Day 6: Ride from Hell !!!!!!!

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Waking up that morning at 6AM I showered and packed as quietly as I could. I went downstairs and took a Tuk Tuk to the transport company that would take me to the capital. I had gotten advise from the hostel to take a van to capital because it was faster. BAD ADVICE.

It was a 12 seat van and I managed to grab a window seat and shortly after 7AM we were on our way. The other van passengers were all Cambodian nationals and was not really built for tourists. It was fairly crowded and the air conditioning did not work that well. Once the van got going I wished I had went with the Giant Ibis bus instead.

I did not put this incident on my facebook daily blog but on the way out of Siem Reap. I saw a van run over a motorcycle driver. It was fairly bloody scene and the van drove off. It was a traumatic incident and I had trouble getting the bloody image out of my head afterwards. It was an example of how dangerous Cambodian roads are and how drivers have little consideration for each other.

The van made only 1 official stop and I got out to get a drink. It was a 30 minute wait at this little Cambodian town, whose name I cannot remember. There was market nearby and I debated whether to get some fruit but I figured it should only be a few more hours until we got to the Capital. MY MISTAKE.

At this point the van was crowded and hot but the roads were holding together. I enjoyed watching the Cambodian countryside go by and even saw kids riding buffalo. The roads near Siem Reap are in good shape but the 2nd half of the ride once you get near Phnom Penh gets rough.

The roads are unpaved and full of potholes and it has many signs saying road construction. Apparently those signs have been there for years and no real work has been done on the roads after they were torn apart. I smashed my head on the top of the van more than a few times. I needed sleep but it was not going to happen on this van. I will also say the van driver was INSANE. He kept going off road, cutting people off and generally behaving crazy. The drive should have just take 5 hours or so but it ended being over 7 hours and I was quite late getting into Phnom Penh.

Obviously my Tuk Tuk driver was not there once I got into the city because I was so late but I managed to maneuver past the crowd of Tuk Tuks that offered a ride. I called the hostel and they sent the driver back. It is not a good idea to take a Tuk Tuk off the street once you get there because they have a habit of driving tourists around in circles and not taking you to your hostel and try to get you to go to a hostel that gives them commission.

I got to my hostel, Me Mates Villa not in a good mood. My whole body was aching from the ride and I resolved never to take a van through Cambodia again. It would be either a bus or flying from now on. Checked into my hostel and the reception guy was nice. He went by the name Bruce Lee and was western educated and a friendly guy. I went and dropped off my stuff on my bed. The hostel bed was $8/night and I could have afforded a very good hotel room but I honestly prefer hostels when I am traveling because the ability to meet other travelers.

I realized at this point that I had left most of my toiletries in Siem Reap so I went to the nearest convenience store to stock up on shampoo and toothpaste again. I paid with a $10 bill and got back Cambodian currency in change. American dollars are heavily preferred over the local currency and I learned this lesson the next day when I went to the same store and tried to buy water with some of the Cambodian currency they had given me the day before, they refused to take it. I was a bit shocked but I wanted the water so I just paid with a dollar and got more Cambodian currency in return (HMMMMM).

I exhausted at this point so I took a nap and I will say the bed was quite comfortable. I could have slept on anything at that point but having a comfortable mattress was a real bonus. I woke sometime in the evening and had no real plans so I went down to the bar/common area.

Happy hour was running from 7PM - 9PM so beers were only 50 cents apiece. Some people were buying beer towers to share and to keep up I bought a few people beers as well. It was interesting conversations that went around the room. One of the German guys was stuck in Phnom Penh because he cancelled his lost credit cards and had to wait until new ones arrived. He later found the credit cards but it was too late. Travel Tip always go with 2 credit cards that you keep in 2 separate locations so if you lose one you still have the other one to use. Another guy had his foot all wrapped up because a tuk tuk ran over his foot and did not stop afterwards. Another travel tip always get travel insurance.

2 of the ladies I was talking to were on their way to Sihanoukville and they were trying to get a group of 4 for a taxi. I was invited but I reluctantly declined because I had my relatives to visit the next day. They actually had the strangest conversation of my entire trip. Apparently there was a bus to Sihanoukville that still had seats. They kept referring to it as the "Secret Bus". I was quite an strange conversation as they spoke with reception and tried to get information about the bus. The night ended with no resolution to the "Secret Bus".

Went to bed close to midnight and the next day I would be seeing my Aunt who I have not seen since I was 2 and my cousins who I have never met.

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