Lost in Cambodia (almost)

The bikes say that they were tired and need a day of rest. Well, actually it is us that need the rest and a boat ride down the Mekong river sounds like a great way to leave Vietnam and enter Cambodia! Leaving the border town of Chau Doc, we take one last peak at the culture-- the people and their fish farms. Their houses cling to the riverside on sticks. Underneath their houses, there are nets that trap in fish. The families collect the fish and sell them to the local markets or place them inside their canoes and row up and down the river selling them in the floating markets. I sit calmly in the small boat, wide enough to fit two rows of chairs, two rows of tourists headed to Cambodia for adventure. One couple is from Spain and another the girl from Brazil and her boyfriend from Australia. They met while studying in England half way in between their separate worlds and now live for two years in Australia and then two years in Brazil flip-flopping countries. Local people come to the river to wash their clothes and they wave warmly as we pass. We laugh as naked kids jump up and down waving to us. Men lead bulls and cows to and from the river to drink. We enjoy the day of transition from Vietnam to Cambodia. We stop for an hour or so at the border to get visas, pass immigration, and switch boats. The boat takes us three hours up the river into Cambodia, then suddenly our driver parks the boat on the shore and tells us that we all go onto a bus for the rest of the journey. We all expected to take the boat into the capital city of Phnom Penh. I feel disappointed as we take off our front tires and load our bicycles onto the mini-bus. We debate skipping the bus ride and riding our bikes into Phnom Penh, but the watch already glares a late 5:30--- only at most 1 hour of daylight left and still 60 miles to go. Arriving in a strange foreign land, we decide to take the mini-bus. Even with the bus, it is after dark when we arrive in the capital city of Cambodia.

Cambodia is a country of contrast--- rich and poor. Children in rags running barefoot roaming the streets. Ironically, these poor children share the streets with corrupt government officials driving expensive Lexus sport utility vehicles. Arriving at night in a strange parking lot, we quickly put on our front tires, attach our packs to the back racks of our bicycles and nervously cycle in the heavy night Lexus/motorcycle traffic. Headlights seem to come at me in all directions and I could not figure out the logic in the traffic. Stop lights flash red, but the traffic does not stop in either direction-- just swerve around each other in a chaotic mob. I pedal in front of Steve and slowly, bravely our first meeting with Phnom Penh is rough. I glance quickly behind me. Steve is right there. Some motorcycles and cars flow forward with me and others come at me. I try to hug the right as much as I can but it appears as though some cars and motorcycles are using the side lane as a parking lot. I swerve carefully around them, keeping my path predictable for those wanting to pass me. I glance again over my shoulder and no Steve.. NO STEVE! What? Wasn't he just there? Maybe I overlooked him. I look again over my shoulder and NO STEVE! My heart skips a beat. I stop in the middle of all the traffic, there I am frantic. I look to my right, to the left, behind and behind again. No Steve. A long minute passes. I cannot believe it. I thought that I might lose the camera or maybe a pack or something, but Steve? I pull over to the side. I turn around and begin to walk from where I came from. A group of guys sitting by a plastic table hoot at me. "Where you from my lady?" they ask smiling. I am nervous and I do not respond. A tear escapes me. My knees shake. Two minutes pass. I continue to walk against or with the traffic. I don't even care about the traffic. Motorcycles zoom around me. Then for a brief moment the street is empty. No Steve. Did he get mugged? Horrible thoughts flood my mind. Four minutes gone. Alone. Lost. Then, I hear something familiar. "There you are!" Steve's voice. I have never been so happy to see him! Happy ending. "What happened to you?" I ask, in relief.
"The traffic forced me to swerve far to the left and I actually had to pass you. Then when I looked back, I couldn't find you."

Somehow we had lost each other in the mob of motorcycles, but we found each other and we found a hotel to call home for our first night in Cambodia. To celebrate our reuniting (after only five minutes of panic) we had Indian food in one of the many Indian/Pakistan immigrant restaurants!