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Published: March 7th 2010
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Taking it right out of the old travel journal. Enjoy:
We left Laos and crossed into Thailand at the Ubon Ratchathanni border crossing. Upon passing through immigration we were faced with little less than a ridiculously expensive cab ride into Ubon. Just when all hope seemed lost a very nice Thai couple pulled up and offered us a ride since they were headed that way anyway. We happily said yes and settled into a pleasant 2 hour drive and conversation about Thai exports and tourism. We spent the night Ubon before catching an early train to the Cambodian border in the morning. The paved roads and reliable electricity were a nice respite between the dustyness of Laos and norther Cambodia. Getting to the border with Cambodia was extremely easy. Although once across we had to pay a rather exorbitant fee to get a ride to Anlong Veng. Coming in from the border the landscape was mildly depressing: trees that had been uprooted, shanty houses, burning trash. Looking out the window I was starting to wonder if my love for Cambodia stopped at Siem Reap, but this was soon proven very, very false.
We got Anlong Veng and immediately met
Salnorn, a moto driver with near perfect English, one year my senior. He showed us to a wonderful guesthouse and then he and his brother took us up into the Dangrek mountains that overlook the valley Anlong Veng is nestled in on one side and on the other, Thailand. The scenery could not have been any better. We made a stop at Ta Mok's house and then the cremation site of Pol Pot where we ran into 3 prostitutes giving offerings to the Khmer Rouge leader's remains. After they marveled over the color of my skin, we went to the house that Pol Pot spent his days until being taken to Phnom Penh in 1998 to face up to his actions.
The drive back to Anlong Veng was, shocking, gorgeous as well. The sun was just beginning to set and lent everything an orange-y glow that extended all the way to the mountains. Kids were running along the motos waving hello and smiling. My only thought was "this is seriously my life right now?" It was the definition of perfection.
Today, Sal and his brother picked Zak and I up at 7 am and drove us out some
2 hours to the ancient Khmer temple of Prasat Preah Vihear. Located on the top of the mountains near the Thai border it is a fairly remote option as far as the Khmer empire's ruins go. The ride out was incredibly dusty over red dirt roads and at one point, Sal and I hit a patch of rocks and the moto slid out from under us. We were fine, although I managed to scrape up my hand and lose my hamsa in the fracas. Could've been much worse. Sal stopped at the next town (town in the most liberal sense of the word) to get some iodine and bandages for my would so I wouldn't have to keep it wrapped in my dirty bandana. When we finally arrived at the temple, we found, much to our delight, that we had it nearly to ourselves and were not swarmed with the usual souvenir touts that cluster around most of the ruins. We spent a few hours there scrambling over fallen bricks and peering off the edge of the cliffside.
Back in Anlong Veng, Sal took us to the bus stop to help us get our tickets for Siem Reap tomorrow.
Back on his moto he asked "Would you like to meet my family?" and I happily agreed. His family lives on a farm just on the outskirts of Anlong Veng and his mother spent a bit of time telling me that I should reprimand Sal for crashing the bike and telling me I should hit him. I assured her that I was fine and then Sal took us on a tour of the farm, climbing over ponds on logs, looking at old temples, and seeing the various crops they grow.
I really really enjoyed Anlong Veng. The people are so incredibly friendly to us, the only foreigners in town. It's got that laid back, slow feel that one (dirt)road towns are so wont to have. They're paving much of the roads around it so that tourism to Prasat Preah Vihear is easier and I struggle with the idea of it. More tourism means more money for these wonderful people and, presumably, a better quality of life. But with the roads and tourists come change and the town can't stay the perfect hamlet in northern Cambodia that it was for us. Anyway, as of now we have 5 more days
in this most incredible of countries and I'm already getting sad to leave it. Must not think of it that way yet. Life is wonderful tonight.
Zak's take on Cambodia leg of journey:
http://thewobbes.com/zakabroad/?p=88
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Cindy AKA Liz
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Makes me so happy to hear that you have had some perfect moments - thanks for sharing.