He’s Not Slowing Down!

…and we thought we would be safe in a big bus. Wrong. Size usually matters but I guess after 8 months on the road our luck has just run out, or has it? We could be dead. The bus driver was just doing what all drivers do, passing a big lorry in busy traffic, unfortunately he miscalculated.

Instead of breaking and dropping back behind the lorry when oncoming traffic was too close he never slowed and slammed into the rear right of the lorry. In this case, sitting in the front right hand seat of the bus was not the best place to be. Besides seeing the whole episode unfold before us we were sitting in direct alignment with the oncoming lorry.

Like a slow motion movie the corner of the lorry seemed to cut through butter as it pealed back the front corner of the bus. Fortunately it stopped short of Janet and I with only my foot getting smashed under the front partition. Thank God Janet’s hip is okay but both our nerves are seriously rattled. We are in the middle of rural Cambodia having just survived what could have easily been a fatal bus accident. We are so lucky.

Now what? With the help of some fellow western travelers I’m carried through the back emergency window to a wooden platform under a local house with at least 50 local onlookers. I am in shock and afraid my foot is broken, I feel helpless. We are 3 hours away from anywhere. I see Janet in the distance trying to flag down passing cars to catch a ride back to Phnom Penh. The cars are all full and no one stops for her. Somehow what passes for an ambulance shows up from the local village and Janet negotiates a ride for us for $100 usd. I ride in the back on a flimsy stretcher with a barefoot attendant, a rusty (probably empty) oxygen tank and a first aid kit consisting of gauze, tape and some saline solution. Janet sits in the front nudging our driver to slow down and stop passing on blind corners.

Fast forward….Once again we are so lucky. My smashed foot is probably only deeply bruised. We got it x-rayed and checked by a doctor at a western clinic in Phnom Penh. The x-rays were worthless and unreadable (totally overexposed) but the doctor manipulated my foot and I can put weight on it and hobble around with a cane.

My 55th birthday is tomorrow May 20th, I am so happy both Janet and I are here to celebrate.

The Road More Traveled

Bicycles are almost a thing of the past in Vietnam having been replaced by 3 million (or more) moterbikes that swarm the streets everyday. We heard that the price of cars is being kept artifically high to discourage people from purchasing them which in theory will keep down the congestion. Admittedly a family of 4 on a motorbike does require less road space than that same family in a car, but what about safety? A child in the U.S. is not even allowed to sit in the front seat of a car. What we see here would not only be illegal in the states it would be considered child abuse. (Note who is wearing the helmet) Perhaps this is just another example of how a wealthy country can afford safety concerns and developing countries don't yet have that luxury.

When we cross the street Janet and I breathe deep, hold hands and cross very slowly and deliberatly while the onslaught of motorbikes part around us like a raging river. It is a very zen experience. Who would have known that walking in Saigon traffic could be a new form of meditation. Breathe in, breathe out, stay centered, focused and slowly get to the other side in one piece.

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"Khong an thit Cho!"

If you plan to visit Viet Nam this is an important phrase to memorize. "No eat meat Dog!"

In this culture dogs are not only a family pet, the home security system but they are also dinner. That's one way to avoid expensive vet bills just eat Fido. The farthest we could participate with this gruesome custom was to photograph it and share it with our soon to be diminishing blog fans.

One custom we did manage to enjoy is the ancient ritual of shopping and exchanging smiles and laughter with the tribal women .