Phnom Penh arrival

Hong Kong and Kowloon Peninsula viewed from The Peak.

FEELING FAR AWAY is what first comes to mind, perched here on a stool in the lobby of this Phnom Penh hotel, as i begin this very first posting of the much anticipated two month trip. Getting here began early in the afternoon of January 25. Thankfully, friends had driven me out to the airport. The Cathay Pacific Boeing Jumbo left almost on time for the long non-stop flight to Hong Kong. Our route did not follow the edge of the Pacific as i had expected but kept further to the north, passing over central Alaska, across the Bering Sea and south of Wrangel Island in Northeast Siberia. Far below the serpentine meanderings of great rivers, clusters of roundish lakes, then pillow like hills appeared almost white on white. Then ranges of mountains appeared as the route continued between Lake Baikal and the Sea of Okhotsk. Nine hours into the flight Eastern Mongolia unfolded below as vast frosted steppes in late afternoon light. Finally the jet was over China and the film of cloud was punctured here and there by the occasional long plume of smoke from some factory chimney. Finally the Jumbo ascended to the Hong Kong International airport in strong wind and rain before the 13.5 hour journey came to an end. Back on the ground, i got to sleep around 10 pm local time. The clock had moved ahead 16 hours.

After waking up at 3am on January 27, the day began disappointingly with a visit to a nearby McDonalds. Here in this corner of the Hong Kong's Kowloon District and on the mainland, it seemed to be the only place open during Chinese New Year, in the middle of the night. So much for my much anticipated bowl of rice congee. By 8 am i had taken the subway under the harbour to the actual island of Hong Kong, as i wanted to visit the famous Peak. At this early hour it seemed best to take a double-decker bus. The route followed a succession of tight switchbacks, up perilously steep hillsides, to the famous viewpoint. Once off, i was outside a funicular rail station and small shopping complex. It lay in a saddle between two steep peaks that overlook the Financial District of Hong Kong, and beyond. Prosperous looking citizens and some police were present for some jogging event. Runners came off an asphalted path that i decided to follow for over an hour. It took me around the peak to the west. With temperatures around 10 Celsius, it payed to walk briskly. Despite the cloud and flat light, i relished seeing the spectacular views and the unfamiliar semi-tropical vegetation.

In the afternoon, i was back out at the airport, with the jet lag beginning to take it's toll. It added to my flustered feeling during the check-in and departure procedures. Finally boarded the Dragon Air flight, some 3/4 of an hour late, for Phnom Penh. The light meal on board was very good with dim sum tidbits, fresh tropical fruit, etc. That was followed by the handing out of Cambodian Immigration forms - three in all! The plane landed in Cambodia after sunset, and the passengers entered the dimly lit terminal building. Customs officers processed the paperwork, photographing and fingerprinting (electronically) every disembarking visitor (except consular staff) in the process. Finally, a young man from the Salita Hotel stood outside in the Arrivals area, holding a sign that said "Robert Altwein." As he drove me into town he shared some of his background and told me a little about Cambodian politics and the emerging economy. Once at the hotel, i checked into the 10 storey high rise, in a quiet darkened neighbourhood. Had my first meal, another light one that is, here on Cambodian soil, The hotel staff served up a mixture of squid, green pepper and onions, in a thin curry like sauce and served with fresh roasted peanuts, rice and fresh pineapple.