I made it to Cambodia!
Trip Start
Jul 11, 2006
1
26
32
Trip End
Jun 28, 2007
Phnom Penh,
Cambodia
Friday, October 20, 2006
After a little queue at Vietnamese customs I was through and walking across no-mans land into Cambodia. Visa was easy, $20 on entry, but then they try and rob you of a $1 for some yellow form that has "important information". I'd heard about this scam off someone in Vietnam, so I just bit the bullet and refused to pay (I know it's not wise to argue with border guards, but, well....). I grabbed a yellow form and casually walked through the x-ray machine and into Cambodia, no hassle, no worries, and a buck up. A short journey into Phnom Penh and we were dropped at a guesthouse as usual, actually boxed in by the foyer and plants, but I managed to push my way through and escape the scam. I jumped in a tuc-tuc with a few other people and we headed over to the "lake side" as someone had recommended it to me
Bones and clothes still linger around
. We ended up staying in the guesthouse it dropped us not before checking out the others around too.I didn't get up to much in particular in Phnom Penh. I did however do the usual tour consisting of the Killing Fields, S21 prison and yet another shooting range. If you know anything about the war in Cambodia then you'll know all about the killing fields and S21, and how the Khmer Rouge killed thousands upon thousands. It was a pretty harrowing experience but something I would have appreciated more if I had known more about the regime.
After firing the M16 in Vietnam I opted for the handgun this time. They claim that the shooting ranges in Cambodia are there to "reduce ammunition supplies", but they're just raking in the cash. I let rip 5 rounds on a Colt 45 which had a surprising kick!
The rest of my time in Phnom Penh generally consisted of sitting on the veranda of the guesthouse, chilling out looking across the lake. I needed a rest....
Next stop Battambang, temples and another killing field, with the main reason to take the boat to Siem Reap which is claimed to be the most scenic in Cambodia.
My first impression of Cambodia was good, although more expensive than Vietnam, it had a good feel about it. Phnom Penh was way smaller than the other cities I had visited and hence I enjoyed it more, but I guess staying lake side meant I didn't feel like I was in a big city whatsoever.
The adventure continues....
(Apologies for the brief entries as I'm trying to catch up...)
