Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Tuk Tuk's: An Adventure into Cambodia 2013

[TotallyOz]

Day 1: Bangkok to Siem Reap

The boys and I decided to go visit Cambodia and Angkor Wat for a few days. And, since my family has been giving me a hard time for staying in same cities and same hotels, I decided this trip would be more of an adventure than a 5 star holiday. I won't skimp on some good things but we will try to make it to Cambodia the cheapest way possible and stay in Siem Reap at an inexpensive hotel.

First, we did not make any reservations for transportation. We did make hotel reservations as I would not be able to make the journey without having security of knowing I had a place to stay. So, I went to Expedia. I found a great deal for 3 nights in Siem Reap at the Angkor Miracle Resort & Spa. They were having a sale at Expedia and we took advantage of it and booked our room for 45 USD per night for a pool view. There were cheaper hotels but I heard this one had good Internet and it got good reviews on Trip Advisor, so I booked it.

http://www.angkormiracle.com/

While we were in Bangkok, we decided that we wanted a true adventure and so we chose to take the train to Cambodia. It was a hard decision for me as they had only one and it was not air conditioned and it was very rustic but we decided together this would be fun. The boys told me there was not enough room for my luggage so I packed only ONE backpack. When I got on the train, I saw I had been fooled as there was plenty of overhead space! (but, it would have been a real pain in the butt if I had taken 5 bags to cross the border. less is better on this trip)

We woke up at 4:30 AM and got showered and left at 5:00 AM. We took a taxi to the train station. The taxi cost 60 baht or about 2USD. The train station only took us about 10 minutes that time of the morning. The train station was Bangkok's main Hualamphong station and the morning train left at 05:55 every day and arriving Aranyaprathet 11:35 (so they say, we were about 30 min late).

Once you get there, you walk over to the place that sells the tickets. This area has many windows and if you ask, you will be directed to the right one. We all approached and gave our ID's and I was told 48 baht (1.50 USD). That was the price of my ticket but the boys were free as they are Thai and only had to show ID card for the free ticket.

We got our tickets and made way to the track that we were told to wait at (also on the tickets). The boys told me: "be careful of your pockets" and I said OK. I do remember one boy I met in Pattaya had lived at this train station from the time he was 8 until he was 15 and moved to Pattaya and he said he lived with a group of kids and they all mugged people and picked their pockets. Since I know of this, I was careful.

The train is 3rd class only and there is no air conditioner. They do have bathrooms in all the cars but it is VERY basic. The seats are comfortable and you sit 2 to each seat. The boys and I took the spots we wanted and were happy with them. But, the window was broken and so we quickly moved one seat over. That was a good move as a few people sat there on the 6 hour journey and the window came crashing down on them.

We met a nice couple from England and had a nice chat with them.

The train stopped at every little village and town we passed by. Sometimes, there was not even a station in the town but there was just a little dirt near the tracks where people were waiting.

We were offered food and drinks on board by the vendors that get on the train and walk up and down the entire time. We got some water which was 10 baht.

We did not eat on the train but many people did.

There was a wide variety of people on this train and we met everything from businessmen to students to GoGo boys. There was also a great deal of tourist and backpackers on board. It was a very eclectic mix.

The seat broke on me. Sad story. But, yes, my girth killed it (or at least flattened it). The boys laughed but I was very embarrassed. It wasn't destroyed but it just moved down a bit. But, it was as loud as the thunder you hear in the midst of a store! I stayed where I was at for a bit but then I moved over to a single seat. It was much better for me. There were periods of time when the train was over full and times when it was sparse with customers. So, when one seat emptied out, I took possession and was very happy the rest of the trip.

The train is comfortable and the people working it were all very kind to me and stopped and chatted with us.

We got off at Aranyaprathet a bit after 12 and there were Tuk Tuk's waiting for us. They were waiting directly outside the train and as we were getting off, they were all yelling for us to choose them. I chose one once we got off and he said it was 100 baht to the border. I said fine and off we went. It was about 3 miles to the border.

The Tuk Tuk driver tried to take us to the wrong place so he could earn some more money. They do this often. But, I knew this was not the "Official" place and I told him No. No. He finally took us to the right place to enter the line to exit Thailand. They tried to take every other group of foreigners to the same place. LOL When the group saw me raising my voice and directing him to turn around and go to the right place, the English couple did the same thing and 3 others followed. They didn't know what to expect at the border but they said they were glad they saw me leaving.

