Came rolling down Highway #4 into Phnom Penh.
Hardly recognized a thing.
Paved streets, cars (lots of cars!) and brand new high-rise (lots of brand new high-rise!)...
This place is on it’s way up!
Looks and feels like a decent kind of town.
Walked around the block and got offered ganja (and only ganja) once (and only once). Saw even elderly barang couples (husband and wife!) and young white people driving bicycles.
Many years ago, when I came stumbling out of the Lao jungle into Phnom Penh, this place hardly resembled anything like this. No white man would consider driving a bicycle. Walking around the block was nearly impossible (because nearly every single Khmer on a moto would hustle for a ride).
Gone are the days of girls, guns and ganja.
Moving forward fast,
cleaned up and respectable.
...Until the sun goes down, that is.
(Some things never change)
After sunset,
there's still this most peculiar spark of 'Wild Wild East'.
Climbing the steps to the legendary Top Banana rooftop terrace...
(Phnom Penh’s answer to heaven on earth)
Luckily,
some things never change.
Everybody‘s still heavy drinking,
heavy smoking,
forgetting all about tomorrow
(and, at least, the day after as well)
Have another beer,
pass around the spliff...
It’s all good!
Phnom Penh,
Why not?
Even got a poker game going.
Stoned/ drunk (Banana style!)
but running hot as hell.
(until everybody else got tired of donating...)
Took my winnings to the bar across the street
for rounds of great Belgian beer (Duvel!) in the hot Cambodian night.
Man, I love this place.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Just Cruisin'
Like every serious poker player, there’s always the urge to raise the stakes.
After all my moto-bike adventures it was time for something bigger.
So I borrowed the old Toyota Corolla from my sister-in-law, loaded it up with family members and took it out on Highway #4, past the airstrip and all the way to Ream National Park.
The first few moments where a bit scary.
Living in Brussels, I never drove more far than Amsterdam (once).
Driving a car here in Sihanoukville, Cambodia felt like a challenge.
But it turned out pretty straightforward and cool.
Driving = driving.
Like everything else,
here it’s a lot more fun than at home.
'Same Same But Different' (and better)
Speeding on the highway,
just cruising along the coast and over the hills...
Stopping for lunch at the National Park,
eating fresh sea food,
chilling in a hammock,
beautiful views of the blue, blue sea....
Later on
zooming back into town,
honking and swaying trough traffic like a regular.
No stress, no traffic jams.
Being so cool
driving my car
Just cruisin’
It's all good
After all my moto-bike adventures it was time for something bigger.
So I borrowed the old Toyota Corolla from my sister-in-law, loaded it up with family members and took it out on Highway #4, past the airstrip and all the way to Ream National Park.
The first few moments where a bit scary.
Living in Brussels, I never drove more far than Amsterdam (once).
Driving a car here in Sihanoukville, Cambodia felt like a challenge.
But it turned out pretty straightforward and cool.
Driving = driving.
Like everything else,
here it’s a lot more fun than at home.
'Same Same But Different' (and better)
Speeding on the highway,
just cruising along the coast and over the hills...
eating fresh sea food,
chilling in a hammock,
beautiful views of the blue, blue sea....
Later on
zooming back into town,
honking and swaying trough traffic like a regular.
No stress, no traffic jams.
Being so cool
driving my car
Just cruisin’
It's all good
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Not Today, Mr. Officer!
Same old, same old...
Driving down Ekareach Street, late afternoon, when a Sihanoukville police officers appears out of nowhere and forces me to stop.
No no no, not again!
I consider ignoring him for a moment.
Maybe if I just keep driving everything will be alright...
But it feels a bit dicey to really put this into practice.
So I obey the law, once again.
Stopping at the side of the road, slowly taking of my helmet and getting ready to hear which outrageous traffic law I broke today...
Then, out of the blue, a second moto-bike appears.
It comes to a stop next to the police officer.
My lucky day!
My wife and sister-in-law arrive on the scene!
It only take a few blurts in Khmer from them before the police officer reluctantly but quietly retreats on the sidewalk...
I’m free to go, no bribe paid!
Fuck you, Mr. Officer!
Don’t mess with me or you’ll get my family on your back!
Traffic Police Vs. Vagabond: 2 - 1
Driving down Ekareach Street, late afternoon, when a Sihanoukville police officers appears out of nowhere and forces me to stop.
No no no, not again!
I consider ignoring him for a moment.
Maybe if I just keep driving everything will be alright...
But it feels a bit dicey to really put this into practice.
So I obey the law, once again.
Stopping at the side of the road, slowly taking of my helmet and getting ready to hear which outrageous traffic law I broke today...
Then, out of the blue, a second moto-bike appears.
It comes to a stop next to the police officer.
My lucky day!
My wife and sister-in-law arrive on the scene!
It only take a few blurts in Khmer from them before the police officer reluctantly but quietly retreats on the sidewalk...
I’m free to go, no bribe paid!
