Jan 2006

Today was a day to just wander around the town so I got my little map
out and thought I'll just walk down this road until the bridge then
head back and buy a sun hat and go to a museum.

So I walked, and walked some more and after about an hour I checked my little map again and realised that I was walking down the wrong road, going right out of town to god knows where! So, I cooly turned around and started walking back, happy that I had put lots of sunscreen. About half way back on old man had just parked his moto and said hello to me so I said hello back. Then he said bonjour so I said bonjour back and then he started chatting to me in French and invited me to come and have some dessert with him, so I did. We sat for about 10mins eatng fried banana and chatted about nothing much really, he was just glad that he could speak a bit of French again because nobody spoke it that he knew, English is the language that is taught now.

My wrong way didn't turn out too bad!

Then I decided to go to the landmine museum, it wasn't on my map so I
took a tuk tuk. The guy who establised this museum was brought up by
the Khmer Rouge, his parents vanished (killed) when he was very young. Now he spends his time scouring the countryside looking for mines and disarming them. He set up the museum which is run on donations to show people what is happening in Cambodia and around the world. He also looks after children who have been maimed by the mines and whose parents send them away. Some of the stories were absolutely heartbreaking. The museum (which is really just a shack) is founded by donations and the things the children make to sell, it was very moving.

Then it was off to Angkor Wat to watch the sunset. Me and a million other people!! I took a motobike there (just a little one) driven by Sam who is going to be my guide tomorrow. The little I saw of it was amazing, a massive structure at the top of this big hill - how they built it I cannot imagine.

Looking forward to seeing more tomorrow.

In Cambodia now after an interesting journey to get here, Siam Reap,
where the Angkor Wat temples are.

I set off from Bangkok yesterday lunch and took the government run
bus, a suggestion from an internet site so that you avoid getting
scammed on the tourist buses. It was a smooth 5 hour ride. We got
stopped at the police check point and they took 2 guys off the bus as
they didn't show any ID. Not sure if they were Thais or Cambodians
but apparently they get annoyed if they find a Cambodian in their
country without a visa, even if he is on his way back to Cambodia....

Arrived in Aranyaprathet which was very small and took a tuk tuk with
a Norwegian couple to the hotel. Then we went for dinner at the night market, I had thai green curry something, really not sure what is was but touch wood I haven't seen it again!!! The they gave us dessert which was white and milky and sweet with some small round soft fruits in it, nice, but again, no idea what it was!

We arranged to meet at 7am the next morning to go to the border together. I got up at5.30am thinking it was 6.30am so was downstairs for 6am and had to read my book for an hour as I'd already handed my key in at reception - do'h!!!

The border crossing wasn't too bad, loads ot Thais and Cambodians
passing back and forth, but glad I wasn't on my own! You arrive
in Poipet which is a dodgy lawless town apparently and it stinks. I was almost sick with the smell! We went to the taxi depot (a
1km walk as we didn't see the free transfer buses) and we shared a
taxi to here. $40 between 3 for a 3 hour trip....

However, the road leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, it wasn't
really a road, just a dirt track with a lot of pot holes for 3 hours and our driver drove at about 70mph all the way there, beeping so that all the bikes would get out of the way. Having said that,glad we paid a bit extra for a taxi rather than the bus becuase now I would have a really sore arse instead of ust a slightly sore arse!

I also have myfirst friendship bracelet that is uniform for all travellers - I bought it off a little Cambodian girl when we stopped to use the loo!

So, now staying at the Popular Guesthouse, I have a room with a bed
and a fan. The "wet room" is next door and is shared but at leat it
has a proper toilet and not a squat as they take a bit of getting used to!! I'm paying $3 a night, which is about 1.75GBP.

1GBP = 100bhat. The last room I had in Aranyaprathet cost 30bhat....

Tomorrow I am going to chill and wander around a bit and see the Land Mine museum. I can't see that there is an awful lot to see though and again, there are no real roads, just dirt tracks! Not sure how safe it is to wonder around the town at night either so might have to have an early night tonight.

I hope that after a bit I will stop pointing out what they don't have in SE Asia and only talking about the good things but at the moment it's such a big big difference to anything that I am used to that it's taking a while to adapt!

Perhaps I should rename this blog Dumbass Travels after today...

Today I had palns but failed miserably....

Didn't do into Grand Palace temple cos some Thais guy told me it was a special buddha day and I wouldn't be allowed so wondered around instead. Luckily I didn't go where he wanted me to go cos then I would feel really stupid and not just slightly stupid...

Then I went on a long tail boat and was charged a fotune (so I learner after..)

I got really excited in taking lots of photos with me new camera and then the battery ran out.

Then I walked to the Thai boxing arena and got lost in a dodgy area.
Found my way out - decided to go on the Sky Train only to take the
Underground instead (wondered why it was so dark!)

I got sunburnt, my neck and forehead are really red and sore. A guy in the lift at the hotel has just had a nice chuckle at my expense!

Then I nearly died of hunger so ordered noodles and drink and the
drink had ice in and tomorrow I will probably have disentry...

Then I realised that the place I thought was the Thai boxing arena was not and that the actual arena where they show Tahi boxing is just up the road from where I am staying...

Stupid is as stupid does!!!!!

Luckily, a nice chap from Scotland made it all worth while by buying
my drinks when I was in an Irish pub (I needed the loo and a beer)

So, now I have to decide whether to stay another night to see some Thai boxing or just head off out to Cambodia...

So here I am, in the hub of SE Asia and it is noisy, smelly, pretty dirty and full of people. I kind of like it!

It's only day one so I am just getting used to being away as a "billy no mates"

I've spent the day wondering around the area where I am staying and getting lost but trying to look like a cool traveller type, of which there are many here. I must stand out like a sore thumb!

One nice Thai chap did come up to me and asked to take my photo (surely it's supposed to be the other way around!) So, I stood nicely for him whilst he re-arranged my hair and told me not to look at the camera but keep my eyes open and bright and then took about 8 photos. I learned that he was a photography student and he wanted to take lots of pictures of beautiful people and I was just perfect for this.

OK, so he didn't say beautiful but I'm sure that's what he meant..!

That's it for the first blog. Will write more when I've actually done something.