Thailand to Cambodia

We just arrived in Siem Reap after 14 hours on the bus. The travel agent in Bangkok promised that we would arrive by 3pm, but we didn't end up getting here until nearly 10pm! The border crossing at Poipet was chaotic, confusing, and intense. On the Thai-side of the border, the streets were clean and orderly, on the Cambodian-side, the streets were dusty, grimey, and full of trash. Children ran through the streets half-naked, barefoot, and dirty, a site that was unheard of in Thailand. I somehow felt we were transported to Africa.

We switched buses twice once we walked across the border. The first took us to a shady, black market money exchange that cheated me out of nearly $30. With so much chaos, nobody speaking English, and being herded from one point to the next with no idea what is going on, it is no wonder they are able to get away with these scams. After the money scam, we were told to get onto another bus that would take us to Siem Reap.

With all of the passengers and baggage piled in and the windows wide open, the driver took off down the dirt road heading east. Barrelling down the pot hold infested road at white-knuckle speeds, we sat back, inhaled dust and exhaust, and tried to enjoy the constantly changing scenery. The monotony of a five hour bus ride was quickened with bouts of sleep. Nodding in and out of consciousness with the lurching rythym of the bus, I was suddenly jolted fully awake with the arrival of pavement. Out of nowhere, the road was smooth and there were lights everywhere. Reminding me of the Vegas strip, massive hotels lined the streets whose over the top elegance seemed starkly out of place in a country whose people struggle on less than $2 a day. We had arrived in Siem Reap.