Scambodia

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First I have to preface this already novel length entry. I realize that the title of the post is pretty harsh, and at times I admit my attitude was less than forgiving. But before I dive into our adventure that was Cambodia, I need to say that while at times I know I sound (and probably am) insensitive, I do realize what drives the need for these people to do what they do. I struggled daily with the universal unfairness of it all that I was born to such a situation that allowed me to be there on a trip around the world that probably cost more than many of these people see in several years. It made me feel small, weak, frustrated at my own inability to change it, and it made me feel lucky. I admit that at times I lost patience with the people and the hassles. But I also recognize that these people have seen, lived through, or grown up with the legacies of atrocities I cannot even begin to imagine, from Khmer Rouge to everyday hunger and disease. The only money many of these people see coming into their country is in the wallets of us rich western tourists and there are so many people competing for every dollar. The competition can't be anything but fierce. We cant imagine how frustrating it must be to watch these rich Americans walk away, taking their precious dollars elsewhere. To walk, for heaven's sake, when they could give someone work by hiring a tuk tuk or a taxi. It was desperation we saw behind every headache inducing hardsell. Desperation I can't begin to imagine. I am not saying that I was always patient. I don't like being taken for a ride or scammed, no one does, I'm just saying that it's not hard to see where it comes from. Why they need to milk every transaction for whatever they can. They've got a resource in the temples and the tourists who come to see them, who can blame them for trying to exploit that resource for all it's worth? so, keeping that in mind, this is how we got scammed from Koh Chang, to Siem Reap and back to Bangkok.

Getting to Siem Reap
We left Koh Chang for Siem Reap, Cambodia on the morning of October 17. The tourist agency that sold us the tickets told us to be there at 8am to meet the pick up that would take us to the border. We rose and shone, had breakfast, and went across the street to meet the pick up. Lucky for us we weren't getting picked up at a hotel,but instead at the tour agency itself, because apparently they forgot us. We waited and waited and finally the woman at the agency paid a taxi to take us to the ferry, gave us some sketchy directions on how to find our transport once we were there, and sent us on our way. We got to the ferry terminal and began asking every minibus driver we could see where they were going and showed them our tickets to see if they knew who we were supposed to go with. Basically everyone pointed to everyone else, and eventually we'd asked them all to no avail. Just when I was certain we'd been thoroughly worked, a girl came over and gestured us on her moterbike. She drove, I sat behind her, complete with backpack and masa held on for dear life behind me complete with front and back packs. Imagine this for a second, because unfortunately we had no way to take a photo. We had no idea where this girl was taking us, but didn't seem to have a whole lot of options so we went. She ended up driving us to a differen't ferry stop with about 10 other tourists waiting around. They all laughed as we pulled up. I really wish I could have seen what we looked like. Anyway, we had to pay to get on the ferry (yes it was supposed to have been included, but at that point, what's another 50 cents or whatever... this, over time, became a motto) We got the ferry to the other side and there was a minibus waiting for us there with another couple, they were from Finland but she was originally from England. They were really cool and made for an interesting drive to the border at Arunya Prathet/Poipet.

Once we got there we stopped for lunch and the tour guy ran visas for those who didn't already have them. This is one of the many, many scams that one encounters on the overland route to Cambodia. The tour guy charges the 20 US dollars for the visa (which the Cambodian Government officially charges) and an extra 10 for himself. A couple of older women freaked out at this notion and caught a tuk tuk to the border to do their own visas. When they got there the border officials also proceeded to try to extort 10 dollars out of each of them which they refused to pay so the officials told them they had to wait 3 hours for the visa, knowing the women were with a tour group. finally, when the women saw us all go by, they panicked and ended up paying the officials five dollars each. Since we had gotten our visas in Bangkok, we avoided this stress - though we also overpaid. But watching everyone else completely stress, I was kind of glad we did it that way. I wasn't concerned in the least and we made it through the border controls with relative ease.

