Advertisement
Published: April 2nd 2013
Edit Blog Post
Poor planning and preparation produces piss poor performance ! That is what I had drilled into me as young soldier many many years ago and I always forget the lessons I learnt them .
To get from Boracay via Manila to Cambodia is or should be easy given that Manila and Angeles and Siem Reap ( my destination ) have good airports , but ... you must always plan ahead in order to get a flight ,or better to say a cheap flight .I never did this untill the last minute and found the flights from Manila or Angeles direct to Siem Reap were mega expensive and all cheap flights booked out for up to a week in advance so I had to go via Kula Lumpa in Malasyia which was cheap as chips but annoying as it cost me a lot of time travelling and waiting for a connection in KL to get me to Siem Reap .But the journey was great , actually starting after leaving Boracay to meet up overnight with Arthie in Manila then bus to Angeles to fly to KL , I had to wait about 15 hours in KL to connect to Siem Peap
Out of control
This place needs serious weeding then motorbike taxi through the hot dusty streets to the hotel in the middle of nowhere , which is how I like it . I cant be bothered going to resorts and shepherd together with other tourists , I like to be a bit of a loner and somehow stick out a bit , maybe I like the atteniton of the locals people ., I find it really improtant to talk or somehow communicate with them albeit it with a smile a thumbs up or some gesture ,it really makes it a different experience and they appreciate it , it is the advice I would give anyone going to a foreign country it make them feel wanted and happy to be reconised as people and not as part of some sort of tour attrtaction I so often saw people just walking up to the poorer locals and taking photos of them without saying anything ! how rude is that , in fact in India I saw a lady take photos and follow an India lady who was carrying bags of plastic bottles on her head so I said to her she should give the lady at least 2 $ which
Triffids
An amazing sight really is peanuts but she refused as if it was HER right to photograph her !
So in Siem Reap , it was about 15 kms from the amazing temples of Ankor Wat . I had nver heard of Ankor Wat until the 2 girls on my diving course had told me about it , now im not a great fan of temples , seen one seen them all is my logic but these in Ankor wat were truly amazing. They had filmed Tomb Raider here I found out later and it was realyl the perfect surroundings for such a film . I got hold of a tuc tuc driver again from some street and he was my taxi for the few days in Siem Reap , again cheap as chips .. he was happy , I was happy it was great he came to pick me up everytime at the hotel when ever I said to take me out and about or even into town to find food and a few beers and all for the most unbelivable cheap price, cheap for us but a nice little earner for him. great !
I walked around Ankor all
Final leg of a long journey
Thought it was never going to end , no high streets or flashing neon lights in this neck of the woods , love it like this.. bit dodgy though ! day fom dawn to dusk there was so much to see and so awesome to see these centuries old temples with the tree roots growing up over and around them , it was truly magical I was so glad I went back to Cambodia.
The heat in Cambodia was immense with 40° plus it was uncomfortable to walk everywhere every day but this is what you have to do to explore anything really. But one day I was talking to some guy and he told me there was a horseriding ranch nearby ! So I decided to go horseriding, something I have nt done for well over 25 years ! Because it was so hot they told me to come either very early at 6 am or late at 5 pm but I insisted this was too early and to late so I arranged to meet at 12 midday ! How silly of me but what the hell ,after an hour motorbike ride we found the ranch and on the horse I got! some rather unhappy young lad who acted as my guide and riding teacher led the way on a 4 hour horseride in this blazing heat, this
Monks!
Even Buddists visit Ankor Wat , must be holy then ! was crazy but the sights were amazing just riding through the proviance not following a trail , we passed through lots of little settlements with the people all screaming with excitement at this big sweaty uncomortable silly looking westerner come riding through ! It was a laugh though but I was dying in the heat and water was low , funny enough there was not a supermarket in sight but the Cambodian lad was good enough to donate some of his water . We rode through one village and there was a Buddhist training school type thing there , amazing all these Buddhist monks, some chanting , some doing some sport ,some having reading lessons and some just praying or meditating. I rode past one shack at the same level as the window when I heard a voice of this young monk asking me if i like Manchester United and that David Beckham is number 1 !Amazing that they even know about the premiership here in a village in Cambodia miles from anywhere, they were friendly and all smiling it was really a good experience, but even I knew that to photo a Buddhist monk is a no no without
Get off your horse and drink your milk..
Not really like John Wayne but it was a hard ride in that heat ! his permission and I really did want to be so intrusive , alone to be allowed to experience this unusal sight was worth more then a hundred photos.
I came to see what I wanted to see in Cambodia and was happy , but not fulfilled ... not yet . I wanted to go diving again and I wanted to go to Phnom Pehn to see Teang and family , not very well planned as I was going south then north then south again but who cares !
Advertisement
Tot: 0.071s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 7; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0456s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb