Morning Commute

If there's one thing I enjoy doing, it's packing up all my belongings, throwing out things I don't need, and moving to a new location. I packed up and moved last night. My new neighborhood is more active (read: fun) at night, the community will be larger, the gym is nicer, and there's a free breakfast. I'm in a long-term apartment, but it's located in a hotel, with all the amenities of a hotel, and again two bedrooms, this time with two baths and three beds. It would be a shame if no one visited, readers, really.

On my last morning in the colonial mansion, I captured some photos of my daily commute to the office. In the appx. 100 meter trot to my cube, I pass through a commercial sector unlike anything I've seen before. It was certainly a shock on my first morning, when all I could think was, "Where's the Embassy again?" Luckily, I found it, and I won't be returning to the Colonial Mansion (I was told to tell them I'd left the country so as not to hurt feelings...) Here's my final commute from the CM:

"Tuk Tuk, Lady?" Every day, I politely declined a ride from at least five tuk tuk and moto drivers. Sometimes two or three consecutively. I don't need a ride to the building that's at the end of the street. Thanks for asking though.

Luxury SUV parked next to the garbage heap. In the afternoons, families, including children, rummage through the heaps along this road looking for items to scavenge or sell. The luxury SUVs are increasingly common in Phnom Penh, as the gap between rich and poor grows. Their drivers generally don't stop for pedestrians, (and in some cases seem to speed up when pedestrians are spotted). A weak legal system means that status confers immunity in these parts, and recent traffic altercations involving SUV drivers have ended in gun slaying, with no consequences yet. SUVs: not just bad for the environment in PP...

Breakfast! I never partook, but people were always gathered along the roadside stands which sold probably very delicious food every morning. I usually love street food, but unfortunately in Cambodia eating food that's cooked along the side of the street is probably not the best idea. However, I know people who safely have... maybe in another month or so....
Working at the car wash, babe. Kind of funny to see 7 or 8 dudes washing cars on the way to work. I didn't capture the barber stand, but it's right next to the car wash. I've seen people getting hair cuts while simulateously washing their cars. Ingenious. You can see my building just right across the street. Crossing the street was sometimes an adventure. As you may have gathered, traffic laws are non-existent, but I always made it. Now I commute via tuk tuk, I may have some photos to share of that too.