Trat to Angkor Wat

---

It never fails to amaze me how much difference a country's border can make - faces, attitudes, the food, the voices, even the actual ground here in Cambodia is a different colour. A harsh, rusty, ochre dust that settles on your clothes and skin and bakes on with the heat.

My choice to head to Saim Reap and Angkor Wat was settled when the owner of Popular guest house in Trat offered it to me, leaving the next morning, 800 baht for the whole way. Angkor was the whole point of this trip so i decided to get back on tack after the dreamy beach meanderings of the island life.

Emerging from the confusing crowds of the Cambodia border crossing, don't expect any friends.
Take no prisoners, no retreat, no surrender.
This is a war zone - there is one bus leaving to Siam Reap and everyone wants to get on it.
The touts don't want you to get on it - ''NoBus!'' they shout, ''Foolup!'' ''Taketaxi!'' ''Comewithme!''
Crowding, insisting, pulling sleeves, whispering deals, come with me-ing across the battlefield of the bus station, with its puddles of engine oil, fly covered barbeques and the leaning, staring people who all seem to be wilting in the sun like parched shrubs.

The road is a bumpy mud track, the goverment bus is a dirty metal box, coughing and choking on its own grime under the weight of the 'lucky' backpackers who had made it on board - twice as many people as it was built for - plus all their oversized backpacks.
So, along with 3 other 'unlucky' travellers, I was glad to pay the taxi fare and have a seat, Air-con and a chat with the 19year old driver for 3 bumpy hours while the overpacked chicken bus slowly pecked its 6 hour way along that dark,dirty road, and all for only about 2 dollars more than the bus fare when split between us - Thanks touts!

Generic Angkor Wat Blog Entry
Magical Sunrise... jewel in Cambodias Crown... wonder of the world... blah blah... carvings ... trees growing from temples... blah blah... Lara Croft... blah blah ... magical sunsets...blah blah

Non - Generic Angkor Wat Blog Entry

next entry...

---

Photos

Generic Sunrise
Actually, i loved this... get away from the crowds and its well worth it.