Back in Phnom Penh, Crossing to Vietnam

I took the first few days in Phnom Penh to relax and work on writing, enjoying the beauty and convenience of the big city. I met with some friends from Koh Rong, as well as some of the hostel workers that I remembered from my last time there. After Aude had seen the famous sites from the Khmer Rouge, which I had seen on my last time in the city, we took a day to explore some less well known parts of the city. We started off by walking to Koh Pich, an urban island filled with development, but very few people. There were several beautiful buildings, some seemingly abandoned, and we got the opportunity to look around lots of interesting places. Eventually we decided to take a commuter ferry to Koh Norea, a much bigger island just down the river. The ferry itself was an interesting experience, as we were the only two people boarding on foot. The ferry staff was nice enough to allow us to climb up through the ship and enjoy the short ride up on the bridge with the captain. We enjoyed the views of the river and a nearby bridge under construction, but before we knew it the ride was over and we found ourselves on land once again, dodging motorcycles and cars as we left the small ferry port. Koh Norea was at once obviously much poorer and older, filled with small dusty streets and winding alleys. It was a little late for lunch when we realized we were both quite hungry and sought out a restaurant that was still open- most had already closed until dinnertime. Eventually we discovered a fancy local restaurant, complete with hammocks and running water with fish swimming around surrounding all of the tables. It was a little expensive, but the portions were absolutely massive, and there was an adorable puppy that came and played with us for a while while we relaxed and ate. Eventually we continued walking, and after a while arrived in a much richer neighborhood. This area was filled with large community developments protected by gates and guards, fancy gyms and community parks. The centerpiece was a “Europark” complete with miniature replicas of the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, The Sydney Opera House. There was a miniature canal with gondoliers ferrying customers up and down, as well as a replica Dutch windmill. It seemed like it was mostly an attraction for wealthy local couples and families, complete with many photo opportunities and expensive restaurants lining the park. It was a cool experience, and after relaxing there for a little bit and watching the people enjoy themselves, we were more than ready to head back to the hostel where we were staying. We did a little more exploring around the city, but before too long, both of our visas were about to expire, and we both had the necessary visa to proceed into Vietnam, so we booked a bus that would take us all the way to Ho Chi Minh city. Excited to explore a new country and to have a traveling companion for the moment, I was very happy when the next step of my journey began.