Golden Triangle

22^nd April 2008

Today is the first day in Siem Reap also my first time in Cambodia aka the killing fields, but first let me tell you about the arduous yes arduous journey from Ho Cinh Minh City, first we went to the office to await the arrival of the private car to bring us to the border, a very decapitated fiat showed up looking like an escapee from the local junkyard the thermostat wasn’t even working so yea me and my dad sweated it out like pigs in the humid atmosphere, the drive was pretty uneventful, passing through all those shops and the unregulated traffic of the city made me very appreciative of what we have in Singapore, but then again all these confusion adds to the fun and allure of this bustling “city”. On arrival at the border after a good 4 hour car drive on unpaved roads and dusty intersections I stepped out into the sun (which was just a little hotter than the car interior). The customs at the Vietnam side of the border are relatively easy to pass through, just slip a few US dollars into everything and stuff their faces with cash and you will go through unhindered. Then we took a short motorcycle ride to the other side (Cambodian customs) the space in the middle which my father aptly named “No Man’s Land”. Three of us were on a bike amazingly I didn’t fall off but I was experiencing the ball shrinking effect of feeling so. At the Cambodian customs (Repeat step at Vietnam customs) you will pass through without much ado.

My father knew the private car operator that drove us straight to the showroom (ROSSANO) @ Phnom Penh, all the rich buggers who buy from there because the prices are expensive, in case you are wondering my dad owns the place selling Rossano furniture, I was impressed even the prime minister buys from him, in fact when I was there the deputy prime minister’s wife was there buying furniture making outrageous requests and all but I guess that comes with the territory when you want to appeal to the well-heeled crowd. My father’s showroom takes up the whole 4 floors of the entire building (am proud of my dad that’s for sure). Met Chandry again (no she isn’t Indian she’s Chinese in fact she’s the showroom manager and she’s all of 22 which is impressive because what are you 22 year old buggers doing besides studying..she’s doing both. Oh! Saw a table named after my dog ha-ha.

I then went to a Malaysian owned restaurant for some good Chinese food , okay it wasn’t that amazing, in fact the hot pot tofu didn’t taste like the ones back home, but yea I enjoyed the kang kong(yes I am appreciating vegetables) for all those who don’t know me well I dislike leafy vegetables. Then proceeded to Holiday International Hotel (the one my father always stays when he’s in town) in a beat up old E280 Merc but hey its still a Merc but I don’t appreciate Mercs,  I dig beemers yea(on that note there were not many beemers in town) but a host of other kick-ass cars like Nissan’s answer to Lexus the infinitys and Daimler Chrysler Escalades with the bling-bling rims on them. Managed to wake up at the crack of dawn (630am) for the transport to the bus station for the supposedly “Mekong Express Limousine Bus” to bring me to Siem Reap. The bus was HORRENDOUS, I was seated next to a monk who drank beer and ate meat and to my right was the toilet, everytime some bugger used the loo this whiff of urea will come whiffing through and envelope me in its pong. I was trying to ignore that but I couldn’t ignore the heat, AGAIN the thermostat seemed to be off its rocker because it was a bigger sauna than the car, to make matters worse the air con overhead me dripped water on me that stained my polo-tee which made me rather incensed, so I complained to dear old dad who promptly said I won’t be taking the 6 hour “LIMOUSINE” bus back to Phnom Penh I would be taking a flight back! Whoop pee Doo! I wanted to decline lest he thinks that I am an old softie who can’t take the heat but I thought to myself that I would depriving myself of human rights if I took the bus back(I won’t even let Boxer sit on that bus much less myself).

On arrival at the Siem Reap bus station I was greeted by a tour guide who spoke Mandarin and a drive who spoke English in a ’95 Camry which wasn’t so bad, I didn’t know that I would be getting a private tour ( I was the only one in the car) they brought me to lunch at a restaurant called Red Orchid and the menu was already pre-set as it was a packaged deal for the tour operator in which Hong(my tour guide) it included a whole plate of leafy vegetables, I didn’t want to waste food so I grudgingly ate half the plate ( the tom yam soup was good though). They then sent me back to my hotel of choice (the Steung Siem Reap Hotel) a 4 star outfit that was rather new, its this delightful French colonial building with a nice pool and gym.

I checked into my room and promptly changed into my swim shorts for a good dip and swim at the pool (all of them are salty) and got myself a further tan was there for about 30minutes then went for a shower and waited for 4pm in which the driver came and took me to the fishing village for a river cruise and visit to the Vietnamese boat people who incidentally still live on the sea on floating barges and boats.

 I forgot where we to for dinner but it seems that rice is free here they keep trying to give you more rice but I had 4 dishes (which included a whole plate of vegetables again). Took a scouting trip around the Old market area which is so touristy I think nothing is meant for the locals except for the road side stores which my father had advised against trying. Yup that’s the end of the first day now I am back in the hotel after a nice hot bath awaiting the Champions League clash between Liverfool and Chelsea tonight 2am Cambodian time (it seems as though I get to watch an hour earlier than the peeps back at home ha ha).

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