Where the Streets Have No Name

Day 27

The morning started early, a rapid bowl of congee from our favourite vendor on the end of Rambuttri road before heading to the travel agent to await for our bus, famously known as the "scam bus". I guess in hindsight we were a little bit cocky - I had thought that equipped with knowledge of the scam, and our Lonely Planet guide we'd be fine - how wrong I was. You see the scam is something that can barely be avoided once you're committed to that bus - merely minimised if you are good at not succumbing to pressure.

For about the 100th time we were out of the highway frying pan, and into the dirt road fire.

So there we were - waiting outside the travel agent who failed to show up - probably from shame. A little kid picked us up from the doorstep and showed us to our seats, and I guess the people on the bus were the first sign that something was not right - most looked pretty susceptible, unaware of what was to come.

For those who don't know - the "Scam bus" is a reknowned Khao San Rd bogey, a deal too good to refuse. You pay an amount too ridiculously low to be true for the 8 hour trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia. And then all of the sudden you are fleeced at every turn, eventuating in a trip that takes up to 15 hours from the Thai border, and then a "compulsory" (coerced) stay at a guest house of the choice of the bus company, one that has already paid a high comission to get you there, and won't let you leave. Basically you are stuck on a bus, constantly paying extravagant fees, and having your time and patience wasted unavoidably.

Our plan was similar to recommendations we'd received - to go to the border town of Poipet by the bus, and then change to a share taxi to get to Siem Reap, cutting down on time for little cost. Drama started when the bus refused to go over 60 km/h on the freeway. Anyone who's been to Thailand recently knows that the bus' here are supercharged menace vehicles who have no regard for other drivers, and so this was quite obviously the first delaying ploy. We stopped a few times, and then in one particular stop - at the border town of Arunya Porthet (sic) - we got told that this was the last place to get our Visa for 1200 baht. I was assured that the border would take longer and be more expensive, and we were also told that we'd better change our money now, because there was no facilities on the border. I should have known better - the guys simply took our passports in a bag to the border which was a miniscule 6km away, and did the 5 minute wait for us - the real visa costing $20 US (I.e. much cheaper)

To cut this long story short, this border is one big scam and should be avoided. Poipet truly is the armpit of Cambodia, and I feel sorry for the 8 out of 10 smiling, cheerful people that fill the rest of the country, because so many visitors' first impression is of this godless place. Not knowing that in Cambodia, a taxi is simply a black Camry without markings, we thought that we were in the wrong place - and then took a "government bus" to the "government taxi stand". Turns out that the government turned into a company, whose taxi rank is just far enough away from the border that you can't walk back, and where no one will take you back by any other means. So once you've caught said free bus, your fate lies in the hands of this "company" - who have decided that the taxi will now cost US $15 p.p, a little more than the RRP. We were lucky to meet two fellow travellers, David and Erica, who were teaching english in Japan, one of which had dealt with the scam before. Hard negotiating eventuated in David and myself being surrounded by an unhappy circle of Cambodian males, all of whom looked just as irritated as us, all edgy, and things looked like they might turn ugly. But eventually we both won - the company got a massive fare, and we were able to pay after the ride to ensure that the driver did not meet any "accidents" along the way that would see the trip detour.

We were extremely glad to be out of Poipet, but our concern now turned to the safety of the remaining trip. Let's just say that Cambodian roads, particularly Poipet to Siem Reap NH5 and NH6 are only 40% complete, and there is more pothole than road. For about the 100th time we were out of the highway frying pan, and into the dirt road fire. And then there's the drivers. In Cambodia, "Might is right". Simply - big cars go straight, small vehicles stick right and hold on tight. Traffic goes everywhere moreso than Thailand - no one is afraid to dodge lanes, push through, hit the dirt, basically everyone does whatever they want, whenever they want, and the rest must adjust accordingly. It's scary, but it works, and it takes a lot of getting used to.

