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Asia » Cambodia » North » Angkor
February 21st 2006
Published: February 21st 2006
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We are here! Firstly, thanks Di for the only response to my sad and wonderful travel blog! Come on guys (especially the chilli eaters out there), send us back some love!

We touched down at Siem Reap (pronounced See-em Ree-ep) early this morning, and have struggled through the first day (to stay awake, that is) with all sorts of adventures.

We were all a little shocked to find that the International airport of Siem Reap was about the size of Armidale Regional Airport - Helyna felt like she had landed in country NSW, only with lots of humidity and African-movie like landscape. After a bumpy land, we disembarked the aircraft and were ushered around the tarmac and entry through what seemed the most indirect route possible. Once inside, we went through "customs" - two booths with little Cambodian men in uniforms sitting behind them, had our photos taken, then very quickly spotted out Glad-Wrapped backpacks (we felt like complete idiots as they seemed to be the only airtight bags on the entire flight, and the locals were all grinning from ear to ear). The actual customs check involved another smiling Cambodian taking our Declaration forms off us and pointing us out through the doors into the unknown. Of course, we were greeted by a line up of more smiling Cambodians, all wanting to take us to the centre. Surprisingly, they were not very pushy, and we walked a small way along to find some cheaper options. (I had read earlier in the Lonely Planet that some of the guesthouses in Phnom Penh will send pickups from their sister guesthouses in Siem Reap to the airport with signs bearing the names of guests who had just hopped off the plane from the capital, in hope that the guests would be silly enough to think that they would need to follow these people, though they would have absolutely no clue as to how they received their names or arrival information.)

Another smiling young cambodian man approached us and promised a taxi ride to the centre for US$3 (for all of us), so we decided to give him a shot. He took us to the guesthouse we had picked out online at singapore (it was booked out), then to several others including one he was obviously receiving commission on, only to find it also fully booked. We ended up at a small but newish guesthouse (US$5 each). It has air con and a is very airy (literally, as the fan has been wired through the ceiling and cannot be switched off).

We had a quick rest and then ventured out into the streets of Siem Reap. They are dirt, whelled up on the sides, in the centre, everywhere, as more little CAmbodian men work labourously to improve their condition. The use picks and shovels, though the occassional concrete and pre-fabricated blocks can be seen.

These streets, though in terrible repair, are a continuous flow of man and machines, as motos, taxis, cyclos, buses and more little Cambodian men, women and children try to find harmony.

On our trek to find a place to eat lunch, we were swarmed by Khmer children left, right and centre, trying to sell us various items (we soon worked out the school breaks between 11am and 2pm). I started making converstaion with one young Khmer girl, and ended up giving her my 'makepovertyhistory' bracelet, though the irony did not escape me, as i explained to her the meaning of the message.

The evening has finally descended, and eva is at the guesthouse vomitting from what we think is the gavin byrne virus. Hopefully she is better by the morning, as we are off to experience the angkor temples from sunrise at 4.30am to sunset at 6pm.

Till then,

maz x



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22nd February 2006

You beauties!
Man, I just read all comments in one go and had to smile a lot. Heileeeena being fussy on the plane, Mariechen putting an end to poverty with a twist, and Picki throwing up just thinking about Gav.....Naja.... As we thought, wrapping the luggage up like x-mas presents might make more sense on the way back, if available, but better putting a smile on little peoples' faces than be sorry, is that right? Wish to be there with you, although you did NOTTTT want me to go! Have been working with Brian to improve the car park so the Country Link busses will have enough room to drop people off from now on, and it was a very hot day, probably nothing compared to where you are... I nearly said, we worked like blackfellas, but have to be careful with Maria now! Just to bring you guys back to the real world, I checked realestate.com and no entry for the house, so I sent an i-Mehl to Livia, hope I did the right thing. Will call Michelle tonight to find out if she went and how it all was, so we get an independant opinion. O.K. guys, don't fall in love or in a puddle too soon, enjoy the whats and whatever else you might encounter, can't wait for the next blog!! Viele Kuesschen, Eure Mutter

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