You must leave Thailand and get your passport stamped. I did that and as soon as you leave that area, you are approached by 100 people trying to get you to get their "official" Cambodian Visa. I didn't listen and just looked directly across the street to the real visa office and went there. My little group all followed. The boys did not have to do this as they had to get in another line to get their 15 day Free Visa.

The visa to Cambodia is 20 USD. It takes a bit to fill out the paperwork and then give them a photo and your passport and they will give you the visa. It took only about 10 minutes total. After I left there, I saw the Casino I like and I headed straight there as we all wanted to eat and use the restroom before the next journey. We also may have wanted to play a bit of blackjack.

After the casino, we had to get the stamp to enter Cambodia. This one took a bit longer as now the process you and take fingerprints of EVERY finger. This did not happen last time I went to Cambodia but it did this time. The process made the wait longer. It took me about 1 hour to get this done.

The boys were waiting outside for me as they didn't have to deal with all this bS.

Once outside, again everyone wanted us to follow them to either a taxi or a bus. We were tired and decided a taxi. I got the driver to agree to 1000 baht to take us to the hotel in Siem Reap. It took a bit over 2 hours.

The hotel is very nice. The pool is beautiful. The Internet works great. The rooms are very comfortable. We had dinner here and that was also very tasty. The boys forgot to bring swimsuits so they took a Tuk Tuk to the night market to buy something to swim in tomorrow.

The entire journey took us 12 hours. It was a very long day but I was able to see the Thai countryside and it was beautiful. Rice fields, water buffalo, amazing birds, green wherever we looked and the amazing Thai smiles.

It was defiantly a trip I will remember. We will be in Siem Reap for 3 nights and are very excited for our tour guide tomorrow to see the ruins!

[flipao]

thank you for the report!

[RA1]

One really doesn't know much about a country (or its' citizens) until one does what they do. Much more interesting and much more fun than just being an "Ugly American".

Thanks for the report as well as the pix.

Best regards,

RA1

[TotallyOz]

Day 2 in Siem Reap

I woke up early today and headed downstairs for a good breakfast. The hotel provides a very nice buffet and I love omelets. The ones here were excellent. The have a wide variety of food for foreigners and locals. It was a lot of Asian delicacies as the majority of the guests are Asian tour groups. The hotel manager said mostly from Korea, China and Japan.

I had arranged a tour guide for today. The cost was 25 USD for the day for the guide and the van was another 50 USD. We need a van as there were 3 of us and the guide and driver. We were told that most likely it would rain today but we booked the guide anyway. It did rain. The entire day. There were a few short breaks but we were soaked the entire day. Many of the photos you will see are in the rain. It was just a very cloudy and drizzly day today!

The driver and guide were excellent and well worth the money.

We stopped by an ATM first thing as I knew we would need American currency to pay for the tickets to get inside the Angkor Wat temples. The ATM's here dispense USD but most places take several forms of currency. The cost is 20 USD for one day, 40 for 3 days and 60 for a week. We were going to only get one day but we wanted to do one more temple the next day so we booked for 2 days. They take a photo of you and you are printed out a pass.

From there we were off to see the amazing temples in the area. It truly is a marvelous site. There is so much to see and it is often up and down stairs and hiking in the trails.

You can read about the temples from other sites but I'll say that seeing one of the 7 Wonders of the World is just something none of us will ever forget. It was not my first visit here but I did enjoy it so much better because the boys were here with me to experience it.

I twisted my ankle in the first 10 minutes and the rest of the day was spent limping around. I still made the day but it was a bit painful. As soon as we got back, my foot went up but it was too late. The damage was done!

We left a bit later than the other groups as the boys wanted to leave after 9. When we got to the main temple the guide suggested that we start at the other temples and end at Angkor. We agreed and off we went.

One of my favorite temples was the one where Angelina Jolie filmed part of Tomb Raider. The trees covering the temple grounds are fabulous.

I also loved the kids from the area all playing in the trees surrounding the temple.

We did have tons of kids come up to us today to ask us to give them money or to buy something. After 10 thousand no, no, no, I had one kid ask me to buy a postcard and I told him to count to 100. He did. In English. I gave him some money as I thought he earned it. He was maybe 6 years old.

I was told that 80 percent of the children in Cambodia now learn English in school. That came from the guide and I don't know how accurate but so far everyone we met including waiters and gas station attendants spoke very good English.

After we finished our tour, and rested, I went for a long swim. The hotel has a salt water pool and it felt great after a long day hiking and trekking.

The boys and I ate at the hotel and called it an early night.

Sorry there are so many images. It was just one of those days that we all wanted to take a ton of photos. We ended up with over 2,000 images! LOL I won't put them all on there but here are a few samples.

