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Once again, it was a heavy morning of travelling, and after being ripped off by the tourism info lady, we thought surely we would be getting some decent service for our money. Alas, we were wrong, as we proceeded to discover after the bus into Cambodia purposely took several hours longer than needed in order to try and con people into staying at the bus driver's hotel. Sadly, this also meant that he refused to drop us at our lodgings for the night. We just didn't know what to do!...
...and then along came Boom-Boom. Our snaggle-toothed knight in rusty armour, Boom-Boom appeared as if out of nowhere during our row with the bus driver and explained to us about how unorganised and corrupt Cambodia was. You're telling me, brother! However, he was different. Boom-Boom wanted to help us. He would take us to our hotel for free in his extra-slow Tuk Tuk as long as we used him as a guide around the temples of Angkor Wat the next day. Free travel and an English speaking guide at the going rate? What could possibly go wrong! Hooray for Boom-Boom!
The next day, we awoke bright and early to find Boom-Boom waiting for us outside the hotel with another young, slightly disfigured man who he introduced to us as Run, his brother. Apparently Run would be taking us around the temples instead, but it was all good, as he spoke great English and knew the temples like the back of his hand. We agreed and off we went on our big temple adventure!
It was only once we arrived that we realised Run's great English was limited to a few choice phrases such as "You get off here", "You want breakfast" and "You want see Toorayer?" ("Toorayer?" we replied. After another Tuk Tuk driver explained that it was a movie, you know, Horrywoo, with Angerina Roorie, we finally realised Run was talking about the place where the Hollywood film TOMB RAIDER was filmed. Unfortunately he never actually deigned to tell us which of the dozen temples we visited was the home of such a major motion picture...). Anyway, the temples were all very interesting (wel, as interesting as two days of crumbly buildings in the jungle can be. Luke and I were interested by the ants more on day two. They were crazy, carrying coconuts all over the place, etc.), and although the sunrise over Angkor Wat was slightly marred by the thick clouds not allowing us to see it, at least we can say we were there.
Which is more than we can say about Cambodia's famous floating market. Another wonderful sight Boom-Boom promised to show us but which Run ended up taking us too. Luckily, Boom-Boom was at the dock when we arrived so at least this time he couldn't fob us off. After looking at the pictures of little Cambodian men rowing long boats full of tourists down the exotic river, with people buying and trading exotic fruits and exotic jewels, and exotic silks, and exotic other stuff, we were ever so excited!
...As we floated down the muddy banks on our huge, noisy barge, I began to get a sneaking suspicion that Boom-Boom had been telling porkies again. When he pointed out the sights such as a man urinating into the river next to a man having a wash, these suspicions continued to grow. They were pretty much confirmed by the time we reached the floating market ...AKA a shack of a souvenir shop on stilts with a crocodile farm out back. I think they had piranhas as well which was pretty cool but still! Boom-Boom lie!
It was after that that we pretty much stopped trusting Cambodian people. Damn Camborians! They're all a bit mental as well which we discovered through a combination of their driving skills (it's like Mario Kart without the fun. And Mario and his friends) and a visit to the Killing Fields. A site dedicated to the victims of the Polpot regime, it was all very respectful up until the point we began walking on the unearthed clothes of the victims and saw the bones scattered around the site. On a serious note, it's something that we should really learn about in school - maybe they could do it in geography instead of teaching us about bloody volcanos for three years? And definately worth a visit, if only to see how lucky we have life to have not been massacred by a psycho. God bless England (and the Queen).
Where are we now, I hear you ask? Why, we're in sunny Vietnam, the setting of many a movie including 'Born on the Fourth of July' for which Tom Cruise was Oscar nominated, and the Robin Williams picture 'Good Morning Vietnam'. Where to next? Only time will tell...until next time...
GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!
Love from Chris and Luke (who enjoyed Cambodia a lot more than me)
xxxx
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