From Laos, Sean and I had rather an interesting border crossing that involved:
- Corrupt Laos immigration officials who wouldn't stamp your passport out of Laos without being paid $2
- Inflated Cambodian visa fees ($3 over the website's advertised rate) - but when a small laminated sign says the price, what can you do?
- Corrupt Cambodian quarantine officials who wanted you to pay $1 for having your temperature taken (I'm proud that I stood my ground at this one and ignored it which turned out to be the right thing to do - no one gave two hoots about quarantine so pretty sure it was just a woman under a tent in a white shirt making cash)
- Corrupt Cambodian immigration officials who wouldn't stamp your passport into Cambodia without being paid $1
- A bus journey from the Cambodian border to Phnom Penh that took 4 hours longer than it was supposed to (because we waited at border for 4 hours for more passengers from Pakse to arrive)
- Being dropped off miles from centre of Phnom Penh at 10pm at night where surprise surprise tuk-tuks were waiting to charge you overinflated fees to take you into the centre (Again we stood our ground and walked - we need all the $ we can get!)
So our first experience of Cambodia wasn't that great. But overland border crossings rarely are.
Our opinions of Cambodia completely changed though over our few days in Phnom Penh. It's a really great city with river-side cafe-style area, a Royal Palace, standard plentitude of wats, several amazing markets and just a buzz to it that we really loved. And the people were so friendly. There is of course a tragic side to Cambodia and Sean and I have decided that warrants it's own respectful entry, so that will follow this one.
We were fortunate to be staying in Phnom Penh at the time of Bon Om Tuk - their annual 'water festival'. This is when the Tonle Sap (Sap River) rises so high from all the monsoon waters that the direction of the current actually changes and the river runs in the opposite direction. This makes Tonle Sap one of the most abundant sources of fresh water fish.
The Cambodians go crazy for this festival and all over the country they have boat races. In Phnom Penh these races go on for 3 days and are accompanied by entertainment on a stage in the centre of town surrounded by lots of food stalls etc.
The boat races were very cool to watch (especially when the boats sank - oops!). But I have to admit that Sean and I didn't have a clue what was going on! So we picked boats who were wearing our national colours and supported them. Seemed like the right thing to do! We did figure out that they must have been categories (big boats, little boats [cardboard box]...) and that they race in pairs. Some boats were very bad and almost ended up losing the race BEHIND them which was amusing!
Things Jennie will remember:
1) The Cambodian pop star who is basically 'The Cambodian Lady GaGa'. She covers all Lady G's songs in Khmer, but wears considerable more clothes and has dance choreography that wouldn't look out of place amongst Pans People from 1970s Top of the Pops - I wonder if the Cambodians realised that she was singing about 'thinking of being with a woman whilst with a man' during her rendition of Poker Face?
2) Ankor Beer - it challenges Beer Lao!
3) Russey Market - is there anything is doesn't sell - from fish to chicken wire, clothes to phones, furniture to pets??? The food was just incredible! Deep fried veggies, fresh fruit, sausage samosa like things, fresh coconut milk, sweet potato pocket things.. yum yum yum
4) Walking down a street full of electrical outfitters - crazy places with every inch of it full of spare parts and old models where they defined the word 'recycling'. Dave Cook and the AP engineering team would have been proud!
5) How incredibly friendly the Cambodians are. People actually stop to help direct you and don't want anything from you - and even tuk-tuk drivers will tell you the way to walk even though you don't want to take the tuk-tuk!
Here are the pics:
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