CAITA 2007 Daily Report - Day 04

DAY 4
Saturday, 13th October 2007
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Good Day, Push your way.

Hyundai, Drive your way

Our Chinese hosts continue to outdo themselves with each new day. Breakfast at the Royal River Hotel in Bangkok was just sumptuous. Every taste was catered to in a beautiful room overlooking the river.

We started in convoy at 7.00AM and traffic conditions out of Bangkok were much better than coming into Bangkok last night. Road conditions to the Poipet on the Cambodian border, a run of 250 kilometers, were excellent and we made good time. We did expect the worst at the border with Cambodian Immigration but our fears were unfounded. All vehicles were checked and allowed entry in very short order and all passports were processed in a similar fashion. We did enjoy a great lunch at a border casino and by the time we had finished lunch we were able to leave the border area with all paper work in hand.

The contrast in conditions between the Thai and Cambodian sides of the border was dramatic. The roadway was unsealed and muddy as a result of recent rain. Beggars, mostly children, surrounded the cars and the scene was generally chaotic. Things got worse for the first 50 kilometers of our run to Phnom Penh. This ‘highway’ was unsealed and in terrible condition with potholes and corrugations giving us all a very uncomfortable ride. This area gave the impression of being economically depressed. We all felt as if we had been through a tumble dryer by the time we eventually reached a sealed road. Beyond this section, the standard of housing improved dramatically and there was a general sense of well being and prosperity. The countryside was flat but very green with enormous amounts of land sown with rice.

We traveled 664 kilometers today (totaling 2,629 kms till date), arriving 7.30PM at our hotel for the next two nights - Hotel Cambodiana, Phnom Penh. The rooms are spacious and the hotel is first class. Dinner tonight was another Chinese feast at a local restaurant about 1 kilometer from our hotel. Buses were provided to get us to and from the hotel.

The team has been performing admirably. Particular mention needs to be made about our ‘Big Cheese’ who gathered all of us at the cars 1 hour prior to our departure. We were made to empty our boots as much as possible. All equipments bags and pieces were placed and secured in the cabin. This apparent transfer of weight from the rear to the middle must have helped both cars from bottoming over the meanest unsealed surfaces.

The installation of lower guards must have also defrayed some of our earlier worries.

Tomorrow, a half day tour has been arranged for all participants and we are looking forward to tomorrow night’s dinner when “Bingo” the Magnificent will put on a premier Cambodian performance for an audience that will include the Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia. We expect the audience to include a number of talent scouts

“Team Singapore, Motorsports (TSM) continues its remarkable run. In a company that includes the renowned Toyota Landcruiser and Nissan Safari, our Santa Fe and Terracan demonstrated worthy off-road capabilities. We are proud to be powered by the all-round traits of the new generation Hyundai. Meanwhile, our entertainer (Bingo) shall be put to test tonight. We are confident of another good performance by TSM”
Leslie Chang, Chief d’ Mission, TSM.

Audition held at rest stop.

Machines that bear no fruit.