transportation | rfljenksy – Practicing Simplicity

As with people, I love taking pictures of modes of transport in other countries. In celebration of my last set of photos from India….I present to you transportation in India.

Don’t be silly, that is really not the typical transportation in India. So many impressive ways to travel. So many interesting machines.

Most of them packed full and still too many cars on the road.

Cycles are also a huge form of transportation. Bicycles and motorcycles.

Further, animals and over the top over-loaded transport. So crazy!! So impressive!!

One of my favorite modes though is simply this.

Other posts on transportation.

In 2009, I decided to take a trip to Cambodia. I was supposed to travel with an un-named friend (Ed) but this friend (Ed) chickened out on me and decided he would rather sit on a beach in Bali. I promised I would never bring up this incident again and I’m not blaming (Ed) really because I had high standards of extreme travel while my friend (Ed) only wanted a relaxing vacation with no drama. Needless to say I traveled without my friend (Ed).. (Ed you suck!)

Un-named Ed… not in Cambodia (Initially to be Bali but changed over to Thailand.. )

There were so many amazing discoveries on my 6 week trip through Cambodia. I met some of the most friendly people, boated through a floating village, saw ancient temples and rode in tuk-tuks and took guided moto tours through remote villages.

I read somewhere that in Phnom Penh alone there are approximately 2.5 million residents. Most of the people walk, bike or use motos or tuk-tuks as their primary form of transportation. It’s an amazing site to behold, the constant noise along with the site of the constantly moving, weaving and random stopping of all of these entities can put your head in a spin.

Cambodian drivers are amazing and seem to really know what they are doing.. though that is often seriously in question. The taxi drivers haul everything from people, animals, furniture, dishes and wedding or funeral parties.

While on the back of a moto I had to hold my breath several times while my driver had to maneuver through rusty buses, bicycles loaded down with bananas or sacks of rice. There were scooters with no less than 2 adults and 4 kids (known as the Cambodian mini-van) and 10 year old kids hauling their friends or siblings across town. At first glance it appeared to be pure chaos but after 6 weeks of traveling in this manner you began to recognize an ebb and flow of how things worked. I still would not want to drive in this hot mess myself on a scooter, but it was quite an exhilarating experience and opportunity that I am glad I had a chance to participate.

Though I mentioned Phnom Penh the traffic and transport was like this throughout Cambodia and my understanding it is the same in most of the other countries close to Cambodia. My experience on the moto was fun though I cannot imagine that being my only mode of transportation. I have attached photos of some of the most interesting transport situations I saw while in Cambodia. I hope you enjoy.

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