The trip here just as crazy as the trip to the islands the first time, but this time we knew (more or less) what we were in for. The ferry dropped us off at the same pier, where we waited for 2.5 hours before boarding a bus - got to skip the minibus with the cough syrup drinking driver this time! That got us into Bangkok at 3 AM. Luckily it dropped us off in an area that we knew because otherwise we would have been totally disoriented and at the mercy of the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers.
From there we hopped a taxi to the bus station, which must not be used by many foreigners because nothing was in English. After a great deal of confusion and some running through the station, we boarded a bus to Aranyaprathet, the town on the Thai side of the border with Cambodia. Our book said we would have to take a tuk-tuk to the border but the bus actually dropped us of right at the border. We didn't recognize this right away though and everyone you ask is trying to scam you so it's very confusing. After ignoring at least 30 men telling us we had to buy a Cambodian Visa before leaving Thailand (and trying to charge us way too much money) we found the Thai immigration office. We filled out the paperwork and crossed a bridge to leave Thailand.
Once entering Cambodia and going through a quarantine checkpoint, a very helpful Cambodian government worker showed us step by step how to enter the country and get a visa and everything. We got our visas, took a government bus to the bus station where we met an Aussie man who had been scammed 3 times at the border but was still in good enough spirits to split a taxi to Siem Reap with us. We each paid $10 US. (They use US dollars here for whatever reason, though everything below $1 is in Riel notes which exchange at about 4200 riel to the dollar. It's way confusing to get and give change.) The 2 hour drive was a good introduction to Cambodia. The rural towns are clearly very poor and impoverished. More so than in Thailand. The houses were mostly one room shacks, often on stilts to protect against floods, and often with uncovered windows or even whole walls. There were irrigation ditched in front of each house that protect against flooding, water the crops and probably serve as drinking water too. the countryside was lush with green bushes, palm trees and crops. It was pretty and like nothing I've ever seen but very poor.
We made it to our hostel finally and collapsed as it took us nearly 24 hours of traveling to get here. We had man tuk-tuk drivers approach us wanting to take us to the temples and after choosing the one that Lindsay and Leah (Tufts friends) used I felt bad telling the others we didn't need them. Everybody here is very friendly and has good English so it makes it seem more rude and harsh when I ignore them.
We met up with Lindsay and Leah for dinner that night. It was great to see some familiar faces in a strange new land. I ran yesterday and we went to Angkor Wat today which I'll write more about tomorrow but here's a few pictures:
Angkor Wat at sunrise.
Tarik's famous half-opened eye.
The front of the temple.
Ta Prohm. The temple where Tomb Raider was filmed. It's over taken by the jungle!
Angor Wat! The furnished apartment I'm renting is filled with untitled photos of that place. I wondered where they were taken. I've got an awesome one of that very tree scaling the corner of the wall. Thanks
ReplyDelete-Dan