Bangkok to Cambodia

---

So finally made a plan of sorts and have moved on from Thailand to Cambodia. Spent a few days in Bangkok during which time it was the kings birthday. Big celebration here were the king is highly respected. One of the main squares had what looked like half a million pepole in it just to catch a glimpse of the king. Lots and lots of fireworks all night and thousands of chinese latterns released into the night sky.

After that it was on the bus and off to Cambodia. Not a bad journey except for a long wait at the border. There was a VIP line i.e give the policeman on duty a couple of dollars and he takes you to the front, but unless everyone on your bus is doing it theres no point as you just end up waiting at the other side. So once through first stop was Siem Reap. Theres nothing that special about the town itself the reason people come here is because its only a few miles from the huge temple complex at Angkor Wat.

I came here some years ago but its changed alot in that time. Theres a whole area thats been largely taken over by the tourist trade with bars, restaurants and markets selling all those essentials like table cloths, Angkor Wat T-shirts, $20 rolex's and pasmina scarfs. All of the beggars and street urchins seemed to have been swept away to stop them making the place look untidy. Up at the main ticket booth for the temples theres a very efficient specially built place were your photo is taken and automatically scanned onto your ticket and uniformed staff keeping everything in order. I'm sure last time it was an old bloke in a shed smoking a cheeroot in his vest who stuck the photo that you bought with you on to your ticket with a pot of glue and a bit of spit before stamping it and sending you on your way with a grunt. Maybe it was never really like that and my memory just likes to think is was or I'm turning into a curmudgeonly old sod who dosn't like change.

Anyway all in all had a very nice time there before taking the bus up to Phnom Penh where I've just arrived and will tell you about next time.

---