Best & Worst, Cambodia

We're having some trouble figuring out what this sign means... we would love to hear your thoughts! It was a large billboard outside of a high school.

Fancy round-about in Phnom Penh- there's a story about this... but we forgot what it is!

Must take your shoes off before entering the hotel, Wats, and temples
(and any other place they tell you to take them off!)

Royal Palace, Phnom Penh

a Wat in Battambang

Best

• Our friends/traveling group were with us!
• Friendly people; The Cambodian people were INCREDIBLY friendly, kind, and grateful for our business. 
• Exchange rate; Not only was the exchange rate in our favor, but they accepted USD everywhere!
• Phnom Penh; S-21 site, developed riverfront, and the Royal Palace
• Siem Reap; Angkor Wat (Bayon was our favorite ruin), biking around the city, and our guides; Yin (our tuk-tuk driver) and Sim (our Angkor Wat guide).

Worst

• Malaria exists in parts of Cambodia, requiring us to take Malaria tablets for 4 weeks. Unfortunately, the tablets are very strong and make Marisa ill.
• Boat ride to Battambang; long, hot, and uncomfortable
• The visa for Cambodia costs $25, $20 for the visa and $5 for the customs agent

Memorable Quote
"Keeping you is no profit. Losing you is no loss." Khmer Rouge

Goodbye Cambodia... Hello Thailand! (posted in Koh Chang, Thailand)

 
 

 

 




When we last left off we were all in Sikanaville, Cambodia about to board a plane to Siem Reap where we spent a week checking out the town, how the people live in the country side, and the amazing thousand year old temples (or Wats). The highest concentration of Wats in Cambodia are just outside the town of Siem Reap which has been built up to accommodate the tens of thousands of daily tourists. Everyone in the group bought a 3 day pass to the Angkor Wat ‘park,’ which was 7 square kilometers so we required tuk tuks to get from site to site. The first Wat we visited was called Bayon and ended up being our favorite overall. The site had a dozen or more towers each with four massive Buddha heads facing in each direction. There were doorways, hallways, and stairs all over the place making it feel like a labyrinth. Almost every square inch of stone in the massive complex was covered in intricate and ornate designs.  The next site we went to was a large steep pyramid style temple where we found out that some sites containing ‘reclining Buddha’s’ have a modesty dress code. There were two girls checking people on the way in and would not allow Jim, Tom, or Marisa in because their knees were showing (and Marisa’s shoulders). Jim and Tom were eventually allowed in after sagging their shorts (which was probably a first for them), but Marisa had to sit this one out L The original steps of the temples were extremely steep and narrow, so wooden steps (which were still very steep) have been constructed over the top of the originals for the tourists. With all the walking up and down stairs in the 100 degree heat and 100 percent humidity; our group never made it close to a full day of temple viewing. After a cold drink and lunch underneath a ceiling fan everyone was more interested in the pool and air conditioning at the Shining Angkor Boutique Hotel then going back out into the heat of the day. So the next day we tried to head out at 6am to beat the heat, but our English speaking guide was a little late and we didn’t make it out until after 7am. Our guides name was Sim (like “sim card” he told us) and we was extremely knowledgeable about Cambodian history, culture, and the temples. The women in our group picked his brain to the fullest and learned a lot, while the men silently wished he would speed things up a little bit. Overall it was great to have our guide as he told us all the facts and showed us the best photo ops of Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm, two of the most popular temples. We went back to Angkor Wat one more time by to see the sunrise over the temple at 5:45am. We rented bikes and rode them to the temple in the dark. Unfortunately, everyone who went agreed it was rather anticlimactic because even though the sun wasn’t yet in sight, it was still very bright outside. Also there were probably 5,000 people in the park at the time… not exactly an intimate experience. Besides the temples, Siem Reap was an interesting town packed with restaurants, street vendors, outdoor markets, bars on ‘Pub Street,’ and English speakers all catering to the droves of tourists who come to see Angkor Wat.  On the fifth day in Siem Reap we said goodbye to the 6 other travelers who we had spend the last two or three weeks with (see our farewell post) and we were all on our own forced to decide what to do next. We spent two more nights at U-Dara Inn Guest House closer to the center of town to figure out our next move.

All the guide books recommended a scenic boat ride to Battambang, the second largest city in Cambodia. We liked Phnom Penh the capital so much we figured we’d like the second biggest city as well. The boat ride turned out to be quite the experience: open aired (occasionally we got wet), hard wooden benches, overcrowded with more locals joining throughout the trip, extremely loud and smelly diesel engine in the center of the boat, and nine hours long with only a quick 10 minute stop for gas and toilet(which was just a whole into the river...).  Some positives of the boat ride included seeing the largest lake in Cambodia, traveling through floating villages for hours, witnessing the different fishing methods employed by the locals, and having hundreds of the cutest local children wave and smile at us when our boat passed. We when finally arrived in Battambang we were both tired and eager to find a place to stay. The first hostel was disgusting and overpriced, but the second hotel Seng Hout was only $15, clean, had amenities, and a great 360 degree rooftop view of the city. Overall we were not very impressed by Battambang or the nearby things to do so we only stayed two nights and planned on heading to our third country of the trip… Thailand!

 It was a rude awakening to discover we’d only be granted a 15 day visa exemption at the border (we’ll have to do our research further in advance next time.) Yesterday we spent another 12 hours traveling from Battambang, Cambodia to the laid back island of Koh Chang, Thailand. We left our hotel at 8:30am and walked to the part of town we’d seen all the bus depots and taxis the day before. Just as we realized we were lost and didn’t have a map with us, a tuk tuk driver from our hotel recognized us and pulled over to ask what we were doing. We told him our plan of going to the border and heading for Koh Chang and laughed a little and he told us we were heading to the wrong crossing and that the roads were no good. He made a few phone calls for us and had his neighbor (who happened to be a taxi driver) pick us up and take us to the Poipet crossing in a ‘shared local taxi’ for 5 dollars each. By shared they meant we’d be cramming as many people and luggage into a Toyota Camry as possibly (meaning up to 3 people in the front and 4 in the back, with the trunk stuffed and held close with rope). We started off with only 4 passengers and Denton had the front seat, but he offered it to a lady who we picked up halfway so Marisa would not have to cram in the back with 3 locals by herself. It was only uncomfortable for about an hour before the two others in the back were dropped off and we had our own seats. About 30 minutes before the Thai border the car pulled over to a roadside stand and the woman in the passenger seat bought a bag full of crickets and beetles with salt and chilis. It seemed to be a local snack. She offered them to us but we were scared until we saw her and the driver snacking away on them in the front seat and we asked her to try them. They actually weren’t too bad tasting like beef jerky, but you just had to chew them up and swallow them without thinking too much about what you were eating. The border crossing went smoothly besides being immediately approached by people wanting to overcharge us for taking us to our destination. Luckily, Marisa knew better than to talk to them until we got across the border and started to bargain hard with the few transport companies just on the other side. She ended up reducing the price from 1,200 baht to 800 baht (300 baht = ~$10USD) for both of us including a ferry to the island of Koh Chang. Unfortunately, we waited almost two hours for our van to leave and we had the worst seats in the in the van. Denton was crammed in the back row with Marisa and two other, broad shouldered Dutch guys. Our driver drove like a maniac swerving to avoid pot holes, braking to miss cars, and then quickly accelerating again (We speculate if he was under the influence of drugs, or practicing to be a race-car driver). It didn’t take long for Denton to get nauseous and he spent most of the 4 hour drive trying not to lose his breakfast.  The best part of the drive was making friends with 3 other young Dutch travelers who spoke good English. One of them, Corey, traveled with us from the border to our hostel; Paradise Cottages on Lonely Beach on Koh Chang. We met back up with her for breakfast and spent the afternoon on the beach together. We’ve gotten to know her fairly well and have talked about everything from travel, differences in European and American viewpoints/lifestyles, and world politics.  She will be returning to her ‘normal life’ to finish up her PhD in Germany after her 4 weeks of holiday are over in a few days, but we look forward to making lots of friends like her during the rest of our trip.  After 2 nights at Paradise Cottages, we moved to Siam Hut because the bungalows were less expensive and our hut is RIGHT on the beach. From Paradise Cottages,we had to walk 10-15 minutes to the beach and cut through several resorts and properties, so we were happy for a change. Unfortunately are bungalows don't have hot water and aren't secure from mosquitos, so we have to use mosquito nettings over our bed.

