Cambodian Arrival and The Water Festival That Never Ends

Whole new adventure begins, back atop the bike. I’ve arrived in Cambodia! Arrived in a manner slightly askew than planned but at this stage, to expect plans to be set off as intended requires quite the naivety.

Yesterday in Bangkok, only minutes after I made my triumphant blog post, I was dealt a few new cards: train I bought the ticket for didn’t have a luggage car, they couldn’t take my bike. Received several varying pieces of information but apparently the route only "sometimes" has a luggage car and apparently I was being told one of those "sometimes" would be tomorrow morning at 5:55 (the one which I specifically avoided last). Nothing I could do at this point honestly, it was what it was; just accepted it and mad new arrangements as is often necessary. Decided to stay another night in BKK and catch that morning train.
The morning train gets to Aranyaprathet mid-day and Sisophon lies only 50k east of the Poipet border crossing; a flat, paved easy ride.
First thought was to head back to Refill but had the second thought of losing face, I wanted to keep mine intact, as silly as that may be, and decided not to crawl back there defeated for that day. Then I thought maybe the familiar Lumphini/Silom budget haunt I was familiar with. Then I simply settled on the more obvious solution: just stay somewhere close to Hualamphong. Feels dirty every time still, but I opened up the Thailand Rough Guide I bought when backpacking with Rachel. I’ve admittedly brightened up to the idea of owning a guidebook despite the stigma imposed by the "serious" independent travelers. It without a doubt is a welcome helping hand when you do need it; it’s just when the book is followed like a bible does it really bother me.
Anyway, picked a guesthouse in the book for lack of time and desire to do the "rounds" of comparison. TT2 Guesthouse is where I ended up (unfortunately), their name I hope just a strange Thai numeral addition and not indication there is another one of these places lurking about Bangkok. They do love their rules here; in fact they make you read their list of them and watch you as you do so. I thought also strange that the front door has hours 5:30a to 12a; if you want to arrive or leave outside those hours, tough luck, they don’t give you a key. Had to convince them I needed to catch an early train and please let me out of my guesthouse prison earlier. Bad vibe here, didn’t enjoy it at all (especially when reprimanded for violating their set of holy code); won’t get my recommendation for sure.
For some reason the train station wouldn’t allow me to buy my ticket in advance so I bought it the morning of; 48B for 3rd class, the only class offered, and another 90B for the bike. Plenty of farang on this route going to Cambodia; briefly attempted to assist one with questions about the $20 visa on arrival. Troublingly, she told me her friend recently had issues with pricing at the border (as I’ve often heard).
The train ride wasn’t too bad; would’ve preferred the more comfortable 2nd class seats for the 5.5hr ride but I survived. Expectantly the train was right on time, 11:35 arrival.
Changing some money into USD seemed wise before entering Cambodia and relying on bank/ATM availability there. I read online that one could get USD from the Siam City Bank near the bus station but if you go to the one near the Aranyaprathet station, you’ll be out of luck. More likely they meant the one near the border (where some buses do drop off); this one has plenty of cash on hand for exchange (and is smart enough not to give you old and worn looking bills as they’re generally not accepted in Cambodia).
Other order of business was to procure some headwear to get the sun out of my face. Found one easily at the Aranyaparathet market for a measly 20B but a few minutes of riding and it was proven inadequate; brim was too flexible, flops about, gets taken by the wind. The first time it whipped off my head in the wind, I didn’t bother to retrieve it, I’m sure someone out there will enjoy it.

Couple k ride to the border where there’s another market: a huge one in fact. Lots of cheap same-same goods; great place to shop if you’re looking for that kind of thing. Found a replacement hat, stiff brim with cord that won’t allow it to blow away but its too small, rats, will have to do for now; also a 20B purchase.
Started the border process, a famed one if you ask me. Thai immigration was straight forward, just a stamp out. In the no mans land, you go straight to the archway with three Khmer style monuments then on the right is the visa area. Bit of shenanigans here as expected but it was dealt with without any pain. Nowadays, they seem to be asking everyone for $25USD despite it being posted on a sign that a tourist visa is $20. I watched three people in front of me stupidly pay into these guys pockets the 5 extra bucks; its obviously not much money but its principle. He told me $25, I said no, $20, making sure just to smile and not make it serious. He said $25 again and I simply asked why: claims that its $25 here, its only $20 if you get it in Bangkok (a lie); I say no politely again. He still wants $25 but now he has a new reason after shuffling through someone else’s passport he was handed: he now says, if you don’t have a picture, then its $20 plus 200B, if you have a picture (like I do) then its only 100B. Now I question: if the 200B is for no picture then what is the 100B for? He says "express processing". Well alright then! I kindly request "normal" processing and disappointed he seems, the man tells me to take a seat. I thought maybe they’d try to get back at me by having me wait an hour seated for not giving into their money making scheme but surprisingly, three minutes later, I had passport in hand with 30 day visa for the actual price, $20USD. Minor annoyance though, the visa they issue is a large sticker that takes up a whole page in a passport and given the WEAK number of stamping locations in a US passport (take a look at a German passport, its like a small novel), I don’t want to waste precious space like that and have to prematurely get a new passport. Still of course happy to have it at the fair price.
10 minutes for the visa, another 10 minutes for the line for the stamp into the country and I was let loose on to the streets of Poipet I’d heard so much about. My expectations of a vile sinister city were completely astray from reality though! Leaving the entrance office, I had one subdued tout ask if I was biking to Siem Reap, which yes, I was. Disappointed he said I could take a bus if I wanted (apparently bringing the bike would be OK). I politely rejected and he kindly informed it was 48k to my days destination, Sisophon, and the road was straight ahead. That was it. Granted, I will not ignore that my travel mode, the bike, lends for a very different experience than walking with a pack. I breezed through the trashy city on the paved road and was well on my way.

