Phnom Penh: First Impressions

We arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, early on a Wednesday morning. The sun was still low enough that the air was not too hot, and the first thing we noticed after getting off the plane was how clear the air was compared to Bangkok. Everything felt much cleaner than what we had left behind in Thailand.

The ride from the airport into town takes about twenty minutes, and we enjoyed every moment. From the back of our comfortable tuk-tuk, we could see all sorts of people going about their Wednesday morning activities. Shops were opening. A few kids were walking or riding bicycles to school. Others played by the side of the road. Goods were transported on the backs of motorcycles or trucks. People lined up to buy baguette sandwiches sold out of glass cases.

Streets seemed wider than what I was used to in Thailand, and I was impressed by how slowly and orderly the traffic moved along. Phnom Penh doesn’t have the population of Bangkok, of course, so there are fewer people on the roads to begin with. There seemed to be a lot of new construction happening. There was a lot of trash in some spots, but not too much air pollution.

This man appears to be making an important chicken delivery!
Here are some students on their way to school.
Many roads were unpaved, which meant there was a lot of dust in the air. There were some random piles of dust, too. A mellow street not far from our guest house. Tuk-tuks wait for passengers on the side of the road.

We arrived at our guest house with the feeling of excitement that comes from being in a completely new place!