trip to cambodia

Within the first 15 minutes of our 12 hour bus ride, we fully understood why this bus trip was so highly NOT recommended.

To begin with, we were lucky enough to be the last customers to board.  There were 3 spaces left on this grand piece of metal without air con, and I was conveniently placed right next to the window that might as well been placed directly on the sun.

So far Cambodia, you have worn me OUT.

I had to laugh though.  For $6, you have to laugh.

The trip did get much much much more entertaining.  One of my most precious memories was when Angel got up to use the restroom.  He returned in a solid 1.5 seconds later with a look of defeat and sorrow.  "I cant do it- I physically cannot do it."

Well, 4 hours into the trip, there really was no option for Maridele and I.  We HAD to GO.  We decided to brave it together, and marched down the aisle and down the set of stairs to a tiny door frame.  The frame was (not exaggerating) under five feet tall.  And when we opened it, we found a shiny tin-like toilet.

To get in you had to duck, then somehow turn, to then somehow squat.  I can see how Angel's 6'2'' frame "could physically not do it".

All without air conditioning.

Classic.

After 6 hours we stopped in a could-not-be-more-dodgy border town.  To be specific, we stopped at a sandwich shop.  And this is where they took our Passports.

The price (of course) of the Visa was drastically higher at this point, and only one person spoke English.  As for the other people on the bus- they were a cast of characters all of their own.

The most mystifying was a werido traveling alone from Siberia.  He sat in the corner by himself with a strange smirk the entire time, and for the rest of the trip in Cambodia we would spot him in the most bizarre places.  For example, on top of a temple at Angkor Wat.  All alone, with a smirk.

The funniest character was the sweaty overweight French man who was visibly upset about the price of the Visa, and spoke to EVERYONE about it.  In French.  Even after people repeatedly told him "sir, I do not speak French."

Just picture this elderly sweaty man ranting in French, with no comprehension that you do not know nor care what he is saying.  Oh- and I forgot to add he was toting a Thai wife who could not speak English as well.  It was a scene when they tried to fill out her Visa form- each not knowing English- or eachothers language.

But strangely, it fit here in the sandwich shop of this shady border town.

With the Visas (hopefully) arranged, we were then instructed to "walk" across the border.   Walk?  Really???

"Yes, and if you want to exchange money, you should do it now.  We will take you one-by-one by motorbike to a street vendor who exchanges money."

Riggght.

Some people from the bus left.  Some got their own taxi, some went back to Thailand.  But we were the brave 15 who stayed.  While waiting for those to "exchange money" I watched the town.  Amazing.  I noticed an IMMEDIATE difference.

The poverty.  The children beggars.  Everything was so very different.  I JUST started reading about Cambodia on the bus, and there is so so so much to learn.

To being with, this is a country JUST recovering from a brutal regime, genocide and civil war.  Its history is so very dramatic- from once having the greatest empire in Asia- to such a recent rule of brutality and suppression.

And it got more obvious.  The next bus we got the pleasure of riding on DID have air con, but was definitely in need of a "little bit" of repair.  I was hoping it would make the next 5 hours.  We started the trip to Siem Reap, and was informed by the tour guide the ride "would be a little bumpy"

The entire ride would be on a dirt road, and after some questions we came to find out that might have something to do with the foreign interests that own the airport, who like to keep it an unbearable ride by bus.  There is only one flight out of Siem Reap, at a cost of $150.  Convenient.

The ride started off at 5pm, beautiful time of day.  A beautiful countryside, but with devastating signs of poverty.  It was overwhelming, and I sat in silence pissed off at myself that I even complained today.

Children with their families bathing in creek water.  Dust from the road filling their paper huts.  I could go on, but as we got further it got worse and became the worst I have ever seen.  And with the most beautiful sunset as the backdrop- it was such a contradiction.

We drove and drove and drove- with Maridele and Angel telling me the amount of poverty and ways of life they saw in India.  Unimaginable.

We finally stopped for a bite to eat- where of course the three of us grabbed some beer.  After a long stressful day like this, everyone should have!

The problem was when we had to pee a few hours later.  The bus pulled over and we were smack in the MIDDLE of a random dirt road in Cambodia.  With a house to our right, more road to the left- ahhh!!!  So, some motor bikes got a suprise when they turned the corner.

Classy.

By the time we got to Siem Reap we were all exhausted, but luckily it was a nice guest house and we crashed.

So far Cambodia, you have worn me OUT.