After researching where to leave, lots of online information and wrong information at the bus station we finally got confirmation that we do not have to make our way across town to Mo Chit Bus terminal after all since there are a few busses a day going directly from Ekkamai to the market near theThai / Cambodian border.
Bus leaves at 8 am and surprisingly all 6 of us get there on time. Sweet 200 Bath later we are on our way to Cam Bo Di A. The bus is packed to the brim with a few short stops along the way and the bus driver almost leaving us in nowhereland. We still manage to jump on an already moving bus and get taken along, they take their scheduling seriously. Luckily we have seats already since there are people standing throughout the bus now. But it's never full until it's really full. There is an ID checkpoint before the border and a few people need to get out, why is an unknown. Lucky that wasn't us.
Heard a few sad stories about that border market, in class, actually. Since Cambodia is Thailand's poor neigbor they do receive substantial aid from the West. Apparently a lot of the clothes donated to Cambodia by charities are being carted into Thailand and sold for profit there on the border market. Gives you a sense of the desperation in the country.
At Aranyaprathet /Rong Kluea market there is a bunch of Tuk Tuk drivers wanting to drop us to the border, since the heat is scorcing we get on the far overpriced Tuk Tuk's. It's a few minute drive and as expected they drive us to a Visa office by the border for priority Visas. The border is just a few meters ahead so as recommended by everyone else no Visa office is needed. Leaving Thailand is a breeze and so is getting into Cambodia. 20 USD (or 1000 Baht which is more) + 100 Baht, a few forms and a passport picture later we hold our Cambodian Visa in hand. Well that was easy.
Between the borders, in nomansland there are a few Casinos for the Thais to come gambling, since it's illegal in Thailand. Well just creating a market there.
There is a waiting area right behind the border for a free shuttle bus to the bus station for onward travel. There is a transportation mafia in Poipet on the Cambodian border so onward transportion from there costs considerable more than usual. A busride that takes 3 hours, 1 hour more than it should and stops at roadside shops so you could spend your money, costs $9 and only leaves once full. A full taxi is $48 and takes 2 hours. Well since we are a bunch of people we might as well splurge and get a taxi. Haggling the price down is impossible, they stay put. Mafia that's what they call it.
The drive to Siem Reap is nice. After a lengthy fuel stop, gas for the cars, Angkor beers for us. Roads are great, although you are sharing the two lanes with Mopeds, Tuk Tuks, oxcarts, bicycles, pedestrians, cows and everything else the most disturbing are the speed limits. It could be faster. But the scenery is to be enjoyed. Although we do have a blind passenger taking the Taxi with us. There's a tiny lizard hanging onto the window and we cheer to it with our Angkor Beers.
Once we get to Siem Reap half the streets are flooded. Seems like we missed days and days of torrential rainfall were pretty much everything was closed and under water. Lucky us, it's wonderful sunshine now and the rain is quickly evaporating. Our Taxi turns into a tiny sideways road and we need to move to a Tuk Tuk to continue our journey. There's really no need for that, but what you oughta do. A Cambodian jumps in the Tuk Tuk with us, tells us a few stories and wants us to hire him as Tuk Tuk driver for the next day. Aaaah, why not. He speaks good English and the price sounds reasonable and is willing to pick us up at a crazy 5am to go so Angkor at sunrise. It's only later that we find out that pretty much everyone in Siem Reap speaks acceptable English and the price was slightly inflated. And every Tuk Tuk driver would pick you up at any day and night to make a bit of money. It's kind of what you do in Siem Reap when there's no other job to be had. You drive a Tuk Tuk and hope that you can chauffeur around tourists. Regular price for the Tuk Tuk is $ 15 for a full day, more when there is a long distance to be covered. Quite competitive if you ask me.
Our Hostel welcomes us warmly and with plenty of tips what to see and do and on a whim we decide to go see Angkor Wat at sunset. Since we are cutting it close on time, there's a bit of a rush but we still make it there. Tickets for Angkor Wat - the whole temple area- are $ 20 for one day with cheaper options for longer tickets. But you can actually use your ticket the one day for sunset and the next full day as well. And... you do get a ticket with your picture on it. Pretty sweet.
After seeing so many picture of Angkor Wat and it being heralded as one of the 7 Wonders of the World and praise about the colors at sunset my expectations are quite high. And it is beautiful. Not as breathtaking as I imagined (my fault for having too hight expectations) but still pretty impressive sight. The concept of the amazing sunset is somehow wrong as the sun goes down in the wrong direction to get those great pictures they print in the magazines. The area is still open or so we think and we make our way inside Angkor Wat. It is really quiet and a few steps in we are the only people within sights. Make for nice and funny pictures without any other people in the backdrop. And that at Angkor. We explore the whole area until we reach the more or less inner sanctum of Angkor Wat and realize there was a reason we were the only people in the area. Angkor Wat has closed already but noone told us that. Security is asking us to leave but for $ 5 per person they would let us climb up Angkor to get a better view of the sunset. Sky is pretty purple by now and looks amazing. The offer is tempting but who wants to support corruption? So the security escorts us out, we are still cheeky enough to stop for pictures in the changing light. Angkor Wat all to ourselves, aaaaaaah.
The colors are great so sunset is a great experience at Angkor after all.
Lots of more pictures and back to the Tuk Tuk theres kids all over trying to sell things. Everything is ONE DOLLAAAAA! I have no idea yet how often I would be hearing that over the next days.
We let them drop us off near the Night market for some much needed food. It's past 7 now and we haven't really eaten since we left Bangkok early morning. Cambodian BBQ is on the menu. It's a great show they put on with flipping the meat on the open grill but the portion is tiny. Not what as needed after that day. And the cocktails kick in rather nicely.
Since 3 of us have a very early start tomorrow to see the sunrise we head back while the others, that are too lazy to get up for sunrise start shopping through the night market. It's gonna be a short night but here's to hoping it's all worth it.