And then, I got wet, soaking wet. Nothing new there! Was not expecting it at all though! Finally, in Thailand, normalcy had resumed and I could go about my business without being assailed with water. The moment I got out into the open in Cambodia though, wet! This is possibly a record water festival attendance: in Pai, it started early, the 9th, the 12th I proceeded to Chiang Mai where it was getting underway, the 13th, in Bangkok, water everywhere and now the 16th, the end of it all in Thailand, I get it in Cambodia. A full week of water festival!
It’s a massive amount of fun, I really have loved it but it does become a nuisance after about 2 days of fun. All business’ close up so errands are out of the question and even the things that are open you often choose not to go to for lack of desire to be soaked to the bone (especially at night!).
The road was well paved, well painted and very flat. And oh ya..driving on the right, almost forgot about that. Crazy French influence I guess. Kids and teenagers the entire route with water. A new addition in Cambodia were plastic bags sealed with a rubber band, the ubiquitous take out container in SE Asia, but filled with water and used as what Id call a makeshift water balloon. Some kids really fling these things though; they hurt!!
So many hellos!! I’m sorry Thai children, but Cambodia has you beat. First day and already so many people excited to say hello and talk to you in limited English. Kids will wave and run alongside the bike (the adult version being their moto alongside).
Thai drivers seem to also have a penchant for horn blowing doing it for any number of reasons or seemingly for no reason at all.

No sign announcing I entered Sisophon except from the unusual array of buildings (instead of empty paddy field) and careful watch of my trip odometer. Started shopping for a guesthouse and it dawned on me, I don’t speak a damn word of Khmer! I’m back to being what I was long ago when I first got to Thailand: largely unable to communicate the simplest of requests and in my opinion, an insulting tourist. This will have to be soon corrected.
First guesthouse I checked was terrible. Second one I checked, amazing! And both the same price, $5, strange. Sarat Thong (or Sara Torn I saw it mentioned as on the internet) is the place: can’t imagine there’s any better in town. Five dollars gets you a large clean tiled room with private bath, western toilet, TV (with English channels) and the woman who greeted me was nice enough to give a towel without asking and a small packet of shampoo and bottle of water. She even let me take my bike in the room. On the main street near the large signboards leading you out of town but also set back enough to be fairly quiet.
Tomorrow I set out at dawn for the big one, Siem Reap, 105k away. Unsure of the road quality: I know its paved at least a bit ahead of where I am now but that could end at any point. All I know is that a fully paved road to Siem Reap has been talked about online for years and I’m just not sure if it was ever completed fully.
Hopefully can use Siem Reap to locate a reasonably useful road map and trade my Thailand guidebook for Cambodia (which I’m sure will be a humorous photocopy reproduction). A whole country lies ahead! 

UPDATE:
Guess what…still in Sisophon; didn’t make it out this morning. For some annoying reason I couldn’t get myself to sleep last night; I was engrossed in an English language movie on TV, a rarity. Overslept and missed my window of mild morning temperature to leave. Lied in bed and considered renting a moto to get to Banteay Chhmar temple ruins 70k north but totally unsure of the availability of a moto, I mentally moved on. Spotted a medium sized town on the map only 50k distance: hopefully there’s a guesthouse there because that’s where I’ve decided to head.
Writing this from some fancy restaurant where I guess the rich Chinese and Khmer and possibly tourists come. Still not knowing how to ask for a single thing to order is a problem at any restaurant that doesn’t speak a bit of English so my options are limited at the moment.
Last night I walked the dark streets, lit only by passing motos, in search of internet and some food. Found an internet place after a moderately scary 1k walk but they were closed. Happened across a restaurant next door that was still open and lucky for me, spoke a bit of English. They even helped me order, plopping down on my table a bowl of amazing smelling soup and a plate of rice after I expressed my inability to order. One man there, Peark (silent k), husband to the owner, spoke English well and sat to chat. He works as a type of environmental protection ranger through an independent company patrolling through the Cardamom Mountains. Had a really nice chat and to my surprise and mildly also to my disappointment he was insisting my meal was gratis. I’ve often had this happen at this point and despite being incredibly honored and grateful I have real trouble accepting their gift; I WANT to pay. If not pay, at least give them something in return. Peark was so kind that he even drove me back to my guesthouse on his moto without even my request. He also gave me his mobile number and an invite to join him sometime on patrol in the mountains; we could meet in Battambang. Sounded interesting, I shall see if it all works out.
Back at the guesthouse I spoke with the brother of the woman who checked me in. He had a good control of English and we were able to chat pleasantly. Both Peark and this man expressed to me a longing to travel; that they saw so many people like me and wanted to see the world but had not the means. Both also candidly talked with me about Cambodia’s history and the Khmer Rouge days. Both men relatively young, it was their parents who saw the worst although they have terrible memories all their own as well.
Looking at the map this morning I think that I’m amending my route from continuing south-east on from Siem Reap by road to instead taking a boat down the river from Siem Reap to Battambang and then going by road from there. Seems like there’s more evenly spaced larger cities on this route that are more likely to have accommodation. In Battambang I can also get my Vietnamese visa for possibly a cheaper rate and more importantly, acquire it on the spot with no waiting time like I would have elsewhere. Apparently Sihanoukville also has this luxury but nowhere else.
The heat is despairingly lethargy inducing. Not feeling a strong desire to ride today but I think I can handle the short 50k ride; glad actually I can break it up into bite sized pieces.
I have a feeling that internet access will be rather limited so expect more sporadic updating of events unfortunately. Able to really appreciate the comforts of Thailand now.

17.Apr.09 South East Asia 2009