Are we home yet?

From above, the hot, tropical midday sun beat down. From below the dark red-brown rainy season mud splashed and splished around, often upwards on to the motorbike riders surrounding us.

We, and almost the whole city were heading back into town after the nation wide festival. The two lane road was being used as a four lane road. From our car we had a great view of the mini buses, motos, and various other vehicles that were packed full, as an Aussie I would say more than full.

I’ve lived in Asia for four years but I’m still amazed at the amount of people and things that can be packed into houses, beds, classrooms, cars, buses, on bikes, motorbikes and other vehicles I’m not sure what to call.

“I can’t believe we didn’t think to bring the camera.” Soeun said for about the fourth time. Even my Cambodian husband was amazed at the sight that surrounded us.

Rice sacks, backpacks, suitcases, guitar cases, bundles of sugar cane, motorbikes, bikes were tied on to the tops and sides of vans. Arms and heads could be seen protruding out the windows. Sometimes the hands would be letting rubbish fall on the ground, and sometimes the heads would be ejecting vomit.

The back doors of the minivans weren’t closed. The load of luggage and passengers overflowed out the back. Some had a wooden frame attached to the floor of the van, to extend the floor out behind the van, so more luggage and people could fit.

The roof racks were piled high with more of the same. Motor bikes, bags and passengers. As the vans slowly moved forward a bit, then stopped, then moved forward a bit more we could see all the passengers, especially the ones on top, swaying with the movements.

One in particular was a lot heavier at the back than the front. Whenever it moved forward a bit and stopped again, it was swaying and jerking so much we thought it was going to flip over.

Car boots were also left open to fit more people in. Along with luggage you can fit at least three people in a car boot for an interprovincial trip! We even saw one lady asleep as she was sitting precariously on luggage in the car boot.

The traffic jam meant that we were all on the road longer than we had expected to be. We saw a few vans that ran out of fuel, or broke down. People had to climb out and try to push the van through the lanes of traffic to get off the road.

We had thought we might get home around 11.30, but it was already noon. Hot, hungry, and eager to get out of the traffic was the general feeling. I, in particular was really looking forward to being home. We had spent two nights away, I hadn’t slept well and my back was sore.

I amused myself by counting how many people were on each motor bike. Usually there were two or three adults, as well as their bags. Sometimes an arm or leg was sticking out from between the adults, which meant there was a small child someone in there. Kids also sometimes sit in front of the driver and enjoy the view and the wind.

A moto with three adults swerved in front of us, and as it continued forward the driver made a hand signal at us. The three of them kept looking back at us. They were trying to tell us something was wrong with out car. What was it?

Kimsoeun realized we had a flat tyre. We really wanted to just get home, we were almost there, but now it looked like we would have to pull over. It took awhile to get out of the traffic and find a space on the side of the road.

I have no idea how to change a tyre, and Kimsoeun had never done it before either. He took the spare tyre and tools out of the boot. I was wondering which one was more dangerous- driving home with a flat tyre or one that had been changed by someone who didn’t know what they were doing?

A grandma, a pregnant lady wearing pink pyjamas and a toddler were near our car, waiting for their car which was further down the road. I wondered if they thought Kimsoeun worked for me as a driver, why else would a foreign women and a local man be travelling together?

There was also a man who offered to help us. It turned out he worked at the garage we had unknowingly pulled up in front of. It was closed for the holidays, that’s why we didn’t notice. While he changed our tyre the grandma started a conversation with me, I tried to join in but didn’t really understand what she was saying.

What a relief to be on our way again, with the small spare tyre in place of the flat one. After we had gone what seemed like just a few metres we came to a group of men squatting around some car- fixing equipment. We pulled over again so they could fix our tyre. We watched as they pulled a big sharp screw out of the flat tyre- so that was the problem!

After they patched it up and attached it again, we were on the way again, with some new knowledge, our suspension was broken.

It was slow going all the way into Phnom Penh. I breathed a sigh of relief, back in the city at last.
We drove along the familiar streets, I was beginning to relax, we were almost home.
I was almost ready to cheer as we were about to turn into the last road before the front gate of the campus we live on.
But as we turned we saw a brown river before us, where our road was supposed to be.
When we left the day before last the flooding had almost gone down. The road had been a string of water filled potholes, it had been looking promising. But now it was all flooded again.

Kimsoeun moved the car slowly through the water. It sounded like we were in a boat as the water whooshed around under the car and up the sides.

As we turned into the campus we saw that it was all flooded too, so we drove around until we could find a place to park. Finally we unload the car, carried our bags through the water and to our front verandah.

We turned the key in the lock and opened the door. Our house! A clean dry floor, cool air, still and quiet,everything just how we left it. Home at last.