Enter.. Cambodia

So after a very relaxing and enjoyable stay in Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand, we once again headed to Bangkok en route to Cambodia.  This time we did actually manage to get tickets on the sleeper train, which turned into a bit of a novelty for all of us and we all had quite a fun time, particularly after the bed attendant came and put the beds together and made them up. 

As usual, the toilets caused a bit of a giggle (we have spent quite a lot of time discussing toilets over the last month!) mainly because there was a squat toilet and a western toilet – using a squat on a moving train is extremely interesting!

We went back to our old favourite – The Ramada Hotel – they will give us 2 rooms incl a massive buffet breakfast and free wifi in a 4 star hotel for abt $90 AUD – an absolute bargain for Bangkok.

We were going out to eat and I had to go back to get something.  When I got down to the lobby, I couldn’t get out of the elevator hall because it was blocked by a group of Indian tourists who were all milling around.  I pushed my way through until I could finally see what all the fuss was about and realised they were all standing around laughing, pointing and having their photos taken with my children!  This was not the first time we’ve been
stopped to have photos taken but usually it was by Thais.  This was a whole new level of paparazzi!  I took some photos to show you that it really isn’t much fun to be a tourist attraction!

So, the border crossing from Thailand to Cambodia is splashed all over the web and throught travel books as one where you have to know what you’re doing and where you’re going so that you don’t get ripped off, left on the side of the road, pay too much for your visa etc etc. 

We started with a 4 hour bus ride to the Thai border town of Aranyaprathet, where we loaded into 2 tuk tuks for the 5 minute trip to the border.  The tuk tuk drivers are renowned for driving you off down some side street to get you to pay for a hugely inflated Cambodian visa or other such scams — so we were ready for them when they tried to turn right when the sign said “BORDER straight ahead”. 

Actually we were surprised at how easy the whole thing was.  We had been warned about beggar children who distract you and then run off with your bags or pick your pockets – I think we saw maybe 2 small children but we just ignored them and kept on walking.

Once through Thai immigration, you have to walk through a no man’s land to get to the Cambodian border and their immigration.  It was disgustingly hot and dusty and our bags were not light, so by the time we stood in the line to get our passports stamped, we were looking forward to a very cold drink.  Just to give you an idea – this is not an airconditioned modern building like
in an air terminal – This is a corrugated iron building which is open at 2 ends, one where you line up and the other where you go out.  The immigration officers sit in a little (air conditioned) room with their computers hooked up to Logitech webcams that they point at you to see if you match your passport photo. I did see some evidence of the corruption that everyone keeps talking about here – every now and then another officer would bring in a bunch of passports to be processed before those of us in line and they
were all stuffed with money.  Not quite sure how you got into that line though.

THe kids held up remarkably well and even though they were all melting, the complaining was minimal.  However,we still had to get a bus from the border to the town of Poipet and then a taxi to Siem Reap before we could relax.  We had met some girls from Sydney on the bus from Bangkok and so Paul shared a taxi with them and I went with the kids in another.  That was also quite
straight forward and contrary to other reports we had read – there really isn’t any other options so you just have to pay the $12US each and get in a Camry bound for Siem Reap.

Crossing the border I found really quite bizarre.  I think it’s amazing how a line on a map makes such a difference.  Border towns are generally pretty gross and Aranyaprathet is no different – it’s dusty and dirty and full of rip off tuk tuk drivers.  However, once you get into Cambodia, the whole thing changes again – it’s about 10 times worse.  Cambodians look completely different to Thais and the language I think is very different as well.  The first buildings we saw in Poipet look like they’ve been blown up or are under construction – we were’nt sure which.  It’s obvious immediately that the people are much poorer – hence the modes of transport that I was about to witness on the road to Siem Reap!

The kids immediately fell asleep and I was in the front which was quite interesting!  In Cambodia they drive on the right and so the car was left hand drive.  I actually took a couple of photos because it’s a bit like being on a thrill ride – you kind of  want to shut your eyes but still keep looking and hope for the best.  A – you’re on the opposite side of the road to what you’re used to and B – they drive all over the road; into the path of oncoming vehicles, going around cows, bikes and even horses and carts (or bullock carts!)

I have seen a lot of things on the back of motor bikes in the last few weeks but this time I really had to do a double take and unfortunately didn’t have my camera ready.  Keep in mind the motor bikes are little ones – like 100cc maybe and in Thailand there were lots of mopeds.  Here it’s mainly small bikes and also lots of push bikes.  This guy was riding along and he had
a full grown pig strapped to the back of his bike!  Not a small pig either – a big, pink pig like we’re used to.  It wasn’t alive (if it was, it’s extremely well trained!!) because it was upside down with it’s feet in the air, head hanging on one side of the bike with strapping all round it’s middle.  The pig was really bigger than the man riding the bike. Absolutely classic!

The Camry trip was uneventful until we got to Siem Reap and we were dumped on the side of the road and told we had to take a tuk tuk the rest of the way to our hotel.  This was another of the scams we’d read about and we had been assured that we would be taken straight to our chosen hotel but there wasn’t much we could do about it and the 2 tuk tuks we got drove us free to our hotel without any bother other than to try and book us immediately for the temples first thing the next morning but we wouldn’t be pressured into that until we knew all our options. 

Siem Reap is completely nutty on the street – with bikes and markets and the level of rubbish on the streets going up another notch.  Our hotel, which was another of our last minute cheap internet finds, was rediculously posh.  It’s the newest and tallest hotel in Siem Reap and they welcomed us in, took our bags, gave us a welcome drink while we sat in leather chairs and immediately upgraded us to a 2 room junior suite.  Oh yes, we were really mixing it with the “real Cambodians”.  We could see them below from our balcony -
3 shanty houses complete with chickens, roosters and the obligatory dogs.  I think we felt a bit fraudulent staying in a place like that but the staff who worked there were all Khmer and the most friendly people I have ever met.

Check out the photos on Flickr for pix of the hotel and our lovely neighbours.