First impressions of Cambodia - to put into Flora's words: "When you get to Thailand you think you're in a 3rd world country. But then when you get to Cambodia, you know you're in a 3rd world country". Well I don't agree with the Thai half of that quote, but I see the point - we thought that Thailand had some rough edges, but nothing in Thailand prepares you for this place. The sun sears high above the flat plains - in the countryside, it's what I expected to find in central Asia, in the villages, it can look like a bad day in Bhutan. I'm not sure where this country ranks on the UN development index, but at times, it can feel as if you're in a World Vision ad - squatter settlements filled with naked kids, mothers struggling to juggle business and domestic duties, fathers with the pain of a civil war very visibly burning in their eyes. It's a real eye opener, and a huge shock.

Getting to Siem Reap was a relief after such an arduous journey - and I feel sorry for those poor souls on the bus that probably arrived in the early hours of the morning. We took the first hotel offered to us, conveniently located above an RSL style club "Le Grande" - and as we later found out, a favourite in the sex trade, and ate dinner at Ecstatic Pizza - a Pizza shack that serves a special ingredient if requested (Hint: Illegal ingredient, which is surprisingly prevalent in Khmer food).

Siem Reap is a massive juxtaposition. The outskirts look like most other Khmer towns - rubbish litters the streets, roads remain unrepaired, smoke and dust cloud the sky, and while there is not a soldier in sight, the town still looks like it's at war. However blink your eyes and you're transported to another world - five star resorts lining long leafy boulevards, alleys filled with chic European restaurants and classy bars. You don't need to be a genius to see that tourism here has taken off in a big way, and that unfortunately, the development that engulfs us benefits the foreign owners a lot, and the Khmer people very little - they still live in similar conditions as they always have, despite the tourism boom. But no amount of tourists can make the internet work - so many PC's, but no connection during most of our stay.

Day 28

Although we realised the rushedness of our schedule, yesterday's ordeal made a full day of Angkor seem unbearable, and so we decided to have a quiet day. We walked around town, found a very nice alley way full of boutique restaurants and photo shops, and sampled the local markets - a pig head here, and some temple clothes there, but not much to write home about. Then at around 4:00PM, when the afternoon sun had eased, we decided to take a trip to the floating village, Siem Reap's 2nd biggest attraction after the temples. This is a worthwhile experience that I'd recommend to anyone - $10 buys you a boat ride that takes you through an amazing village built on the river, and then takes you out to Tonle Sap lake, where you gaze in awe at its size while chowing down on fresh shrimp. The people of the floating village all live in makeshift house boats that they abandon in the wet season for the mountains - and then return to during the dry season. The village also includes schools, mainly donated by the governments of countries such as Sth Korea and Japan, and amazingly, while each house looks ready to fall apart in seconds, many have TV's, a testament to Cambodia's undying dedication to drama (As if they haven't had enough of it in recent history). We both enjoyed the ride thoroughly,  and finished off watching the sunset on the river - spectacular.

Some observations from our first day - Many countries put a lot of effort into donating to Cambodia - each school, each bus seems to have been funded by a foreign government - namely Korea, Japan, France and many of the other European countries. So whose missing? Australia and America, the latter being of particular alarm since they were partly responsible for much of the turmoil faced in this country.  It also shames me as an Australian that we have done so little to rectify the ills of this nation. Second observation - I can't believe how many Koreans come here, I didn't know they were so game. Then again, most come simply for Angkor - the world's biggest photography session, and then go home. Millions in Siem Reap - none in Pnom Penh. But the biggest overlying observation, is the beauty of the people here. When we arrived at Poipet, I thought that this was it - desparate people reverting to desperate measures, a nation still stuck in a millitant mindframe that couldn't reject it's obsession with guns and war, and still used coercion as their only cure. But it's completely the opposite. The people here will always try and squeeze an extra dollar out of you -  but always out of necessity - otherwise they are mostly kind, friendly, and very proficient at english - moreso than Thailand. While you feel sorry for some of the kids living in such conditions, they always smile and wave, and are pleased to receive a recognition in return. Even the little kids that hassle you endlessly at Angkor Wat are more than happy to sit down and tell you their story, not necessarily a sob story, but more about their life, what they want to be, and the things they know about your country. The most amazing example was a girl named Sela - "Australia - capital Canberra, member of the Commonwealth, New Zealand, Canada, England". Needless to say we bought a few crappy bracelets in that session. They're a classic example of a diamond in the rough: living in a harsh environment, in often squalid conditions, with a history of violence and bloodshed, they have persisted in being pleasant to all those they meet, always smiling, and only staring in curiosity. They are brave people - it's painful to think that every person over 30 has seen the destruction and chaos of the Khmer Rouge, every person over 10 has seen the colour of civil war, and all have been touched, affected, and hurt by a painful past. You can see it in their eyes, and hear it in their voice - they insist on still believing in luck, even though they've had so little.

