Tuk Tuk a Trip to Phnom Penh

Several weeks ago, the Shanghai Tigers joined forces with our Beijing Bomber friends to the north to play as the China Reds.  We traveled together to Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, to take on the Cambodia Eagles.  Check footy trip to Cambodia off my list of things I never thought I'd do in my life.

I'll forego the stories of the shenanigans some might get into when 29 guys, many of them in their 20's and single, venture off to somewhat untamed lands for a weekend.  I'll just set the tone by noting 29 men boarded a flight in China with open cans of beer, and Cambodia immigration didn't bat an eye when one travel companion, having forgot his visa in a checked bag, handed the agent his passport noting "my visa is in my bag, I'll be right back" and proceeded right through immigration to the baggage claim.  Fun was had.

I didn't know much about Phnom Penh, or Cambodia for that matter, before going.  I don't know a whole lot more now.  The Cambodians were quite lovely and accommodating people.  They are predominately Buddhist with temples all over Phnom Penh.  There's seems to be a bit of a strange embrace of a horrendous not so distant past.  Pol Pot's regime slaughtered millions of it's people as recently as the mid-70's in what became known as killing fields.  There were advertisements around the city for shooting ranges at "the killing fields".  Reportedly you can shoot a cow with a bazooka for USD$200.  I saw the bazooka on an ad, I did not see reference to a cow being the target.  On a lighter note, Cambodia Lager is light enough to be consumed in large quantities, but is not a good beer.  I came away from Phnom Penh with an almost unhealthy fondness for the tuk tuk.  A tuk tuk is basically a four-seater buggy pulled behind a moped.  They are the taxis of Phnom Penh, they are ridiculously cheap, and they are an absolute joy to ride in. And for an Asian capital city, Phnom Penh seems quite underdeveloped with only two tall buildings, a number of very rudimentary housing, market, and business structures, and an entire side of a very large river and busy shipping corridor essentially barren.  A few older fellows who've traveled China for years said it reminds them of China's major cities 20 years ago.

As for the game, it was played at a Cambodian naval base where there was a random cow hanging off to the side of the field and the only ship I saw was the concrete guard house fashioned into one at the entrance.  The guard was rightfully uncertain of our bus pulling up to his naval base wearing our trip t-shirts with "The Red Army" emblazoned on the front.  It was a well contested game through three quarters.  We had clearly outplayed them, but couldn't kick goals only taking a one-point lead into the final quarter.  One forward literally could not hit the broad side of a barn.  A large barn sat behind one goal of which he had three wide open relatively short shots at.  He missed goal posts, behind posts, and barn on all three kicks.  We moved our former pro to the front line for the final quarter and he made the difference.  He took four marks on four well delivered balls and converted goals on all four.  Final score of Reds 8.8.56 to Eagles 4.4.28.

We all returned to China safely and without incident.  You won't be seeing a China Red on Locked Up Abroad.

The quaint hotel that was nice enough to take us in.
Accommodating and smart owners.  We did not have access to
that room with the balcony which is over the pool or the dune buggy.

This is a tuk tuk.  They are great.  You're about
to see the results of a 30-minute tour of the
the city from one.  This doesn't make for good
pictures and I don't know what anything is.

Tuk tuk driver's have this for tourists.  Bazookas
and RPGs, but no mention of a cow.

The Mekong River from a rooftop bar.  Odd there's
next to nothing on the far side in a capital city.

Naval base entrance.  There's the one ship we saw.

The footy field.  The goals and barn "Roo" couldn't hit at the far end.

China Red victory.

Not very tasty.