Aerobics on top of the world

Sisowath Quay during the day when it's deserted
(didn't have my camera in the morning when I went running)

I never would have thought that people in an Asian city such as Phnom Penh are so obsessed with physical fitness.

When I went for my run early in the morning on the Sisowath Quay along the Tonle Sap River, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I have become accustomed by now that in these parts of Asia people get up at dawn. What I didn’t expect was that they were all exercising!

Everyone seemed to be out there, old and young and middle-aged, men and women, more or less all of them locals. The few tourists I saw were those who were returning from their all night pub crawls. There were runners and power walkers, groups doing street aerobics, break dancing, tai chi practice, men playing volleyball, a few older people on exercise equipment that is available to the public on the sidewalk.

Another place to exercise is the Olympic stadium so I also went to explore the action there. It was more of the same, people of all ages were about, walking, running, playing sports. There are volleyball and basketball and soccer fields where the men were hanging out. Women did aerobics.

Our aerobics instructor setting up the music.
Another group is already under way in the background.

I joined an aerobics class that was held at the top of the stadium. It was amazing! The music was blasting and the view was magnificent. I could see parts of the city with the temples and skyscrapers under construction and a soccer game that was played inside the stadium.

Crazy traffic in Phnom Penh (notice the name of the street?)

There is just one issue. Although I live very near the stadium and I can get there along back streets in a few minutes, there is one major street to cross. It’s challenging to say the least. The traffic is really crazy here as I had been warned. Let’s just say it takes a while until I decide the traffic has subsided so that I attempt to cross, dodging tuk-tuks, motorcycles, huge 4WD cars, occasional bicycles, all of them hurrying in their respective directions and not all of them going in the direction they should be going.