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Published: March 29th 2010
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Hello dear friends!!!
How have you been? I have done many things since my last blog 5 days ago!
Last weekend I still was not sure what I am going to do next week, some days off from school, the whole South East Asia open for me 😊 I didn't mention it, but Monday I tripped over something on the street, but thought it is nothing serious. Tuesday my feet was getting even more swollen, so Anete persuaded me to go to hospital. Second time same week! (On Saturday I went there with Koen...) To keep it short - they made Xray, gave me painkillers and some other pills and sent home, no broken bones!!! Very good!
That same Tuesday evening we decided to go to Cambodia next morning! Very spontaneous and great! We left our home at 4 in the morning to be at the train station on time for train that leaves at 5.55. We were there before 5 so a lot f time to go for very early breakfast 😉 My company was Anete from Latvia, Koen from The Netherlands and Regina and Renata from Russia. The train trip was an experience... 5 and a half
hours, the only ventilation are all open windows (no wonder I got sore throat and was sneezing all the time after the trip). It was constantly full and people sitting opposite us were one more interesting and special than the other... An old guy spitting blood, lady with a smelly basket, girl with a kid, staring Indian guy... When arriving to the city next to the Thai-Cambodian border, we were D-I-R-T-Y. Because after 5,5 hours in a train with open windows you get all possible dirt and dust from outside on your face, body and clothes...
The trip to the border itself was challenging - Tuk Tuk driver brought us to a Visa office that seemed a bit not trustful to me... And it was true - they asked us to pay 35$ for the Visa while I have read on internet that it should be 20$. We started arguing with them, Tuk Tuk driver brought us to another fake place, but I kept on being sharp minded and in the end we made it to the border and paid 20$. Still, even there they asked for an extra payment... It was like 2,5 Eur, so whatever, I just wanted
to get it over with...
Already in Cambodia, we took a bus to Saem Riep, 3 hour drive. That is the place where the biggest religious building in the world, Angkor Wat, is located. And also the temple where Lara Croft, Thomb Raider was filmed. After the whole day of traveling, 12 hours in total, we found a guest house, took a shower and went for dinner. We wanted to try traditional Cambodian (Khmer) food and were very satisfied! Traditional dishes are Amok, a kind of yellow curry and Lam Lok, small slices of beef in pepper and lime sauce. Delicious! They have 2 national currencies - Cambodian Real and US Dollar. 1 Dollar is 4200 Real, so imagine, your dinner is worth something like 30000! :D
On Thursday we walked around the city, was damn hot! 40 degrees in the shade, very hard to do anything... Later went to The Angkor Wat at 5 in the afternoon. Because that is the time from when you can buy a ticket (20$) for the next day. Usually you can also then see the sunset (around 18.20), but that day it was pretty cloudy at that time. We walked around the
Angkor Wat for almost 2 hours and were really impressed, looking forward to go there the next day again!
In the evening nice Khmer dinner again, traditional dances and going out for some cocktails with locals. As an appetizer we had grilled frogs - very nice! Check the pictures 😊
One big difference from Thailand - kids on the street. They run to you, grab you and don't let you go. They beg for food and money. The first one I met told me “Buy me!!!” You see them running after tourists and, of course, there are some who go with them to supermarket. Once we saw it happening, and guess what did that boy wanted tourists to buy for him? Milk powder! I didn't know what kids love that more than chocolate... But then I heard that it is popular to mix cocaine with milk powder to sell more... Now it is all clear for me! Anete and Koen were offered drugs on the street several times, cocaine, weed, whatever you want. No offers to me, guess I am not attractive to them at all :D
Friday was our sightseeing day, went to all the most famous
temples and really enjoyed it! The weather was perfect for it, warm, but sun was behind the clouds, so perfect! We were driven from one temple to the other by Tuk Tuk, because they are for sure not in a walking distance. We were amazed how temples can differ from the ones in Thailand even though these countries are next to each other!
For dinner we met with Anita and Stephanie who had also came there, just one day later. In the evening going out again, a lot of fun! Then, one hour sleep and in bus Bangkok at 7.30! Noooooo train for us anymore! :D The trip was pretty long, until border we were brought with one bus, then we walked over the border and a taxi brought us to another bus on the Thailand side. But first, we stayed at a restaurant for almost 2 hours “waiting” for the bus. Very convenient for the family business, huh? 😉 During stop at the gas station, I bought a watermelon, the lady started peeling and cutting it when the bus was moving already! So I just got 1 half cut and the other one not! It was so delicious that
me and Koen could not resist trying to eat the other one as well :D That was pretty much a mission impossible, but we somehow did it, just have to be creative :P In the end, the trip took even more long - because of the protests in Bangkok we were standing in a traffic jam for a long time, with Red Shirts passing us and waving... Really full streets with them! I was a bit worried we will not be able to get home by taxi... We made it home safe, but canceled our plan to go party in Bangkok that night....
Today(Sunday) I was just chilling at home, getting some fruits and preparing for presentation I have tomorrow morning. And then school is officially over! 😊
On Wednesday me and Anete are flying to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia already, crazy! Already have to pack and leave Thailand, can't believe it... But very much looking forward to enjoying Malaysia and afterwards Indonesia 😊
Talk to you most probably when I am in Bali already!
Lots of kissssssssssssssssssses!
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serah from vlieland
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Hee Ilze, what a great story! You must enjoy it so much! I hope you bring your stories back to vlieland and your pictures! Good luck! xoxo Sarah (from vlieland)