part two............
so i decided to leave you last time on the borders of Cambodia and Thailand, it was late at night and the beggars while the homeless children were also....... this blog does the children nor the experience any justice. I walked away from this night with memories burnt into soul that can never truly be shared.... like an Air New Zealand campaign ad - "being there is everything."
so after we crossed the border, caught a bus for 20 minutes to our taxi and then drove two hours to our destination, with a driver who spoke little or no English, and then took a tuk tuk 10 minutes to our hotel, we arrived in Siam Reap, Cambodia.
The hotel was excellent and having walls without gaping holes made for a nice change.... the iron bar windows did make me wonder but they covered mosquito netting so i quickly forgot about them.
We were hungry and felt the need and urgency to eat... fear had momentarily driven that urge away but with comfort and some normality it had returned with a vengeance.
We got in a hotel supplied tuk tuk and were driven about on a bumpy path to our first restaurant.... it seemed inviting with dining under hanging vines and a giant gate entryway that again re-enforced this strange feeling that it had only been erected to keep the bad folk out? Anyway it was closed and we ventured on to another (im sure of this) closing restaurant. The staff kept the doors open for us and waited on us like we were of royal blood. The call for "above and beyond" was heard by these people, and i think the unsure fear seen on our faces had been responded to by these individuals wanting us to leave with a fond memory of the place. The food was amazing - possibly not as extreme as the spices of Thailand but still amazing none the less. Our waiter served us with a sense of embarrassed curiosity and routinely checked on us to see that the food was of our liking. The restaurant seemed to be an erected bamboo monument with a watery entrance way.... as we parted ways with the staff we thanked and tipped them, they smiled nervously and all came out to see us off..... having them see us off and standing in a line very graciously, it epitomized the evening and the food not only left us feeling more secure but also the service.
The next day we awoke to be taken on a tour of some of the temples this place had to offer, we were picked up by a man named Borey and driven by car to a temple the famous "Tomb Raider"" had been shot in. With a tree growing on top of it and vines encapsulating most of its exterior it felt very mysterious but at the same time very inviting. As i waddled around this place a beggar type was found in the ruins selling incense and what not - are these little buggers everywhere i wondered?
After we went for lunch and two little girls caught my attention, they asked my name and i asked theirs, their names where Ring and Hiam, according to Hiam, Ring loved to ask this but was embarrassed this time... adorable little things selling flutes on a park bench outside the restaurant. I asked them for a photo and they agreed so i gave them a buck each... the look of boredom quickly changed to laughter and i returned to Naiyer and my meal as the girls giggled and pointed at me amongst one another. We ate well again and i had my food delivered in a coconut shell...... i picked at the interior thinking it was coconut flesh.... urghhh the tart horrid taste suggested to me it wasn't. Stupid boy -WHY did you eat that.... its a bowl not for dining on!?
As we left the number of children outside had doubled and "mister mister" was all i heard with the response "nup nup, im broke" being responded with - then Hiam the little girl from before appeared and thrust something into my hands - very quietly she said thank you mister and backed away to her friend Ring. I looked at the bracelet, flower and postcards that her and ring wrote to me on.... for a moment i felt like reaching into my pocket and giving them more money, but i knew this was not why they had done it. The cards both read simply "my name is ........" with Ring's card stating that she was 12 years old and they had both drawn the flower that they gave me. I thanked them and made my way to the car. It was a very humbling moment for me.
Borey took us to Angkor Wat temple. We stopped at numerous temples along the way but this was by far the most impressive. Surrounded by water the little shops had sprouted up again also and the pestering sales pitches from the roaming shop keepers bothered you relentlessly like the evening mosquito's. Photos were taken here and Borey and I had a moment to chat, he asked me about my relationship and i asked him about his child, i was not aware you must be married before having children in Cambodia, the punishment for not being married but having kids, i dared not to entice.
