12 days in Khmer(Should I fall behind,wait for me)

philx · 2004-05-15 15:29

Day 2 Phnom Penh to Simp Reap 29/April/04

Got on the boat at 06:30. Half of passengers in the cabin and half on top of the roof. Most old westerner and all Chinese youngsters were in the cabin. I am Chinese, but could not consider young anymore, was on top of the roof.

Most people on top are European, and from their pronunciation, half are British. Two other Asian are a couple of young Japanese, seems in their early twenties.

Sun was getting very hot soon after we departed.

Smoking on top of the cabin was very challenging as the wind was strong. Two Japanese formed a wall with their hands for the Brits, and the Pink guy (The Brits wears a pink shirt) passed his lighted cigarette to the Japanese boy. After a puff, everyone relaxed and were happy that with team work, they achieved something big.

I took off my hat, which I bought from the old market yesterday, put my lighter deep in the hat, and lighted my cigarette with a second try, and puffed and was relaxed as well.

Strangely, I choosed Jim Croce's slow and a bit of sad songs for my boat trip under the killing sunshine of Combodia.

.... .....

After two boat change, we arrived Siem Reap!

Boys from guesthouses (GH) were all dark, but each one speaks total different languages fluently - French, English, Japanese, Espano, Italino and Chinese, I mean Taiwan Chinese with some Cantonese accent.

In the van picked up us, rivers of sweat run down my head, while the big American boy came with the Pink Guy, who claimed he was a photographer, was talking loudly to the quiet her and the british, in front of a short, 4 eyes Japanese, his 3 years life in Japan, and his difficulty to learn Japanese as he could not remember 3000 Chinese charcters without which one could not read Japanese newspaper.

philx · 2004-05-15 15:45

Day 2 Siem Reap

Tired of the crowded, super hot van send by Capitol Phnom Penh, which picked me up after the boat trip, got off the van at a place seems down town.

After a beef noodle at the road side food vendor, recollected myself and walked slowly and tried the guesthouses down the road one by one. The guesthouses is more expensive than Phnom Penh even it was a lean season for Siem Reap during May, and I was few days earlier than the main May holidays. After few guesthouses, I gave up, and stopped at a hotel which is quiet and clean, $15/night.

Put down my bags and headed to Angkor, the camera man at the ticket office is pretty fun, read the newspaper to me, and told me about the riot in Thailand which cost hundred of lives. "It is good, We Combodian don't like Thai people", camera man said loudly.

The half dozen Shanghai boys and girls who took the same boat with me also arrived by now. Their washed and changed, wearing shorts and tiny top, looked fresh. Watching hungrary at the girls' firm, pretty legs, and looked down my dirty jean and black long sleeve shirt, impressed by their bravery, I signed - it is good to be young!

Each booth has one man walking up and down in the line of people waiting for their turn to pay for the ticket. They repeated all the rule, like a recording machine: .... you can not extend, or shorten your ticket, ... you have to keep your ticket with you all the time.... if you lose your ticket...

philx · 2004-05-17 14:11

Day 3 Angkor 30 April, 04

Waked up early in the morning at 5:00. It was still dark outside, got in the Tutu I hired the day before, headed to Angkor with 2 french bread and several blue bottle of water.

Stoped at Angkor Wat, there were already hugh number of people, moving slowly up to the top, under the dim sky light. Hesitate for a few seconds, and told the driver to move on.

I still consider all the mistery of Angkor and even Combodia was at the South Gate at 5:30 in the morning. It was quiet, with not a single bird sound, except the engine of my Tutu. The dew was so thick, you could actually smell all the whole last night - flowers, grasses, snakes rats, rabbits, farmers, lovers ... . The road was strangely dark, in between hugh trees, and under the shadow of nothing.

You got even excited, with image of landmine, snake, little child beggers, loud westeners, quiet and careful Japaneses and one Chinese with his heavey camera bag.

I would not tell how you may feel about the Bayon in the early morning, as there was no word to discribe it, and you must experience it by yourself.

Visited the following temples and Preah Neak Pean is my favorite.
* The Bayon
* Preah Khan
* Preah Neak Pean (neek po-an)
* Ta Som
* Eastern Baray & Eastern Mebon
* Pre Rup

philx · 2004-05-17 14:25

Day 3 Angkor 30 April, 2004

Returned Simp Reap by 11:00am, and found the Vietnam restaurant near the old market.

The pho and Combodia stewed beef is unconditionly good.

Received a text message from one of my supervisor - a cute little girl, telling me - her HR Manager that, she will resign, and her last day is 31 of April, and told me not to tell anybody yet.

Walking back to hotel, on the empty street of Siem Reap, it was so crowded during night, but now the party moved to Angkor - all the tourists, and drivers, tour guides and even beggers.

philx · 2004-05-17 14:32

Side dish go with Noodle

philx · 2004-05-17 14:33

Source for the noodle

philx · 2004-05-17 14:34

Combodia Stewed Beef with Bread

philx · 2004-05-21 16:35

Day 2-5 Siem Reap

Lucky restaurant was my favorite place in Siem Reap, by the main road. The owner was a tiny Shantou girl who came Combodia 8-9 years ago. She reminded me of someone special to me - a cute little thing. Her mandarin was pretty good, which impressed me when I has been there for the first time. Rent for her restaurant is US$500, and for several months during the low season, she could hardly make the end meet, she said to me. Local people didn't work hard enough, and was not stable and she had to hired in-exprienced staff and trained them up.