The second scam we encountered was the changing money scam. Everyone knows borders are terrible places to exchange money. We know this. So when the guy told us we would get ripped off in Siem Reap because it's a tourist town it should have gone in one ear and out the other. Well, in our defense we did want to have a little cash in case we had to get a cab since we were fully expecting to be taken to a guesthouse in the middle of nowhere. but another part of the scam that we didn't know whether to believe or not was him telling us all about how in Cambodia they don't take US dollars and they don't take thai Baht. We'd heard mixed things and never from any reliable sources, so we went ahead and exchanged what amounted to maybe 15 dollars at a rate of 70Riel to 1 Baht. FYI, you can get this same exchange for 109Riel to 1Baht in Siem Reap... if you were to do so, but that would just be stupid. After we exchanged a bunch of Baht for Riel in Siem Reap we discovered that everything is priced in USD and the exchange rate is actually better if you use US money than if you use Cambodian Riel. Even the ATMs (which, despite what you read and what people say number at least three in Siem Reap) dispense only US cash. If you go to Cambodia, don't get riel you'll only be ripped off, like we were.

Another scam we hit on the way into Cambodia is that the people running the transport sloooooww... youuuuu... dowwwwwn considerably. They wait and wait, gab and talk, stop at restaurants from which I'm sure they get a kickback and so on. to their boon, the road was also washed out in places, making us have to drive through about 10k of flooded road in the pitch dark, slowing our trip down even more. The object? to get us there as late as possible and with as much hassle as possible so that when they dump us at the contracted guesthouse that's paying per head for us to be delivered there - like cattle - we are so tired and frustrated and disoriented that we just want to stay. Masa and I decided to go with the flow and just stay there. The place was relatively clean (and I mean relatively) and cheap at five dollars a night. So we took a room and stayed. We'd been fourteen hours in transit.

Siem Reap Town
The next day we wanted to find a different place to stay and get our bearings as well as see the town and move our legs a bit so we decided, once the ridiculous pouring rain and thunder abated, to do just that. However, when we tried to leave we were interrogated by the operators of the guesthouse and various contractors for tuk tuks and so on. The guesthouse had paid for us to be delivered on that bus, and from what we heard they paid 7 US dollars a head... keep in mind our room was only worth 5bucks so now they had to make their money back for us as well as for the people who decided not to stay. We got hassled with "where are you going" "why do you want to walk?" "are you going to the temples?" "we can drive you" blah blah blah. Finally we managed to escape but not without a lot of very hard selling.

We walked through Siem Reap, which was heartbreaking to say the least. I know that it was good to be there and see that, but it was hard to swallow. Added to that was my guilt at being so irritated by it all. The constant barrage of begging and vending and hawking and hassling. Not taking no for an answer. It wore me out quickly. As much as my heart broke for the people, I also had the urge to just run away, not have to look at it anymore. Then this followed by more crushing guilt and shame for feeling that way. It was difficult to comprehend, difficult to digest what I saw.

After getting our bearings and walking around the town, scoping out a few guesthouses and landing on a decent one, we went back to our scam house, utterly exhausted. We'd planned to stay one more night at the scam house to give us time to check out other places before having to lug our stuff anywhere. But when we got back, we were immediately met at the gate and again, interrogated as to where we'd been and what we'd done. Had we gone to the temples? I said no, we just walked around. they said, you just walked around? very skeptical. I said yes, we looked around your town and got some food, that's all. Ha! they said, you got food? you didn't want this food? By this point I was ready to say something that would only be counterproductive, so I just walked straight through them up to our room. We were ready to forfeit our five bucks for the second night and walk out - well, masa was ready to, but I was so weary of confrontation and hassle I could have just laid in the room all night being completely inert. but Masa decided to give them a second chance by going down, having a beer and talking to them about how we want to use their services and we will and all that, but we just don't want to be constantly hassled about it over every meal and every time we walk through the gate. The guy who seemed affiliated with the guesthouse seemed to comprehend and apologized for it and they just chatted for a while, but then some other contractor of a tuk tuk or something, came in and started hassling masa again about how we didn't eat there, we didn't use the tuk tuk etc. It was pretty much the last straw. Masa finished his beer, came up stairs and filled me in on what happened, we packed up our things and left. The guesthouse guy, obviously was very apologetic when he saw us with our bags, but enough was enough. They even offered to have a party for us in the guesthouse that night, but partying with them was pretty much the last thing we wanted to do that night. the super aggressive guy wasn't there but we told the others why we were leaving and explained ourselves before we left. We told them that we understood that they had paid to have the bus bring us there and that they needed to sell things to make a living, but that the constant hard selling made us not want to be there, and that the other man had offended Masa when he yelled at him. Doubt it will make a difference but we felt better having done so.

