Cambodia

Asia
November 15th 2009

Published: November 15th 2009

Well Mully and I had left the globetrotters and began our own mini adventure discovering first of all Cambodia and then on to Vietnam. We borded a flight in Phuket to Bangkok with Airasia - my new favourite airline, the women that work for that company are incredible... Anyways we got into Bangkok late and headed for the Khosan road again only to find the Palace where we'd stayed in before had doubled it's prices due to high season kicking in. A nasty shock as you can imagine but we thought we'd be out of there in a day and to just pay the cash because neither of us could be bothered going to find a new place to stay for the night. So we begrudgingly paid the bitch behind the counter who was less than amused at our disgust at the prices. A quick browse round the place once more and off to bed to enjoy a sleep in.

We got up the next day and went to the beautiful ladyboy travel agent who sorted out our night train last time went went only to discover that the Cambodian border shut at 5 and we wouldn't make it because the early bus had gone. That meant another night in Bangkok which wasn't something either of us could stomach so we bit the bullet and got a taxi to the bus stationto get a bus to the border town of Poi Pet which we believed to be on the Thai side of the border. It wasn't. After a long bus trip we arrived in time just to get through the border only to discover again that the bus to Siem Riep didn't go untill the morning. This trend was becoming more than frustrating and somehow we got talked into paying $10 each to get a taxi. The weirdest taxi driver who didn't speak the entire time then drove us for about 3 to 3 and a half hours to Siem Riep...well the outskirts of the city where we were delivered to a tuk tuk. This was more than suspicious as the guy was waiting for us to take us to our hostel which we had no idea about or hadn't booked. We got on still slightly paranoid about what was going on and the guy took us to an amazing place behind the main city street and charged us nothing for the tuk tuk and the hotel was around $5 each. We set out to see a bit of the city and realised that Siem Riep was very chilled out and a really nice city. We sat and enjoyed draft beer at a bar for 50 cent each and then headed home.

The next morning we had arranged to get up for 7.30 and get a tuk tuk round to Anchor Wat temples. They were something else, and after what seemed like a million temples we headed back with the plan to get the bus to Phnom Penn that afternoon. The bus was at 12.30 and so we grabbed a quick bite and jumped on a bus to Phnom Penn the capital city. Another long trip, can't remember as they are all merging into onebut once again the bus driver was insane. Lewis Hamilton couldn't drive that fast or as dangerously if he tried. But anyways we arrived in and both not in the mood for tuk tuk drivers we decided to find our own hostel for the evening. We found an internet cafe near the station and found cheap hostel that was clean and well recommeded. Now that we needed a tuk tuk there was none in sight so we walked for a bit and found two motorbike taxis who wanted to take us and so me and mully on the back of two motorbikes carrying both our bags and a guitar travelling at break-neck speed were shot off to the hostel. It's the only way to travel.

Anyways we got to the hostel to find that it was fully booked up and they offered us accommodation in a place across the road so we took it as it was cheap and we could stay in the Sunday guest house the next night. We were shown to the prison cell that was our room and it was apparent that a night on the town to forget the room was necessary. So we headed down to the riverside, suggested as a good place to go out for backpackers on the net, and went to get grub. After food we thought we'd hit a bar and walking up the main street it became apparent that these wern't ordinary bars. We went to a quiet one for a drink to find one old man and about 5 different girls all treating him like a king. After a quick draft Anchor beer we headed down the road again. Mully made the mistake of saying "they can't all be hooker bars, lets try in here" and off we went into Sizzlers. The minute we walked through the door the place erupted into hello sirs and have a seat, can I get you a drink, whats your name, where you from by about 4 or 5 different girls all vying for our attention, and more likely our wallets. After a lugh with the hookers and repeated questions such as,"would you like a massage" (massage in a bar...that seems pretty above board there) we headed back to our cell and got up to move the next morning.

The next day it was off on a tour. First stop Cambodian army base to fir an AK47, some sort of Russian machine gun and a colt 45. Mully there with his cowboy hat and red neck hair cut adored it and I have to say it was awesome. Then the mood dampened as we visited the killing fields. It was a very powerful place to visit and very sad to see the horrific nature of the Pol Pot regime. I was glad that we went as we both left it moved to a certain extent, but more than anything I'm glad we did the shooting first as it would have seemed a bit weird after visiting the firelds to then go and shoot machine guns. Anyway then we were off to the Russian market and got a couple of pairs of shorts and headed back to the hostel for grub. Mully went for a nap and I hit the net and did a bit of research for Vietnam through Mr Nam - J Hilditch.

That night we watched the killing fields on the common room TV and then headed out again and went to a few different bars trying to avoid the hooker bars, however it was impossible. I don't know if we were in the wrong area or whether all bars are like that in Phnom Phen but we were letched onto again and after a good few beers we headed on back to the hostel where the bus would take us to Vietnam at 7.30 the following morning.

Cambodia was a short lived venture for me and Mully, only lasted 4 days and that included travelling in and out of the country. It was great though and we both loved it. The only thing that struck me was that it was a lot poorer than thailand, but strangely the people weren't phased by it. They were so friendly and always seemed happy to talk to you and enjoy the craic. It was a hard decision to leave the group but I am glad that I came to Cambodia even if it was for such a short time. Next stop Nam!!! Bring on John Fogerty playing Run Through the Jungle and the Viet Cong...

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