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Published: December 3rd 2008
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Well, this is our first blog entry for our SE Asia trip and because we have left it so long, we have alot to talk about. We left Darwin on 7 November for Bangkok after driving 1,500km from Alice Springs. It was sad but exciting to leave Alice and the start of another journey for Em and Goughie.
Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand
We arrived in Bangkok on 7 November after a mammoth 24 hours of travel and about 10 hours in Bali airport. After listening to the most annoying chimes all day in the airport we were ready to get to bed. We arrived in Bangkok at 1am in the morning and then had our first taxi "rip off" trip to Wendy Guest House in central Bangkok. This was a good base to discover the mahem that is Bangkok and explore the shopping. After sampling some local foods (including delicious pineapples from the street stalls) and not so local foods, we then decided we would do what the Thai do and head down to Ko Samed Island for a few days before joining our tour.
Ko Samed, Thailand
Ko Samed was a wicked place located about 3hrs
Angkor Wat
A beautiful temple located near Siem Riep in Cambodia. by bus from Bangkok and then a 45min ferry trip to the island. We met a couple of backpackers from Holland (Roelof and Angelique) and Shane the Canadian (named "Uncle Shane") which was great fun. We found a bungalow on the beach and settled into the deck chairs on the beach for dinner and drinks.
On the second day, we joined a speed boat tour to the islands with possibly the coolest guide on the island and had a snorkelling session followed by a BBQ lunch. The snorkelling session was great except James stubbed his toe and was limping around for the next two days (and it's still sore). This was a picture of the excited Emma after reading the sign that said "fishing" but it actually meant looking at fish in a fish farm which included turtles, sharks and other random Thai sea creatures. It was a bit dubious walking around the farm which had no fences and was simply some planks floating on the top of empty detergent containers in the water. Golden rule - do not fall in! There was no photo of the dissappointed Emma after realising her fishing dreams had been canned. After a
James shooting an AK47
An experience everyone should have! couple of realaxing days we then boarded the ferry and caught the bus back to Bangers to meet the tour.
We hired a motorbike for a couple of hours on the last day and went around the island checking out the views and other beaches and into the town centre.
We headed back to Bangkok to join our tour group very relaxed and ready to start our next adventure.
Cambodia
Siem Riep, Cambodia
Today we joined the tour from Bangkok to Cambodia which was one of the best experiences we have had yet. We boarded the bus in Bangkok and headed to the Thai/Cambodia border which was somewhat crazy. We approcahed the border on sealed roads and then crossed over into a completely different world with the click of a finger. Aptly named the "dancing road" we ventured through horse and carts, crazy motocycle drivers, more crazy bus and truck drivers and I am sure we needed a four wheel drive mini bus but an adventure all the same! We arrived in Siem Reap later on that day and bedded down for the night.
The next day we jumped on a Tuk Tuk and
visited the temples of Angkor Wat which wre simply amazing. We visited the main temple before the infamous tree from Tomb Raider fame and we posed Lara Croft Style jumps in one of the tombs (we had too). In the afternoon, we went to the Cambodian Landmine Museum which was an eye opener and housed some amzing stories of the hardships faced by Cambodian people.
Today was a day of craziness. Johnno and James found out earlier in the morning that there was a shooting range where you can shoot weapons of all kinds. This was too good to be true so we jumped in a Tuk Tuk and headed out there. We selected an AK47 from the wall of guns (which included a rocket launcher for 200USD - yes, a rocket launcher) and fired off a few rounds of single shots before engaging in semi automatic. We have only just stopped talking about this :o) Later that night we went to a floating village where everyone lives on the water at the mouth of the Tonle Sap river. This was yet another different world of what we had seen and it is amazing to see how these people
live.
Kapaun Cham, Cambodia
Siem Riep was now coming to a close and unfortunately it was time to head off and our destination was Kapum Cham. This town was not the best but a good base for the bicycle ride the next day. We left early the next morning and rode our bikes to board a highly dangerous boat/barge/dodgy floating thing to a small island to cycle through the village and meet the local children and to visit a Cambodian English school. This experience was a definite highlight as the kids just went crazy when we rode our bikes passed coming out and slapping hands with us. On dusk we were shown a tobacco farm which was being plowed by Buffalo and weeded by hand. The ride back to town was bug infested so we kept our mouth and eyes shut and cycled back on the boat and then back to the hotel.
Homestay, Cambodia
Today was the day for eating Cambodian Triantulars. Jono was the only non Cambodian to munch on one of these but he said it was like "Teriyaki" mmmmm. After this pit stop we arrived at our homestay. A Cambodian family in
a village vacated their house so we could experience life as a Cambodian family. This was an amzing experience and the village is now opening themselves up for eco tourism to support the farmers income which is very poor. We ate some great meals at the local restaurant operated by the women in the village. That night we slept like babies in our little house surrounded by a mosquito net and the sounds of insects and nature until 5am when the rooster starting.
Sihanouk Ville, Cambodia
Off to the beach!! Sihanouk Ville is on the very Southern part of Cambdia and is a beautiful seaside town with alot of things for tourists and backpakers to do. This was the place where we discovered beer towers. 9 litres of Angkor Draught for $7. BARGAIN. We also discovered Cambodian style BBQ seafood which is shrimp, fish, squid salad and garlic bread. We ate this every night and over indulged! There were also cocktails and beer for 50c so you can imagine what we got upto and got into!
On the second day, we went on a boat tour to some islands and went fishing. HOWEVER, Em still didn't manage
o get a line in becasue she had too many beer towers and fell asleep on the boat and missed out again. A great day in the sun! The next day was spent lounging around on the beach and a visit to the Starfish Bakery which has good food and is a not for profit organisation that supports the poorest of the poor and people who don't fit into the generic aid organisations.
Stay tuned for the next blog from Phenom Penh to Hanoi in Vietnam.
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