windows of the bus and the bustle of the day silenced under the moan of the motor as our driver followed a thin trail of bumpy asphalt south. Always to the south...
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