Bumpy roads and dust tracks

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After too much sleep on saturday night we coul;d not get a wink of sleep on sunday. Very unfortunate as we had to leave our hostel aty 5am to get the first train out of bangkok to the border town of Aranyaprathet.
It was an exciting start to the day and we were shocked how the city really doesnt sleep. Teams of people were flooding off the sleeper train to start work in the capital. Anyway we found our 3rd class train at a cost of 80p each and we settled in for our 6 hr journey. It was a good move getting the train not only for the price but the amasing views and the close proximity to ordinary Thai folk.
We breakfasted on the train from the fresh food sellers walking up and down the carridges - beats uk fast food any day.
At our destination we embarked on the unknown path to the border. Doged by touts we managed to survive their scams up unto the boarder control itself but not with out a lot of harrasement!
A helpful gentleman showed us where to go at each point in the crossing process. Hoho but we were fooled. Some other hippy travellers were negotiating the same route and we followed along ignorantly.
Eventually wee reached the Cambodian town of Poipet.
A sight for sore eyes certainly. Men missing legs and small malnurshied children were plentiful. At this point we were having second thought about our 2nd country of choice.
Well teh debarcle continued when this helpful man took us all to a "bank" well his brothers shop. Eventually we managed to extract ourseleves from this dodgy situation by getting a taxis all the way to Siem Reap - our destination town. We were meant to share this with some hippes to save on cost but what a surprise they let us down when they found others to share their dope stories with.
We did not know what was ahead of us.
Our driver could speak little english and the surrounding town was noteably damaged by artilary attack - not plesant viewing. We continued and endured the worst road in Asia - 3.5 hrs of huge holes and untarmached roads. Helpfully i needed a wee four minutes into our journey and had to hold it to the point of burstiong and that is not an exageration.
We asked to stop but of course we had to go tp his friends house another 1hrs drive - then we were charged 5 baht for the privaledge of going down a hole!
Eventually we arrived in the town but the story did not end there.
Suddenly we were dumped at a taxis rank and told a story that no taxis were allowed in the town - more lies we scence. At this point our paitence is running out and we insists to be taken straight to our hotel of choice and not their uncles house!
Stupidly I realise I left my camera in the taxis and we have to stop. Luckily our driver rings the taxis man and my camera was safely returned. At that point did we realise that Siem Reap might not be as bad as Bangkok or Poipet. We get taken to our hotel which is divine but the driver insists on returning tomorrow to give us a guided tour of the temples. What defence did we have after them helping us out??
We agreed for then to come back the next day and we enjoyed the relative serene and tranquility of our new surroundings until the next day.
Bye for now
S&R

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