The journey on Saturday took about 7 hours even though it's only 314 km (195 miles). This is because after Siem Reap province the road is dreadful. In addition to the bad road surface, there are sudden drops into culverts, the water has washed out parts of the road, there are small towns where the road surface has vanished, there's a lot of through traffic of all sorts and, of course local ox carts, pony traps, pedestrians and stray dogs and chickens. It really is the survival of the fittest and most agile out there! It is the main road in Cambodia.
The bus I was on for the return journey was scheduled to do the worst bit first and, as it got dark at 5.30 pm, the local traffic vanished leaving people with head torches or lights on their carts alone (with the dogs) on the road. Everything and one else was safely inside under their single lamps often watching TV.
The countryside towards Phnom Penh was quite flooded and where the water has subsided a bit people were starting to plough the fields and prepare for planting rice. Round Siem Reap it is about 3 foot tall with the fronds of rice on the top ripening ready for a January harvest. It is usual to get two and sometimes three harvests in this region. This is a local fisherman near PP.
When I got to PP I went to have a look at the Royal Palace which was really beautiful in the late afternoon light. It is made up of quite a number of different but equally impressive buildings.
This was one of the lotus flowers in the gardens
There are also colonnades with impressive paintings under restoration.
In the evening there was a big fireworks display over the confluence of the Mekong and Siem Reap rivers. This was to celebrate Independence Day. The palace was also lit up for the evening.
The following day I went to the 1970s memorial sites but won't go into those visits on this Blog. More on PP to come.
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