They See Me Rollin'

This is my most common form of transportation:

Photo credit to: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/photo/2013-04/13/c_132306166.htm
They also have some other great shots of common Cambodian transportation, if you're interested

This particular mode of transport is called a "tourie" and is the most common, and cheapest, mode of transportation in Cambodia.  Catching a tourie is actually just somewhat organized hitch hiking, and it's probably one of my favorite things about Cambodia.  All I have to do to get to Phnom Penh is stand by the side of the road and wait for one of these babies to roll along.  After a brief period of bargaining, I'm usually on my way to Phnom Penh for a mere $1.50.

And while cramming 35 people, some puppies, and a few bags of rice into one, fifteen-passenger van isn't always a picnic, it is certainly always an adventure.  Many conversations have been started with the phrase, "You'll never guess what happened on my tourie today..."  Most of these stories include, but are not limited to:

• Children throwing up 
• Peace Corps Volunteers throwing up  
• Getting dropped off in the middle of nowhere
• Being awkwardly stared at for the entire ride
• Being forced to teach impromptu English lessons 
• Sharing a seat with the driver (In Cambodia, there is no such thing as your own seat)
• Explaining that just because you are traveling with a member of the opposite gender, it does not mean you are married 
• Pretending that you are married, because sometimes it's more fun to make up a back story than to explain why you're 22 and don't have a boyfriend

And of course, one of the best parts about being in a tourie is the constant blowing of the horn.  Honking is not used in Cambodia to signal a close-call or annoyance, but rather as a way to communicate with the general public that your vehicle does, in fact, exist.  You honk when you are approaching any sort of populated area.  You honk when you want to pass another car.  You honk when you want people to know that yes, there is room in your van for four more bags of rice.  Or, like the guy in this video, you can just honk because you feel like it.