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Published: June 26th 2006
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Cambodian Bus
This is about 2 thirds of the people we fit into the bus into Siem Reap, aka - good safety and laws. Hello People. From where I last left off, I was in Bangkok, and I spent a few more days looking around and checking out all the crazy cheap clothes and DVDs and stuff like that, but after a few days I got a bit bored again and decided to head to Cambodia. I bought a ticket for just 250 Baht, which is about 4 pounds, all the way from one country to another, I couldnt believe it.
The day before I left I pumped into Ben and Anne, friends from the Cook Islands, right at the beginning of my trip. It was totally by chance, I had heard that they were in Bangkok, then I saw them walking down the street, so I spent the day watching films and buying crap with them, which was really cool.
The morning I left, I was up at 6am, for a bus that leaves at half 7, but which in reality leaves at half 9, when the drivers and ticket guys have bled the town of everyone who wants to leave, and some people that dont want to. We then had about 5 hours in Thailand in a "VIP" bus, which
Cambodian Temple Kids
After selling me loads of wooden crap, these kids played a pretty fierce game of snap I mostly slept through, or watched people working in the fields and sleeping in hammocks as I drove past.
We eventually got to a cafe where they kind of forced people to buy visas, I had luckily already been done over by the tour operator for my visa, so it didnt matter to me, but people were getting quite annoyed at the pregnant Thai woman in the cafe who was a waitress, and also claimed to be a diplomat of some kind for the Cambodians selling the visas.
Once we got to the other side of the border the bus was swapped for one slightly smaller, and then 5 minutes later, an even smaller one, which didnt actually have enough seats. We also accidently left a French guy at the border and didnt go back for him. Nice.
I was sat for the next 9 hours on an engine block, which in Cambodia, can get pretty fucking hot, so Im probably sterile now, another guy had to stand, and an Irish guy ended up laying on some bags at the back. Everyone else got seats or sat on the floor.
At least with my seat I was facing
Cambodian Temple
One of the temples, I forget which the back of the bus, and so couldnt see the on coming traffic which is mental here, they will gladly overtake 6 trucks in dusty roads with no idea what is coming the other way.
Anyway we eventually made it to Siem Reap where the temples of Ankor Wat and dozens of others are hidden (well, they were hidden but not any more) in the jungle around. We immediately took advantage of the cheap drinks, and hit the pop - 12p for a beer in some bars, but usually just a dollar.
The next day, hung over, we went to visit the temples, covering about 6, including the Tomb Raider one, and one which I have forgotten the name of, but which has loads of huge faces carved into it (Bayen??), which was pretty cool. Theres about a million photos to come.
The only thing that out numbered the temples and ruins, was the children selling all kinds of crap. I bought a bamboo cow bell and a bamboo flute, not to mention a block of palm tree sugar... what the hell I want with these things I dont know, but some of these kids will not leave you alone. To be honest when a little poor kid offers you a bamboo orchestra for a dollar, its hard to say no.
The next day I brought a bag of sweets with me to hand out, that satisfied most the kids, and they left me alone.
I was with two Scotish girls, Emma and Judith, who bought pretty much the whole supply of instruments, books, drinks, bracelets and palm leaf fish things that the kids had to offer. It was quite funny, and meant the kids went after them, not me.
A couple of days back, we went to a landmine museum, which was really interesting, and run by a guy called Aki Ra, formally of the Khmer Rouge, and now devoted to clearing landmines and looking after landmine victims. There are loads of kids who have been effected in some way, from losing a limb, to losing parents, and they give them a new home and education.
There was a nuts alcoholic US Marine doctor working there, he was really off putting, clearly smoked a bit to much weed in his day, but the kids seemed to like him.
After a few days here I'm now going to head down to Phnom Penh, the capital, and the location of the killing fields (sounds cheerfull) and then I'm gonna hit the beach for a couple of days, and probably fly home, as I am now officially skint, and living off the money I have left in my pocket. Im hoping to get into Vietnam for a flight to Bangkok, and to use my Visa that cost 30 quid! but thats as far as my trip is going to go, but I must admit I'm looking forward to real food, and sleeping in my own bed!
Loads of pictures in a few days hopefully!
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Goals Mahoney
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Balls to that
Don't bother coming back mate, it's shit! I just had 2 weeks off work and coming back made me want to kill myself, or, at least, everyone I work with. If you do come back though can I have that bamboo cow bell? I'll give you 10 lire for it. Ps. Derek's new girlfriend is Vigo the Carpathian. Matthew Silver Medal McBradley.com