Ghost towns are strange eery places. They are not where you want to be usually because something has happened or is about to. Impending disaster or frightful terrors lurk aroung the corner. So why did I choose to stay in the empty and still town of Phnom Penh during Khmer New Year? Well... I wanted to practice riding a moto! Ok, also to save money and cement my bearings of the city while everyone else hopped on motos, bus', planes and trains to return to their home provinces to celebrate. Sure it would have been fun to accept my new teaching assistant's offer to accompany her out to the countryside for dancing, eating and chatting but being the only barang (foreigner) was less appealing then a moto jaunt.
So amidst the deserted streets of the city, Adam instructed Abi and I on how to start, stop, and switch gears on our motorized ponies. Of course this all sounded familiar to my dad instructing me on how to do likewise on a quad, only that had four wheels... not two. Two wheels means one must be far more attentive to potholes, gravel, and corners. The worst of the two wheel balancing act were the round-a-bouts, but after a little practice Abi and I took reign of the surrounding ten blocks. Basics of moto-riding have been conquered, yet the next is to try when there is the usual PP mad dash traffic. Where tuk-tuks putt alongside of overburdened semi-trucks (a junior version of stateside ones) while cars battle to sway away the pesky moto-flies that cut off a normally free right hand turn, truly this is a challenge to be won. It is all just a daily reminder to be thankful for the moments in life you are given. Just make sure if you ever come to Phnom Penh make sure to wear a helmet when riding a bike or moto. Safety first!
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