Ellie's 1st Day in Cambodia

So it gives me great joy to be able to write on Abby’s blog, and to say that I have ARRIVED IN CAMBODIA. Yesterday, when I got here, I was completely exhausted from traveling (16 hours JKF to Hong Kong, 2 ½ hours HK to Phnom Penh) but it was surprisingly easy to get a visa and go through passport control. It’s an understatement to say that I was excited when I walked out of the airport and saw Abby. And really, I didn’t see her, as my eyes hadn’t adjusted from airport lighting to sunny day lighting! However, I did hear her shout my name, and I started crying as soon as she hugged me. The feeling of being with her after the longest time was absolutely wonderful.

Abby brought me to the guesthouse she’s been staying at for the past two weeks, and all the people working there knew I was coming. They kept coming up to her saying excitedly, “This your sister…?”. They were all so kind, and happy. We spent the rest of the day exploring Phnom Penh, Abby explaining and showing me how the city works. We rode in tuk tuks to get around the city, which are small motorbike pulled cart/carriage things. Very comfortable, and it’s really easy to see everything as you’re riding in them. The traffic is crazy…cars, millions of motorbikes, bikes, and people crossing the street everywhere. Throuhgout the day I made one important observation: traffic rules, lines, and lights are MERELY suggestions.

It was a wonderful first day in Cambodia.