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Our journey into Cambodia started out early when, at 6.30am, all looking bleary eyed, we jumped into our minibuses for the 4 hour drive to the Thai/Cambodia border. Fortunately we were in the minibus with a young Australian couple and the still-manic UK chap, whose name we now knew was Julian. Conversation was therefore constant, often to Claire's irritation as every time she shut her eyes for a siesta another topic would be sparked.
When we reached the border Fila (our guide) gave us a brief rundown of how it worked but warned us to expect to be waiting for a couple of hours. Fortunately this did not happen and we bustled through the emigration desks swiftly enough via non-communicative border officers. We were then in 'no mans land' which was in no way different in appearance to 'mans land' but given it's title still held an air of mystery. We walked down a short street, through the Cambodian entrance gates and then joined another queue for the Cambodian immigration desks, again being briefed by Fila to fear the worst, and again being pleasantly surprised. Back onto the bus and off we went to our first stop, Siem Reap.
Cambodia is a very flat country that was once very rich until multiple civil wars and an ultra-communist regime. Now there's just ancient remains of what once was, masked by poverty. Due to it's recent past, a huge 50% of Cambodians are less than 20 years old, and any elderly member of society is respected by all and referred to as grandfather/grandmother regardless of relation. 95% of the population are Buddhists, they follow the skinny Buddha, and hence the multiple temples and monks throughout Cambodia.
After checking into our pleasantly surprising hotel we went for dinner, which was a far more relaxed affair having now been in each other's company for a full 24 hours. Most transport is via motorbike/scooter, and almost anything fits on one, we saw a full family of five including new born baby on one and another one with multiple piglets. No one wears helmets and tourists are mainly transported in tuk tuks (carts on the back of a motorbike), which was our mode of transport to the restaurant. Having now had lunch and dinner we both decided we loved Cambodian food, even the snack of fried beetle we'd had earlier (tasted like bacon!). We had also experienced extreme currency confusion. Cambodia mainly uses US dollars, but has no coins in the country, so anything less than a dollar is substituted with Cambodian riel, 2000 riel = 25 cents. You therefore pay in US dollars and get a mixture of currencies in return. Also any note older than 1991 has no value and will not be accepted, you therefore have to check all notes you are given to make sure you can use them again! We had an early start the next day and so after dinner we decided to briefly get our bearings around the night market before bed. As we browsed the various stalls and moved further into the market we could hear sporadic music and singing getting louder. Finally we stumbled upon it's source. At the back of the market a large stage had been erected and the most hysterical ladyboy show was currently in progress. It was mostly in Cambodian but the tongue in cheek slapstick humour interspersed with Whitney power ballads definitely translated.
The following day we went to visit the famous Angkor temples. There are too many to see and so our guide was taking us to see five, saving the 'eighth wonder of the world', Angkor Wat, until last. Each was in different states of disrepair following the various periods of fighting and we couldn't help but think health and safety in the UK would have banned any visitors a long time ago. The most impressive temple we saw in the morning was the jungle temple (can't remember it's real name but it's the one from the Tomb Raider film) which was mostly destroyed except for walls and a few doorways. What made it spectacular was the jungle had literally grown in and around it with trees bursting through its roofs.
In between temples we were constantly hassled by very young children trying to sell us all sorts for "one dollar", which seemed to be the only phrase they knew. We had been strongly advised not to buy anything from them though as it encourages them to beg and sell instead of going to school. 10 postcards for one dollar is hard to resist though. By the time we got to Angkor Wat in the late afternoon we were all a little templed out from the long hot day. It was still very grand and impressive, having been fully restored, but by then we all just wanted a lie down.
That evening after dinner the younger contingent of the group went out for some drinks at a bar, coincidentally called 'Angkor What?'. Very cheap, but lethal 'cocktails' led to an energetic night of dancing before stumbling home.
The next day we were off to see where Fila, our guide, had spent the first few years of his life...the floating village. Expecting floating bamboo huts on pristine water with tropical trees at the banks, we were bitterly disappointed. These people live in floating houses as they can't afford land. There was a huge amount of poverty and such a low level of education (despite there being a floating school) that even now, they dump all of their rubbish into the lake, thinking plastic dissolves in water as it seems to disappear...we know it just floats away. The water was muddy brown and heavily polluted from the boat engines which were car or motorbike engines tied to old rowboats. Fila told us stories of how him and his friends would meet up and tie their boats together and play games on them. We only saw children out alone fishing, to earn money for their families.
We spent the afternoon at a cooking class with the Australian couple and the dog loving Kat. This was fantastic. We cooked up a four course Cambodian meal, with one of our new favourite dishes as the starter...banana flower salad. After the long day, it was time for some relaxation, so we went for a traditional Cambodian massage. We were told to change into some oversized pyjamas and lay on mattresses on the floor all beside one another. The massage was like nothing either of us have ever experienced before, with lots of pushing and pressure and no stroking. They clicked every single finger and toe, an odd experience, and kept leaning on our groins with their elbows. The only effect we could ascertain this was having was cutting of the blood supply to our legs. It definitely left them tingly anyway. Greg's masseuse obviously struggled to sort out his ever ageing back and therefore felt it necessary to climb fully on top of him, knees first. Greg struggled for breath but was too British and polite to ask them to stop.
In the pampering mood, after dinner we decided to go and get some of the dead skin removed from our feet, in the less traditional way of having it eaten off by fish. We chose the place that offered the service with a free beer. We started off with our feet in the small fish tank. These little nibblers were so small that it just felt like they were tickling constantly, once we got used to it though it wasn't wholly unpleasant. We then moved into the bigger fish, feeling their gummy mouths chewing at our heels was definitely not ticklish but more like sharp pinches with very blunt teeth. It was definitely an experience, one we probably won't undergo again.
Off to the market one last time where Greg picked up his first sexy man-vest and Claire opted for the stereotypical traveller elephant shorts. We were very quickly becoming cliches, but you wouldn't understand...you weren't there.
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