Bus Trip - HCMC, Vietnam to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

It's December 19 in Southeast Asia, still Dec. 18 in North America. The first day of Christmas holidays and we are off! We are on our way to Phnom Penh,  Cambodia.  After a lot of research,  I booked tickets on the Giant Ibis bus from HCMC to PP.

Our departure was pretty typical...a few last minute things. ..no one really had breakfast. ..but it was ok,  because we had a lot of snacks packed. We went from thinking about taking the bus downtown, to planning on taking an Uber, to just hopping into the first taxi  we saw, hoping to get to the bus on time. ... We made it with time to spare.

The bus was great. The staff spoke English, departure was ON time,  we were provided with water and a snack, the seats reclined a bit so napping was possible,  there was wifi and outlets to charge our gadgets. ..pretty high tech. We even ran into some fellow teachers on the bus!  One thing to mention though is that it was very cold on the bus.  If you are ever travelling this route. ..pack a sweater. ..and maybe some pants...we're not acclimated to temps on the low 20's.

Feeling kinda like a school trip???? Mr. Ben (David's teacher) and Mr. Jon were travelling on the same bus to Phnom Penh. We will stay in Cambodia for the week and they are continuing north to Laos.

Arriving at the border. 

The bus staff took our passports and took care of the visa for us...it was great having the guidance and assistance. 

Cambodian countryside.

Crossing the Mekong River

We got stuck in some traffic as we were arriving in Phnom Penh...extended our bus ride by a good chunk.  Lots of construction going on. We finally arrived. ..two hours behind schedule it ended up being an 8 hour bus ride (no fault of the bus company. ..they were wonderful. ..but traffic in HCMC !!! , a busy border and traffic in PP set us back). 

We said good bye to Mr. Ben and Mr. Jon and the kids and Stepan got to experience their first tuktuk ride on our way to the hotel. 

 We were tired and hungry. .so going out for dinner is first on our to do list...bon apetit! 

We checked out the night market. 

David bought a Cartier watch ;-) and Veronika a new backpack.

Too bad we had already eaten. Squid, yum!

Always room for dessert.  Coconut ice cream served in a real coconut with fresh coconut meat and nuts.

The food court at the night market.

The kids loved watching the sugar cane being pressed. We are planning to try this drink tomorrow. It was a great end to a long day...tomorrow we go sight seeing. 

Angkor Wat International Half Marathon, Cambodia

The Angkor Wat International Half Marathon is an incredible race. The organization and support for runners was fantastic.  It has everything you could ever want from a race and more...The scenery is stunning, running through and around the ancient temples is a surreal experience. Local people lined the roads to watch the runners and children were lined up at the side of the road high-fiving runners all along the course.  Their smiles and cheers were pricesless (I saw a man running with a Polaroid taking pictures with children and giving them the instant picture the camera produced. ..they were so excited!

Here is a bit of info about the race taken from the official website:

This internationally recognized half marathon raises relief for the victims of antipersonnel mines in Cambodia.  With the support of many Japanese running enthusiasts, the Ankor Wat International Half Marathon NGO started the race in 1996, with participants from all over the world. Attended by many landmine victims, this great international race takes place inside the ruins of Angkor Wat, a World Heritage Site, and has been held annually to give the victims courage and hope, as well as to appeal to the world to support the “ban on the use of antipersonnel mines.”

Runners from all over the world participate to support a ban on the manufacture and inhumane use of antipersonnel mines.  Entry fees and additional financial support foster independence among landmine victims by helping provide prosthetic limbs, social reintegration programs, and supporting other relevant and needed programs such as education and prevention of HIV / AIDS.

Thanks to international support from around the world, both healthy and disabled people are inspired and encouraged by the competition, greatly benefiting many communities throughout Cambodia.

There is actually a separate wheel chair category in the race, and it was so inspiring to see these athletes on the course! 

Race kit pick up. We picked up our race kits on Sat. There was no big expo, but just a few booths selling local crafts for fundraising.  I bought an elephant Christmas ornament for our Christmas tree.

The course.

Heading to the race @ 4:45am in a tuk tuk...seriously,  one of the coolest experiences ever! 

Sun rising at Angkor Wat.

Lining up for the start. 

On course...incredible!

A monk taking a video of the runners with his smart phone. 

The sights - temples everywhere. 

Another spectator.

More spectators.

At the finish - it was HOT!

Luckily, most of the race was run under the canopy of beautiful trees lining the road provoding much needed shade.  Only the last few kilometers around Angkor Wat exposed us more to the sun and it became evident just how hot it was.  From speaking with runners who had run this race in the past,  they said it had always been significantly cooler.  It was the hottest they remembered.

The finish was packed with people.  Water and bananas were provided, but there were many vendors and restaurants right on site that provided a great variety of refreshments.  I went for the coconuts. ..of course! 

Post race coconut...

or two... ;-)

And a mango....please!

21.1km done! 2:18...significantly slower than my 1:56 PB, but for me this was a destination run. I ran strong and at a good pace,  but when I almost passed by the first temple without noticing, I decided it was time to focus not only on the run,  but also on my surroundings. ..and I became a running tourist. ..in awe of things I was seeing and stopping to take pictures much more frequently than I would have stopped for water breaks. It was so much fun! I finished strong and feeling good. ..I would do this run again.  Who knows. ..maybe I will - next year. 

The CISS Angkor Wat Half Marathon crew.

Our ride back to Siem Reap.

Our tuk tuk driver, Yin (not sure of the spelling). So happy we found him in the sea of tuk tuks....

Our first stop after lunch. ..FOOT MASSAGE...AAAHHHH!

Not sure how I will ever complete a long run again. ..unless,  I can go for an hour foot massage afterwards ... 

Followed by an avocado / passion fruit smoothie. 

And a one hour full body thai massage with cucumber facial mask. .... 

Even as I write this, I still cannot believe how ridiculously unbelievable this day was...I am overflowing with gratitude for the experiences and friendships that have forever become a part of who I am and where I am going. 

Thank you Jamie and Sarah for inviting me along. .. I had so much fun!