So we'd made it across the border. We were in Poipet. Tthis town was something else! Now normally I'd be in my element in a town full of casinos (the rich thais come over to gamble and then go back), but his was an absolute eye sore, I've not head a single person or website say something positive about this place, it rhymes with 'Toilet' for a reason. I think i'm quite qualified to make an informed decision about how bad this place is, I mean I lived in Luton for 3 years, and I've been to Hull.
We hopped on board the free shuttle bus to the transportation centre (for Transportation centre see 'taxi rank'). Again this is a bit of a scam run by the mafia in Cambodia, I'd read up a bit about it, there were 2 ways of getting to Siem Reap from Poipet; you can get the bus for $10 which takes about 6 hours on a good day, or you can get a taxi which should cost you no more than $45, and this takes about 3 hours. As there were 3 of us we decided to get the taxi, as it was only an extra $5 and took half the time. The waiting time for a bus was supposed to be about 30 mins, but they wait until they've got enough people to fill it and then pull up outside, so we could have been waiting for hours, and I'd had enough of today.
We got to where the taxis were and saw a Japanese couple arguing with the cab drivers, I asked how much to Siem Reap and the guy said $60. Now i know that it was supposed to cost between $30 - $45, The japaese couple had been quoted $60 as well and I said to them that as long as they're all in agreement, they're not going to drop the cost, so we should just all walk away. Now walking away I have found is possibly the best bartering tool there is, about 3 steps into it, they all relented and agreed with $45. Everything was a struggle.
The cab journey was rough. The road from Poipet to Siem Reap is quite famous, it's just one straight road, with pot holes the size of which i had never seen before, most of the time we were on the wrong side of the road, and then the thunderstorm happened. Visibility was practically zero, and the driver did incredibly well not to drive us into another car or into a ditch or pot hole. The road was so bumpy that I thought the car was going to fall apart. Now i found out the reason why this road, which is one of the most important roads for bringing in tourists and trade is in this condition. Apparently Bangkok Airways pay a commission to the Cambodian government to not repair the road because they have the monopoly on the airfare from Bangkok to Siem Reap.
We arrived in Siem Reap (the thunderstorm had finished) and the driver took us to where the tuk tuk drivers were. The driver said that if we told the tuk tuks where to go they would take us there for free. Yeah. Right. We made idle chit chat with the tuk tuk guy, about how long we were staying and what we were planning on doing, and then he pulled in at the guest house we were staying at, helped us with our bags and said goodbye. With no money. I was stunned.
We stayed at a place called the Earthwalkers, it was run by a couple of Norwegians who had moved there a couple of years ago. some of Mona's friends were staying there. The Norwegian girl who ran the place was really helpful, and very sympathetic when she heard about our overland crossing, she said it's the worst boarder crossing in SE Asia, and gives you a really bad impression of the Cambodians.
we got changed and jumped in the pool. We had made it, for a while there I was ready to give up and go back to Bangkok I was that frustrated. That evening I was half dead. Mona met up with her friends and we just all stayed in the guest house bar, I didn't feel like drinking, and people were talking about where they wanted to travel to next. I was looking at the map, but all I could think about was not going anywhere. At this point I was seriously doubting whether or not this traveling lark was for me. I know not everyone gets it, and maybe I was one of those people. I was seriously thinking about just spending about a week here and then flying to Singapore and waiting for my flight to Australia. As I'm writing this retrospectively, I can be a bit more objective about the experience, and I'm really glad that I did that crossing, I think in a way it completely opened my eyes as to what to expect and how to deal with it. I would do it again as I now know what to do, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless you read up a bit about it before.
The Norwegian girls played about in the pool. I sat by the side with a beer, drained. All I really needed was a couple of days in the one place, and as it turns out, this place was great!
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1 comment:
Hey dude - I hear you were ill - what the score there - are you better..? Or are you dead..?
That border crossing sounds legendary mate - those are the things that really shape you when you are travelling, learning to deal with and overcome the hardest of days is something that will stay with you mate. It's all part of the experience and a great story to tell!
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