Hi there,

I am very good at writing things down before I venture out in the streets. I’m not always good.

When I first arrived in Phnom Penh, I went to CCH. They brought me to a guesthouse. Later that night, I went for a motorbike ride around the city. At the end of the night, I asked the driver to bring me back to the “Anchor Meas” guesthouse. He started heading off in the wrong direction. I tapped in on the shoulder and said “no no.. it’s that way”. He said “you wrong and pointed’. We drove way far away and he stopped at a place called “Anchor Meas”. I told him that this was the wrong place. We both go inside to ask the owner about direction to the other locations. No one can speak English and I’m surrounded by about six people who all think I’m crazy. It’s late at night and I’m in a dingy area. They all talk in their language and no one knows what to do with me. I don’t either. I thought… what if I got the name wrong. I’ll never know where I left all my stuff. Aww man…. the guy gets on his motorbike and starts driving in the wrong direction again. I hit in on the shoulder and tell him to stop. He stops and I jump off the bike. I tell him… “no, it is that way”. He shakes his head and there is no one to be found. He turns around and drives. I try to tell him about CCH, but no one around here talks any English. The other hard part is that Khmer doesn’t use the alphabet, so even if I write an address down on paper it doesn’t meant the people know what I write.

I hit this guy again and we stopped to talk to another driver. He told my driver where to go. I eventually got home very late at night. My driver laughs a little. No one gets made here. Their culture doesn’t express anger. Then, he tells me to pay more money because he drove me all night. LOL… go figure…..

I am much wiser and smarter because of my mistakes……

And, I had to laugh too……

Luv Gerry