Content-type: text/html Ray Manning

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 8:02 PM

Phnom Penh


I get out for a very good 71 minute run/walk to start Thursday morning. I guess the slow day of walking yesterday and eating a ton of food helped me be ready to run today. Not even the person below me playing sorta loud music into the morning hours, who I called the hotel staff to deal with, could deter today's good run. After a shower I start packing things up, check out of the hotel, and take a tuk-tuk, the BTS skytrain, and the A1 bus to Don Muaeng airport for a flight to Cambodia. Everything has gone smooth and it gets better as the flight, though delayed ten minutes, goes well and the I speed through the visa line, immigration, and see my bag coming into view just as I walk up to it. And it gets better because the notorius Phnom Penh traffic is nowhere to be found. I check into the hotel and go find a place to eat. I'm using some Khmer language and the guy is asking me how I know it. When I tell him there are many Khmer people in my city he immediately says, "You live in Long Beach, California". So we continue talking and the food is good. Then I go sit by the riverside and people watch for a while before walking back to my hotel.

On Friday I have breakfast at the hotel and then walk to the bicycle store. Except that they want my actual passport and not a copy. So I walk back home and get my passport and soon I am out cycling. I go north on National Route 5 and take a wrong turn and miss my favorite turn-off for a god ride. Instead I keep zig-zagging along until I make a quick stop to check Google maps. And I'm within a few kilometers of my intended turn-off. So I finally get to my turn-off and ride along all of the way to the small mountain and climb a bit of it. But I'm tired out from the zig-zagging and the heat so I turn back and crank along nicely to get home for almost 60 kiloemters. I cool off with a shower and relax. Later I go walking to look for dinner and a guy smiles at me as I walk past so I turn back and speak a bit of Khmer and then ask him about a vegetarian restaurant. He gives me some options but points me down a "definite" street. And I end up with a veggie burger and frnech fries (not the healthiest) to carbo-load for tomorrow's ride. I go sit by the riverside for a while and then walk back to my hotel.

On Friday night into Saturday morning my air conditioner quits cooling me down and starts making weird noises. At breakfast on Saturday morning I report the AC problem to the hotel staff and they will fix it. I'm a bit discombobulated and I lock my room key in the room when I go to breakfast. But the staf is friendly and help the old guy get into his room. Near 9am I'm out the door for a recovery ride and I do almost the same ride as Friday out National Route 5. After the ride I grab a quick shower (in the cool room with a silent and efficient air conditioner), drop off laundry, and grab a tuk-tuk to the central city to have lunch with Donald and Tra. The conversation with them is always stimulating and the lunch is good. And as we ride back to our homes, I get dropped off because I'm on the way but I let Donald and Tra know that if they are going walking in the afternoon on the future days that I will go with them. I relax at the hotel room for a while.

On Sunday after breakfast I pick up the laundry and get dressed to go cycling. I'll go out National Route 1 and see how bad the traffic is getting outside the city. I get out for an 90 minute ride and traffic is not heavy at all. I wonder why it was so heavy the last time I was here. I'm worn out after the ride and warm down with some cruising through Pnom Penh and sitting by the riverside for a bit. After a shower I have leftovers for lunch and relax and do some coding. Later Person So_Ca comes to visit and we have a nice conversation. When Person So_Ca leaves, I grab some bread and cheese to prepare for Monday's bicycle ride.

On Monday at breakfast I get fruit and bread and jam and orange juice. Halfway through I get up to refill my orange juice and when I return to my table, my plate is gone. The attendant took it thinking I was finished. Seeing this as a message from God, I just sit down and drink my orange juice and do not refill (or half fill) a plate. After a bit I get on the bicycle and ride out National Route 6 for a good out and back ride. On the way home I stop in At Wat Phnom to watch the activities and I also stop in at Mini C for a couple of coca colas. Later I mix up some Netflix, some cellular automata coding, walking by the riverside with Tra, and grabbing some snacks for dinner in my room.

The day starts with breakfast, a good 60 kilometer bicycle ride into the countryside, a shower, lunch of veggie spring rolls, and returning the bicycle to the rental shop. Afterwards I re-charge all of my electronics and relax in the hotel. Later in the day I go walking by the riverside with Tra and then go back home to grab a quiak shower and to start the packing to return home. Though I can't pack everything because I plan on going running on Wednesday morning before going to the airport.