MotoTempleMania
Siem Reap & Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia
Trust me. No border crossings are ever fun after a good night in Bangkok. This passage wasn't any different. "Only twelve hours but seemed like days" is how I described it in my journal. The first bus was extremely comfortable, that lasted a couple hours and the next four buses slowly deteriorated exponentially the rest of the trip. Crossing the Aranyaprathet / Poipet border was extremely hot and humid with no airflow. I was dehydrated and on the verge of becoming one of those people who complain. Little things were getting on my nerves.
"Why is that girl talking so much...who is this idiot taking so long at the counter...are these agents stupid...I hate Thailand...I hate Cambodia...who brings a rolling suitcase to Cambodia...am I the only sane person here...I have to pee...I need water...why did I stay out late last night...am I the only insane person here?"
My turn finally came and I was granted permission into Cambodia. After a bathroom break I found my way to the next bus where I met up with a friendly French couple. After a nice chat on the second to last bus we stopped at our final break spot where we ate some dinner and had a drink. I was finally starting to feel better and was getting excited to get to our destination. Unfortunately the French couple already had plans to stay at a hostel 9 dollars over my budget. We said our goodbyes and I hopped on a moto towards Garden Village where 1USD dorms were advertised. My driver had no clue where he was going and had to stop and ask at least 10 people directions. I finally arrived late in the evening and asked for a dorm. I thought I made myself clear when I asked for the dollar rooms, but I was lead to a 3USD room. It seemed very basic so I didn't double check, "I'll take it". Just a mattress on the floor, but with a lock and an enclosed room I was wondering how the mattress's in the hallways with only a mosquito net around them could cost the same, or less. Being so tired I didn't think to bring it up and collapsed on the thin mattress after being told I could pay when I left. I swiftly fell into a deep slumber without turning out the light, changing clothes, or locking the door.
"Why is that girl talking so much...who is this idiot taking so long at the counter...are these agents stupid...I hate Thailand...I hate Cambodia...who brings a rolling suitcase to Cambodia...am I the only sane person here...I have to pee...I need water...why did I stay out late last night...am I the only insane person here?"
My turn finally came and I was granted permission into Cambodia. After a bathroom break I found my way to the next bus where I met up with a friendly French couple. After a nice chat on the second to last bus we stopped at our final break spot where we ate some dinner and had a drink. I was finally starting to feel better and was getting excited to get to our destination. Unfortunately the French couple already had plans to stay at a hostel 9 dollars over my budget. We said our goodbyes and I hopped on a moto towards Garden Village where 1USD dorms were advertised. My driver had no clue where he was going and had to stop and ask at least 10 people directions. I finally arrived late in the evening and asked for a dorm. I thought I made myself clear when I asked for the dollar rooms, but I was lead to a 3USD room. It seemed very basic so I didn't double check, "I'll take it". Just a mattress on the floor, but with a lock and an enclosed room I was wondering how the mattress's in the hallways with only a mosquito net around them could cost the same, or less. Being so tired I didn't think to bring it up and collapsed on the thin mattress after being told I could pay when I left. I swiftly fell into a deep slumber without turning out the light, changing clothes, or locking the door.
The next morning I woke up very early. Partly due to my uncharacteristic lack of adrenaline the night before which usually kicks in anytime I arrive at a new location, but mostly due to the extremely obnoxious loudspeakers blaring prayers. I have to blame it on the quality of the loudspeakers and not the muezzin, everywhere else I've ever traveled I've always enjoyed the mellow chanting from the minarets as they add a live soundtrack to your surroundings. But this wasn't your average speaker, it was well below par, and sounded like it was cranked about 10 notches past maximum volume. By the end of my four days in Siem Reap I officially declared it to be "the world's worst loudspeaker".
Temporarily Unaware of My Precise Location
The good thing about waking up early was I had the first pick on the bicycles for rent. 1USD a day was a great deal, and being my favorite mode of transportation I was really excited about the day. The plan was to check out some smaller ruins that most people don't bother to check out. I read it was a good introduction to the temples before visiting the mack daddies at Angkor Wat. I got some last minute directions from the staff which made no sense to me, but I thought I would figure it out as I went.
Peddling out of the hostel I made my way along the dirt road with the warm morning air comforting my body like a blanket on a cold winter night. The friendly smiles or curious looks
Peddling out of the hostel I made my way along the dirt road with the warm morning air comforting my body like a blanket on a cold winter night. The friendly smiles or curious looks