Border crossing: i'm not thai i'm CAMBODIAN

Trip Start May 18, 2008
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Trip End Jun 16, 2008


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Flag of Cambodia  ,
Tuesday, May 27, 2008

EP sets his alarm for PM so we miss early bus to the border. we catch 930 bus and arrive at the border around 1:45. i negotiate the motorbike down to 40 bhat, in an attempt to use that as leverage for the tuktuk but EP says, "but i have a luggage". "oh you together," they say so we lose bargaining power. at the consulate, official tries to scam us for visa cost (we knew to expect this), so i start throwing out what would appear to be the remnants of my $, including taiwan NT and japanese yen! he tries to claim innocence: "i'm not thai, i'm cambodian." we get it down to $24 from $30 and get our visa stamped with the US $20. bastards. i barrel through the border - EP gets stopped by some taxi dude. once i emerge from the border check, i get attacked by the masses of people offering taxis. kind of fun messing with all of these people.

EP desires real meal, but i am admittedly impatient to continue on the road. we sit in air conditioned makeshift casino (i feel like i'm in some bad movie set in nowhere, nevada). i eat my pocky & shrimp chips. there is a free shuttle that goes to the public bus station, but the shady companies are running their own "free shuttles" so its like, who knows, just get on something. the options at the fake public bus station are: ghetto bus or shared taxi with AC. EP tries to strike a deal to take the taxi but realizes they are messing with him, so i decide to take the bus because at least there are some other backpackers taking it. i meet AL, who describes himself as polish canadian and has lost his group because he got taken away on a motorbike ostensibly to "change money." bus finally takes off at about 4pm. another chick had no idea what currency was used in cambodia, how far angkor wat was from siem reap, no guide book...extemporaenous traveling is great, but really?? she ended up "borrowing" AL's guidebook and then forgetting to give it back...deliberate or not...your call :)

the road to siem reap from the border is unpaved. the story is that siem reap airlines wants to retain a monopoly over transportation to and from bangkok so have paid off the government. its muddy, very bumpy, and whenever anyone else passes, mud flings in through the window onto you. no AC, so we leave the windows open, allowing the rain shower to hit us and the occasional large bug in the night. you might be surprised, but i was really enjoying myself - i think it was the sense of adventure this all had. at night, the electric blue lights from the cricket catchers came on and stretched for miles. people ran to and from these lights, like moths to a flame. they fry and eat the critters...eww! but its a snapshot in my mind that i'll never forget.


we finally arrive dirty, battered, at some faraway guesthouse in siem reap around 930pm, just as lonely planet warned. i start walking purposefully away. AL is w/ me, EP with rolling suitcase right behind - and we are immediately surrounded by tuk tuk drivers offering rides for $1. though they follow for quarter of a mile, i don't want to give in out of principle (god i'm stubborn) - finally, AL suggests we just get in the taxi. We all arrange to meet at Angkor Wat for the sunrise. :Love my bungalow hotel but a lizard dies in my bathroom, poor thing.
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