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Published: March 23rd 2008
Darleen
"If I tell you capital of England, you buy my bracelets"On the 14th of March at 5:30am we were sat on the train awaiting our 6am departure out of Bangkok. The six hour train journey would take us to Aranya Prathet, six kilometres from the Thailand - Cambodia border. A six hour ride that for the first three I had some guy sat next to me chanting; I felt like I was being exorcised.
We had mixed emotions as the train made its way past towns, villages and fields. We were happy to be leaving Thailand, there were good moments, but on the whole it had been a frustrating and disappointing four weeks. However, although Cambodia seems to get good reports from other blog sites we've read, the border crossing (as I mentioned in the last blog) always had the potential to be a stressful affair, with stories of corruption, touts, pickpockets and beggars.
*We've found reading other blogs to be very useful, so a tip for other travellers (if family and friends can bear with us):
If you're doing the Thailand to Cambodia border crossing into Poipet don't forget the simple things. We sorted out our Cambodian visas online which was easy and cheaper than doing things at the
They are always watching
At the entrance to Angkor Thom. border and avoids any corruption. When arriving at the Thai side (a short tuk-tuk journey from the train station 50-60bt) don't forget to fill in your 'leaving Thailand' slip which should be in your passport. Do this before you arrive, it will prevent you getting sent to the back of the queue. Also when you walk the 200m to the Cambodia side, on entering the office building on the right grab an 'entry slip' which you'll probably forget being already proudly armed with your visa. You won't be prompted about these until you get to the passport official behind the window, and this again will mean you'll head to the back of a very slow moving queue. Between the Thai border and the Cambodian passport office is where you'll probably be hounded for a lift to Siem Reap. If there are 2 of you and you've read the 'Lonley Planet' you'll be preparing to pay 1000bt, but although a little cramped we joined another 2 people and payed 300bt per person. More for the driver but cheaper for you.....win,win. The bad news is the journey is still at least 3 hours on very bumpy and dusty roads. However you choose
to travel, make sure your transport has air con. because you won't want the windows open with dust or rain, and it's HOT! And if you can, have US$ and some in small denominations. Don't worry the ATMs (cash machines) do dispense dollars.
So we arrived safely in Siem Reap, tired after a 4:30am start followed by 9 hours travelling by rail and 'road' (in the loosest sense of the word) being almost fused into the seated position, and carrying our full backpacks in between. We finally found a guesthouse that suited our needs and budget and both crashed into deep comas.
We arranged our next 2 days by hiring a tuk-tuk and driver on arrival to take us around the temples. The third day we ventured to some less visited and more remote temples by hiring a car - too far for the tuk-tuk. The weather here is even hotter and more humid than Thailand and walking around the ruins sometimes feels like you're going from one kiln to the next. BUT! the temples are amazing, and after 10 minutes when you're already drenched in sweat, and have come to terms with the fact that there's no escaping
The famous Bayon temple.
How many faces can you see?? this, as long as you've got water and sunscreen these places are an absolute wonder and (I would imagine) a photographer's dream.
During our 2 day assault, we visited numerous temples including all the usual suspects, and a whole lot more. The general plan was to obviously see the iconic structure that is Angkor Wat, which as the fabled centre of mankind's very existence, and the largest religious structure on the planet needs no further introduction. However, we didn't want to see Angkor Wat first, instead building up to it by wandering around and through the other ancient ruins. These included Angkor Thom with its magnificent entrance gate and the multi-faced Bayon temple, as well as smaller but equally impressive areas such as Ta Prohm where tree roots have engulfed parts of the ruins to give you that Indiana Jones feeling. In fact scenes from Tomb Raider were filmed around Siem Reap's Temples. On our third day we went further afield to see the beautifully ornate Banteay Srei, as well as the eerily quiet (virtually no tourists due to it's location) Beng Mealea where nature has completely run riot and is a little more like what the first Westerners
A minor adjustment.
A monk re-robes himself in the grounds of Angkor Wat. would have seen when they were shown these remarkable places.
Apart from the heat the main difficulty here is trying to avoid the click-happy-victory-sign-throwing-oblivious-to-anyone-else Japanese tour buses. If you can't avoid them, which is virtually impossible at the well known temples, the next challenge is to not let them get in and spoil your photographs. The great thing about digital cameras is that you can delete and have another go. Maybe (the more I think about it) the Japanese invented digital cameras just so they can continue this annoying pastime. When asked to take pictures for other people, I've joked and replied: "Do you want that with, or without a Japanese tourist?"
