Those of you who know me and my wacko travels know that every time I land in a new city, I buy a bike. Most of the time it has been someone's old hybrid mountain/city bike (bike stores call them comfort bikes...you might realize that because I'm Japanese I'm a little uncomfortable calling anything "comfort" when it comes to things from Asia. If you don't know what I'm talking about read your Asian history from World War II.)

So coming to Phnom Penh was no different. I need to get around and I'm not particularly thrilled about spending a dollar a ride on a motodup (motorcycle taxi.) So, I bought a friendly Bridgestone counterfeit from China. A one speed with no center diamond (some would call it a women's bike) it's exactly like a thousand other bikes here in the city. It's a light shade of blue (I guess it could be called gray or some such) and had the equipment for a gray basket just like every other bike here, but it doesn't have one. That's why it cost me the outrageous sum of $30 USD. In this picture I'm standing with my Bridgestone counterfeit in front of the offices of Maryknoll's Deaf Development Program.

One cool part of the bike, and one reason I bought it is that it doesn't have a chain. Instead there's a latex or rubber band that winds gear-like between the pedals and the wheel. It is absolutely smooth and noiseless. It's da bomb. Phnom Penh is so flat that riding a bike is smooth as glass. Except...........

Phnom Penh traffic is anything but smooth. Riding here really does require the navigational skills of an Italian/Moroccan driver. Nothing anyone or anything says or does changes people's determination to get from one place to another in the most direct manner here. That includes riding or driving on the wrong side of the road (although even that seems to have some logic...more on this in a second.) People ignore traffic signals as if they were simple admonitions to eat their vegetables. The only thing that impedes most scooterists and bicyclists is the presence of something in front of them. Therefore maneuvering to get in front of other vehicles is the name of traffic game here. People stick themselves into the middle of traffic right or left of them as if it were a football game and it's 3rd and forty and the only way to stop the ball is to commit an offside and not get caught.

On riding on the wrong side of the road here. Folks who moto or bike on wrong side of the road seem to do it simply to get from a left turn into the flow of traffic in their direction (so rather than cross traffic they simply ride into it for a short time.) Another reason to ride on the wrong side is turning left into parking. It's not wise to stop or slow down in the midst of traffic here. One is liable to incur the wrath of the entire your-direction-bound-flow of traffic. So it's easier to move into oncoming traffic and maneuver as quickly as possible to the curb on your left and then make your turn. Oncoming traffic respects the maneuver by simply pulling left of you so as not to force you to face traffic directly. (Makes sense when you see it.)