Cambodia's Got the Horn

Cambodia's Got The Horn

Cambodia began with the wonders of Watt. Say Waaaaatttttttt? Ankor Watt of course. The stunning natural beauty of the sun rising and falling over one of the man made marvels of the world. Nature has also grow into and around the stone temples and left an amazing hybrid of man vs wild. The light at dawn shining through the ruins and trees is truly something to behold.

It is easy in the nostalgic retelling to forget the begging children, the taxi cost bartering, the thousand other tourists tainting the feeling that you are doing anything special or unique and the stone cold fact that rock just looks like rock after 4 hours no matter how old or crafted.

That said if you take the three day pass, go for a few hours only at dusk and dawn, and go anticlockwise when the normal route is the other way, there are memorable and worthwhile times to be had at Ankor.

Siem Reep was pleasurable; Dr foot and his reflexology saw to those tired temple feet, international and bizzare cuisine (croc and spiders) satiated the hunger, and the happy hours keep the Ankor beer flowing for 50cents a mug.

The 'luxury' 6 hour bus to the capital Phnom Phen was not pleasurable, comfortable or luxury. Often the air con is much too high and these bus trips had been the only time so far that we had really needed our jackets. The reality of 6am was punctuated by the freezing bus, I congratulated the knowledgeable traveller Joseph for getting his Fleece out of his main backpack. This was the last positive thought I had for sometime.

The misery of the trip had several recurring themes:

The soundtrack of mumbled complaints and curses were overpowered by the loud and intrusive sounds of the buses horn. The unexaggerated average of 3 horn blasts per minute can be explained by the unofficial and plainly understood rules of the Cambodian road;

No road markings, 85% of traffic is small 125cc motorbikes, the relatively new introduction and uncompulsory nature of mirrors, no speed restrictions, narrow unruly roads and the undenible reality of being hit by a double decker bus. All vehicles when overtaking beep the horn several times and there is lots of overtaking. The sound of the ticking clock that you must block out to keep sane is the sound of the horn on the Cambodian road. every minute on every road is filled with a myriad of different horns. Cambodian really does have the horn.

Phnom Pehn round one; Reunited with a good friend (LOL - Love our Lottie), amazing food, crazy hedonistic aussies from Darwin (Big up the Dougie massive, ah yeaaaaahhhhhhh), a great cambodian tradition (5-7 every day is free exercise in all the parks), meeting Hannah (Epic in every way), Mutak and the best banana in town.

Tune in next time for all that is Kampot - Rusty's Ribs, Dirt road riding (that is not a euphamism), home made pies, covert brothels, a dog lost and found, some new friends and 5 days without food.

Joseph Davies 26/05/10