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Published: February 12th 2014
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After a great last day in Saigon, lounging around the 21st floor pool of the Renaissance Riverside Hotel (d300,000 for the use of pool and spa) and a xe om ride to the Water Puppet Theatre (ahhhhh!) in the evening, we were up at 5am to get the first bus to Phnom Penh. Our pickup didn't show, so the hotel girl phoned. While we were waiting 2 lots of 2 people on scooters skidded on some oil outside the hotel and came off within 5 minutes! People rushed to help and organised transport for the casualties. Then our transport arrived - a motorbike - he took my big bag on the front between his feet, me on the back minus a helmet and off we went, hoping we didn't hit oil too. then he went back fro Sam, who wasn't too happy about it, but no choice, as the bus was leaving right then!
It would seem that we hadn't picked the best company - we were the only westerners on it, not exactly luxurious, and we were scammed by the umpah lumpah guy on the bus for $5 each extra at the border where he went off to get
our visas, all the Vietnamese queing for theit own, which we could easily have done! But having read some blogs about people refusing to pay and then being made to get off the bus and wait for the next one, we didn't dare risk it, as it was going to be a long day anyway. At least we could leave our big bags on the bus as we walked through to the Cambodia side and didn't have to change there. And there were 2 very sweet Vietnamese guys, going to volunteer in Siem Reap, good English, who were really kind and helpful and pointed us in the right direction when we had a few uncertain moments - Jack and Philip (English names) - thank you!
Differences from Vietnam - visibly poorer, fewer scooters, more big cars, and the public transport by minibus was amazingly overcrowded, reminding me of South Africa. People sitting perched on the roof, a child on the driver's lap and another sitting on the seat of a motorbike tied to the back! At some point we crossed a river on a rickety ferry, where there were lots of retail opportunities, including a basket of insects. Then
once in Phnom Penh, after 6 1/2 hours, we went to the bus company office (Sapaco - find a better one!) , they gave us our tickets for the next bus, different company called Sokha (again, find a better one!) and were put in a tuktuk to go find the bus. all going well until we stopped to pick up 2 Danish girls from the Mad Monkey Hostel, and their big rucksacks, so our bags were in a big pile on our laps. Found bus, people sitting in our allocated seats, conductor would not turf them out so we were a bit cramped in the ones we had to sit in. Left 1pm, arrived 8.15pm. Whichever eejit wrote the lonely planet entry that the road to Siem Reap is in a good state needs his/her head read. It was shockingly slow and very bumpy with potholes, and very very dusty as they are in the process of widening the road. Won't be finished any time soon - folks need moving out of their houses to make way. Suprisingly there was very little break in the roadside development - more or less continuous for the entire way, with some stretches of
paddy fileds, mostly dry at the moment. Then it got dark - right decision not to take a night bus. We would never have slept with all the bumping!
When we arrived at the out-of-town bus dropoff we had a right old argy bargy with our so-called free pickup. The tuktuk guy tried to get us to agree for him to take us to the temples tomorrow - we said no and he went on and on, very aggressive, and refused to take us unless we paid $5, so we got out and found another. He also tried to persuade us to use him but we were right pissed off by then and stood our ground, and so he brought us to our hotel, Sam So Guesthouse, for $3. The reception guy didn't speak very good English, said it wasn't their regular driver, so will leave complaining until tomorrow. We were grubby and knackered, and taken aback by such an onslaught, but he had waited for us and then was left trying to find other customers, so serves him right!
Guest house looks fine - quiet - room bright pink and full of mozzies - wifi works (yippee)
and facebook isn't blocked, so all good, except we were too knackered to go and find pub street tonight.
We are going for a later temple start tomorrow - can't face a 4.30 am start - so will soldier out after breakfast and find ourselves a ride!
Missing my girliesxxxx
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