[Guest lurkerspeaks]

thanks for the beautiful and fascinating pics. Hopefully one day after I win the Powerball, I will be able to travel to that part of the world.

One question for you....Do you know how old the temples are? how far back they date?

[Lucky]

Amazing and wonderful pictures. The H and I flew to Siem Reap a few years ago and really liked the place, as well as Angkor Wat.

Lurkerspeaks, good ol' Wikipedia tells us:

Angkor (Khmer: អង្គរ or នគរ, "Capital City")^[1][2] is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara (नगर), meaning "city".^[3] The Angkorian period began in AD 802, when the Khmer Hindu monarch Jayavarman II declared himself a "universal monarch" and "god-king", and lasted until the late 14th century, first falling under Ayutthayan suzerainty in 1351. A Khmer rebellion resulted in the 1431 sacking of Angkor by Ayutthaya, causing its population to migrate south to Longvek.

The ruins of Angkor are located amid forests and farmland to the north of the Great Lake (Tonlé Sap) and south of the Kulen Hills, near modern-day Siem Reap city (13°24′N, 103°51′E), in Siem Reap Province. The temples of the Angkor area number over one thousand, ranging in scale from nondescript piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, said to be the world's largest single religious monument. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored, and together, they comprise the most significant site of Khmer architecture. Visitor numbers approach two million annually, and the entire expanse, including Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom is collectively protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This popularity of the site among tourists presents multiple challenges to the preservation of the ruins.

In 2007, an international team of researchers using satellite photographs and other modern techniques concluded that Angkor had been the largest preindustrial city in the world, with an elaborate infrastructure system connecting an urban sprawl of at least 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) to the well-known temples at its core.^[4] The closest rival to Angkor, the Mayan city of Tikal in Guatemala, was between 100 and 150 square kilometres (39 and 58 sq mi) in total size.^[5] Although its population remains a topic of research and debate, newly identified agricultural systems in the Angkor area may have supported up to one million people.^[6]

[TotallyOz]

Day 3

I know from experience that shit happens. On my last trip here, I lost my photos and the same thing happened on one trip to Brazil. I have a few hundred thousand photos from years gone by and I have been organizing them the last few months. Knowing that I had lost photos in the past when things happen, I have started to use Dropbox to save all my camera images. This comes in very handy for me as I just connect the camera or the flash drive and dropbox has a setting that allows it to always upload to your dropbox account. I do this now for all images and it loads to my account and even if my computer is stolen, I have not lost anything of value to me like photos. I also have family in the USA with access to my account and they can see all the photos each day as well without me having to send via email. IMHO, Dropbox is a savior in many instances!

Here are a few photos of the breakfast in the hotel. Again, this is a good place to eat and the food is very good but it is mainly Asian cuisine as that is their customer base. Today, when I was at breakfast around 6:30 AM, they will full with only Asians. I was the only white guy in the room.

It has not stopped raining since we got here. We had planned to go about 50 k outside the city for a few other ruins and some mountain trekking but with the rain, we were told that it was not possible. We had also tried to do the balloons over the ruins and they were closed. Lastly, we saw an ad for ATV and a few hours of 4 wheels though the area and again, they were closed due to the rain. So, we didn't get to see all the things we wanted to see but at least we got to the major temples yesterday.

We have been in and out of town quite a bit. We have eaten on Pub road for several meals and also in the hotel. The average cost of all of our meals here have been about 10USD per person.

I will say that if I do this again, I'll stay near the center of town. Our hotel is great but it is a Tuk Tuk ride into the city all the time.

[RA1]

When you said you twisted your ankle in the first 10 minutes I thought the finish of that was going to be, so I got the boys to push me around all day in a wheel chair. I have seen that ploy used before but it might be largely an American thing.

Thanks for the report and pix.

Best regards,

RA1

[TotallyOz]

Day 4: Back to Bangkok - Or NOT

A very long day!

We woke up today and had breakfast at the hotel and packed our bags to travel.

We were headed back to Thailand today but since it rained a bit, we decided we would head to Phnom Penh and fly out.

We had a few choices of transportation to get from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. We could have chosen to fly. They had direct flights from about 84 USD. We could have taken a boat (which is what we wanted to do) for about 35 USD but when we asked to book this, we were told it was not open until October. So, if you plan to try a river boat ride, be sure you come at a time when it is open.

We could have taken a variety of bus services that ranged from about 8 USD to 14 USD.

