Cambodia Beckons

As my Thai visa was expiring on 1 September, i had to go to one of the neighbouring countries. So i took a bus from Bangkok to the border of Cambodia.  Somewhere i had read that this is a border with distances between the two posts, so i was expecting to take a tuk-tuk from where the bus dropped me off to the border and then in between the border.  That was not necessary though, as the bus dropped me off at the border and the space between the two posts was shorter than at others. I had also read that the visa process is tiresome with long queues, but as it was out of season this was not an issue.  To get the visa, i had to pay the US$20 plus an extra 100 Thai Bhat (£2) for express 3 minute visa.  I had read that they would likely charge me in Thai Bhat and that it would work out to be nearly double the official price in US$, so to pay only £2 extra – i was happy to just let it go, even though i knew that this was not an official cost.  And the visa was really available in 3 minutes!! So no long 2 hour queues.  Then going through immigration was pretty painless, just another form and e ‘vuala – I am in Cambodia!!

As you come out of immigration there is a sign saying ‘free shuttle for tourists’, so i hopped on, curious to see where it went.  It was going to the bus station, and when i arrived there i realised it was designed for tourists and their wallets.  Then i looked at the price of the buses and knew they were way overpriced – this was where having read the lonely planet came in handy!  They were wanting to charge me US$12 for the 200km journey to Siem Reep, which was more than double what i had paid in Thailand for the 400km journey to the border!!!  So i walked out of the bus station and headed straight for the main road.  The taxi drivers are so persistent about you getting a lift with them - I had one drive slowly next to me as i walked, for about 200m.  Then when i crossed the road to get away from him, he stopped his car and walked across the road to try and give me a ‘good’ price to go to my destination.  I realise that they are desperate for work, especially out of season, but i have a budget.  If i wasn’t on a tight budget then i would definitely help the locals out a bit more.  But on this occasion i walked for about 1km when i stumbled upon some guys sitting under a tree in front of a bukkie (4x4 truck), and they asked where i was going, so i told them and it just so happened that this was the more local form of transport, so i hopped onto the back of the bukkie and waited for about half an hour for more customers to arrive.  The driver tried to suggest that if i paid extra they could leave straight away – i said that if i paid that much it would be cheaper to go on the bus, so he smiled and we left anyway. Can’t blame him for trying.

The lonely planet had suggested that i get to the next village, Sisophon, and arrange onward transport from there – as it is cheaper.  So after being completely windblown, and a punctured tyre, we arrived in Sisophon where i was told that there were no more busses to Siem Reep – but there were plenty of taxi drivers ready to take me there!

So i hauled out my Lonely Planet and sat reading about what options were available here, while about 10 men were standing around me watching me and trying to see what i was reading.  My guide book was not helpful in this situation at all, so once again i decided to start walking.  That seems to be my default – just walk.  I stopped and asked the direction for Siem Reep, and asked a few more people along the way, just to check i was going in the right direction – i have learnt not to take one persons interpretation of a way to get somewhere!!  Siem Reep is about 100km from Sisophon, so some thought i was a bit mad not taking a taxi.  It felt really good somehow to just be walking on that stretch of road, it felt like a real backpacker experience vs a comfortable bus or taxi ride...

After a couple of kilometres another bukkie stopped and asked where i was going – they were going to Siem Reep, so we negotiated a good price US$3 to get there. No flat tyres this time, just bags full of chickens! Live ones! 

I was dropped off near the guest house i was wanting to stay at, but unfortunately i did not know exactly where they were as they were not on the map, so i walked around in a bit of a circle asking people – and found them to be really helpful, even phoning the guest house to get directions.  The taxi drivers told me they knew where it is, but they did not impart that information for obvious reasons.  And then i met a young Cambodian woman who decided to drive me there on her scooter – me with all my bags – what a sight that was! LOL!  She dropped me off at the place, which was really great, as it was just about to get dark and rain.

The guest house turned out to be more expensive than i had budgeted for, but the room was really nice and the price included breakfast, free laundry, and free bicycle rental – so i weighed it all up, and decided to just stay there anyway. So for US$8 i have a pretty good deal. Now to sleep... g’night.