Koh Chang is a really beautiful island with great beaches surrounding and steep mountainous jungles in the center. We are looking forward to spending the next week or so here relaxing, snorkeling, and maybe even riding some elephants through the jungle to a waterfall.

Thank you everyone for reading and following along in our travels. We love getting comments, emails, and suggestions of what sites we should not miss – so keep them coming!

Farewell Friends! (Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Lunchtime balcony in Can Thou, Vietnam
Anne, Eileen, Denton, Marisa, Renee, Tom, and Jim

Private car to Can Thou, Vietnam
Jim, Renee, Tom, Anne, Maria, Denton, and Marisa

Angkor Temples, Cambodia
Anne, Renee, Eileen, Tom, Maria, Denton, and Marisa

Ankgor Wat, Cambodia
Tom, Eileen, Renee, Anne, Marisa, Jim, Maria, and Denton (the whole crew!)



Private car to Can Thou, Vietnam
Maria, Marisa, Denton, and Anne

After 2+ weeks with our friends exploring several parts of Vietnam and Cambodia, we are finally on our own. Our friends are on their way back to Saigon, where they will return to California on Sunday, February 12.  We felt scared, anxious, and excited to be on our own. We've learned a lot from the group about haggling/negotiating, planning, booking travel, eating, and more! It was bittersweet to see them go and we both had lumps in our throats as their tuk tuks pulled away from the hotel to take them to the airport and we stayed behind. We've had a great time getting to know each of them better, spend quality time creating new adventures and memories, and exploring physically as well as digestively new territory. 



We feel incredibly blessed and grateful to know such incredible people that we can consider family. Thanks for the fun and adventures!

We'll be thinking of you...

Marisa and Denton

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Denton ready for a Tuk Tuk ride in Chau Doc

Our most expensive meal of the trip at La Residence 

Everyone sampling local fruit with our guide Kevin

The ladies showing off their fans they bought at the market

A cool gate at the Royal Palace

Marisa talking to Maria on the front of the boat

A pretty standard Vietnamese power pole

Last two pictures taken at the Royal Palace

Hello again friends and family! We've been dieing to get another post up and fill you all in on our travels, but we've been on the move so much it's been hard to find the time to sit and write. Last time we posted we were in our Villa in Mui Ne Vietnam, immediately after that Denton spent two days trying to recover from a serious travel bug which we suspect came from some bad Indian food. 3 other travelers in our group including Marisa got sick as well, but no one as bad as Denton. That experience has made us more mindful of what we eat and we hope its made our immune systems strong enough to fight anything off for the rest of the trip.

Once we all recovered in Mui Ne and after having missed our bus after standing in the sun for over an hour (apparently the bus came 10 minutes after we gave up and left), we hired a private driver the next day to take us back to Saigon where we met up with the rest of our traveling group: Anne (Marisa's good family friend), Eileen (Anne's sister), and Renee (a good friend and coworker of Anne). All great and fun people. The next morning we took a Mercedes sprinter van to Can Tho, Vietnam which is the 4th largest city and located along the Mekong Delta. Here we took a boat tour of the delta and visited a 'floating market' where a hundred or so boats meet every morning to buy and sell all kinds of fruits, vegetables, and seafood. From here we rented a 20 seater mini bus (because that's all they had) to take us to Chau Doc, Vietnam which is also on the Mekong Delta and is close to the Cambodian border. Here we walked around town checking out the outdoor markets, the riverfront where we had a nice long talk with some 12 year old school children who practiced there English on us and were very cute, and went to the top of Mount Sam which gave us a great 360 degree view of surrounding land. Also on top of the mountain, we got to witness the locals who would hold a bunch of small birds in their hands and pray to an altar before releasing all the birds to fly free and carry their prayers. Early the next morning we were picked up by a line of 6 bicycle powered tuk tuks to take us and our luggage to the delta where we caught a boat that would take us to Phnom Penh the capital of Cambodia.

