On the road to Cambodia part two - Phnom Penh

After a hard negotiations over the cost to get me from Ibis to my hotel I talked a Tuk-tuk driver down from $3.00 to $2.50..  I always tell people you have to keep prices in context and $50 cents shouldn't be a big deal

Tuk-tuk's and drivers

but to a person earning a couple dollars a day it is. So keep the expected bargaining light and friendly, treat it as a game and with that in mind  when he got me to the hotel I paid his original asking price of $3.00.

My hotel is the Blue tongue, you know the hotel behind the Walkabout Bar.  A bit about the Walkabout soon but first I'm going to talk about the Blue Tongue.  I've stayed there numerous times over the past few years, Filipino managed and a wonderful room with a balcony for $35.00.  Still Filipino managed but they got rid of the nice Filipino's  and kept the mean ones, raised the price of the room, dropped the free breakfast and won't allow any visitors in your room.  Ka damn, just like the last time I went to mom's.

Anyway, I was there and it's in a good location on a street with a lot of nightlife or day life if you're inclined and decided to stay for a day or two. As I mentioned its behind the Walkabout Bar, a Phnom Penh stable for years, booze, babes and recorded rock playing 24/7.  Beer prices are reasonable as is the price of food and for such a raggedy looking place the food is pretty darn good.   Remembering this is an old school place, open air, pool tables, darts and ladies trying to earn a living and guys trying to help them. Across the street from it is a German biker bar named The Lone Brothers Bar, that I've written about before. The hard rock music blaring but was a little disappointed as there was no friendly female wait staff to play with, just a couple big German guys dressed in leathers with their large bikes parked in the front yard of the bar.

On a previous post http://dougsasia.blogspot.com/2012/05/saigon-thaos-to-german-biker-bar-in.html  if you scroll down about to the middle of it - my writing and photos on The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng Museum documenting the evil of Pol Pot's regime.

The next afternoon walked over to the riverfront area, the city has done a nice job of redoing the walk way along the river into a park with Sisowath Quay on the other side. Sisowath Quay is lined with restaurants, guest houses and shops of all kinds.One of the restaurants I enjoy is the Riverside Bistro on the Quay and street 146 offering western and Cambodian food and Angkor beer.

So now you have had your exercise and you have a full tummy you can visit the Night Market further up the

night market dinning

Quay at about street 108. However, on your way up or back take a walk down the bar street, 136 or any other streets in that area to take a peak the bar culture of the area.  A good one is Sharky Bar, live music on some nights, good food, try an English meat pie, reasonably priced drinks and a few wondering women seeking their next income stream.  In the area you'll see bar's with names like Candy Bar, Mr. Butterfly, Red Bar and too many others to mention and with each the main attraction is booze and women.

My repaired leg was giving me problems and decided to scratch the trip to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat but still had a few days.  Tried to extend my stay at the Tongue but they turned me away so I went shopping for a nice place to hide out in for a couple days and found it, The Splash Inn. Small classy place in a walled compound and you guessed it a pool with a room larger than my apartment in California, seating area with comfy couches, sunny balcony overlooking the pool, great bed, and for my entertainment pleasure an umpteen inch flat screen TV with a CD player.

All things must come to an end so before I know it I'm back on the Ibis traveling back to Saigon. The trip back only took 6 hours, guess less traffic and I had no need for a Tuk-tuk as I trundled off the Ibis in Sai Gon, as its just a short walk across 23-9 park to my room. 


ferry crossing at Neak Luong:

vendors and ferry passengers

river drive in bike wash

 
                                                                                                                               

bus on ferry

home made power chair

vendors heading to the ferry

                                               



       




   around Phnom Penh:
                                                                                                             
         

bamboo bikes

North Korea Embassy - extolling the Kim Jong's

fireman napping in ready

Thanks for taking another Cambodia trip with me, Doug.