Day 20, 5th August Boat to Siem Reap

Well another early start as I had to get to the boat for the trip to Siem Reap by 7. Didn’t get a chance to grab any breaky but picked up a baguette (they are crazy for them over here, they are everywhere all over

Vietnam and

Cambodia). The boat trip was cool, it went from about 7-2:30 through a few rivers and then across a lake to just outside Siem Reap. It was really cool seeing how all the people in the country are living, absolutely crazy they live about 1 foot above the water in a little house on stilts, or on a floating house boat. There are whole towns around and in the river on the way. One school I passed was in the middle of the water, so there was no way to get out apart from boat or swim. Cambodia 001Cambodia 005Cambodia 006 

When arriving to Siem Reap you go through a floating village which is pretty cool, every place is a house boat or house on pontoon type structure. Really amazing how much stuff they fit on them, I even saw a floating basketball court. On the boat I met an English couple Ed and Fiona, really great people and they are traveling around the world overland, even a few stints on cargo ships. Should check it out www.lowcarbontravel.com, they are coming to

Australia for about a month if you want to show them around or hang out they will be in Manly of all places. Ed and Fiona 

‘When you should just say NO’On arrival to Siem Reap or actually 18kms away there is always the problem of getting to the hotel. There was this guy who said I will take you to any hotel for $1. Too easy, then he said I usually make up the difference by taking people around the temples the next day, which you normally do so we thought too easy. I didn’t really want to get a tuk tuk to the temples I was going to ride so when he dropped us off we said we would wait to see what Ed and Fiona were doing, could you please come back at 7:30pm (this was the first time he would have to return) At 7:30 feeling bad we thought we would do a sunrise viewing of Angkor Wat and told him to meet us at 5am. Went to dinner with Ed and Fiona, then went home and it was raining. Woke at 5am raining even harder and thought we should brush it, so I went out to him(second time), he was all kitted out in his wet weather gear looking excited, I gave him the bad news that Frida was on her deathbed, terrible lyer kept adding to the story. Then he said what about tomorrow. I gave him $3 and couldn’t say no, so told him to come back at 10 and see how she is feeling. 10am went out and had to say no, felt really bad and should have just shut him down first thing.  

 

August 05th 2007 Posted to Travel

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Day 10 26th July – Travel to Chao Doc

Well after a wonderful few days on the island I decided to keep moving. I caught the ferry back and a bus to Chao Doc where I will go to Cambodia from tomorrow. There was one funny hassle story, when I was getting on the bus, again on the side of the road instead of the station my bike driver said it would be around 40000. The lady on the bus said 140000, so I politely in my most colourful Australian said I would pay 40000. after about 5 mins of arguing she stopped the bus and kicked me off. When I was walking away she kept yelling 140000, but I kept saying 40000. Then she said 100,000. Anyway about 15mins later with the whole bus still waiting I got back where I was for 40,000 after she wouldn’t let me go. I wish she was understanding what I was saying from the beginning.

When I arrived in Chao Doc I went for a walk and was caught in a massive thunder storm, this would have made Noah nervous. The amount of rain was insane. these two ladies in a fruit stall told me to come and wait with them, anyway we started eating fruit, and then all their friends were giving me samples of all this fruit I have never tried before. Some of it was great but more of it tasted very different to what we get.

Cambodia 003

July 26th 2007 Posted to Travel

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