Sam actually went one step further than that, and made it her aim to get in photos that the Japanese were taking, much to our amusement.
You see, the Japanese and indeed the Chinese tourists seem to have this mindset (I will drop the subject in a minute) that when they're taking pictures of something or somewhere no matter how beautiful, they have to be in it! Which makes me wonder, is the picture about them? or is it proof that they were really there? And if
so who's asking for that proof, and why are they still friends?? Answers on a postcard would be much appreciated...
Just like Thailand there are scams and touts here, but the ones who will hound you the most are the kids, and we love 'em.
The main currency (although riel is the country's true money) is US$, and everything the kids are selling (before bartering) is for $1 - whether it be a necklace, 10 postcards, a flute or fan. The amusing thing is that they all have the same sales pitch, which goes a little something like this:
child: hello mister/lady
us: hello
child: you buy my bracelet?
us: no thank you
child: 5 for only one dollar
us: no thank you
child: special price for you, 6 for one dollar
Now, whatever polite reply you give next, they have an answer for, and it comes back quicker than a heckled comedians retort. e.g:-
us: I don't want a bracelet thank you.
child: Then buy some for your friends or your mum.
us: I don't have any friends. (ha, answer that!)
child: That's because you didn't
buy them any bracelets!
us/child: laughs!
child: where you from?
us: England
child: If I can tell you capital of England, you buy my bracelets.
us/child: more laughs!
child: Capital of England is London. (this is inevitably followed by the population in millions).
Now, you might try and get clever with the next kid, but you name most countries and the majority of the time they will tell you the capital, from Scotland to Outer Mongolia. Whats more is they can do this in 5 different languages........
So you finally get to the temple or your meal arrives (the kids never bother you when you're eating) without parting with your cash. The conversation then goes:
child: you come back later maybe?
us: maybe
child: when you come back, you buy from me OK!
us: maybe, good luck.......bye bye. (we always wish them luck)
As adults, most of us would be uncomfortable with cold calling or the hard sell, but these kids are doing it daily, and they have to do it, otherwise they'd be playing in the lakes and having fun. And if you are coming here,
The Apprentice
A young girl waits patiently for the guide to finish, before her sales pitch to the tourists. bring some sweets or something and if you don't buy, giving them some 'candy' is a small recognition of their efforts, and something they can enjoy as I'm sure they don't keep the money.
What we've found amusing and rewarding is to try and divert the kids away from their sales pitch. We've done this by greeting them like long lost friends when they first come up to us, which they don't expect at all (normally it's a rude brush off from most other people) and they start giggling with embarrassment. We also answer their questions with questions and soon you're having a little chat and they've forgotten about the selling and they're laughing and having fun. We've invited some of the kids to take a break from their 'jobs' and have a rest in the shade which they've been more than happy to do when not in the view of parental bosses.
Darleen (see picture) was a delight, and after an epic but amusing sales patter where most countries and capitals were listed we asked for a photo which brought instant shyness and the sort of reaction you would expect from a child of her age. As we left,
Ghosts of Sammy B
Still haunting the ruins. we gave her $1, not for her bracelets which she could sell to someone else, but for her smile and we'd like to think she felt kinda special for a while.
As I mentioned we thought the children here were great characters and behind the hard sell they're still just kids at heart, and their beautiful faces and smiles will be as memorable as the sunrise over Angkor Wat itself.
Siem Reap is changing fast though, and I'm sure the same was said 5 years ago, but with all the building going on at the moment numbers of visitors will double in the next five. The trouble is, the number of temples will remain the same, meaning all those extra people (and Japanese tour groups) will be further crammed into these small areas, making the whole experience less personal and therefore less enjoyable, not to mention the detrimental effect this will have on the temples themselves.
We booked our ticket out of Siem Reap with a boat trip southwest which would take us to Cambodia's second largest city, Battambang. This journey will take us across Tonle Sap Lake, past the floating village of Chong Kneas. We will then
Almost Aztec
One of the many temples at Angkor Thom make our way up the Sangker River, but we've been told that due to the time of year and low water levels we won't make the whole journey by boat. Our transport for the remainder of the way is as yet unknown....
So with that in mind, like a bad episode of Eastenders we'll leave it there and pick up that journey, our visit to Battambang and our stay in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, in our next blog.
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