Tuesday 15th June 2010

The border crossing from Thailand to Cambodia was a kaleidoscope of people, transport, and goods.

Amongst the hand carts full of second hand clothes, food, empty buckets and charcoal were four Australian registered vehicles jostling for position in the line up to clear customs and immigration.

The process is described at: Overland Cambodia

Within two and a half hours we had our final Cambodian paperwork signed off and remembering to drive on the right hand side slowly negotiated the bustle of the border town of Poipet.

The vehicles vary from old truck chassis powered by Lister style two stroke diesel motors and a wooden bench seat all the way up to the two fully optioned Lexus Land Cruisers owned by the customs officials.

It was about a 2 hour drive to Siem Reap, during which time there was so much to look at.

The chatter on the radios between the vehicles was a constant “look at that... on the left look... overloaded vehicles, markets, farming, more overloaded vehicles.

In Siem Reap we wandered both the tourist part of town and into some of the back streets... quite a contrast, eventually stopping at a place for a local beer and finished up having dinner.

Tropical fruit is abundant.

I guess if you need one of these types of hair cuts, this place must specialise!

Camp was in the middle of town in a vacant block of land opposite the Museum.

Camp 15:  Vacant Block in the middle of Siem Reap.

N13*22.003 E103* 51.650

   

Distance Today:250 Kms

Total Distance: 3003 Kms

Wednesday 16th June 2010

A total of 283 photographs for the day indicates that Angkor Wat is an impressive place rightfully being the 8th Wonder of the World

Leaving Seim Reap we paid our US$20 each receiving our photographic ID for the day visit. As soon as we arrived we were overwhelmed by children wanting to sell us all sorts of things from post cards, scarves, to baskets of fruits. The children were well trained as each asked where we can from, they immediately entered their spiel of Capital – Canberra, 22 million people, Sydney 2.5 million, P.M. Kevin Rudd, you have lots of koalas....etc, etc..You buy something from me?

Deciding to take up the option of a guide after negotiating him down from US$15 to US$12 it was probably worth it despite his melodious voice. 

Lyn and I were here 10 years ago and Angkor Wat is still inspiring particularly taking that all this was built around the 12 century.

With the option of having our own transport we visited 4 of the many sights the final and for us the most impressive was Ta Prohm where the tree roots are slowly taken over the temple. The symbolism of an ancient culture lost into the environment is powerful.

The Khmer empire were rulers of this vast area, defeating the Thais, Burmese, and other surrounding neighbours in long battles using huge numbers of soldiers and elephants as depicted in wall murals. Like the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians the empire crumbled, now the Cambodian people struggle with daily survival.

That night we headed for a National Park north of Angkor Wat, but with a US$20 entry fee per person and only R2,000 (US$0.10) for locals we elected not to partake in this rip off. In any case we were only looking for a sleeping place.

Some 15 minutes later we found our now standard road  side quarry which proved almost remote until our evening visitors arrived.

Motor bikes, and push bikes rode past.

We were then visited by an old grandmother and two very young children. They sat while we had our evening ‘happy hour’ and we presented them with a printed photograph of themselves. Happy with that they ran back down the track.

The evenings are still hot, but we have a slight breeze tonight. Checking out our thermometer our maximum to date has been 46.4C and the lowest 26C.

  

Camp 16:  Quarry Camp.

N13* 35.598 E103* 58.793

    

Distance Today: 75 Kms

Total Distance: 3078 Kms

Thursday  17th June 2010

Not much sleep, that heat is still oppressive and that breeze disappeared, also we had background music from the local village until 2 am.

One of our morning visitors was this young lady using a leaf as a sun shade from the heat.

This morning we had a revisit from the grandma and one of the children, a say 5 year old girl.  The grandma sat at on an old bag whilst the girl played with sticks. She obviously told the girl to go back to the village and get something. She returned with a large bag of clothes. We assumed incorrectly that she was going to do some washing in the water in the quarry as others had done.

The grandma started to cry. Amongst all her foreign language she said ‘buy’. We all heard it and Bill said I think she wants us to buy the girl, which is why she bought all her clothes. Not possible we all thought.  The grandma continued to cry as she and the small girl left.

More of this story later, as we all learn more and why 1 in 10 vehicles are Lexus!

South of Siem Reap is a small village of Kampong Phluk on the Tonle Sap Lake. The rough track is 20km of dirt piled above the surrounding flood plain.

Arriving at the village we are like the circus coming to town!

Everybody comes out of the houses and with a wave and smile from us it is enthusiastically returned. The children are more open and always start to wave.

What is different is the houses are built on 3 metre high posts because during the wet season, which is about to start, the lake rises about 3 metres.

The village children

We continue south towards Phnom Penh, although we will visit the South coast before the capital.