After a short but satisfying day we headed back to Dead Fish cafe - a charming restaurant filled with sumptuous Khmer food, multiple tiers of relaxed, floor bound tables, and crocodiles - yes theres a crocodile enclosure near the bathroom. After a tasty meal of Amok (the national dish) and curry, and a few beers (Angkor, my new favourite beer) we fed the crocs some raw fish - much to Judy's delight

Day 29

Our first day of temples. I can't believe we got up at 4:30AM, but we did - all to see the sunrise. From there on in it's a blur of sandstone and rubble, but I'll do my best to recollect.

Angkor Wat is puzzling. You pay US $20 per day to visit all the temples in the surrounding area, very good value, you buy the guide book, you read the epilogue in Lonely Planet, and yet somehow - it didn't live up to our expectations. Most people may want to kill me right now but take note - we're both students, and we're both not temple fanatics. It's needless to say though that it is beautiful, particularly at sunrise, and even without the awe I expected, it's a fascinating part of history. To see how well preserved it is, after hundreds of years is spell binding - it is like a stonecast world - actually, a stonecast empire, filled with mystery.

From Angkor Wat, we ventured to the ancient city of Angkor Thom, and from there on in it will just sound like a whirlwind of names. Bayon's many heads were remarkable, but the amount of tourists unfortunate. Ta Prohm, a temple enslaved by tree roots and overgrowth had a fantastic atmosphere, and each other temple, From Thomannon to Ta Keow, the Elephant Walk to the Baphuon was interesting. But the glory of Angkor Wat was clearly the highlight.

We retired early to rest (we were very very exhausted) and ate dinner at the Red Piano - "Bar Street" buzzing, each restaurant filled more than the last.

Day 30

...was much the same, except that we started later, visited many of the lesser known temples, and then watched the sunrise. Of particular interest was Kbal Spean, which took us around 2 hrs to get to. The poor tuk tuk driver battled uncomprimising roads, and we both had to buy dust masks - the mist unbearable. A short trek though (a supposedly mined area) and we received our reward - a lush river, surrounded by tall rainforest, and engraved with thousand year old carvings from the Angkor era.

Observation of the day - the French have introduced baguettes in a big way here - and they are insane - better than anything you'd get back home. All freshly baked, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Yum!

Day 31

The next nightmare bus trip to Pnom Penh, where we are currently stationed. OK so nightmare is an exaggeration, but unpleasant is not. This time the road was mostly paved, and the passengers were mostly Khmer, so it wasn't a scam. But a bus in Cambodia is unlike any other. Kids screaming, feet every which way, semi broken air con and worst of all - a blaring set of speakers, labouring every syllable of a Khmer Karaoke disk, or worse still - a comedy. Even if we could understand, we probably wouldn't be turning up the volume to 99. The lady next to us spat into her little bag the entire trip, and the pit stops were at tiny roadside shacks, where the men piss in the corner of a field (me included), and the floor is filled with dirty tissues, bags, wrappers, and so many flies.

