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Published: April 13th 2010
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SI851325
Killer long train journey 05:50 train from Bangkok Central station headed to Aranyaprathe arriving at 12:20, nearly 6 and a half hours!! We paid 96 Banht for two people.. under 2 pounds.. The train ride out of Bangers gave us an interesting look into the lives of those living in the outer districts- shack houses with washing hanging out, water buckets outside, people preparing and cooking food on the ground outside. Lets just say the smells entering the train on the journey out were not helping my queasy stomach. Once out into the countryside we found out why the train took double the time of a taxi.. it stopped everywhere.. in places that didnt even look like a stop. people just jumped out onto the tracks. We were definitely in the minority as westerners on the train (we only saw two others and decided to share a taxi from past the boarder control to Siem Reap In fact one child didn't even want to sit next to me- he made his mum! The trip was long and hot... bt hey it was cheap as! we arrived and got off the train to the waiting tu tuk drivers. (We had done our research before hand and
hell did it pay off...) the research was crucial as it is one of the most scammed boarder crossings in Asia- in fact everyone is advised not to book a cheap bus from koh san road in bangers as all of them are scammed!! So, the tuk tuk drivers drove us down the road and ulled into a building. we were instructed to get out and go inside to get our Visas for Cambodia. It all seemed suspect in my untrusting eyes. They got us in and sat us dow and told us to fill in a form which they pushed in front of us. We told them that we did not want a visa and that we would get one at the boarder.. he told us that we couldn't do that, they would only send us back here, he was being really pushy so i told him.. 'we are in Thailand still, we will get ourselves stamped out at the boarder and then buy one as we enter Cambodia.. not from here'. He looked at me and then started pushing the forms at Gerard- who told him no. We got up and walked out even though we were surrounded
by about 5 people pushing us to buy a Visa. Out tuk tuk driver got us back in a drove us next door (!) as the building was titled the Embassy of Cambodia, we walked in and there was a guy sitting in a room at a desk and said visa 1000 baht (20 pounds) we said no and walked back out!! EVENTUALLY got to the boarder, we got stamped out of Thailand and 'walked to Cambodia'.. (brilliant) and on entering brought our visa for 20 dollars- the actual price! .. ALthough they asked us for 200 baht- about 4 pounds.. considering they were policemen I thought there was a time and a place for arguing about overpricing- this was not one of them! When we waited i the final queue to get stamped into Cambodia we chated to all the other travelers around us.. ALL of them had brought the overpriced visa from the fake consulate! all were slightly embarrassed especially when they heard our damn right refusal!! Leaving the boarder control we were now in Poipet, described by the lonely planet a one of the worst places in Asia- gambling ect. we were approached by people and had
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first tuk tuk ride! no option but to get the 'free' bus to the taxi station. We got a taxi to Siem Reap 1 and half hours away- had heard stories about the buses that they just dropped you off at food stalls ect fr a couple of hours while they said bus broke down- asked for more money... no thank you! the taxi took us- not to our hostel- but to a tuk tuk station.. they said the tuk tuk was free. we got in and another guy jumped on and chated to us about the history ect.. he questioned us about why we were staying where we were as he said it was out of town and he'd take us somewhere else... we dnt him we had booked.. when we arrived he blocked us from getting off and told us he would take us round the temples of ANgkor Wat for a cheap price.. we said nicely that we werent sure of our plans yet.. they started getting annoyed .. we said we;d take a card with a number but they said no pay now.. we got off and they yelled desperately after us.. it was horrible. We entered Bun kao hostel
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craaaazy amount of people!! where a friend recommended.. it was a lovely hotel- the nicest anf friendlyest family. When we left 4 nights later- they made us a packed lunch as we were leaving so early!!!
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