Dinner – no not from this restaurant!

Dinner is a roadside meal that was only ‘OK’.  A steam boat of noodles  and greens but the pork skin was a bit ‘chewy’ and the tongue tough. As for the other ‘meat’ additives, even our farmer Michael had no idea what they were.

Finding a camp spot in this area was a challenge because both sides of the road is rice paddies. However only 5kms down the road from where we ate, we found a vacant building block raised above the surrounding wet areas. With rice paddies around us and a Wat in the distance this was perfect.

Camp 17: Rice Paddy      

N12* 19.500 E105* 06.437

Distance Today: 252 Kms

Total Distance: 3330 Kms

Friday 18th June 2010

We rose at 6am; however the families of workers were already ploughing and planting the fields of rice. Judging by the torches on the posts this had been going on for some time so that the work could be finished before the heat of the day.

Following back roads we headed south towards Kampong Som. Our camp was a cleared house site where we had obtained permission from the owner who came over to see what we were doing. The temperature had dropped and a good breeze blowing – perfect...

Then a Policeman arrived on his motorbike. He had come to check up on us and then telephoned a friend of his, who could speak English. The gentleman I spoke to on the phone was Swiss and had been living here for 12 years.

He and the policeman felt it would be dangerous for us to stay where we are as some “drunks with knives may come, here and back towards the Thai border is uncomfortable.” He suggested that we follow the young policeman back to his compound to camp. This we did gratefully accepting his offer.

Heinz had moved here to “change his wife, sorry life.”

Over his offer for coffee we asked him why so many Lexus vehicles. His response was “90% of all aid to Cambodia goes into private pockets of those in the system.” Most officials are corrupt; one local official from this area was too greedy and sacked. He paid US$10,000 for a new position and that he will earn back in less than 6 months. Everything is corrupt.

He went on to tell of a friend of his where the husband left his wife for another woman. That left her destitute with 4 children. She sold the children for US$50 each!

It would seem this happens often.  We recall our experience the other night with the grandmother and the child. It numbs us all to the core.

Those adoption agencies that “sell children for upwards of US$12,000, only a very small amount would go to the family” I imaging the difference also go into those many Lexus vehicles.

The policeman was straight we were told he would not accept a monitory thank you, not that we offered.  “He was shot in a hold up a few years ago and the police force does not pay for hospitalisation.” Heinz apparently paid for his recovery.

Camp 18:   Swiss Chalet

N11* 02.585 E103* 47.805

Distance Today: 245 Kms

Total Distance: 3578 Kms

Saturday 19th June 2010

It was our best night’s sleep, not because we were in a compound but closer to the coast the temperature is a cool 26C overcast and raining.

Morning briefing and coffee.

We said our good buys and thanks to Heinz and headed south, then veering down a dirt road towards Onkna Monka Port. Not sure what we will find but just to look. The road ended at a loading facility, we think for bulk Oil Palm Nuts. Took a small road down to the beach for a morning tea stop.

Our way to Kampang Som was via the western smaller road around the peninsula. In the fishing village before the port life seems a bit of a struggle. Contrast to that are the expensive houses on the hill.

Up on Victory hill we could see a Chinese aircraft carrier in the port and out further a large Red Cross medical ship. Surrounding the port was the flotilla of small fishing boats.

Occheuteal Beach seams the most popular with the locals, arriving by bus load to swarm into the water – fully clothed, then relaxing on the hired deck chairs consuming food purchased from passing vendors. We skipped the grey water swim but did have lunch on the beach. John and Bill did not have a good night and we put it down to their beef lunch order.

Bill had a GPS point for a quiet camping spot, which following the beach, Bill was first to cross the rusted ex-army bridge. The final span collapsed as he exited the bridge. Trying hard to find another way back, eventually after inspection and with much intrepidation he had to return over the rust corroded bridge. Back on terra firma we elected we must find another way to Otres beach.

Not for lack of trying, it was not to be. We tried many roads and even tracks that ended in even more skimpy bridges. Liz was navigation now for Bill, I also had the GPS point mapped however with careful plotting via a maze of streets we finished back at that rusty bridge AGAIN.

We camped where we arrived at the beach under the trees.

Unfortunately the locals have no appreciation of taking their rubbish away and everything is simply dropped on the ground. Doing a quick emu bob we cleaned up the immediate area so we could at least see some grass between our vehicles.

Bill was disappointed we could not find his pre-chosen spot and I think we will try again tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a lay day anyway to grease the vehicles and generally catch up.

Camp 19: Desperation Camp on Occheuteal Beach under the Casuarinas amongst the garbage.  

N10* 35.749 E103* 32.075 

Distance Today: 219 Kms

Total Distance: 3795 Kms