However, we decided to take a taxi as we thought the rate of 60 USD was reasonable and were told it would be more comfortable than a bus. The hotel tried to get us to book with them for 90USD but we just called a local travel agent who told us 65 and we said 60 and she said OK.

As we needed to check out, I went downstairs and started the process. We had 2 rooms as I wanted the boys to have a room of their own on the trip and at 45 USD a night, I thought very reasonable. Plus, if we had added a 3rd person to our room, they would going to charge 20 USD anyway.

At checkout, I saw a bill for 187 USD. It was for the minibar in the boys room. I was shocked but I guess I didn't want to argue and I paid it. When we were in the taxi, I asked the boys if they had drinks from the minibar and they said they drank everything each day. I asked why they just didn't get something from the mini mart and they said, "you told us mini bar was free." LOL I did tell them that when we stay at the Intercontinental. At a Royal Ambassador, I get free mini bar privileges and I tell them to drink anything they want each day as it is free. Since we have not stayed at this hotel before, they thought the same was for this hotel. I didn't tell them that things weren't free here and I didn't tell them the total cost of the bill. But, I had a big chuckle on my own for not being more clear. It won't happen again!

The taxi ride was Hell on Wheels! Literally, the road is horrible. The way the people drive the road is dangerous and I was relieved to get to my room. The ride really was horrendous and I wish I had taken either a plane or a bus. The car hit 10,000 major bumps and we felt like we were riding a roller coaster each moment.

Once we got settled in the hotel, I was not feeling well. Perhaps it was getting drenched for 3 days so I asked the boys to go out and get me some gatorade. I gave them 100 USD. They came back and gave me my change. I had 57 USD. I asked why so little and the BF said, that was what they gave him from the 100. I asked how much the bill was and he didn't know but said 20. In other words, they don't speak the language and the guy at the store short changed them. I told them they try this with me in Thailand from time to time and that is why I always count things very carefully. For those of you unbelievers, let me say the boys have never short changed me. They have access to my ATM's, CC, etc. I trust them totally and as they have their own money, it would not behove them to make up the story. They were both surprised at this and now know to be more careful. I guess the guy saw a few gold necklaces and their watches and said, "here comes my payday."

We did eat dinner tonight near the River front. It was just OK and nothing special.

We chose to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel as I needed some nights before the end of the year.

It is late at night here and I have a fever so I am off to bed.

Long day. Raining again on us in Phnom Penh.

[TotallyOz]

Today started out at the hotel with breakfast. The breakfast buffet was to die for! Absolutely fabulous! They had a variety of everything. I love this place.

After I ate, I went for a swim and while the water was cold, it was nice to lounge around and wait for the boys to wake up.

We hired a Tuk Tuk driver today for 8 hours. His rate was 20USD. He agreed to take us everywhere we wanted to go.

We started out by going to lunch. I had asked the hotel to recommend a place that most Cambodians would eat. I thought we would get a market area. But, instead, we ended up at Malis. It is an upscale restaurant. I almost left but thought we drove out of the way to get here and I should try it. I am so glad I did. The food was delicious! We had Crab Fried Rice, Scallop with peppercorn, Cambodia Kabobs with chili sauce, Morning Glory, Honey BBQ Pork, and Cambodia Tiger Prawns. We all thought this was the best meal we had experienced in Cambodia!

After lunch, we headed to the "Killing Fields." This is the area where there are mass graves from the Po Pot regime. It was a very dark time in Cambodian history and to this day, I don't understand why the International community did not get involved.

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_Fields

The area is very somber and causes many emotions. The cost is 8USD and that comes with an audio tour guide. I got one for English and the boys got one for Thai. This was a great help as they didn't have to translate into another language. My two guys are rarely quite but they listened and they didn't speak the entire timer. It was such an interesting experience. At the end (about 1 hour) they looked at me and said, "so sad." And, then they asked why America didn't help like they want to do in Syria. I didn't have an answer for them other than after Vietnam and Korean Wars, the American people didn't want to get involved in anything. Very similar to now when the public is tired of wars in the Middle East. Shame on us for letting any people get treated this way.

After that, we went to the King's Palace but the whole area was closed for a celebration and police and guards blocked us off.

We tried a few other places and they were closed too.

We ended up at Wat Phnom. It was built in 1373, and stands 27 metres above the ground. It is the tallest religious structure in the city.

From Wiki: "The sanctuary itself was rebuilt several times in the 19th century and again in 1926. The interior has a central altar complex with a large bronze seated Buddha surrounded by other statues, flowers, candles and items of devotion and worship. The walls are covered with murals, especially of Jataka stories of the Buddha's earlier reincarnations before his enlightenment. There are also murals depicting stories from the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana. The newer murals in the bottom tiers are somewhat balanced, traditional and modern.

