Come Board yeah!
Late in the evening, in my room in bangkok , as I relish my filt..erred coffee - thanks to the thick layer of cream , that it managed to get the status of filter coffee,browsing through various travelogues , I manage yet again to take off as I always did without moving an inch to a new place right in front of my 18 inch monitor. It almost feels like déjà vu, and as i get lost day dreaming ... I suddenly wake up to the buzz of yahoo messenger. Damnnn !!!!!!!
Another day,another beverage,another plan,another buzz!
Another sip of filtered coffee and I am ready with a scalpel to dig my desk to search for the notes that i had been making for weeks on Cambodia.
I had made up my mind.....I picked up the phone and called Air Asia – the low cost low service airline of south East Asia. A few thousand baht – sounded reasonable. I booked my tickets after much contemplation.
Well ...not the cheapest option but certainly the safest. Of course discounting the fact that Air-Asia did use some very old aircrafts. It still made sense as the thought of crossing the Cambodian border by road could have left me as a refugee forever!!
All my bags were packed – well just one backpack actually and I was ready to go. I was very jittery all night. Couldn’t sleep a wink – with all the excitement. I was up early, finished packing my toiletries and got myself a cab to Don Muang Airport.
As I was waiting for the jet plane, I quickly ran through my lonely planet for the dos and don’ts in Cambodia and brushed on the little French that I supposedly knew a few months back. My summer classes at alliance francaise would have come handy had I indulged a little less in French gourmet and paid more attention in class! ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Some habits die(t) hardly!
I carried a few USD s as it was considered mightier than the local currency riel in the khymer kingdom . Exchanged a few dollars for riel for a just in case situation.
I took a 07 30 am flight to Phnom Penn from Bangkok. Landed there at 08 45. First thing I see is a scrum of cab drivers at the arrival gate waiting to attack! Well , LP comes handy yet again !!!!! Settled for a two wheeler and took off to Boeng Kak Lake - a backpacker's haven with cheap guest houses by the lake....Unpacked myself at 9 guesthouse - hehehe not 9 guesthouses! After a sumptuous 2 dollar all u can eat Indian grub. ! I took a stroll, along the river,I plonked myself near the lake to witness a local Cambodian orchestra . it was quite hilarious ... Had some strange looking grub tooo.. hmmmmmm it sure did look wonkey !
Walking through the streets of Phnom penn was a great experience in itself . The city doesnt have a single skyscraper and feels very european especially with the sign boads in french ,you really feel you are walking in Rue de France but the muck and dirt of city puts you off sometimes.
Then I went to the national museum - saw the Indian connection.. Quickly smiled to myself and felt totally proud!! The National Museum is very well maintained !But since i am not much into museums , i scooted off after a quick round.
Next day....
Caught an early morning bus to Siam reap. The journey took abt 4 hrs. Lush green paddy feilds through the way . I was tired by the time I reached Siam Reap ... but the excitement kept me going ...now the fun started! The bus stop had millions of tuk tuks and cab s waiting!.Interestingly, they had placards with our names….. Boy!!! I must b popular….. Naaaah naaaah...well it was really momentary. My guesthouse in Phnom Penh sold the guest list even before I landed... Deal was a free cab ride to the guest house... Hmmmm not bad huh? Well for 5 USD a night - it wasnt bad at alllll !!!!!!!!!It was amazing to walk thru the streets, connect to the locals and eat the local food ... truly an enriching experience!
Had lunch relaxed a bit.. Got a bike and took off to Angkor before sunset! Man as i walked twds the temples - my heart was thumping loud. I spent a few hours around the complex . Saw the sun set and came back to my guesthouse.
My three-day temple pass had cost me $40... the temples were remarkable esp. the bayon temple -There are over 200 faces within the entire complex... The detail is absolutely amazing !! The face of King Jayaraman - who seemed so much at peace ..Interestingly ,all the structures had the exact expression .......Surreal !
Also , not to be missed is the Ta phrohm temple which seems like its in the clutches of gargantuan trees that surround the temple. This is the place where Tomb raider was shot too. It totally mesmerises u !
I saw a number of temples and managed to talk to a lot of locals during my stay in Siam Reap ..Parts of Sr reminded me of India esp the countryside .. My ride to Banthay Sarai was one of the most memorable rides . I got myself a tuk tuk to go to Banthey. We had three punctures on the way .Well, i amnot complaining. It gave mean opportunity to visit the local houses on the way and also take a lot of pictures. I was totally overwhelmed by the hospitality of the locals . At one of the places that i halted , i was offered mangoes .. Boy !! did i freak out !
I could go on and on about my expereinc there !But all good things come to an end and so did the trip !!!
