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Published: July 21st 2012
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Path to River Carvings
1500 meter hike up and down the mountain to the river carvings. It has been hard to find a) internet service and b) keyboards not missing vowels so finally here is the latest since hitting Cambodia. We paid the change fee and left Burma, flew to Bangkok to regroup and eat healthy food. We found Thong Ta Resort and Spa just a few minutes from the airport and enjoyed local street food and relaxed. Oh, and now we are exclusive members-never thought I would be the type to have a "club" membership-hahaha.
Flew into Phnom Penh, our usual place didn't have an available room so we ended up at a negative four star hotel for fifteen dollars. The young man was trying so hard the choice to stay there made it a little easier-but not much. The room was hot, air-con barely worked, the room smelled like a boys gym, but we had a balcony! Up early to take the bus to Siem Reap. We decided to take a mini-bus, a little more expensive but faster-five hours instead of six. We were seated in the back which was more like a bad carnival ride, since the road was partly washed out and construction was going on we we were bouncing all over
the place. A Khmer man sat next to Steven and really wanted to practice is english-and hey-for five hours that is all they did. I almost interjected when Steven told him the name of all jeans, slacks, etc.... were "pantaloons" but he really liked that word and kept saying it. I figure it could be his signature english word. I taught him the proper pronunciation of tomato and gave him some free websites to practice his pronunciation and grammar.
So, in Siem Reap at Tanei Guesthouse-nice room, pool, and progressive people running it. Lots of improvements since last year-the owner takes suggestions seriously and is doing well. It is low season and the guesthouse was full-that is a great sign. We needed something new so decided to hire a tuk-tuk to take us to the river carvings-much further out than the usual round of temples. Our driver, Mr. Kouy, was great-knew where everything was, kept water on ice for us, and was completely gracious. The drive was about an hour an a half then we had to walk 1500 meters up and down through the jungle-tangled vines, boulders slippery with sand, and butterflies everywhere. The carvings are remarkable, created
four hundred years before Angkor Wat. So that was very cool.
Siem Reap, like the rest of Cambodia, is a stark contrast everywhere you go. The government is so corrupt-eighteen billion dollars have been pumped into this country and ninety percent of the people do not have clean water or a sanitation system but the government officials drive Range Rovers and take over the road like complete a*******, live in huge houses and eat Western food imported just for them. Children must pay a bribe to attend "free" school, teachers pay bribes to principals, and on up it goes. And that is in every government office. Siem Reap currently has an outbreak of dengue fever, the signs were everywhere wanting donations for blood but you would have to go into a hospital to donate-in a hospital with TB, meningitus, encephalitus are all in one room. There is also an outbreak of a disease I can't spell that has already killed sixty-five children-which means that is what the newspapers and goverment is reporting-I can tell you the number is much higher. The people were gathered outside the hospitals, holding sick children, and we saw more than one motorbike go by
with a child on it and mother holding the pole with IV attached. The corruption, poverty, disease, and sweet smiles and hellos from the children are all overwhelming.
We are heading to Kampot, southern Cambodia to relax a bit.
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