This will be our last post on Cambodia and we are sad to be leaving as we’ve had a great time.  Click here for all our selected photos but more recently of Siem Reap, Angkor Wot, Phnom Penh and the Cambodian Countryside.

Having learned from our previous border crossings we stayed well clear of the travel agents and booked our own taxi to the border.  It was equally eventful…

Here’s how it went:

Two hours into the journey the driver – who was supposedly fluent in English but couldn’t speak a word – tried to explain that his brakes needed replacing. 

He said it would take 15 mins, but and an hour later they hadn’t even taken off a wheel, so he said that another driver would take us.  Shit – what do you do only go along with it – it’s not like you can vent your frustrations reading from a translation book.

This was Cambodia’s take on Kwik Fit.

As you can see they were well equipped…

Another hour or two into the journey, the driver veered off the main road onto a red dirt track.  We were a little apprehensive but were reassured that this was the route to the Ha Tien Border.  It looks ok in the photo, but it was rather a rough ride.  We did however get some nice pics of the countryside which I’ll upload later.

Then we happened upon a muddy patch that was impassable, apparently.  Conveniently enough there were several motorbilkes waiting on hand to take us the rest of the leg, but at an additional cost – smell something fishy?  We were adamant that the car would pass and, if it were to get stuck, we would be more than willing to push.

Having learned from previous experiences, we had taken note of the firm’s telephone number and had called them.  We explained the situation to the ‘boss’ who then spoke to the driver.  After the conversation had ended, he was seriously pissed, he leapt into the car put it in gear an and floored it!  We were pissing ourselves laughing, the car leapt and bounced everywhere, but made it in the end, much to the disgust of the taxi and motor bike drivers .

So on we go.

This was rather amusing, we came across these guys erecting a Gazebo in the middle of the road. 

A good 20min discussion to come up with this solution.

Having arrived safely at the Cambodian ‘check out’ border, we had to get motor bike taxis to Vietnamese ‘check in’ border and on to the buss station – a further $10.

We were told at the bus station (12pm) that all the busses for Saigon had gone for the day but we could get a private mini bus for a mere $200 – ya, right!

We ended up getting a public bus part of the way to Rach Gia and arrived late in the afternoon.  We decided to camp for the night and get the early bus the following morning to Saigon – a journey of 6hrs.  Three hours in the bus started to overheat, so we had to stop every 15mins to top up with water.  Eventually the radiator gave way and we were stranded about 1.5hrs from the city.

Eventually we were put on another bus but were taken to the other end of the city and had no choice but to get yet another taxi to our chosen hotel. 

Finally we had arrived at out destination safely but tired and in need of some really cold beers.

Now you know why many travellers fly rather than go overland through the borders.  We still wouldn’t change a thing, this is what travelling is all about and when we think back, we can’t help but smile.

We have some great video footage that we will share with you one day! 

Now it’s time to explore Vietnam a little more.

Not much else to report when you’re chilling out, sorry .

We were spoiled early on in our trip by Lonely Beach in Ko Chang (Thailand), but it’s still beautiful here and we’re making the most of it – swimming day and night.  The few beach huts available come at a heft $20–25 a night – which is out of our budget – compared to our $4 which is a two minute walk to the beach.  We’ve been living comfortably here with three good meals a day, beers and few cocktails every night all for a mere $20 – I really miss working on those bids .

The remains of 8,985 people, many of whom were bound and blindfolded, were exhumed in 1980 from the mass graves; 43 of the 129 communal graves have been left untouched. Bones and clothes still lie scattered around the graves – harrowing stuff.

More than 8,000 skulls, arranges by sex and age are visible behind the clear glass panels of the Memorial Stupa.  It is a pretty peaceful place today, masking the horrors that unfolded here less than three decades ago.

In 1975 Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). S-21 was Angkar’s premier security institution, specifically designed for the interrogation and extermination of anti-Angkar elements.

Between the years of 1975 and 1978 more than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp Choeunk Ek, also known as the killing fields (next post).  When the Vietnamese army liberated Phnom Penh in 79’ there were only 7 prisoners alive at S-21, all of whom had used their skills such as painting or photography to stay alive.  Several foreigners from Australia, France, and the USA were also held here until being murdered.

Like the Nazi’s, the KR were meticulous with their records, every prisoner was photographed and a small biography written accounting their life up to their execution, most of which is on display.  The photos below give you a snapshot of the harrowing ordeal these people went through.

Sure enough our statements were showing fraudulent activity, all in Bangkok, the majority for Boots, Tesco Lotus, some mobile phone shop and several ladies clothing outlets – around £650 in total so far.  The hotel staff must have searched our sacks while we were out sightseeing.  Interestingly, only the cards which had the ‘visa’ logo were taken.

Several expensive calls later to our banks, they have agreed to refund the money but only when we sign disclaimer forms which they plan on sending out to us in the next day or so (somewhere).

Now we are travelling with only one visa card until we can get the replacements shipped out to us somewhere – we’ll have to ask Debbie nicely in the next week or so.

Yet another valuable lesson learnt.

We have been very lazy here and reluctant to do anything other that chill, eat and socialise.  It’s not safe enough to whip out the laptop and write at our leisure, there are many eyes watching – better be safe than sorry.  Internet is also pretty poor, but the beer, cocktails and food are cheap .

The restuarant next door, ‘Happy Herbs, specialises in marijuana pizzas – those wanting to pass some time in a daze can ask a waiter for a happy pizza, while those wanting to loose some days might request a ‘very happy pizza’ .

We plan on staying here for a few days before we head for the Cambodian coast for some more R&R – it’s a though life.

All the best for now.

The journey took around 7 hrs and cost $6 each, it was a very pleasant journey.  When we stopped for a break and we were greeted with all sorts, inc. fried frogs, bat, duck, spiders and much more – not hungry, but thanks anyway!

In the fifteen century Angkor Wot was abandoned to the jungles after an invasion by Siam and forgotten about until French explorers rediscovered it in the nineteenth century.  Since then, the battled-scarred temples with their beautiful statues, tone sculptures and multi layered towers remain one of the seven man-made wonders of the world.

UNESCO World Heritage Site #6

The Angelina Joley photo, a scene from Tomb Raider, apparently!