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Well, we made it into Cambodia today with a few dramas along the way but we are safely in our 4 star hotel listening to a live 'lounge' singer whilst on the internet writing you an email.
We left Bangkok this morning on the 5.55am train so we were up at 4.30am, checked out of our hotel, caught a taxi to the train station, found the right ticket counter, bought a ticket for the right train and found the right train and were on it 30 minutes early. This all sounds quite easy except for the fact that NOONE speaks english and they nod & say 'yes' to every question we ask! We were quite proud of ourselves at this stage. Little did we know what was ahead of us!!
Bangkok to Aranyaprathet (city near the Cambodian border) was 5 1/2 hour journey on a 3rd class train (very hard seats & overcrowded!). Our backs and necks and bottoms were very sore once we arrived. But amazing scenery along the way. We have certainly seen a lot of Thailand in the last two weeks. Anyway, once we arrived in Aranyaprathet we were
accosted by tuk-tuk drivers wanting to take us to the border (5kms away). We checked with one that he would take us straight to the border, no detours to fake visa offices etc. etc. etc. I have done my homework and know that these tuk-tuk drivers run all sorts of scams including one where they take foreigners to the 'Visa' office and they try and sell you a Cambodian visa for 3 times as much as the real ones are. We paid AUS$25 and at this fake visa offices they charge US$65. Anyway, our driver assured us that we were going straight to the border. After about 10 minutes he stops at the 'Visa' office and trys to convince me that this is the border and unloads all of our luggage. I got very cross with him and we had to argue and argue to get him to put our luggage back in the tuk-tuk and take us to the 'real' border. Once we arrived at the right place we then proceeded to go through Thailand's departure office, Cambodia's quarantine area and eventually Cambodia's arrival hall where they stamped our passports and officially let us into the country. This took
place at little booths dispersed along a 500 metre road full of bikes, cars, buses, wooden carts, people, tuk-tuks & dogs. It was quite a process. We had arrived in Poipet, Cambodia.
We still had to get from Poipet to Siem Reap, Cambodia. So, upon arriving over the border, we got on a free bus which took us to a bus & taxi terminal where we waited and waited and waited for other people to fill up a taxi even though the ófficials' said that it would only be 20 minutes. The taxi vouchers cost us US$12 each. An hour later we were still waiting and I was fed up and told them that I was very unhappy, that we had had a long day travelling and that we had already paid our money for our taxi voucher and we wanted our taxi NOW! We ended up having to pay another US$12 for another seat so that we could go straight away (we understood that this would give us a taxi to ourselves) but then they told us that we still had to wait again! After a lot of fuss and the drivers & organisers there looking at us
& laughing and being utterly unfriendly and rude we eventually got into a taxi and we thought that we were ok finally. When we bought our voucher I made sure that the taxi would take us straight to our hotel and that we wouldn't be dropped off at to any tuk-tuks (another scam!). They assured us that we would be taken to our hotel in Siem Reap (2 hours drive).
Minutes after pulling out of the terminal the taxi pulled over on the side of the road. I thought we were being thrown out or something but the driver got out and removed the 'taxi' signs from the car (??). Maybe we were being kidnapped in an unidentifiable vehicle now.... we were a little more than on edge about what was happening. We had no control of our situation. Anyway, we got going again and everything was ok for about an hour when the driver pulled over again into a little shop on the side of the road where we were told we had to get out of the car because the vehicle had to be washed (what!!??). I was not happy!! A girl came and demanded that we
get out of the car and she offered us drinks etc. for a price. She asked us how we were and I told her that I was very tired & hungry and just wanted to get to my hotel! We had been up and travelling for about 10 1/2 hours at this stage. So after the car was washed we were loaded back into the car and continued on our way. We eventually entered into Siem Reap and I became suspicious that we weren't being taken to our hotel because the driver had never asked where we were staying. And lo and behold, he turns a corner and pulls up in a driveway of some establishment and we were told that we have to get out and continue in a tuk-tuk. Aaahhh! I'd had enough, so I sat in the car and told them that I had paid much money for the taxi to take me to my hotel and that there would be NO TUK-TUK! They scurried off and brought out a man who spoke a little english and explained to us that we needed to go the rest of the way on the tuk-tuk. So I sat in
the car and repeated myself again that there would be no tuk-tuk. They eventually told me that they would get another car to take us, so we unloaded all of our luggage (again!) and loaded it into another car and took off. This driver was quite friendly and even put on the karaoke machine for us after singing us a funny little song. We told him of our dreadful experience in Cambodia thus far and that all the scams and dishonesty makes it very difficult for tourists like us to want to come back etc. He seemed to empathise with us and told us that the people at the border were not good etc. etc. etc. He seemed ok. FINALLY we got to our 4 star hotel who welcomed us with wet towels to wash our face and a little welcome fruit juice. It was 4.30pm. 12 hours of a most interesting, exhausting but memorable day.
We have now eaten & showered and feeling much better and looking forward to tomorrow and seeing the Temples of Angkor Wat. We have a driver for the day so should be able to go at our own pace. Am looking forward to
hitting the sack now so will sign off with lots of love.
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