We went to a place called home sweet home guesthouse which was much more low key, though we did run into a bit of the selling but it wasn't nearly as bad. I'd recommend it, not highly, but I'd recommend it all the same. The people there were nice, the room was much cleaner and better equipped for similar prices as the first place, and it wasn't located out in the middle of nowhere with the intent of kidnapping you. Plus they didn't buy busses full of tourists to scam. We stayed there four nights, visiting the temples which were, needless to say amazing and of which I have included photos. I won't go into detail about the different temples, there were so many. I honestly don't remember what many of them were, though we did read about each one while we were there, they all kind of run together after a while. Except, of course, for angkor wat, the biggie, which was huge and absolutely stunning. We had a few days relatively scam free, though the tuk tuk driver kind of overcharged and the exchange rates were not great - but then that's our fault for having their useless money in the first place. Masa got a bit sick for a couple of days in Siem Reap, but nothing too bad. We had some movie channels and BBC world as well as CNN International and ESPN - on which we actually saw part of the last game of the National League Championship Series (of course, they'd already announced who won when they played it, but whatever, it was baseball.) The guesthouse was cleaner than many we've been in, had hot shower, aforementioned TV and Air conditioning, all for about 10 bucks a night. For those who may be headed for Siem Reap check out Home Sweet Home Guesthouse, or the Two Dragons, which is right next door and run by a very helpful american guy.

Although the scams were less, we were harrassed at every corner, at every temple, everywhere. We were pressed to buy books, water, postcards, food, scarves, and trinkets. The most tenacious may have been the book sellers. No matter what the item being offered, the sellers would get angry with us if we didn't want them, calling us bad people. Picking up and playing on a sense of guilt and shame that the rich western tourists feel at seeing their plight. ... but then maybe that's just me being jaded by the whole affair. We bought a few things here and there and always were accused by those from whom we didn't buy of being unfair. At one point we bought two scarves off of one little girl and a few little ornaments off another in a group of about 9 girls. Then we were promptly screamed at because, apparently we weren't being fair, they were sisters. It was simply and utterly emotionally exhausting. One minute I wanted to swat them off of me, the next I wanted to bring them home with me. I'm not proud of admitting all this, but it's what was there.

Siem Reap to Bangkok
Leaving Cambodia was another adventure. we were picked up at 7:30am from our guesthouse and taken to a bus where we waited for another hour and a half or so. We finally left and then stopped 5 minutes later, apparently so the driver could buy and change an air filter. Next we stopped for him to get the oil changed. Next we stopped at a little store, I don't know what this was for, apparently to chat for a while and the quick! quick! rush us back on the bus we had to leave! We reached the road wash out around noon, I think. We'd been warned that the bus might not make it across - remember the road was flooded on the way in as well. The bus did make it through the first part of the washout and just as I was getting my hopes up that it might actually get to poipet before the border closed at 6pm (according to Lonely Planet) the tour operator said that we had to get out of the bus so that it could go across the muddy section unburdened. we could either get on a boat or wade through 300 meters of thigh deep water (he didn't mention flukes and leeches but I read) we picked the boat for 20 baht apeice (about 1 dollar altogether), after all what's another 20 baht? We crossed over on the boat, waited for the bus to catch up and when it did, we all got back on board. In the course of the next two hours we moved maybe 10 feet every half hour or so. The cars and trucks were backed up in both directions for miles behind a truck stuck axle deep in the mud... only one of many along the way that were go-aroundable. this one, apparently was not. the tour guy addressed us again after about 2 and a half hours of sitting in the hot sun, crouching in the shade of the bus, sitting in the hot bus, and being badgered by the locals to buy drinks, snacks, bracelets and trinkets etc. There was even a band under one of the two trees in the vincinity. Anyway after we'd been there forever and a year, we were told by the tour guy that he had no idea when the bus would be able to move again and that we could either wait with the bus, which we were more than welcome to do even though it could be all night, or we could take another boat across another wash out and get on pick up trucks (15 to each truck) that would take us to the border for 10 us dollars each. Or we could leave and fend for ourselves. did we have a choice here? Besides, what's another 10 bucks? right? So we loaded, this time with all our gear, onto more boats but when we got across the water, there was only one pick up there. I admit, by this point I was of the "every one for herself (and significant other if he can keep up 😉" mentality so I got our stuff onto that truck and climbed on up. About 17 of us ended up in the truck, a group of the others managed to talk their way onto a Japanese tour bus, and the rest took a camry taxi (who knew camrys are off roading vehicles? Apparently they are, you should have seen it.)