Borey was amazing and really deserves some recognition, if any of you decide to go to Cambodia and want a very very in depth background on the surrounding temples at a very reasonable price then email borey_hang@yahoo.com - he is 30 and very knowledgeable.
We returned to the hotel and ate at their restaurant..... i think this was the only "interesting" pit fall of the stay, where by Naiyer ordered tomato soup with yogurt and was delivered with pieces of tomato cut up and served in hot water with a yogurt container dropped inside also...... a very very very unusual concoction.
The following day we boarded a bus that picked us up from our doorstep, only two blocks away and took us to the bus terminal, 20 mins from the border. After we sat and waited while we ate dog meat sandwiches a German appeared and asked us if we were coming, "da bus is leaving, you are coming no?" back on the waiting bus and settled, we almost got forgotten about in Cambodia? You said 2 thirty its not even 12 whose running this show?!? At the border 20 mins later and we must get off......... We paid to get to Bangkok but we must disembark? We didnt know what was going on and everyone else looked clueless also. At the border our visas were removed by one man and then the following official asked us for our visas?!?! What the hell, you buggers just took em, and no im not filling more forms out, just check your god damn computer!!
Daylight or night time, crossing this border is a misery, no no night time does suck but daytime is only slightly less of a head ache. We get across finally and our bags are returned (a level of faith was needed here), and we board another bus for our 4 hour trip back to Bangkok.
On arrival we exit the car with our bags and a taxi immediately pulls over to help. Naiyer asks how much and i hear her laugh, "Kane did you hear this......" I look over and ask him how much to the hotel, he exclaims "3000 baht"?!? We might look like tourists but (sorry mum) taxi driver - you can fuck off. "We paid less than that to get 4 hours away by taxi", he reconsiders and lowers his price to 250 baht while Naiyer tells him "OK but she is watching the clock". I can tell he stands there and thinks "they look like tourists but i cant rip them off, rats now for 30 minutes of honest work".
Naiyer pays the cheeky little f*** with coins and he reluctantly takes payment and departs. Yes the shitty little change is mostly gone!
The next day we travel to Phuket, Eco hotel and Hana the taxi driver awaits us. We fly there and taxi over to the hotel, fairly problem free.... whats going to go wrong i thought, this has become far too easy. We pull up at Eco and are greeted by the owner, in broken English she says "hello, me not think you come to stay so me give room away" hmmmm. Ok, badness encountered, but she follows it up by saying "another room i have for you, so you not worry" WTF?!?! Why even mention the first room!?
We get settled in and venture to the Phuket markets, We buy new luggage to replace the old and have dinner in a restaurant close to the hotel - Siam Thai was its name and it was a little gem found in the middle of no-where. The owner came and conversed with us as he saw me dig into my meal of duck without care for an audience. He was a nice guy and briefly passed us by to tell us "New Zealand is where the sheep are scared and the garbage cans are empty....." i barely listened as i refused to use the cutlery provided and ate the duck hanging from my mouth..... i dont think any brownie points were won with Naiyer that night and my manners need working on.
Phi Phi island and a boat ride to(Maya beach) where they filmed "The Beach" film and numerous people decided to have a glamour shot taken, thus it had our interests this day. The water was blue the islands were green and we were not only charged for the boat ride there but also to keep the shoreline beautiful upon arrival......... this money making machine was well oiled!
New years was had on the shores of Phuket with numerous lanterns and fireworks being let off. We sat on the beach after a dinner of hamburgers and Thai food (the hamburgers had meat colouring, that was all the meat) and listened to the other celebrators around us remembering a life once lived. I just sat there thinking this sand feels nice, but wait until you stand up and it sticks to you like white glue that wont peel off with ease. Old man syndrome was setting in.
The new year had day had us panicking as the credit card had seemed to have shut down..... but with the help of Hana the taxi driver we were able to find cash again and a bus to Koh Lanta were the scenery just got better and better......
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