But we got through it, and I guess that's what's important - and as soon as we got off the bus at Pnom Penh - had no trouble getting a tuk tuk to take us to the Okay guesthouse, one recommended to us by an American traveller we met at a PC.

Pnom Penh's new years eve was quieter than back home, but vibrant enough to satisfy - foreigners and Khmer's alike flocking to the riverside to watch the fireworks. Kids and parents sit in parks, while the westerners fill busy bars and cafes - although the two of us weren't really in the mood to have a huge one, particularly after a bottle of wine which nearly sent us to sleep, and a minor argument. A few (average) cocktails later, we headed back to the guesthouse to watch a few movies, and then watched the fireworks from our little alley. A pretty subdued new years eve, but we were both just happy to be spending it together, away from the chaos that was Bangkok, as we found out this morning. This was a very unique way to bring in the new year - standing in the street, watching fireworks erupt above the five star hotel that overshadows ours, a fully blown domestic in the house next door, but everyone else in the streets - the traffic pausing for a brief moment, inspired.

Day 32 (Jan 1st)

Despite the quiet night, we slept in until late - today was not sight seeing day - today was adrenaline day. After swallowing the news about the Thai bombings, we decided to head out to the gun range - Pnom Penh is famous for it's availability of artillery.

The range is an ex millitary training facility, run by ex soldiers, in which one can find any range of weapons, from AK-47's and M-16's, right through to revolvers, M60 Machine guns (The Rambo gun) and rocket launchers - yes rocket launchers. We were sat down at a table and given a menu, and chose to fire off 1 clip of the AK, and Two rounds of a K54 Pistol. While war might be a sore spot in the eyes of the Cambodians, and is not something I'm at all a fan of, guns are funny things - they make you feel powerful, and vulnerable at the same time. But mostly powerful when you're holding that big hunk of Soviet war machine in your hands. It gets the sweat rolling and the blood pumping, and despite not wanting to go, Judy even enjoyed it. Quote "I feel like a crazy bitch". But it all comes at a price - for instance, while a pistol round sets you back $10 US, a rocket launcher will cost $200, and requires a trip to a mountain to fire it - no doubt we sat that one out.

Next stop - the go cart track next door, for a few quick laps. Clearly Judy was still shell shocked - that's the only reason I can think of why she rammed the shit out of me after I waited for her to catch up. But it was all in good fun.

So what is Cambodia like? It can be whatever you make of it. In the rainforest it's paradise, in the dust and heat of the highway it's relentless. At times it looks like a bomb site, and others it looks like one big resort. But primarily, it's a place of people that have seen too much pain to ever want to see it again, living in a country that still bears the burden of a 30 year struggle. A country that has been betrayed by all others, that has been bombed, land mined, shot, and destroyed by the west and by the east, and then thrown into a civil unrest which it still suffers from today. Unavoidable are the signs that continue to fill the streets advertising the "Cambodian People's Party", "Funcinpec", "Sam Rainsy Party", each seemingly as corrupt as the last. It disgusts me that members of the Khmer Rouge still run free without trial - even Pol Pot escaped being thrown to the dogs. And yet through all of this, you still feel (mostly) safe in the streets, even though a little wary. This is a country that is now finding it's feet - it's still undeveloped by all means, but the tourism industry is providing new light, and it's embracing it with arms wide open. It's raw enough to keep you excited, but tame enough to travel. And despite the dust, the heat and the litter, it's a country well worth visiting. There's a lot to see, and even more to do, and some fantastic people to boot. Our little guest house here is a prime example - each person is eager to help you out, to organise your next trip, your laundry or your day - sure they make a commission, but it's not just this that is driving them.

Tomorrow we see the sights of Pnom Penh, namely the depressing ones i.e. the killing fields, and after that, probably head down to coastal Sihanoukville, Cambodia's newer version of coastal Thailand. Fingers crossed that this will be another adventure that reaps more rewards.