Day 47 Siem Reap to Phnom Penh

We were very sad to leave the wonderful Jaya House in Siem Reap. What a fantastic boutique hotel run by Chris and Christian (Cambodian and Dutch). We highly recommend the hotel if you're ever in Siem Reap as the service level and helpfulness of the staff was off the charts good (free laundry service, one spa treatment per day included, free tuktuks, homemade ice cream handed out daily at the pool etc.).

Below is a photo of two of the staff members who came out to wish us well before we departed. A row of about five or six staff waved goodbye to us as we drove off. It felt like Downton Abbey!

Oh well .....onward we go!

Today was largely a travel day with a six-hour drive south on Highway 6 from Siem Reap down to the capital city of Phnom Penh. We were worried about traffic having seen the craziness of the New Year revelers last night and everyone was saying it could be busy with the holiday. But luckily it was smooth sailing, and we got to rest and enjoy the varied scenery of Cambodia roll by. We did make a couple of stops including at the Kampong Kdei (or Dragon) Bridge. It's the oldest bridge of its type in all of SE Asia dating back to the 12th century. And notice the seven-headed snake (or Naga) guarding the bridge. It even made it onto the 5000 Riel banknote (worth about $1.25).

Here are a few sights and sounds of Phnom Penh. It was VERY VERY hot when we took a short stroll out from our hotel down to the river. A quick beer in the shade and then a TukTuk ride back to the hotel was about all we could handle.

More on Phnom Penh tomorrow but first impressions are it was kinda weirdly quiet. We were told it may be due to the big holiday celebrations where many people leave the city to spend it with family in the countryside.

Feeling brave we decide to head out for dinner to the famous Raffles hotel (once visited by Jackie Kennedy on a trip to strengthen US ties to Cambodia and to see Angkor Wat). Not sure it was the best idea as ran into more water-spraying locals celebrating the New year and the crowds were just as crazy if not more so than at Siem Reap. But we managed not to get too wet and made it home safely too.

Cambodia Fun Facts:

• At Raffles they have a display of photos of Jackie's visit and an unwashed cocktail glass with a lipstick stain - claimed to be hers! Maybe?

• In Siem Reap we had dinner including 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine. The bill was $21 USD! And it was delicious!

• Our hotel here in Phnom Penh is called the White mansion and used to be the residence of the US Ambassador to Cambodia.