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Pictures are of Battambang (pronounced Battambong or perhaps Battombong).
I have arrived in Cambodia safe and sound.
It was an early morning. Providentially without an alarm I was awake at 3.30 - plenty of time to get to the 5.30 train...
I packed, had a shower and corrected and returned by email some work for one of my ex yr 12s.
No crisis of passport, keys, wallet.
Separated money into three different places (Cambodia is more of a cash place)
Separated access to money (ATM cards ) from money.
Printed some bits and pieces including a currency conversion guide - Thai Baht, Cambodian Riel and US$. Travelling with Madeline spoils me in terms of currency conversion - I never have to think for myself...
Got a start to see it was 4.52 but did a quick calculation that if I missed the train at Hualumpong station I could catch the subway to the long distance bus terminal.
Arrived with plenty of time, 15 min to spare or so(the same journey can take more than 2 hours during the day) to find the train is scheduled to leave at 5.55. Enough time to get water and a spinach pie. The train didn't actually leave till close to 7 - memo to self Thai trains don't follow timetables. Train was 'third class' but it was the only class very cheap - and rambled along past shack restaurants, then as it got further from the city rice fields, and flooded rice fields.
Sat next to an interesting Thai lady who was a journalist who'd studied in London and NY.
The station is about 7 k from the border. I caught a tuk-tuk. Fortunately I was wise to the scam of dropping people to a 'Cambodian consulate" that charges extra for visa and protested that I already had a visa. He grumbled a bit - probably because the price he quoted me assumed he was getting a kickback...
No prob expected on Thai side of the border but Cambodia has a reputation for charging extra above the official fee. They didn't try to scam me... perhaps because they are mellowing and are sick of grumpy foreigners, perhaps because I am wearing a local skirt...
I often say people get into trouble overseas because they do things t
hey would never do at home. Sometimes however there is alternative to doing things differently. There are 2 buses a day to Battambang, both leave early morning. Otherwise it is private taxi or share taxi....run by taxi ''mafia'' (which could also be called co-operatives if you were kindly disposed to them). I got in a taxi and was told I needed to wait. I told them no prob but wasn't waiting more than 5 mins, at which they drove me by bike to another car which already had 2 old ladies in it. I sat it in the back - front seat was 2x the price. When we left there were 8 people in the car...
several of them didn't go far and with the extra space I fell asleep. Woke up driving along the narrow roads that go between ricefields. Terribly potholed. I've just taught the killing fields and the scenery was the same. The taxi people probably looked older than they were, but got visions of Khmer Rouge child soldiers beating and suffocating victims in the rice fields...
I quickly dispelled that thought and not long after arrived at the Battambang bus terminal.
It was an early morning. Providentially without an alarm I was awake at 3.30 - plenty of time to get to the 5.30 train...
I packed, had a shower and corrected and returned by email some work for one of my ex yr 12s.
No crisis of passport, keys, wallet.
Separated money into three different places (Cambodia is more of a cash place)
Separated access to money (ATM cards ) from money.
Printed some bits and pieces including a currency conversion guide - Thai Baht, Cambodian Riel and US$. Travelling with Madeline spoils me in terms of currency conversion - I never have to think for myself...
Got a start to see it was 4.52 but did a quick calculation that if I missed the train at Hualumpong station I could catch the subway to the long distance bus terminal.
Arrived with plenty of time, 15 min to spare or so(the same journey can take more than 2 hours during the day) to find the train is scheduled to leave at 5.55. Enough time to get water and a spinach pie. The train didn't actually leave till close to 7 - memo to self Thai trains don't follow timetables. Train was 'third class' but it was the only class very cheap - and rambled along past shack restaurants, then as it got further from the city rice fields, and flooded rice fields.
Sat next to an interesting Thai lady who was a journalist who'd studied in London and NY.
The station is about 7 k from the border. I caught a tuk-tuk. Fortunately I was wise to the scam of dropping people to a 'Cambodian consulate" that charges extra for visa and protested that I already had a visa. He grumbled a bit - probably because the price he quoted me assumed he was getting a kickback...
No prob expected on Thai side of the border but Cambodia has a reputation for charging extra above the official fee. They didn't try to scam me... perhaps because they are mellowing and are sick of grumpy foreigners, perhaps because I am wearing a local skirt...
I often say people get into trouble overseas because they do things t
hey would never do at home. Sometimes however there is alternative to doing things differently. There are 2 buses a day to Battambang, both leave early morning. Otherwise it is private taxi or share taxi....run by taxi ''mafia'' (which could also be called co-operatives if you were kindly disposed to them). I got in a taxi and was told I needed to wait. I told them no prob but wasn't waiting more than 5 mins, at which they drove me by bike to another car which already had 2 old ladies in it. I sat it in the back - front seat was 2x the price. When we left there were 8 people in the car...several of them didn't go far and with the extra space I fell asleep. Woke up driving along the narrow roads that go between ricefields. Terribly potholed. I've just taught the killing fields and the scenery was the same. The taxi people probably looked older than they were, but got visions of Khmer Rouge child soldiers beating and suffocating victims in the rice fields...
I quickly dispelled that thought and not long after arrived at the Battambang bus terminal.
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