Shared Taxis

In case you haven't noticed, I love to talk about the different modes of transportation available in Asia. The other day we decided to head to Phnom Penh from Kampot (site of Bokor Mountain death hike). The fastest option would be to take the infamous Cambodian share taxi. This includes three people sitting across the front bench seats and four people crammed into the back. Beside the space issue, it is supposed to be relatively pleasant as you get air conditioning and the driver goes so fast the time is cut in half compared to the bus.

So when the 1982 Toyota Camry rolled up, it brought back fond memories as a couple of my friends had similar cars. I also figured it wouldn't be so crowded as there was no middle seat -- Imagine my surprise when I realized that the 7th passenger would share the driver's seat. Yes, my taxi driver sat on top of someone for two and a half hours while driving to Phnom Penh. If you don't believe me, check out Jordan's blog for photo confirmation.

Now, my mom always warned me about the dangers of driving while wearing flip flops as the prospect of one falling off and getting stuck under the pedals is quite risky -- but what about an actual foot accidently getting wedged underneath the pedal? The two guys were so squished together that Jordan had to ask me which one was actually driving.

Either way, the major downfall of this seating arrangement turned out to be the fact that the additional passenger in the front completely blocked the air conditioning. The ride itself was rather pleasant until the very end when the heat finally got to me and the sweat began.

Good thing there was plenty to look forward to in Phnom Penh. We would be meeting up with a friend of Jordan's from college. She showed us a wonderful side of the city (the expat side) which included sangria at the Foreign Correspondent's Club, synchronized Asian dancing/aerobics in the park, Cambodian barbecue, and slow line dancing (ask me for a demonstration when I return).

We also managed to educate ourselves by visiting some of the infamous prison and killing sites of the Khmer Rouge. All in all it was a very unique experience and the thought of leaving Cambodia a little sad. I think this is definitely a place I want to return to. I am addicted to their food, dancing, markets, and landscape.