PHNOM PHEN TO SIEM REAP
Trip Start
Oct 01, 2008
1
67
319
Trip End
Sep 02, 2009
Phnom Penh,
Cambodia
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
We were going to check out a market, but after walking we gave up the idea and just had lunch and then took a tuk-tuk to the bus terminal.
We were very early, but we did not know where we were going and did not want to miss the bus.
This is a relatively new bus company. At first we thought we would be the only tourists, but when the bus arrived from Saigon there were more. We got to see more of the city and then the country side.
It is harvest time here for their grains and we passed lots of small carts pulled by either water buffalo, oxen, or small ponies all laden with the stookes. We seen farmers raking their grain, and some piling the hay around a 15' pole.
The highway was very good with the normal pot holes as we would have back home. Actually I think it is better that our #1 in spots or #75 heading south. The land is flat here and mostly grain. Caught a beautiful sunset with a red sky on a few fluffy clouds.
We listened to a young girl behind us with her headset on singing away. The conductor put on a movie Full Metal Jacket, but it didn't work, then an Arnold Schwartzenager movie and it didn't work. He tried a Cambodian Kariokie movie and it did work. The two young girls just sang their hearts out at the top of their lungs. It then went into a slap-stick comedy and lots were laughing in the back.
Finally made it to Siam Reap (5 hours later). We had made arrangements for someone to meet us, but they didn't show up. So we hired a tuk-tuk to take us to Heart of Ankor Hotel. It was o.k. Out we went for dinner and then we walked around the block. Wow. This is a different place. Lots of cafes and bars filled with young people, everyone seemed to have a happy hour special from 3 or 4 to 7 or 8 p.m. Quite different and modern. I was thinking it would be a quiet little hick town, but it is large with lots of hotels, bars, cafes, corner stores for food and beer, massages (the real thing and some the not so real thing) to choose from. We enjoyed having a look at it all. We hired a tuk-tuk to take us to see Ankor Wat tomorrow. We wrote our name and hotel and time to pick us up and the agreed $10 for the day.
Back to our hotel. We tried to get on the internet, but it was sooooo very slow we gave up.
In bed with the air on and light out we realized we are right next to one of those 'bars'!
Glad the air conditioner makes a noise. Heard the party group come in some time during the wee hours of the morning.
