I manage to sleep for some of the bus ride. just as well, as a 7 a.m start didn't leave me much time for dozing the night before. Planning on an early night, I had been walking home to my guesthouse when Mai called me over to Mustafa's bar (a converted combi van). Mustafa is a sweet guy, almost Maori looking and although he makes his margaritas a little too sweet I will forgive him this small flaw because of the sheer amount of wonderful encounters I have there. Mai is reunioning with her friends from Antwerp (first time I've seen so many Belgians all in the one place) so I soon turn to my left, where a stunning Italian cat-eyed dreadlocked and tattooed Italian woman is singing 'Que Sera Sera' with Tom from Munich. Her name is Sprilli which means something like 'full of sparkle and full of life' and after meeting her for two minutes I know it suits her perfectly. Soon Inbal and Asaf from Israel join us and within the hour we are discussing god, religion, love and life in the muggy Bangkok night. And needless to say I don't go to an early bed as planned - I love these chance encounters with other like minded travellers. I simply love travelling darling - it suits me I think.
So now, as the bus moves through the east of Thailand I prepare myself for the changes I am about to see in the two countries - where Thailand is lush and pretty cushy to travel in actually, I know Cambodia will be a completely different experience.
The border crossing goes fairly well, although straight away I notice a smell that will reoccur many times over the next couple of days - Jess, who I'm with, describes it as an undeniable mixture of excrement and fish sauce. It's SO hot and the sweat is literally pouring off me, and I'm so glad I have upgraded to a taxi instead of the bus I was going to have to wait another two hours for. It turns out to be the best decision I made all day and we travel two hours to Siem Reap in air-con comfort. Funny how my travelling choices have changed some as I have aged - I would never have considered this cushy mode of transport back in the day.
Siem Reap reminds me of India quite a lot. Golden brown dirt roads welcome us, and the city is a mass of convoluted alleyways as well as wide French-influenced streets. Everything is paid for in dollars, and I'm amazed at how little everything costs. We eat Vietnamese fresh spring rolls and tofu curry / soup for dinner, refusing the myriad offers of a 'fish massage' ( there are tanks everywhere! apparently these 'Dr Fish' eat away your dead skin and feel pretty awesome, if their ads are anything to go by). The night market is filled with frogs bounding amongst the cushion covers / notebooks / clothes / scarves / wooden instruments and we watch where we're going hawkishly, being as we are two vegetarians not really keen on squashing any of the tiny creatures. The evening is still so hot and I can't believe there is actually a sign advertising a spa sauna experience - unbelievable! I'm finding it quite hard to adjust to the heat, but I suppose I have only been away two weeks or so.
My hostel is quiet, clean and comfortable and I sleep well, waking up to a great yoga practise on the balcony. I wonder what the locals think of us lucky Westerners with so much more money than they've ever known and I am amazed at their kindness. A case in point is Pen, who serves me my breakfast (again, fresh spring rolls and tofu curry). We talk for half an hour and he tells me all about his experience of the Khmer Rouge in the seventies - how he watched half of his village disappear, either from execution or starvation, and how he was spared his life because he was a simple labourer and not a bourgeious doctor or teacher. I would have been killed, I know. It's hard to comprehend how much Cambodia has been shafted, a fact which makes their friendliness even more astounding. As Pen tells me all of this, he is joyfully bouncing his nephew 'Lashskmi' on his hip (I know it's a Hindu goddess name so I admit I may have misheard him) and he finishes by telling me how lucky he is to have two children of his own and so many family still around him. What a man. I am humbled by his acceptance of his lot and ability to look forward to a future after such a rough ordeal.
I already love Cambodia after only half a day. On my way back to my hostel I meet 'Chai' who gives me a free ride back there, no hassles, no nothing. Even the hawkers are friendly and accepting of the word 'no', something I found lacking in comparatively wealthy Thailand and in India. I go to find Jess to see if she's ready to experience the beauty of Angkor Wat, glad I have booked for a few days longer.
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