The southwest corner of the vihear and stupa, is a small shrine dedicated to Lady Penh. The front is often crowded with the faithful bringing their prayers and food offerings to the woman deemed responsible for the founding of the wat."

Our last stop of the day was the Russian Market. If you have been to JJ Market in Bangkok, think the same thing! It is a large market with copy goods galore!

The fun part of the day was seeing the street scenes in and around the city! Beautiful people and beautiful city.

[Theolover]

Thanks for the report. I love reading about your adventures

[TampaYankee]

Oz,

THanks for sharing your experiences and photos with us. I know this is as close as I will ever get so I am extremely appreiciative of you bringing the experience to me.

That food looks fantastic. Wish I could sample that. Your hotel was fantastic for the price you paid. Sorry the humidity was so high.

The photos are an awesome display of the scenery, the ruins, the city, the temple, the markets and the people. Thanks again.

[TotallyOz]

Within a few hours of that fabulous lunch I had, I started feeling nauseous and my body started aching. I had food poisoning and it was most likely related to the seafood. In all honestly, I knew I should not have eaten it as I had had this happened many times over the years and it is one of the worst feelings you can imagine. For over 48 hours, either my mouth or my butt was making movements toward the toilet.

We had planned to leave on Sunday but I knew I was not up to the flight. We had booked Air Asia for 84 USD a ticket. But, it was non refundable and after we missed the flight I knew nothing I could do.

I talked to the Intercontinental Hotel Concierge and he extended my stay for the same rate (190 USD) and he also booked a flight for me for Cambodian Angkor Airway for 112 USD. Still, a flight back to Bangkok for this rate was great IMHO. And, it was refundable should I need another day or two to recover.

I did need more time but I also wanted to get back to my place as I knew I would be able to recover faster there and I knew my doctors there would be great should I need them.

We did make the flight and got back into Thailand. We took a taxi from the airport. I was exhausted and could barely walk. The flight was at 12:05PM and we were in the taxi at 1:30 PM. I had not eaten all day as I didn't want to be rushing to the bathroom or even worst. When we hit Sathorn, I put in a call to McDelivery for a cheeseburger as I wanted to eat. As we got to the hotel about 5 minutes later, the delivery boy was already there.

I recovered again yesterday and last night and have slept for about 3 days now. I am not over it yet but this morning I felt I could type on the computer so I thought I'd conclude my adventures.

Don't fret. The boys were not sick and most likely you would not get sick either. I have a very sensitive stomach and I knew better than to eat seafood. I love it but every doctor tells me never to eat in Asia. I was not upset at the restaurant as it was 100% my fault and my issue.

The Intercontinental Hotels was fabulous for the last leg of the journey. They upgraded me to a 1 bedroom suite and gave us lounge access. As I didn't leave the room after the first day, I ordered in every meal. The boys roamed around the city in the day and took care of me at night. They would never leave me alone for more than an hour or two but they would Tuk Tuk here and there and then return. I honestly don't know what all they ended up doing there or where they ate or where they went. I'll find out in a few days when I feel 100%.

The trip was still great and I am still so very happy I went and that I took the boys with me. They had a great time and the photos they took of themselves will be great memories for the rest of their lives and for their families.

All in all, minus the illness, the trip was amazing!

[RA1]

Sorry you were ill but I have found through many years of experience (as have you) that travel is full of "complications". When you said the McDelivery was there before you were I could not help but think of the current Jimmy John's Freaky Fast Delivery commercials which are funny but of course not reality.

The only "real" solution to any country's "revenge" is to keep going and get over it.

Best regards,

RA1

[TotallyOz]

The Delivery services here are pretty fast. McDonald's is usually within 10 min but they charge a 40 baht deliver charge (1.10) but I also tip more so the drivers fight over it so they get it and come to my place quick.

Pizza Delivery is fast as well. But, the best if a place called Food by Phone. You basically order straight from a menu of 100 local restaurants from every variety you can imagine. They deliver to you within one hour. It is always hot and good. For example, there is a great place in the gay area called Roadhouse BBQ that I'll often meet up with friends and they will also deliver to my home through this company.

[RA1]

What you described has become the "room service" that is actually available at many less than full service hotels, which, unfortunately, is now almost all of them. The "menu" seemingly offers a plethora of food from many different sources. The reality is the same as just walking down an unfamiliar street and picking a restaurant from their outside advertising. In other words, pot luck.

Best regards,

RA1