Day 453: To Phnom Penh

A few days ago, I had done a calculation of the sights I wanted to see in Phnom Penh, the time required to get a Thai visa, and the time left on my Cambodian visa. The conclusion was that I had to continue on to Phnom Penh today, and leave the lovely Angkor Bodhi Tree Retreat and Meditation Center behind in Siem Reap. I had stayed there for more than three weeks, filling my days with stretching, yoga, meditation, and a fair share of relaxing. The progress I made with regard to my flexibility was absolutely astonishing - which confirms something I had learned earlier in my trip: it is all just a matter of hard work and (growth) mindset.

The bus ride was rather uneventful - almost all of the road to Phnom Penh is paved and in a fairly good condition. On the small stretch of unsealed road that we had to pass, I saw a scene that seemed almost surreal. The white dust from the street covered everything - plants, houses, etc. In addition, white fog caused by a vehicle in front of us obscured everything that was more than a few meters away. In the middle of all this whiteness, the only thing that was clearly visible was a young boy walking along the street. What an amazing sight!

A little later, we overtook a few trucks that sprayed the dusty road with water - very necessary in the dry season! Since I've been in Cambodia, I've seen about five drops of rain fall, so all the unsealed roads are extremely dusty by now. I shudder to think what condition they will be in in the rainy season...

In Phnom Penh, I was astounded by the contrast between rich and poor. On one side, there are people living in dusty bamboo hovels with neither running water nor any furniture except a few hammocks, and on the other side, there are super-modern, super-big, walled-in villas with big shiny SUVs and guards in front of the gate. I think I've never seen this stark a contrast in all of my travels.