For my Spring Break of 2017, I had the amazing opportunity to return to Cambodia. This post recaps the first day.It wasn’t entirely impossible: I simply knew to buy the plane ticket half a year in advance, and the price aligned well. The trip, 95% personal, 5% based on a librarian training at University of Cambodia, was memorable and intense.

It was also a chance for me to put my new camera, a Sony DSC-RX 100M into use. As you can see from the picture below of me riding the LINK to the Sea-Tac airport, the picture takes pretty damn nice photos.

The trajectory for my trip was the following: Sea-Tac to Vancouver (YVR), Vancouver to Incheon, Incheon to Phnom Penh.

My first memorable cell phone images were taken in the Vancouver airport, which had a plethora of amazing indigenous artworks.

My first memorable images were taken of the ceiling in the Incheon Airport. The wait time for this layover heading there was relatively short (a couple hours), and it was my second time in the airport, so I did not feel too overwhelmed or compelled to taking lots of photos.

The airport is oddly slow and empty at times, in its international transfer section.

Grammatically a bit odd, the Angel-in-us Coffee turned out to be quite expensive. For a grande iced cappucino, the cost was the equivalent of $5.00 USD.

Though I so very much wanted to try a Korean Dunkin Donut, I refrained. I did get a chance to take a quick snap of the “Oatmeal Cream Cheese” variety. I really like the icons they have for their donuts, too. Filled looks like a slice of meat, or one of those goo-filled candies.Fancy looks like some kind of hairy sweating cyclopic being.

It wouldn’t be East Asia without fancy cigarettes. As seen here, premium cases with metallic packs are easily obtainable. Only $76.00. What a bargain for luxury cancer.

Truth of fiction: Double Decker Tacos exist in non-Asian Taco Bell restaurants?

Though not a very great Korean name, I believe Kloud is a Korean beer. Yes, yes it is. If anything, this image reveals the bokeh quality of the camera.

A Korean spicy seafood soup, featuring too many ultra-tiny octopuses for my enjoyment. Equivalent: USD $11.00.

Also in the Korean airport, a Heineken-themed bar that had zero people inside it:

Following my soup feast, and without knowing I needed to clean myself up, I enjoyed a selfie in a local airport boutique with a strange mannequin. At least I matched their hair.

Fast forward to Phnom Penh and it’s night time, and my friend and former coworker, James (Heng), meets me at the airport. Time to ride!

The following images are from the back of the bike, and are a combination of “okay” and “terrible.” Turns out the camera doesn’t take very sharp photos at night while moving. But which cameras do, anyway?

Phnom Penh at night is its own beast.

After dropping our stuff off at the Kabiki, a boutique hotel located near the Prime Minister’s house, which looks like an urban jungle, James and I re-entered the golden streets to find more adventure.

We wound up at Jet’s Container, which is a new “night market” fashioned in the style of something in Bangkok, apparently. One thing I will never enjoy hearing is how often something new in Cambodia is compared to something in Thailand. Even if that’s the truth, it doesn’t have to be referenced with such consistency!

The night market is packed every night of the week, apparently. It makes sense . . . it’s a nice venue with outdoor bars of a great variety, with ground level and upper floor seating. Everything feels packed for a westerner with a giant body, like me/mine, but the experience is dazzling and entertaining nonetheless. I didn’t see any other westerners there, that night, though.

Creative Commons tshirt spotlight:

Re-engaging the landscape of sra beer: Anchor, stop #1.

Images from the ride after the drinking. James showed me Diamond Island, then the riverside, and then we cruised back to the hotel.

Inside the Kabiki’s grounds:

Before crashing (next to impossible with my West to East jet lag), we exchanged gifts. I had bought and brought over two snorkeling sets, so as to save money in renting them. It ended up being things we would use rarely, but whatever. Here I am posing in the set I would end up wearing:

There are approximately 10 days worth of photos. This has been day 1.