It took us three hours to get to the border from the wash out. I was perched on a rail on the side of the pick up's bed wedged between some british guys and masa, my feet under someone's pack on which the owner was sitting - this hurt considerably until I lost all feeling in my legs around hour 2. By the third hour, every time we went over one of the numerous larger potholes in the unpaved or scantily paved road, everyone in the truck let out a chorus of groans. When we arrived in poipet we were all coated in a thick layer of fine orange dust, which stuck nicely to the sunscreen and sweat. It was an experience. I'll never forget it, but I'll never do it again on purpose.

When we got to Poipet I had all but given up hope that the border would be open. Like I said, the Lonely Planet told us it closed at 6pm, someone else had said 7pm, it was currently ten to 8. But the tour guys were taking us there as if it were open, so we all piled off the truck and onto another bus - why? don't ask me, by this time I was just a sheep moving along with the pack. Besides did we have a choice? not like I know where the border is. So we got to the Cambodian side of the border with only moments to spare - being still of a save yourself mind we'd sat in the very front of the bus and were the first off. of course the cambodian border guys were totally slow but finally masa and I both got through and headed for the thai border about 300 feet away. as we approached with a couple of our bus mates, people were trying to divert us right and left. everyone told us the border was closed or asked us to buy things or just for money. we saw a guy standing at the thai side ready to lock the gate and broke into a sprint (which I hadn't before thought was possible with all that equipment strapped on but I was dammed if I was going to spend another night in Cambodia at that point.) We got across, but only with five others from our bus. The rest didn't make it despite our best efforts to convince the thai border guys that the rest of our group was coming and they needed to be with us. Naturally there was no bus to meet us as there should have been. But luckily - our one lucky break really - we were with the five other people from the bus and they were all pretty laid back and cool, everyone spoke english and one was even Thai so when we found a minibus ready to take us to Bangkok for a price, she was able to negotiate. we ended up paying about 10 dollars each. hey, what's another ten bucks right? 😊 But the most important thing is that we made it back to Bangkok that night. As soon as we crossed the border everyone in the van let out a sigh of relief. It only took us 19 hours to get back to Bangkok from Siem Reap, and 42 dollars more than the 32 we'd already paid for the trip. But we were back in the land of paved highways and 7-11s (never have I been so thrilled to see a 7-11 but we hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning and it was already closing in on 11pm.) When we arrived in Bangkok from Paris I was struck by how poor it looked in comparison, that night, coming from Cambodia it looked like the most affluent city on earth. Strange huh?

We arrived in Bangkok around 1am I think, I slept most of the trip. We found our guest house and crashed out, still amazed that we actually made it. To tell you the truth I'm still amazed we made it back that night. It was a crazy day, but thank god it was only one day.

Anyway this has taken me a long time to write, hopefully the updates will come easier now that this is out. I hope everyone is well and happy. We are safe and healthy (and, incidentally, thrilled about the election results!!! woo hoo! - sorry for the political commentary, ignore if you don't agree. if you do agree, say it with me, HELL YEAH.)