The boat ride was very smooth and so was the stop at the border to secure our visas for Cambodia. Upon arriving in Phnom Penh we were literally swarmed by tuk tuk drivers who spoke good English wanting to take us to where ever we needed or didn't need to go. The noticeable difference about these tuk tuks was that they were all motor scooter powered and relatively big and comfortable compared to any in Vietnam. They would take up to 6 people anywhere in the city for about 2 or 3 dollars. We were surprised to find out how westernized Cambodia is, they price things in and accept US Dollars everywhere, speak and write better English than most places in Vietnam, and have numerous foreign companies supporting their economy. All of the drivers, hotel staff, and restaurant staff were also very polite, grateful, and sincere for our business. We stayed at the The Amber Hotel for 2 nights while exploring Phnom Phen.

The second day everyone but Jim and Tom toured the city via tuk tuk. Our first stop was the infamous S-21, the former high school turned detention center where the prisoners were held and tortured before they were trucked out to the "killing fields". A bit of history…..Pol Pat, who took the name that means "politician potential", studied in his youth in France where he was heavily influenced by the communist party. He took over the government in 1975 and ruled from Phnom Penh for 3 yrs, 8 months and 20 days until his defeat in 1979 by the Vietnamese. During that time, 2 million Cambodians were killed, nearly 1/3 of the population. Within 4 days of the Khmer Rouge's arrival in the capital, everyone was ordered to leave the city(under the false claim that the Americans would soon bomb it) and so they fled to the country side. He closed all the schools, the hospitals and libraries and only valued working the land. Entire families were picked up because they were accused of being CIA, KGB or enemies of the state. He massacred women, children and even his own high ranking officials that he suspected of treason. Only 7 men survived the dention center, and of those 2 are still living, now 71 and 81 yrs old. Those seven survived because they were painters, sculptors, translators or useful to the guards in some fashion. Their guards were young uneducated boys brought in from the countryside and they documented everything…..the photos of the victims were haunting. It was a tragedy on such a huge scale and as Americans we turned a blind eye. The city was in ruins when Pol Pot was defeated but has now been beautifully rebuilt with many active construction sites all over town. After S-21 we took an hour tour of the excessively ornate Royal Palace where the current 91 year old king still resides. There were lots of rules of entry such as: women being moderately dressed, no hats or big backpacks, and we couldn't wear shoes or take photos inside any of the buildings. The entire complex had so much detail from the landscaping, rooftops, dozens of monuments, high painted ceilings of the entire Hindu story, hundreds of pure gold Buddha statues, and a building with a solid silver tile floor. After our day of sightseeing we had the most amazing French dinner at La Residence, a beautiful building that used to be the home of the princess. We really liked Phnom Penh and were a little sad to leave so soon.

Now we are having a great time in the Cambodian beach town of Sihnoukville which has soft white sand, clear warm water, fresh seafood, and a lively party scene with lots of young western tourists. Several of the beach front bars have Help Wanted signs for westerners offering free accommodation, food, and drink which we have to admit was a little tempting. Yesterday some of us walked the length of the beautiful beach for a couple of hours while some of us got 2 1/2 hour spa treatments. We wanted to do some snorkeling here but it required a full day boat trip to get to the good spots and we just couldn't pry ourselves away from our pool and the beach here for that long...

Tomorrow we have a hour flight to Siem Reap where we are excited to visit the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. Hope you are all well…till next time!