On Wednesday, I arrived in the sixth Asian country where I will be living.
An easy journey, an easy arrival, an easy first day, and an exciting day today lie behind me.
The city of Phnom Penh welcomed me with a smile. Or perhaps I arrived smiling. It was a wonderful encounter.
Like a hot knife through butter
There were no unexpected surprises or unforeseen hassles during the journey this time.
I find it hard to believe myself, yet that is exactly how it happened.
In Saigon, the Highlands Café was 400 meters from my accommodation, and the travel agency was another 50 meters beyond that. So, on Wednesday morning—before spending a few hours working—I simply dropped off my large backpack at the office. That’s where I encountered the first surprise: I was told to be there just 10 minutes before the bus departed.
Ten minutes? Based on my experiences over the past year, I didn’t quite believe it, so I showed up 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. It was unnecessary! The bus arrived at 11:58 and left at 12:00.
Admittedly, the trip took 7.5 hours instead of the expected 6.5, but that really depends heavily on traffic. Just as a point of interest, we are talking about a distance of 247 kilometers…
We made two stops. Both the driver and the attendant were friendly—which, incidentally, was another novelty.
At the Vietnamese border, there was a short wait (10–15 minutes) for the stamp. On the Cambodian side, I waited only 3 or 4 minutes to reach the official, who processed my passport in two minutes flat without asking a single question.
Suddenly, I was standing in Cambodia, hardly grasping what had just happened—everything had gone so smoothly and simply.
I slid between the two countries like a hot knife through butter.
What I saw from the window
Crossing the border, my first impression was that Cambodia is just like Vietnam.
Then—as we ventured deeper into the country—Laos suddenly appeared. Cambodia is like Laos. Eventually, I was completely confused, because suddenly I thought Cambodia was like Thailand.
I started paying closer attention. Then I smiled.
Glass bottles appeared along the roadside. Filled with gasoline. That’s Laos.
I spotted “The spirit houses.” That’s Thailand and Laos. I noticed the first temples—something more typical of Laos, yet also of Thailand.
The spacious, concrete areas in front of the houses were reminiscent of Thailand again. In Vietnam, there is hardly any space in front of most houses due to all the things piled up there. The sight of so much open space felt strange.
The rice fields, however, evoked Vietnam. As did the mountains.
After the border, I saw many Chinese signs. I wouldn’t say I felt like I was in China, but the question did cross my mind: where exactly am I? Then, Cambodian signs appeared—resembling Thai or Lao script.
I am no social scientist. But I do know that Thailand lies to the west and north of Cambodia; Laos to the north; and Vietnam to the east and south. So, perhaps my eyes and experiences were playing tricks on me, but my initial impression was that I was suddenly everywhere at once.
The country feels familiar. Even though I am visiting for the very first time. An important part of the trip was using the new eSIM (MegaEsim). I’ll write about my experiences later; for now, suffice it to say that there were no issues when crossing the border. First impressions are excellent.
Phnom Penh
I got acquainted with the city during a walk of a few kilometers.
I’ve already had a few very pleasant experiences.
The first is that vehicles actually stop when I cross the road. It’s incredible. When they see me crossing, they don’t speed up or swerve around me at all costs; instead, they stop and let me pass. Suddenly, I felt like no one was trying to kill me on the roads. I’m visible again. It’s strange. But I really like it!
The place is full of tuk-tuks. The drivers were another surprise. You only have to say “no, thank you” once. They accept it, understand it, and leave you alone. That’s incredible, too!
The third thing involves the streetwalkers. They greet me and invite me over, but they don’t grope me or drag me into buildings. They smile back when I politely decline their invitations. That’s strange, too—it’s almost odd that even they don’t encroach on my personal space.
The hotel where I chose a cheap room is incredibly good. It’s clean and spacious. The room is first-class; the bed is huge and very comfortable. The bathroom is spotless—equipped with shampoo, shower gel, and a mirror. It’s unbelievable compared to the squalid dives I stayed in during my 19 nights in Saigon. LOL.
My first impressions of Cambodia are very positive.
My Canadian friend
He was indeed there at the accommodation. We had parted ways last November. We were both overjoyed to see each other again.
We talked until we were exhausted; we had plenty to catch up on.
I woke up late yesterday. It didn’t matter, though, as the plan was simply to wander around together and enjoy the day. And that’s exactly what we did. We just went with the flow. The best moment was when we sat on the grass in a park, leaning against a tree, and talked.
My friend headed back to his boat early this morning—Friday. I bought my bus ticket yesterday, and I’ll be following him on Monday.
And I really will be living on a boat for a little while.
Blood donation
After waking up, I set out for a 5 km walk. I headed to the local blood donation center established by the USA.
I filled out the paperwork. I was immediately placed in the priority line, so I didn’t have to wait long to donate blood. Fortunately, that was the only “special treatment” involved in the event. I quietly donated 350 milliliters of blood.
I ate the delicious cookies I received in return, then walked back to my hotel.
It rains here every afternoon.
Fortunately, that doesn’t bother me.
The hotel is fantastic; it even has a dedicated workspace with comfortable chairs and tables.
Could a digital nomad be pampered any better?
I am certain that the first two days in Cambodia will be memorable.
Buy me a coffee?
If you enjoyed this story, you can buy me a coffee. You don’t have to – but it means a lot and I always turn it into a new adventure.
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Short introduction