Boat to Phnom Penh

It was 3 days ago that we left Siem Reap and that day started pretty early. The hotel arranged for us to get picked up in front of the hotel at 6 am so therefore we had to pack, have some breakfast and checkout all before the van arrived. We were the first to be picked up. Comfortably the van could take 6 people with bags so we couldn't believe it when our van stopped at 3 more hotels and squeezed 12 people and all their bags in the van for a 1/2 hour drive to the lake where we met the boat. It was a total magic trick watching this driver - speaking no English - directing fairly big people into spaces that seemed impossible to get in. The last two people looked like they were in their late 60s and they just piled in and didn't complain. Eric and I were in the front with the driver so we were in good shape. It was Anne & Kim squished in the last seat who were squished. It made for a good early morning laugh. We were warned by a guy in PP that the boat was always overbooked, noisy and nicknamed by locals as the floating coffin. Anne had some reservations about returning to PP by boat but it turned out to be a fabulous way to get back. The bus ride back to PP was $10 per person, to fly was &90 and the boat was $38. Definitely the best way to go and most scenic. It turned out our boat was only 25 percent full. Plenty of room to spread out and to go out to see all the floating villages, houses on stilts, house boats & fishing boats. Besides all the photos we took I took many movies. I'll have to figure out how to convert to YouTube one of these days. We got back to Phnom Penh about 2:30 in the afternoon and we met by a barrage of tuk tuk drivers all wanting to take us to our hotel. It was a good feeling being somewhat familiar with the city and knowing roughly where our hotel was. The Pavilion is like an calm oasis in the middle of the bustling city. It felt good to see Kea, Grace and Simon and all the other staff at our old hotel. Not to mention getting another complementary 25 minute massage. We later met Michael down at the Cantina. The Cantina is a bar & restaurant owned by Michael's long time friend Hurley who has lived in PP since '92. He opened the Cantina 8 years ago on the main drag right across from the river. The next day we will travel to Kampot, about a 3 hour drive south of PP and meet Hurley, Scott who is another friend of Michaels and Hans who owns some guest cottages on the Kampot river.

Location: Tonle Sap (river)