🧽 Washing The Tuk-Tuk 🛺 & A Surprise Visit From Nutsara 👶
We're headed to the capital soon so I can catch my flight to the USA, so I decided to give the tuk-tuk a wash before hit the road.
A Chance To Use The New Pressure Washer 🚿
A few months ago on our last trip to Phnom Penh I bought an electric mini pressure washer to help keep the tuk-tuk and motorbike clean. I've used it a few times, but washing the tuk-tuk is not easy because our land is mostly clay, and after the ground gets wet it quickly becomes a muddy mess. I spent the day washing the undercarriage and top, the most difficult parts of the job.
To clean the undercarriage, I lay a few empty rice sacks under the tuk-tuk, put on my latex shower cap and submit myself to the clay. This job absolutely ruins my day, so this is why I usually spend two days washing the tuk-tuk , with the first day spent doing the grunt work, and the second day for the slightly more enjoyable parts of washing the tuk-tuk.
A Surprise Visitor 🫣
While working on this post, I realized I didn't have enough pics, but luckily Nutsara wandered into my room, climbed on the bed and just sit there staring at me and laughing. I don't know who she came to the house or who brought her because I was alone at the computer desk, but hopefully she didn't walk along the highway solo to get here.
She's awfully cute, but I am constantly behind on work with little freetime for myself, so as much as I like entertaining her, I simply don't have time to babysit the neighbors' kids free of charge for hours each day. Unfortunately this is the situation though, we babysit Nutsara and her little brother hours each day so they can run their business more easily. Unfortunately it cuts down on my productivity, and therefore profits, but this is the way of Cambodia. Kindness is weakness here, and most of the time people will take advantage of someone's generosity, and this has left me with only a handful of longterm Khmer friends after living here for 15 years.
Oops, look like the tail end of this post turned into a rant. Sorry for that folks, but no time to regret or rewrite, just gotta publish my stream of consciousness and send it out to the Hive-o-sphere.
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I had to see if I could buy a tuk tuk here in Texas. It turns out there is a dealer who can ship one and help make it street legal. But, they cost as much as a used Prius. Tough call.
There is a company in Texas, I believed owned by Indian immigrants, and they have two or three tuk-tuks they rent out for weddings, but I don't think anything is for sale. There is a Piaggio Ape dealer in northern Mexico, and I once contacted them to see if it would be possible to export one.
It is possible, the unit must be first shipped without the engine to be used as decorative art for a store front or something, and then the engine is sent a few weeks after. Getting the VIN recognized and the tuk-tuk plated I assume would be possible but difficult, but like you said, after two separate import fees, the price is already more than a decent used car, such a shame the USA doesn't allow cool cars and motos the rest of the world gets. The Toyota Hilux is an indestructible pickup truck we're not allowed to have either.
My daily driver is a Honda scooter. Around here, there aren't many scooter riders.
I have an old Vespa PX200, but I've never visited the US long enough in the last 15 years to justify renewing the registration, doing insurance, etc. The old Vespas/Lambrettas can be found for $2,000 to $4,000, and there are some side sidecar choices too, so that might be a more economical choice versus a tuk-tuk. With a sidecar you can transport three people too, not as much as a tuk-tuk, but they sure are a blast to drive.
That looks very nice. And I see there's a spare tire too.
Yay! 🤗
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I have always wanted to have a Tuk-tuk as I am really bad at balancing a motorcycle. Anyway, this little cutie looks adorable!
They are so useful for family transport, and plus the small Bajaj RE doesn't cost much more than a new small motorcycle. We drive our tuk-tuk all over the country and have already saved hundreds of dollars in taxi/bus fares. Nutsara has even been on a few rides.
🙏🙏🙏
your tuk-tuk is slightly bigger than what we had here. praying for your safety
I think the Bajaj RE is most common in your country, and it is here too. Bajaj makes a middle-sized one called a Maxima and a diesel one similar to mine called the X-tra Wide, but still the smallest models sell the best because they are so cheap, and the fuel consumption similar to a small moto.
wow much cheaper in fuel. I've never seen that model here in my place tho
Awww I just knew that this vehicle is known as Tuk-Tuk there in your place my Friend. I assume that you are in Cambodia right now, and here in my country, we often call it as Dolog. You are indeed so industrious as you are keeping all your vehicles clean like your motorcycle and tuktuk, too.
Perhaps it was the best decision to buy the mini electric pressure as you do not stay in line to go to car wash and pay high price for the services offered. Indeed, it works and saved more. By the way, Nutsara is so cute and really so adorable. Please send my regards to your very cute visitor. Have a wonderful time!
Yes, tuk-tuk is the common English name, but here in Cambodia the locals call them "remorque," the French word for trailer, but pronounced in Cambodian style. I do enjoy the new pressure washer, it makes keeping things clean so much easier than before. We still don't have running water, but when we do this will be even easier. Thanks for stopping by my friend.
In Suriname there's a saying "yu eh gie wan finga, a s'ma wan a her hanu" (literally: give someone one finger, the person wants the whole hand), which means that some people will take advantage of generous people, without taking into account that the "giver" may not have a lot to give.
I'm from an Asian household myself and it was also hard for me to say "no" at certain times, but I learned that I couldn't give anymore than what I could've and had to put boundaries. Fortunately for me, my family respected those.
I know some versions of that expressions using nickel/dollar or branch/whole tree references, and I totally agree with it. It is frustrating having to be a non-authentic version of yourself just so that those around you will not take advantage of you. Unfortunately this is a reality in so many places beyond Suriname and Cambodia 🙁.
True that! And when others don't respect the boundaries, we need to remove ourselves from those situations. Unfortunately we can't always do that, but that's a story for another day.
Hope you are well.