Ah, Cambodia. If it weren't for the guy from D.C., I'd still be at the border town trying to get in. You may think I'm kidding. But I'm not.
Our bus ride over there was amazing. It was this huge, double-decker, spacious tour bus. I slept the whole way, which could be seen as not taking advantage of the fact that for once we had actual tables built into the floor, but really, it was the first really nice plushy bus that I could sleep in and be comfortable, so I condone what I did as taking advantage, and not under using it.
We arrived at a restaurant near Poipet, the Thailand/Cambodia border town to wait, for what, I still don't know. They said we would need to give them our passports, 1,200 baht (about $36) and they would take care of our Cambodian visas. Most everyone did just that, but when we said we would pay at the border so we didn't need their service, they got angry. Apparently we weren't going to pad their wallet, and they were expecting it. Everyone was done eating for at least two hours before the bus came back. Yes, that's right, the bus left us there. It was quite frightening for those who gave their passports away! There were a couple of scared moments as some of the passengers realized that this might be a scam to get passports and cash. Thankfully the bus came back and took us to the border, with the understanding that those with their Cambodian visas would be able to continue on the tour, and those who didn't take their service wouldn't (that would be me...). We were quite through with being taken advantage of, so we made our case why they should wait for us as we got our visas. We'd had to get visas in Indonesia and it took all of 10 minutes. We were worried, but not enough to take any scams! We got to the border and breezed through the Thailand side. When we got to the Cambodian side, things weren't so easy. A guy from the tour decided to go with us, since we almost rioted. He led us to the visa line. We asked for our visas, handed him our passports and our crisp $20 bill (all money must be new and crisp, or it won't be honored) and Kari gave him her picture, and I my 100 baht, since I forgot my pictures back in Taiwan. The guard said it would be 1000 baht ($30) plus 100 baht without a picture. We looked at him. We looked at the sign above the window. (Cambodian passports - 20 USD) We said it was $20, and if he would be so kind as to take our money and passports. Again, he said 1000 baht. We said no, $20. He looked at us, and shut the window. We laughed a little, knocked on the window and started the process all over again. By now another guy had joined us to get his passport. He asked us what was going on, so we pointed to the sign and said, visas are $20 and the guy wants 1000 baht. Each time, I took our documents to the window and each time I was rejected. I am sick of scams. I am sick of it! We tried several times, and I noticed he never touched anything I had in my hand. None of the guys in the office even tried to help, or look through our documents. I realized why, and told the guy to take our stuff and tell them what's what. They opened the window, took our documents and printed out our visas. I asked where I needed to go to get my picture taken, and a helper said to wait. After all that, our tour guide asked us how much we paid. I had quite forgotten he was there. When we said $20, for that is how much it costs, he said “Good” as if he was glad we didn’t get scammed, as if he cared! I thought it pretty shoddy he didn't help us at all. He knew it was $20 and yet he never said we could pay it. The guard gave our documents back to the guy from D.C. and I realized I was taken again. I never thought the money for the picture would be a scam as well. Sigh, I guess you can't win everything.
Our bus ride over there was amazing. It was this huge, double-decker, spacious tour bus. I slept the whole way, which could be seen as not taking advantage of the fact that for once we had actual tables built into the floor, but really, it was the first really nice plushy bus that I could sleep in and be comfortable, so I condone what I did as taking advantage, and not under using it.
We arrived at a restaurant near Poipet, the Thailand/Cambodia border town to wait, for what, I still don't know. They said we would need to give them our passports, 1,200 baht (about $36) and they would take care of our Cambodian visas. Most everyone did just that, but when we said we would pay at the border so we didn't need their service, they got angry. Apparently we weren't going to pad their wallet, and they were expecting it. Everyone was done eating for at least two hours before the bus came back. Yes, that's right, the bus left us there. It was quite frightening for those who gave their passports away! There were a couple of scared moments as some of the passengers realized that this might be a scam to get passports and cash. Thankfully the bus came back and took us to the border, with the understanding that those with their Cambodian visas would be able to continue on the tour, and those who didn't take their service wouldn't (that would be me...). We were quite through with being taken advantage of, so we made our case why they should wait for us as we got our visas. We'd had to get visas in Indonesia and it took all of 10 minutes. We were worried, but not enough to take any scams! We got to the border and breezed through the Thailand side. When we got to the Cambodian side, things weren't so easy. A guy from the tour decided to go with us, since we almost rioted. He led us to the visa line. We asked for our visas, handed him our passports and our crisp $20 bill (all money must be new and crisp, or it won't be honored) and Kari gave him her picture, and I my 100 baht, since I forgot my pictures back in Taiwan. The guard said it would be 1000 baht ($30) plus 100 baht without a picture. We looked at him. We looked at the sign above the window. (Cambodian passports - 20 USD) We said it was $20, and if he would be so kind as to take our money and passports. Again, he said 1000 baht. We said no, $20. He looked at us, and shut the window. We laughed a little, knocked on the window and started the process all over again. By now another guy had joined us to get his passport. He asked us what was going on, so we pointed to the sign and said, visas are $20 and the guy wants 1000 baht. Each time, I took our documents to the window and each time I was rejected. I am sick of scams. I am sick of it! We tried several times, and I noticed he never touched anything I had in my hand. None of the guys in the office even tried to help, or look through our documents. I realized why, and told the guy to take our stuff and tell them what's what. They opened the window, took our documents and printed out our visas. I asked where I needed to go to get my picture taken, and a helper said to wait. After all that, our tour guide asked us how much we paid. I had quite forgotten he was there. When we said $20, for that is how much it costs, he said “Good” as if he was glad we didn’t get scammed, as if he cared! I thought it pretty shoddy he didn't help us at all. He knew it was $20 and yet he never said we could pay it. The guard gave our documents back to the guy from D.C. and I realized I was taken again. I never thought the money for the picture would be a scam as well. Sigh, I guess you can't win everything.
