Crossing into Cambodia was a special treat. Emily, Shana, Dimbo, and I arrived at the bus terminal at the crack of dawn only to discover that the 7:30am bus was canceled in leu of the 10:30am bus. So, we made ourselves comfortable with some Thai iced teas and Marmite-cheese sandwiches (otherwise known as "charmies"). The smoothly paved roads and AC bus made the ride scenic and comfortable, though the journey was about to turn slightly rough.
Within 50 meters, the Thai setting qickly eroded into poverty and debris in Cambodia. Emily and Shana were obliged to pay an extra $5 each for their visas, compliments of the corrupt border guards (Dimity and I bought ours earlier online...oh the age of e-visas!). As we scuffled into Cambodia, government officials insisted that we'd missed the buses to Siem Reap (though there were four parked directly in front of us). So we were forced to take a pricey cab ride. Supposedly, some Cambodian airline pays money to the Cambodian government to keep the road in poor condition, encouraging more people to fly between Bangkok and Siem Reap. Well they've succeeded, because the four-hour, dusty, bumpy, thunder-stormy ride was exhausting. Although, once arriving, we were rewarded for the long haul by finding an award-winning guesthouse, The Dead Fish.
For $5/night each, we enjoyed an AC room with three gigantic double beds (Dim and I cozied in one), cable TV, a couch, spotless bathroom, daily cleaning service (including soap, clean towels, free water), free internet, 50% off breakfast, free rides to massage parlours, a treehouse-tiered restaurant with floor pillows to sit on, traditional music performances and delightful cuisine, perfect hospitality, and more...
For the budget backpacker this is a diamond in the ruff.
From a happy Emma.
