Friday, April 6, 2012

Busing it from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh

4th March 2012

If you're planning on travelling from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh, by bus, you have several options of companies to choose from. We chose 168, only because the staff at Zana House said that they were new...or perhaps they meant that the buses were new...or looked new. Ours was just fine.

We were punctually collected right outside the guesthouse entrance and appeared to be the last on a 'hotel pick up route', before stopping up the road, at their office, to allow the final passengers to board.

The ride is a comfy 3.5 to 4 hours long, making two stops along the way. One, possibly because someone wanted to buy fruit and veggies.
Sihanoukville Port
There's not a lot to see. Country side, small rural houses and shops...

...an occasional abandoned building...
XUK Radio Station is very quiet these days
...and just like everywhere else in Cambodia, those eerie grand dilapidated fences, some with pretty French style lamp posts still standing, stuck out in the middle of whoop whoop, and without contents.

I took so many photos of houses and roadside scenes (for an 'I'll do it one day' art project) that I couldn't possibly put any readers through the entire agony...but here's a few.

Sugar Cane juicer
Versitile advertising banners
House and shop combo
Gas station

I'm sure you're getting the picture(s) by now. Some scenes were very reminicent of rural Thailand.
Blue seems to be quite popular

Bundles of charcoal logs for sale

Decoration? at one of our bus breaks

And before you know, your arriving in Phnom Phen.
Four, multi headed nagas on the round about

 To be continued...

Previous Cambodia related posts

Snap's other blog Chiang Mai Thai

5 comments:

Catherine said... Best Blogger Tips

Great memories Snap. The older I get, the more I need them :-)

Cambodia does look a lot like Thailand... only there's not as many people. Right? I was trying to pick out the differences on my trip too. Can't exactly pin it down though. Some of the buildings are more like what's found in Borneo and Malasia... (?)

When we were driving slow back from the mountains I tried out the video on my iPhone. The countryside went whoooshing by and it turned out kind of... weird but ok.

Snap said... Best Blogger Tips

@Catherine You're right, there are way less people...most of them are in Phnom Penh, not really, only about 1/10 of them...it just felt that way.

I did take a video and uploaded it to Youtube, but opted out of posting it ...it makes me feel whoozy every time I watch it.

Snap said... Best Blogger Tips

@Catherine PS. the buildings, especially in the cities, definitely had that Vietnamese French cross Thai feeling to me :)

Paul Garrigan said... Best Blogger Tips

Hi Snap, I made that journey about a decade ago in a taxi. I don’t remember much about it because it was during my hell-raising days. The reports from you and Catherine are giving me itchy feet - I must visit there again.

Snap said... Best Blogger Tips

@Paul Garrigan I'm suspecting you'd see a lot of changes, especially in Phnom Penh, after 10 years.

We really did enjoy Cambodia, I wouldn't hesitate in going back for a closer look.