Phnom Penh

When we applied for our visas to Vietnam one of the questions they asked us was "on or around what date would we be arriving into the country?". We didn't know at the time but what they really meant was, exactly what day would we be entering the country. We knew we would be there in a week or so so we  arbitrarily choose a date for the following week. In most instances, your visa becomes effective the date of issue…but not so for Vietnam. It becomes effective the day you choose to arrive. Needless to say, we were not allowed to enter into Vietnam until October 15th. We knew this as soon as we received our passports so we changed our plans. We headed for Phnom Penh and decided to stay a few days in this area before moving on.

I think Phnom Penh is Cambodia's version of San Francisco. We stayed in the old city near the river at a charming quest house. We could get anywhere we wanted to go by walking or taking a bike. At night the area lights up and becomes quite festive. Good food and cold drinks can be found  everywhere and for just a few dollars you are set for the evening.

They too have their daily rain storm and it is fun to be caught out and about when this happens. We usually take cover at an outside cafe and enjoy a cup of coffee and watch life. I could watch endlessly as people scurried by in various forms of transport to continue with their daily routines. It was delightful.

We will take the bus to Vietnam and plan a few days in Saigon. We plan to meander Northward after spending sometime in the Mekong delta. We are excited to see what is before us…we know we will miss Cambodia. We are still formulating our plans but will let you know when we do...

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