Day 11, Drive to Ankor Wat
Trip Start
Dec 01, 2009
1
11
25
Trip End
Dec 24, 2009
Siam Reap, Siĕm Réab, Cambodia
Friday, December 11, 2009
Woke up a 5 am, again after a restful night at the Guest House. Traffic again started around 4:30, but this time the guest house staff started playing loud music at 5:30.
Kimsarut took us to the Russian Market to go shopping. This is the best place in town for souvenir and clothes shopping. you can also get alot of western clothing made in garment factories around Phnom Penh. Bought a two pairs of shorts, 3 shirts and 2 hammocks. On the way back to the house, we stopped at the City Mall .... a new western-style shopping center .... for coffee and dessert. Phnom Penh is sure a contrast between old and new ... clearly a city in transition. On the one hand you have shanty towns and numerous poor people living in shacks. Next to them you've got new buildings and people driving Mecercedes and Lexus. Saw a billboard for a new development which will have 7-8 highrise buildings. Surprisingly there are not many beggars in the streets ,,,, according to David this is quite different than 2003 when he got out of the car and was confronted by throngs of beggars.
In the afternoon we left for Siem Reap (a city close to the temples at Angkor). It's about a 300 km drive from Phnom Penh. We only took one vehicle on this trip (the van); however, all 16 of us went on the trip. Yes, that's right 16 of us got into this small van. I got to ride shotgun in the front passenger seat. I was told I was a VIP (I think it's because they think I'm an old man). The drove was most intriguing .... there wasn't a single mile without something to see. There was only one stretch of 1km or more where we didn't see someone on the side of the road. I saw several trucks which were loaded to the roof and on the roof with people. I think I saw one small truck that had over 30 people on it. Again saw many scooters with whole families on them .... one had a small child standing between the mother and the handle bars with another two children sitting behind the morher. Looks very dangerous. Temples were everywhere as were rice fields and farm animals. Pretty sure there's no id tagging or age verifying of cattle in this country (most cattle look pretty old).
We stopped at a roadside stand where we picked up some pineapple and cooked bugs (beetles and spiders). I did try one bug ... it wasn't bad; however, I couldn't bring myself to try a spider. One of the small girls at the stand was trying to get me to buy some pineapple, but I told her I didn't want to. She kept telling me how handsome I was. When David came by, she aksed him to some, he too said no. She told him that he was not handsome and said I was handsome. Not sure she was being truthful or simply implying that I was easier to convince (ie. a bigger sucker for her cute smile). I didn't buy the pineapple, but I did give her 500 riel (or $0.25 - I'm so generous).
While on the drive Jordan let out a fart in the car. It stunk pretty bad. The driver rolled all the windows down. Jordan laughed his head off .... as did most people.
Got some rooms at a guest house in Siem Reap for the next 3 nights. Paid $14 per night.
Jordan went to bed with an upset stomach.
Off to Angkor Wat tomorrow.