Fuck you, Mr. Officer!
Don’t mess with me or you’ll get my family on your back!
Traffic Police Vs. Vagabond: 2 - 1
Rush Poker Strategy Guide
Play Online Poker
All you have to do is log in and join a player pool. You get automatically moved to a free seat. As soon as you fold you get moved again, straightaway! No more waiting around.
The amount of hands you can play like this is amazing.
Two-tabling 6-max games you can expect to see about 500 hands in an hour!
So no more whole nights of folding, folding, folding.
Being totally card-dead should be a thing from the past.
Of course, like in any form of poker, you can still run very bad for a large number of hands. Resulting in serious self-doubt, a damaged bankroll and a very bad mood.
That’s poker.
But Rush Poker goes much, much faster.
If you are a losing player you will blow your bankroll on a shorter amount of time, giving you more time for other activities. But if you are a winning player you might win a lot faster as well...
So beating 6-max Rush Poker in 4 easy steps:
Two-tabling 6-max games you can expect to see about 500 hands in an hour!
So no more whole nights of folding, folding, folding.
Being totally card-dead should be a thing from the past.
Of course, like in any form of poker, you can still run very bad for a large number of hands. Resulting in serious self-doubt, a damaged bankroll and a very bad mood.
That’s poker.
But Rush Poker goes much, much faster.
If you are a losing player you will blow your bankroll on a shorter amount of time, giving you more time for other activities. But if you are a winning player you might win a lot faster as well...
So beating 6-max Rush Poker in 4 easy steps:
- learn all about 6-max poker strategy
- learn to rapidly adapt your knowledge in ever changing situations
- strive to stay cool and always make the most Ev+ decision
- win a lot of money
Good luck!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Police On My Back
There must be a picture of me out there in the Sihanoukville police station with big, fat $$$-signs under it.
So here we go again...
Cruising down Ekerach Street on my moto-bike, late afternoon. I spot traffic police so I come to a full stop in front of a red light. Get yelled and honked at by locals. Stopping in the middle of the road is simply not done. Never mind the traffic lights.
When the light changes to green I continue my way,
only to find a police officer forcing me to stop. This time they charge me for two offenses:
* My lights are switched on during the daytime ($1)
* I don’t have rearview mirrors ($1)
What a fucking joke!
Sadly, these dudes are not open for any kind of negotiations.
So I reluctantly pay the fine/bribe and continue my way, ignoring the next traffic lights without even realizing it. Those bastards are probably already waiting for me after the next bend in the road....
The first time was sort of funny, now I feel like a fish.
"Barang with pink helmet = $$$"
Time to get my game-plan together and stay out of their greedy hands!
(luckily they are dirt cheap)
So here we go again...
Cruising down Ekerach Street on my moto-bike, late afternoon. I spot traffic police so I come to a full stop in front of a red light. Get yelled and honked at by locals. Stopping in the middle of the road is simply not done. Never mind the traffic lights.
When the light changes to green I continue my way,
only to find a police officer forcing me to stop. This time they charge me for two offenses:
* My lights are switched on during the daytime ($1)
* I don’t have rearview mirrors ($1)
What a fucking joke!
Sadly, these dudes are not open for any kind of negotiations.
So I reluctantly pay the fine/bribe and continue my way, ignoring the next traffic lights without even realizing it. Those bastards are probably already waiting for me after the next bend in the road....
The first time was sort of funny, now I feel like a fish.
"Barang with pink helmet = $$$"
Time to get my game-plan together and stay out of their greedy hands!
(luckily they are dirt cheap)
Cambodian Road Rules
Here, in Sihanoukville, I spend hours cruising around town and beyond on a moto-bike, wearing nothing more than flip-flops, a shirt and shorts... Back home I would never do this. Here it’s all good. Maybe it’s just the head burning the common sense out of my brain...
Anyway, here’s some moto-bike advice:
#1. Always wear a helmet (in the city centre, during daylight hours)
No one really cares if the helmet will protect you in case of an accident. If you drive a moto you need to have something helmet-like on your head. That’s it. Mine is bright pink and at least 2 sizes to small but it keeps the police of my back. Strangely this rule does not apply to passengers... Also note that traffic police doesn’t work after dark. Wearing a helmet at night makes you look like a fool.
#2. Always drive on the right-hand side of the road. Unless you feel more like driving on the left...
#3. Putting your foot on the ground at any time before reaching your destination, stopping for pedestrians or giving way to people driving smaller smaller/slower vehicles than yours is really not done.
#4. Be careful with traffic lights. No one seems to really care about them but it are great spots for traffic police to earn an extra buck.
Just a few days ago I was speeding through the red light (just like everybody else) when I got stopped by the police. No worries. It’s not really expensive at all but it took a lot of time to get moving again. First I got lectured about me being a danger to Cambodian society etc. etc. etc. etc. I tried waving with my walled to speed things up but that didn’t work. So I had to wait until he explained me several times the dangers of ignoring the red light... Finally the $$$-question came:
‘you want to settle this here or at the police station?’
