Phnom Penh part 1

It turnes out that internet connection in SE Asia is pretty crap, or at least the WiFi you get for free at most guesthouses is. That is why I am now a bit behind on updating you, dear travelblog. I just figured that if I start upload pictures when I go to sleep at night, they are pretty much done uploading when I wake up in the morning. So now I've got a system.

Two days ago me and Em left Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor for Cambodia's second largest city Battambang. A city slightly bigger than Uppsala and known for its well preserved French colonial architecture, we were not very impresed at first sight. After a day of sightseeing guided by our awesome tuk tuk driver Bon we changed our minds. He took us round to see some sites around the outside of Battambang, and once again we got to drive through the stunning Cambodian countryside. Since it is the rainy season everything is green and luscious, the rice fields are heavy with water and lotus flowers bloom in the ditches next to the roads. Whenever we pass a village the small children shouts "hello" and waves at us, bursting into giggling laughter when responded to. Bon says that to them we are like superstars. Superstar feeling quickly fades away tho as the older generation sometime seems to think of us as wandering wallets... But yeah, I guess everyone is just trying to make a living. Battambang was well worth the visit in the end, I'll put up some pictures later.

As for travelling in the rainy season I can warmly recommend it. The rain, although heavy, usually comes about the same time in the afternoon. Worst case scenario so far we had to wait an hour before going out for dinner. There are fewer other travellers than in the high seasons, which will make you stand out more in some less touristy places. But the price for accommodation is lower, and Battambang for example, a twin room was 2.5 USD each! A meal at a restaurant is somewhere between 2-4 USD, a draft beer 50 cents. Eating at the street food stalls is considerably cheaper.

Today we spent 6 or so hours on a crowded bus and arrived in Phnom Penh in the afternoon. Traffic in Cambodia (and the rest of Asia, I suspect) is also an unusual experience for a Swede, I'll get back on the subject one I've figured out a few more things about it. Because right now it doesn't make any sense, surely there must be some traffic laws they stick to? Anyway, tomorrow we will get more acquainted with the city (the tuk tuk way of course) and visit the killing fields.

Bye!