23rd Sep
Another early start...and another morning hurriedly and somewhat expertly packing. I waited downstairs for my transfer to the bus station for my ride to Siem Reap. At the station I got chatting to an older couple who have been travelling the bast couple of years. They were from the UK (but Indian or Pakistan backkground) and sick of listening to the whinging POMS (their words!!) so they moved to India...and have been travelling on and off. The husband told me about India and Thailand. He told me India is a definite culture shock and that I'd need to prepare myself if I ever intended to go there! He also expressed his opinion on Ko Phi Phi, saying it was absolute paradise and his favourite place in the world! I told him I'd also love to head there one day...I am seriously planning on it...but for now I was thinking of heading to the smaller Island Ko Samet. It was time to jump on the bus. It was designed so there was a large cargo area underneath the seats, so it was a high bus. I watched in amazement as they loaded scooters into the cargo compartment! We headed off and I soon realised the VIP experience wasn't exactly true to it's words as the air-con wasn't 100% effective and there was a discernible lack of curtains! So utilising my multi-purpose sarong I strung it up as a make-shift curtain. I was still damn hot and couldn't manage any shut-eye. As we drove along we tended to stop frequently for varying amounts of time. As I was sitting toward the front of the bus I later found out they were picking up fares along the way...I will experience this throughout Cambodia! Mid-trip we stopped and I grabbed a sprite and was hungry so bought some "coconut biscuits". On reading the packet it seems they like the additives over here...guess today tonight hasn't made it to the shores of Cambodia. I arrived in Siem Reap a very hungry, hot and bothered traveller. I'd read in the lonely planet a sort of warning about a scrum of tuk-tuk drivers when you arrive in SR. They were right. The bus pulled in to a dirt lot, through some rusty iron gates which were subsequently closed behind us. As I got off the bus there were a few drivers that must've had priority rights to be there and there was one holding a sheet of paper with my name on it. So I gave him my bag and he told me to hold back while they opened the gates for us. Then like water crashing through open floodgates the drivers flowed through those gates and started to jump around and yell at no-one and everyone "you want tuk-tuk??". My driver ignored them and strode on by...so I followed. Waiting at the tuk-tuk was another guy...the 'second' driver...and he asked if I knew where I was staying. I stupidly told him no, as I lacked foresight. I did tell him I wanted to stay at the River Garden which wasn't a backpacker dive but more of an oasis...I assumed I'd need somewhere to relax after exploring the temples. He launched into an explanation why I should stay in one of the two hotels he wanted to show me, and I was under no obligation to stay at either. I was reluctant to begin with as I hate being coerced into things and told him so, plus I had read about this happening and didn't want to be one of those naive travellers. The river garden was far away from town however, so I agreed to check out his hotels...and made him admit that he received a comission of $1-2 if I stayed there. The first hotel was quite nice and had a pool, and for $40 a night it was pretty good. The driver told me it was a great location but when I said I wanted to see the other, as it had sounded nice from his description, he mumbled something under his breath and I was quietly satisfied that it wasn't going entirely as he planned it!! So onto the next hotel, and it was lovely. It was a rectangle of rooms which faced into the pool area, which was quite private as there were plants forming a screen. So I told the driver I wanted to stay there as it cost the same as the other hotel. Once again, I'd disappointed him. And once again I was quietly satisfied with this small triumph! After checking-in the 'second' driver took me over the plan for two days sight-seeing of Angkor Wat and surrounds. We eventually agreed on a cost of $40 for two days. Ripped. I was a bit irked but was in the mind-set of "stuff it" so went with the flow. In the back of my mind I was all the time reasoning that I was travelling by bus a bit more than expected so was saving LOTS of money from that. So if I got ripped off here and there it was all part and parcel with being a tourist...and a young girl travelling alone! I did want to see Angkor Wat at sunrise, even though there was no guarantee it would be spectacular as there is often heavy cloud cover this time of year. So they agreed that the "first" driver would be waiting for me at 5am the next day. So I settled into my room and after a cold shower I walked into town. SR had a much better feel than Phnom Penh. There was still the usual chorus of "you want tuk-tuk lady?" and "hey, hello lady" from some of the workers and local boys. I'd mastered the smile, shake head and look straight ahead. I hunted down the Angkor Palm restaurant. I ordered fresh spring rolls and the typical Cambodian dish Fish Amok. It was a memorable meal!! One of the best of the trip, the best in Cambodia hands down. The fresh spring rolls were crisp and bursting with mint and basil. The fish amok was divine. I think it's cooked in coconut milk kwith spices etc but it was kind of a dry curry and the fish fell apart and melted in my mouth! It was served with a side of stir-fried morning glory and steamed rice. The presentation of food in SEA has never let me down...as cheap as the food is they take pride in what they serve up to you. The curry and morning glory were served in banana leaf cups. With an Angkor beer to top it off I was in heaven. I regret not taking a cooking class in Cambodia but such is life. Where I sat I could see the markets so when I was done I had a look around. And couldn't resist...several...purchases. I stopped off at the petrol station on the way back to the hotel and after the boring domestic duty of washing clothes I crashed, exhausted.