The first thing you see as you leave the Thailand debarkation line!
We then we went to the line to enter the country. It was quite long and we could see our fellow tour groupies at the front of the line. After all our hassle, they were only about 10 people ahead. When they all finished up, we got a little antsy that our group would leave us. We tried to hurry up the line by singing the Cambodian national anthem. However, we didn't actually know the national anthem, so we interchanged words with anthems we knew the theme too. (O Cambodia, how much we love this place... and so on) We finally got through the line and found our group around the corner standing around waiting for who knows what. Our D.C. friend told us of the money exchanging scam, so we luckily dodged that one, although, I bet we wouldn't have fallen into it, even if we hadn't known about it, especially after all we'd been through, and read online.
So here's the scam, just for kicks and giggles. A guy in a motorbike drives up and asks if you have Riel (the Cambodian money). You of course don't have it, and he says, the only money honored in Cambodia is the Riel, so you'll have to come along with him on his motorbike to buy the Riel, where they give it to you at half the price you would get at a bank.
We met another guy from Spain who we wanted to be our new Fab, and it all seemed like it was to happen. However, we had to part with our D.C. and Spanish friend as they were in another bus. After another hour of waiting (who said we wouldn't make the tour bus?) we finally got onto a bus and what a bus it was! Everyone told us about the horrible road to Siem Reap and the sad bus standards, but our bus was quite nice! We were amazed. We drove down the street for about two seconds, and then got to the bus station. We had to get off and into another bus. We fondly named it: The Pink Nightmare. It was small, with no A/C and the entire inside was done over in Pepto-Bismol Pink. The chairs, ceiling, walls and all were pink. It was weird. The road to Siem Reap wasn't really that bad. The road wasn't paved at all and consequently was bumpy, but nothing will ever come close to the train ride to Bangkok. I don’t' know why everyone talks about the bus to Siem Reap, but it probably has to do with the fact no one has ever had lows like Kari and I have. But it wasn't a bad ride at all. The only bad part was the dirt... There was no A/C on our bus, so the entire time all of the windows (except the ones next to Kari and me) were open letting in all the dirt stirred up into the air by the bus. Sadly, we were caked with dirt an inch thick when we arrived at our lodge... I really wish I bought a facemask in Taiwan. There aren't any towns from the border to Siem Reap except one, about two hours from Siem Reap. The ride was about six hours long, and yet there were some bathroom breaks. You might wonder how there were bathroom breaks, when I just said there were no stops or towns between the two points. Well, the bus just pulled to the side of the road, and all the guys got out. Yup, they made their own bathroom on the side of the road with the women in the bus a little confused as to why we stopped. It was an interesting ride to say the least.
Here's a video of the Pink Nightmare:
And here's a video of the "bathroom (and I use that term, very loosely) breaks"
The Cambodian countryside.
At the end of the day, we learned of another scam. We stopped at a restaurant at the town before Siem Reap and met up with our Spanish and D.C. guy. They told us they take as much time to get to Siem Reap as possible, so that we get in late. They don't stop at the bus center, or city center. They stop at an expensive hostel and offer discounts, to the weary travelers, knowing it is too late to get around. It almost worked; however, with Kari and I around, we were sure to keep everyone else honest! We rioted and got half the bus to refuse to get off until they dropped us off where they promised to drop us off. Ah, it's good to be mutinous. It worked and we got dropped off at the city center, where we walked to Jasmine Lodge. We asked for the cheapest room. Started to unpack, couldn't hack it in the community bathroom with no light and had to move. Yes, we couldn't hack it in the cheap rooms, and had to ask for a room with a bathroom!
I was so gross from our open window drive that I decided to shower and then moist towelette myself as well as my luggage! I swear, the water from my shower was so brown, even after standing in the shower for some time, it was just sick.
This is actually the sign on the border between Cambodia and Vietnam, consequently it was taken leaving Cambodia, but whatever.
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