‘Here, here, here... how much do you want?’ (waving a wad of dollars in front of his face)
‘Don’t give me money, put something in my bag over there’ (pointing at a bag on his moto)
So while this kind officer was very busy staring at the traffic passing by, I put a $1-note in his bag.
‘Bribing cops for dummies’
That was that and I was free to go,
chasing the sunset on my Honda Dream...
Anyway, here’s some moto-bike advice:
#1. Always wear a helmet (in the city centre, during daylight hours)
No one really cares if the helmet will protect you in case of an accident. If you drive a moto you need to have something helmet-like on your head. That’s it. Mine is bright pink and at least 2 sizes to small but it keeps the police of my back. Strangely this rule does not apply to passengers... Also note that traffic police doesn’t work after dark. Wearing a helmet at night makes you look like a fool.
#2. Always drive on the right-hand side of the road. Unless you feel more like driving on the left...
#3. Putting your foot on the ground at any time before reaching your destination, stopping for pedestrians or giving way to people driving smaller smaller/slower vehicles than yours is really not done.
#4. Be careful with traffic lights. No one seems to really care about them but it are great spots for traffic police to earn an extra buck.
Just a few days ago I was speeding through the red light (just like everybody else) when I got stopped by the police. No worries. It’s not really expensive at all but it took a lot of time to get moving again. First I got lectured about me being a danger to Cambodian society etc. etc. etc. etc. I tried waving with my walled to speed things up but that didn’t work. So I had to wait until he explained me several times the dangers of ignoring the red light... Finally the $$$-question came:
‘you want to settle this here or at the police station?’
‘Here, here, here... how much do you want?’ (waving a wad of dollars in front of his face)
‘Don’t give me money, put something in my bag over there’ (pointing at a bag on his moto)
So while this kind officer was very busy staring at the traffic passing by, I put a $1-note in his bag.
‘Bribing cops for dummies’
That was that and I was free to go,
chasing the sunset on my Honda Dream...
Monday, January 25, 2010
Serendipity Now
I’ve been here a week now.
Mellow, lazy, chilled out, ...
Getting into that good old Sihanoukville-groove again.
It started out great with a few days with the family-in-law,
then we moved to a crappy guesthouse close to Occheuteal Beach.
Suffered from a serious case of Oriental Paranoia over there...
(It’s the same as ordinary paranoia but much, much worse)
Only myself to blame for that...
When I go for a run in Brussels I’ll often check and measure my route in Google Earth.
When I come to Cambodia I consider myself way to cool to use any kind of guidebook.
Only sissy’s walk around with a Lonely Planet.
Go with the flow, dude!
So when this guy at the shitty guesthouse spoke the magic words ‘Free Wifi’ my eyes went all shiny and I got myself a room. Turned out it was just a hot, dark, smelly box that never got cleaned. The shower produced water a pure random intervals. The WiFi was free but slow, slow, sloooowwwww.
This morning I found an old condom-wrap under the bed.
Tipping point reached. Get out. Fast.
Packed my suitcase and moved to a more classy place on Serendipity Road.
A spacious rooftop room with a view... I can even see the sea if I cross the terrace and turn my head to the left... So now I just walked out and onto the beach when I saw the sign
‘High Speed Internet: $1/hour’...
An offer to good to ignore...
This is the good life;
typing on my MacBook, drinking a fresh coconut-shake and when I look up there’s the great blue ocean right in front of me.
Serendipity now!
Mellow, lazy, chilled out, ...
Getting into that good old Sihanoukville-groove again.
It started out great with a few days with the family-in-law,
then we moved to a crappy guesthouse close to Occheuteal Beach.
Suffered from a serious case of Oriental Paranoia over there...
(It’s the same as ordinary paranoia but much, much worse)
Only myself to blame for that...
When I go for a run in Brussels I’ll often check and measure my route in Google Earth.
When I come to Cambodia I consider myself way to cool to use any kind of guidebook.
Only sissy’s walk around with a Lonely Planet.
Go with the flow, dude!
So when this guy at the shitty guesthouse spoke the magic words ‘Free Wifi’ my eyes went all shiny and I got myself a room. Turned out it was just a hot, dark, smelly box that never got cleaned. The shower produced water a pure random intervals. The WiFi was free but slow, slow, sloooowwwww.
This morning I found an old condom-wrap under the bed.
Tipping point reached. Get out. Fast.
Packed my suitcase and moved to a more classy place on Serendipity Road.
A spacious rooftop room with a view... I can even see the sea if I cross the terrace and turn my head to the left... So now I just walked out and onto the beach when I saw the sign
‘High Speed Internet: $1/hour’...
An offer to good to ignore...
This is the good life;
typing on my MacBook, drinking a fresh coconut-shake and when I look up there’s the great blue ocean right in front of me.
Serendipity now!
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