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Photos

Masa in Siem Reap
This was the main drag of Siem Reap Town. The town looks like it's expanding like crazy but the public works projects are majorly lacking.

Cattle in the Marketplace
A common sight in Siem Reap. This is in front of a newish looking strip mall of sorts.

Angkor Wat
Masa likes to call this the Temple Filet. Pretty amazing, that's for sure.

Inca Wall?
This looks just like the inca structures we saw in peru. I thought it was pretty amazing that the two techniques look so similar (cut stones with many sides fitted perfectly together without mortar).

cute
no, this photo wasn't free, but it was damn cute.

overgrown temple
this is one of the temples they didn\'t completely clear in order to give an idea what it was like when they first discovered it. Of course, I\'m sure it had much more other growth all over it, but you get a better idea. it was pretty cool.

green pond and temple
Just thought this was a neat shot.

one of my faves
this temple was covered with faces. it was kind of creepy but very cool.

kids at washout
many people were there taking advantage of the waylaid travelers, foreign, Thai and Cambodian alike. These kids were collecting and crushing cans and plastic water bottles.

truck in trouble
these tractors were enlisted to pull trucks, cars, busses - you name it - through the washouts. The people on it looked like they were having a great time. Probably just happy to be moving.

the road to the border
it's under there somewhere.

small boats we took across the worst of it
...twice.

the cause of all our problems...
though I don't think our problems were as serious as this guys.

a truck like the one we took to the border
this is what we must have looked like piled into our pick up heading for the border, though unfortunately I couldn't get a photo of our actual truck.

Comments

[Takashi Saito]

HELL YEAH.

[laura w.]

hell @#*!@ yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh my god, you have no idea. well okay maybe you do. we stayed up late watching the results come in....soooo happy. so so happy.

[Dawn]

scammers
No one likes to get scammed anywhere. I think though that's partially the fault of our "conditioned" thinking here in the the US and developed worlds that once we read something or see something on the internet that that's SUPPOSE to be the price. And most probably it is the price there or here but not in third world contries, where poverty, hunger, and disease are more common that the next meal or money. You are their next meal ticket literally, and they will never see you again as you are just passing through and your just a face that may have some money to spend on them. I sympathize with you guys because it is hard to fend everyone off when you just want to enjoy the sites and keep to the budget that you established. Just remember that the law of travling is usually what you pay too much of somewhere else you will get back somewhere else and in the end your trip will all just be AMAZING and all those scammers and situations will just melt away. It was a great travel diary to read so far so keep it up. As far as the guilt and poverty it certainly puts things in perspective... which is what a great travel journey is suppose to do. Dawn :)

[Someone unbenownst to you]

Things to say when negotiating price
¡Dieziocho soles! That scares them into giving you a better price. Then give them an oddball price like , "¡Doce y cuarenta!"

[Chris Corrao]

nast, just plain nasty
that looks thoroughly nasty. Although nasty in a good way. At least you'll think our Southern California water is clean again when you're home. lol - it's all relative i guess. Thanks for keeping us posted. Rachel and I are off to Italy for the AIDS marathon this week. When do you guys come back?

[Carolyn Van Wingerden]

Anything more recent than Cambodia?
Hi Jen and Masa, I was just catching up with all your recent adventures when I realized you haven't posted in a while. Is my computer just not showing me the recent stuff or was the last posting in Cambodia? In any case, I've thoroughly enjoyed reading about all your adventures. I can't believe your 6 months will be over fairly soon. But it seems like you've packed in an amazing amount. Post again when you have a chance. I'd love to read about what you've been up to lately. Cheers, Carolyn

[kim +scotty]

Oh ma gahd
Oh ma gahd- What a heck of a trip so far..... When do you guys get back? We have a table and chairs for your new apartment when you get back. Just thnk of that...,. I know it will get you through the rough patches and if that won't... my mother will be here at Christmas. You should be looking forward to that excitement. Ahhhhhhhh! Kim and Scotty Be safe! We will be waiting for ya! Ps the boys love the postcards!