Blogs from Phnom Penh, South, Cambodia, Asia - page 220

Hi all, Tuesday night ended up being a bit of a late one, typically because I had to be up at 5.30 the next morning. I met Vicky and Paul an english couple, and Amanda and Craig, an aussie couple, and well, one cocktail led to another . . . a good night was had by all, definately. The next morning on the way to the "pier" by the side of the road were wooden shacks on stilts - apparently in the wet season the road floods, so they just pick up their houses and move them up the nearby hill until the waters recede, then move back down. Getting to the fast boat was an achievement in itself, you are transported on a smaller boat to where the fast boat is moored in deeper waters. ... read more

We woke up this morning after a pretty terrible sleep, filled with the bass that was streaming through the closed window panes and under the door from the party outside our door, two rotating fans that were giving us puffy eyes and cold shoulders, and just generally discomfort in being where we were... I slept like a log for most of the night, mind you, but the girls didn't, and Leens was paranoid about our safety, as we didn't really feel like we could trust anyone down here. I got out of bed (which Eva and I had shared, as they only had a room with a double and a single left) and looked outside, thinking I would be met by sunshine and chirping birds. Instead, there was rain and stormy weather... perfect, and I don't ... read more

From the profound, to the bizarre, to the horrific, so go our travels through Cambodia. Angkor Wat is, as expected, breath taking and exhausting all in one. The constant begging and postcard offering is both frustrating and sad but when a region, and in many ways an entire country, depend on the "walking white ATM", you have to understand. Then onto Battambang. Which, since we couldn't remember how to properly pronounce, quickly became "Bada Bing". This is the other tourist destination in the area and reachable by bus or boat from Siem Reap. We opted for boat as we had been told that the bus is complete torture and the boat only just a little painful. Ironically, our new buddy Mitch (let's hear it for Canadians moving to the USA) forewarned us that the trip ... read more

Well I'm about to leave Nam, when this bus eventually turns up. Just got to avoid Charlie for the last few hours and then got my papers home, well to Cambodia. Since I last posted I've hung arounf Hoi An for a few more days, didn't do a great deal, spent most of the time at the beach chilling get a tan, sweet!!!! Went out, properly one night. All the bars close at 11pm so your left with getting a bike about 15km to one of 2 dodgy bars or the booze cruise, we opted for the booze cruise. The booze cruise is basically this boat you pay $6 to get on and your drinks are free, it's just local stuff, but doesn't taste too bad and gets you hammered. I certainly got my $6 worth. ... read more

Cambodia can be hard to love. After getting off the boat from Chau Doc, Vietnam I had my first taste of those legendary Cambodian roads when we were herded onto a bus. 90 minutes later with my teeth nearly shaken out of my skull we rolled into Phnom Penh an hour later than expected. A murmur broke out amongst the tourists on the bus- Star Mart? Shell Stations? In Cambodia? I had been dreaming of 24 hour convenience stores, I had not seen one in Vietnam and I wasn't expecting to see them in Cambodia or anywhere else besides Bangkok, but there they were like manna from heaven. I confess I got a little teary-eyed. The bus dropped us off at the Capitol Guesthouse, which I knew was a dump but more importantly it is the ... read more