The long awaited arrival of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. After my 40 hour airport journey from Missouri, to Chicago , to Doha, Qatar, to Phnom Penh I was exhausted but made the choice to go out anyway for a few drinks. Who wants to go to sleep immediately upon arrival? This was probably a mistake, because I was beyond exhausted. Sleeping on airplanes has always been an issue with me and this trip was no exception. I think I MAY have gotten 2 hours of shuteye the entire trip, and that is being generous. So, after I made it back to the room… I slept, and I slept, and I slept. I literally slept from about 3AM until 11PM the next night.. So, approximately 20 hours I was out, into a deep hibernation!
Some people just shrug off the jetlag, and are fine the next day… Then there are people like me and It takes me 3…4…. sometimes 5 days to adjust. Please feel free to share any tips in the comment section below! I would love to hear them.. Well, it has been a few days since I have arrived. I have gotten out and explored Phnom Penh a bit, but just haven’t been on my A game. I am hoping tomorrow that I will be back to my former self.
Walking the Riverside in Phnom Penh
I would strongly recommend visiting the Riverside in the mornings, or the evenings. While there is shade to be found, the Cambodian heat is no joke. I worked up a nice sweat walking nearly the entire length of the Riverwalk. You will see others jogging, street vendors selling their goods for the day, and people just out for a stroll. The closer you get to the Royal Palace, the more pigeons that you will see. On some days, they are absolutely everywhere. I will try to catch a video of them in the coming days, it’s a sight to see!
As far as all of the buildings across the street, they are a great place to get a meal. They have very interesting shops to visit, people to visit with, and you just may see something that has never caught your eye before. It happens to me all the time in Cambodia. Just keep your eyes open, and you will find many things that interest you.
The Mekong River and Riverside Walk
As you can see there are plenty of places to have a seat along the river. Grab yourself some coconut juice from a vendor, and relax with a good book. It’s a nice place to unwind and have some deep thoughts. Compare the Phnom Penh riverside to the Kampot Riverside stroll and you likely come away with a similar relaxing sort of vibe.
The Mekong River and Phnom Penh Riverside WalkThe Riverwalk just goes on, and on, and on. If you are in decent shape, try to walk the entire distance! If not, there is always a tuk-tuk willing to take you anywhere you want to go for a very affordable price.
One word of advice, is to be very careful if you try to walk across the highway. I feel like I am literally in an 80’s style arcade game of “Frogger” when trying to cross. It’s not too bad if you aren’t crossing during the peak traffic hours. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, just wave down a tuk-tuk driver (It is not hard. They are everywhere!) and they will get you safely to your next destination for a nominal price.
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