Mission accomplished! Boots (well, Sketchers) on the ground. Out of the Philippines and into Cambodia!

So, I’m not a big fan of Manila in general, and I dislike the airport in particular. The worst part about NAIA is the traffic you have to negotiate to get there. Well, that used to be the worst part. Since the last time I traveled to the airport, a “skyway” has been constructed that leads to the airport and avoids the maddening traffic on the surface streets below. That’s a HUGE improvement. The trip from Barretto all the way to terminal two took about three hours–I’ve spent that long in Manila traffic jams in the past.

I had done online check-in, so it was just the bag drop line for my luggage. Then on to immigration, where I turned in my exit clearance paperwork and got a new stamp in my passport. Through security and into the international departures pavilion of terminal 2–the worst I’ve ever experienced in any of my travels. For one thing, it is tiny and very crowded. And for some reason, other than at your departure gate, there is nowhere to sit. Even the food places that have tables don’t provide chairs. I’m not sure what’s up with that–maybe a remaining piece of stupidity from the scamdemic.

I was a little surprised about the lack of masking–I’d estimate that 1/3 of the people in the terminal were unmasked, 1/3 were improperly masked, and the other 1/3 were being good little sheeple. I took mine off, and no one said anything to me.

I was there a couple of hours early, and it was frustrating not to have a comfortable place to sit. I was willing to pay a premium to use the Philippine Air VIP lounge, but my money was no good unless I spent it on a business-class ticket. Oh well, I bought some cans of beer and drank them at my gate while waiting to board.

And that was another frustration–when I arrived at my gate, the Phnom Penh flight was not listed. When I inquired, I was told it would be listed nearer the departure time. I pointed out that the flight to Guam, which was later than mine, was on the screen. Just a shrug for a response. Hmm. Later I heard the announcement that the Guam flight was being moved to a different gate and when I checked again, my flight was at last shown on the departure screen. I just didn’t want to miss my flight because I’d been directed to the wrong gate.

The flight was scheduled to leave at 9:55. We began boarding at 9:15. Well, by boarding, I mean we got on a bus that took us to our plane parked on the tarmac. I guess all the passengers made that first bus because the doors closed at 9:30, and we began our take-off roll. I’ve been on delayed flights many times, but never one that left earlier than the posted time for closing the gate (15 minutes before departure).

The plane was only about 1/3 full, and I had a whole row of seats to myself. That assisted me in taking a nice little nap en route. We arrived in Phnom Penh thirty minutes ahead of schedule. My e-visa worked, and I was through immigration quickly with no questions asked. Grabbed my bag and headed out the door to meet my friend, Denny, a long-time resident here. Because of the early arrival, he wasn’t there yet, so I walked around, rejecting the entreaties of numerous taxi drivers. I did find a shop that sold sim cards for five bucks (yes, I actually had a five-dollar bill in my travel wallet from all those years ago), so I should be good to go phone-wise. Saw my friend looking for me, and we exchanged greetings and caught a tuk-tuk (like a trike, only bigger) to my hotel.

We went to the place next door, and I had a beer while Denny (who’s not a beer drinker) enjoyed a smoothie. I was immediately smitten by my waitress; these Cambo gals are sexy as hell! Perhaps I’ll see her again during my visit. Anyway, it was getting late, and the joint was closing, so we said goodnight, and Denny headed home.

I took a brief walk up the street from my hotel, and it is wall-to-wall bars. Nothing like Barretto at all (maybe a little like Walking Street in Angeles).

It was 3:00 a.m. by the time I made it to bed. Slept in until 8:00, then showered and went downstairs for the complimentary buffet breakfast that comes with the room.

My phone charger stopped working for some reason, so I decided to take a walk around to see if there were any phone shops. I couldn’t resist starting out on the riverside:

My mission to find a new phone charger was a success. Only $4.00, and I had a twenty-dollar bill. No one seems to want my “old” style Franklins. I guess it will be the ATM for me on this trip.

So, that’s the beginning. I think it’s a good start overall so far.