The Shantou girl looks 10 years younger than her real age. She learned how to cook after she opened her restaurant, so she may work if her cook quit on her. She laughed a lot, even when she told me about her hardship during SARs - "one day, we made only $17" she giggled. Her Hakka (KeJia) boyfriend is sure a lucky guy, as she could definetly make a good girlfriend, wife, mother even a good grandmother.

I met four other Chinese at this restaurant. No, we actually met at Phnom Bakheng. 2 of the girls are from my province, and it is good to meet someone speaks your language, especialy for someone left home for more than 10 years. The other two were a young couple from Guangzhou.

We chatted our activities in the day and plan for the following days, over a few Angkor beer. We agreed to meet again in Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville.

philx · 2004-05-21 16:43

Day 6 Siem Reap to Phnom Penh

Returned Phnom Penh by bus, and met the Khmer girl, who took me to the National Museum and the Palace, though I did not get in.

We spend few hours sitting at the river bank to see the sunset, turning away beggers and children selling varies food. I started to like this city, though it was humid, crowded and dirty.

Flags from all different nationals was flying above, and the north Korean flag was almost in pieces next to the blue UN flag and the International Monetary Fund flag. She showed me the Chinese flag.

philx · 2004-05-21 16:50

Day 7 Phnom Penh 5 May, 04

Took the dirt bike I ordered from Lucky Lucky. It was a 2 years old Honda 250cc motorbike, and it was still in good condition. You can tell the bike has been through some bad time.

Under the morning sun, rode it for two hours by the riverside and to the east. I needed to test it out, as I would spend the next 3-4 days with the machine.

philx · 2004-05-24 14:29

Day 8, Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville 5 May, 2004

Got up at 5:30, and bought some breakfast and water from Star Mart at Caltex, checked gas level one last time, started my engine and headed to Sihanoukville.

I took #3 national highway to Kampot, and then got to #4 high way all the way to Sihanoukville.

I hired a moto driver to take me to the airport to save my time of zigging throught those 178 road through 231 road. It took me quiet sometime to explain where I am going to the driver. English speaking drivers would not get up so early, as foreign tourist was still asleep. Finally he understood the airplane, and then the airport, and agreed to take me there for Rs3,000. It was 15km, and by the time we reached there, it was still dark. I paid the driver, who pointed the airport and waved to me that I should go ahead and then do the U turn for the airport. I put my map above the dashboard, tighten my helmet and droved away.

There was not much traffice this early in the morning, I reached the conjuction where to the left is #3, and right is #4. I stopped, and studied my $10map, I bought from FCC the night before, and suddenly, someone touched my arms, and I turned around. It was the motor driver was took me to the airport earlier. He waved his arms excitely, and pointing to the airport which is about 8km away. I spend another 5 minutes and many times of "Kampot, Sihanoukville, Kampot, ..." before he let me go. He stoped, and noded to my repeated "thank you", shook his head and droved back.

I sat on my dirt bike, with my mouse open, and not able to speak anything. Thank god, there are still nice people on the dirty planet - we are saved!

philx · 2004-05-24 14:42

On #3 high way, this is the only gas station you can find. I worked for British Petroleum for 8 years, but I use Shell and Caltex.

philx · 2004-05-25 14:38

Day 8, Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville 5 May, 2004 #3 national highway

After one hour, I stopped in front of an old school, shut my engine and streched my legs and arms. There were still very few people, a few bicycles passed. From time to time, there were those japanese pick-ups, loaded with lots of people and huge amount of cargo on it, Combodian could load as much as what we could only fit into a 5 ton truck. There were also the funny looking trucks, with no roof or shield for driver's cabin.

I had my breakfast which I bought at Caltex Star Mart, drank half a liter water, smoked and rested for 5 minutes and set off. Day was lighted up.

The road condition was even worse for the next 50km, I traveled almost all Chinese province and could not find any place similar to this. Hmmmm, maybe the road from Li Jiang to Tiger Leaping at year 1999. I was happy I picked up the Honda 250cc dirt bike. I almost got myself killed twice, as with such a bike you could still drive dangerously fast on bad road condition. But, what the hell, was that one of reason to bring myself here in Combodia and to do the bike trip on #3?

I traveled in 10 km totally in thick pink dust fog. I wetted my Combodia scraf and covered my face under the helmet.

Every ten or so kilometers there would be a small town. Food market selling grocery and rice and the franch bread. Gas stations (barrels) ususally would have one barrel of gasoline or some had another barrel of diesel. There was the place you could find moto taxi, with drivers wearing typical base ball cap. I wondered how much they will charge.

Coco Cola was getting cheaper and cheaper, you can get canned coke for Rs 1500 now.

The only two person who could speak English was one guy at Total Gas Station, and the other Mild Seven delivery man who was in his 40s (I may be wrong, as tropical sun could makes you looked much older). Mild Seven drank Pepsi at the same store, and chatted a little with me, and help me to translate to the lady at the store. He had a brand new 100cc scooter with a big Mild Seven plastic box fixed on his bike.

People here easily got shy when talking to you. You were no longer treated as a foreign with bag full of hard cash, but just a stranger, some one rare species but of the same kind.

to be continued.