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Published: July 29th 2006
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Our boat
The one on the left. Up extra early today, 5.45am so that we could get some food for our journey to Siem Reap.
When we came to check out of the hotel the manager gave us each a scarf, very nice and free! Andy was sceptical and asked if it was free before accepting.
So 6.45am we were on a minibus to the boat, so far so good. Again we were unsure of how today was going to pan out. We had read others peoples blogs who did this trip, got a crap boat, got driven for ages on a truck before going to the boat, was so full had to stay on the roof because all the locals had the seats and taking 11 hours. So we expect the worst and can only then be pleased.
Got to the boat, there was a reasonably nice one and a shabby, small one. Of course we were on the shabby old one, but this ok as we expected it.
It wasn't full so that was the first bonus, but how many people would we pick up along the way?.
We climbed aboard and got ourselves 'comfortable' on the wooden planks. We set off, the engine was extremely
loud we seemed to get used to this through the ride or maybe we were slightly deafer as the day went on. We cruised along the river at about 30mph, all was well.
We only picked up a few other locals along the way so we were never crowded. The ride took us through some very narrow 'streams' where we kept crashing into the riverbanks so a guy would have to jump on the front with his pole and push us out of the banks! Very funny. When we did get going we have to stand up because of all the branches crashing into the boat. Made it more interesting.
We also went through lots of floating villages. These were great to see, really interesting. All the locals, children and adults alkie were waving, smiling and shouting 'hello' to us. It was great! I spent most of the journey taking photos, it's like another world so far from anything that is 'normal' to us.
We stopped at a floating shop for lunch and toilet stop which was good then back onto the boat.
The last part of the journey seemed to take forever as we had to cross
Guess who?
Yes, us again. the Tonle Sap lake, one on the largest lakes in the world. It was massive, you couldn't see land on the other side. Other than the colour of the water you could have been at sea.
Half way across the lake was a boat like ours that had broken down so our boat tied up to it and started to tow it, which really slowed us down, until the rope snapped. We back tracked tied them up again and then painfully slowly continued across the lake. It was at this point that Andy and I noticed the water filling up in the bottom of the boat, but we made it to shore, after only 6 and a half hours, to be greeted with the worst ever case of touting in the history of the world!
We had not even tied up to the land before people invaded the boat, like pirates, and started to shove paper in our faces with prices for tuk tuk rides into town! We noticed one guy had a poster with Andys name on it, Mr Andrew! We had heard about this. People in Phnom Penh sell your name on to people in Siem Reap!
Our guide Sam said he was going to give our names to his 'friend'. As if we are going to with them! (but people did!) Trying not to get stressed we got our bags on and ventured off the very steep and slippery wooden plank to solid ground.
As soon as we touched down we were seperated and had a mass screaming crowd around each of us there faces were 10cm from mine in every direction, all shouting. It was quite scary. I grabbed Andys arm who was trying to walk away, with no success, and shouted, so he could hear me, and we chose a guy who had a sign with free lift to the Red Lodge, which is where we had already chosen.
Once we had this guy on his own we asked if it was free?, yes, if we don't stay there is it still free?, yes, but you have to use me for tuk tuk to the temples, ahh no we are hiring a bike we say. He says no problem still free.
So we hop in his tuk tuk and drive on the terrible, painful bumpy road through the villages to the Red Lodge. When
we get there we find out it is full, so we ask for hime to take us to Popular (as Kylie and Jon were supposed to be staying there) for 1000R, which was fine and we got booked in.
After getting settled in our musty smelling room we had lunch in the rooftop restaurant whilst it poured with rain outside.
We ventured out in the rain and checked out the town and our e-mail to see if Jon and Kylie had been in touch. They had! So that night we met up with them in the Temple Bar where if you buy food it makes beer 20c all night.
Later in the night we headed back to the guest house via the supermarket for some more beers. On our way we were mobbed by young children begging. One clingedon Andys arm the whole way, a couple actually hit someone who wouldn't give them anything.
Here, like everywhere, there are lots of really young children, like 5 year olds, carrying around their baby brothers or sisters who they have all day just walking the streets begging. Really sad, and so young. The children over here are brought up so differently.
From a bus I saw a toddler, no more than 2, on his own, no clothes wandering along on the road, it's crazy. They all ride adult bikes on the road, in any direction, bums can't reach the seat with their little brothers and sisters on the back. Another thing we have noticed is that none of the babies wear nappies (too expensive maybe), but on the bus to Battambang a lady had her baby say on newspaper and when they have a stop they strip them off so they can wee outside whilst they make water noises to encourage them!
Anyway the 4 of us chilled on the balcony before saying our final goodbyes. We had a really good night.
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