Home » Cambodia » Oh my god, Simon's finally written a smaller blog!

Heyho! Thought I'd treat you to a small entry this time to make up for the last few Bible-like epics! Oh and yes, photos are back!!! Bought myself a handy little chip USB reader, so will sort out a couple of photos blogs of best-ofs soon.

Oh my god, Simon's finally written a smaller blog!

Simon Wadsworth
2006-09-04 17:01:23

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so many backpackers! One can buy anything from a tailor-made suit, a free-lance journalist ID, overpriced books, cheap malaria tablets and a gong. It's a difficult place to describe. It's not western, but it's certainly not Asian either. It really is a world of its own and I haven't decided yet if I like
Bangkok chinatown Full Image
it or hate it.

Around KSR most of the locals are unfortunately rude or tired or couldn't care less about you, although it's not hard to see why with the type of people this place can attract. Even at the airport, I saw a bunch of wankers pissed off their face with slobber over their t-shirts - the customs officer didn't seem too impressed. However, just walking a small way away from KSR, the briefest of smiles from me brought out big smiles from the Thais. Hopefully this is a glimmer of the true Thailand to come. But I'm saving that for 6weeks time when the wonderful Caroline comes to visit!! :)

Instead, as I mentioned, I just had a quick wander of some places, bought some stuff and ate some things. A brief glimpse of Chinatown, a ride on a canal boat where the roof was lowered by a metre everytime we passed under a bridge, and a quick shop in Tescos (!) buying lots of cheeese, before heading off to Cambodia.

I'm now in Siam Reap, which feels like a mini Las Vegas, counting over 20 ginormous hotels on the way in, and is home to the monumentous Angkor temples, including Angkor Wat, which will be explored in the next couple of days. Right now, the only thing I'm thinking about is bed. I got here from Bangkok in 1 day, via walking, boat, train, motorcycle, bus and pickup truck! However, it was the final pickup that did it for me: another one to add to the worst journeys ever undertaken - but worst = most fun! Picture, if you will, a pickup truck with nothing to sit on but our bags and a tyre, dodging the barbed wire being transported also, in the dark of night, rain pounding down and a road where the potholes were the size of, well, the road! 4 hours of this; wet, cold and with an immeasurably sore bum. But, profounding too as we drove through the darkness, exposed to the elements at 60kph, while watching a red-lightning show all around us across the plains.

A brilliant way to get myself into the mindset of the Cambodian way of life. I'll leave it at that for now. Take care x

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