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Hello everyone!
Nikki here again! Craig's managed to avoid writing the blog again so I'm afraid you'll have my poor jokes to contend with for yet another entry......
We made it to Cambodia after a border crossing from Laos which lasted what seemed like an eternity! It was so hot and our bus sat at the border for 2-3 hours with no indication as to what was the hold up but we later found out the driver was having soup!! Obviously, an essential stop!
We had intended to just see Phnom Penh and Siem Reap whilst in Cambodia but at the last minute decided to stop at Kratie, as we were eager to see the irrawaddy dolphins which are a species which are becoming extinct. We arrived in Kratie around midday and met a nice Dutch couple so headed to find a guesthouse with them.
Kratie itself is a bit non-descript. It's probably the least developed town we've visited so far with huge holes in all the roads and a flea market where the products indeed were laden with fleas!! We only stayed for one night but it was worth it for the trip to see the dolphins! You travel about 5km out of town to the port where the boats leave to view dolphins and the boat ride itself lasts about an hour. Furthermore, if you don't see any dolphins, you are guaranteed your money back!
We travelled to see the dolphins at sunset and the scenery on the river was stunning. Fortunately, there were also lots of dolphins swimming about our boat and it was such an awesome experience to see them for real. Getting a photo was a little more tricky, however, and we went home with many snaps of bare water without any dolphins in sight!
From Kratie we headed to Siem Reap, which turned out to be a lot more developed and 'resort-like' than I'd imagined and where we had a great time. Craig decided after arriving that it was his turn to be ill which led to a few days cooked up in our guesthouse and an eventual trip to the hospital. We were worried about going to a Cambodian hospital but it was an International hospital and turned out to be super-clean and efficient. We'd got a tuk-tuk to the hospital and the driver asked if we wanted him to wait for us. After explaining, we may be some time, he seemed quite happy to wait so we agreed. However, after Craig had seen a doctor and been treated, we were not allowed to leave the hospital until our insurance company faxed through a letter of guarantee for the bill which took 5 hours!! I wish I was joking but I'm not!! The hospital had no food or drink so we sat starved, ill (Craig), and extremely annoyed for that length of time! To make matters worse, there was a monsoon in the time we were waiting and our poor tuk-tuk driver was standing outside in the rain trying his damnest not to look miserable! Needless to say, we gave him a huge tip - poor man!
Once Craig had recovered, we managed to see Angkor Wat over the course of a couple of days which included visiting Angkor Wat at sunrise which was amazing and an experience which I couldn't even begin to describe. The temples of Ta Prohm, Bayon and Angkor Thom were also pretty spectacular and a once in a lifetime visit. The only down point of the excursion was the heat and being outside all day took it's toll. This was evident on the second day when I proceeded to vomit at every temple, with Craig claiming to onlookers that it was my way of 'marking my territory!'
The other highlight of Siem Reap was the numerous cafes and restaurants in the town which served great food and provided a great atmosphere! We particularly liked 'pub street' which did exactly what it said on the tin and where we found ourselves most nights!
After an eventful stint at Siem Reap, we headed onto Phnom Penh, slightly behind schedule but feeling much healthier all round! The centre of Phnom Penh was vastly different to Siem Reap, being a lot busier, dustier and generally more in your face. You could get a little respite from this by heading to Silowath Quay, down by the river which was beautiful and the area around the Royal Palace was also very grand and worth a visit.
Whilst we were in Phnom Penh, we unfortunately got stuck in a number of monsoons and we looked like a right pair of tubes sightseeing in our tiny shorts and matching navy raincoats! Needs must! The most memorable downpour was one day when we were having breakfast by the riverfront and luckily enough we could shelter from the rain. It was fun people watching, however, and there were 4 little boys playing on the pavement in the torrential rain completely naked, running back and forth as fast as they could! We were tempted to join in but thought we'd get a few more disapproving looks and possibly a night in a cell!
At Phnom Penh, as well as taking a stroll through the centre, we took a day to visit the Killing Fields and S21 prison which are places I'll never forget. The things that you can see there and the stories that are told are gruesome and horrific and really hit home about the insanity of war. In the mass graves at the Killing Fields, you could still see tiny shards of bone and scraps of clothing from those who'd been murdered and killed, including mothers and babies. Furthermore, at the prison, there were rooms upon rooms displaying thousands of photos of those who had been killed there. The sights are a must-see for anyone visiting Cambodia but definitely not for the faint hearted.
Cambodia overall was completely different to what I'd expected but somewhere I'd definitely recommend going and a place which I'll always remember. We're heading on to Vietnam now and are really looking forward to it!
Until then amigos........
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