Crossing into Cambodia

Subtitle: Lessons in Corruption

Brad enjoyed one last bowl of pho for breakfast this morning before we boarded the bus. We had a two hour drive to the Vietnam- Cambodia border crossing.

Tong warned us that the Vietnamese border guards often request a little cash on the side in order to get through the border faster. We had to unload about 500m before the border and walked to the terminal. When we arrived, Tong said the border was very busy and told us all just to slip $2 USD into our passports, which we did. The guards got us through quite quickly (go figure!) and stamped our visas to show we had left the country.

Next, we had to walk to the Cambodian border. We couldn’t take photos and I’m not sure I can describe it well enough. The walk to Cambodia was like walking through a mass construction site and truck stop, all while being in a dust storm. It wasn’t scary, but it was a bit unnerving.

We had to apply for visas on arrival, so Tong collected our paperwork and fee and took care of it for us (thank goodness!). We were also required to have our photos taken and fingerprints scanned. Finally, we gained entry and I think we all breathed a sigh of relief that we made it! I would definitely not recommend doing this on your own. Our guide was worth his weight in gold today! I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it behind, but Tong is from Cambodia and he’s so excited up show us his home country!

Cambodia is shockingly different than Vietnam. If Vietnam is 20 years behind a developed country, Cambodia is about 30 years behind. The road is dotted with shacks and shanties that people live in and have their businesses in. Cows roam the ditches and streets, and the main “highway” is a single lane road where vehicles jockey for position and constantly have near misses with one another. Rules? What rules?!

Back on the bus, we drove for another hour before stopping at a “truck stop” for lunch. This stop made your meal from scratch and the food was actually quite good! Shortly after we had gotten back on the bus, we were stopped by a political rally as there is a Cambodian election later this month. The vibe here is so different than Vietnam. It all feels a bit more charged and unstable, but we will see how that changes when we arrive in Phnom Pehn.

Our bus made its way into the capital city around 3:30 pm and we drove to our hotel. We had a city cyclo tour booked, so we hurried to refresh ourselves and get back downstairs. We each got our own cyclo coach and driver, and they cycled us en masse around the city centre. Our first stop was a huge temple where monks live and the five famous statues that Ms Pehn found on the river. She would later bring the four buddhas and one Vishnu statue to the city and henceforth the city was named Phnom (mountain) Pehn (after her).

Next was a visit to the huge statue of the former king. He was originally installed by the French as a puppet king, but he later expelled the French from Cambodia, so he is seen as being heroic. His wife is still alive and she looks remarkably like Queen Elizabeth II!

Our last stop on the cyclo tour was the presidential palace. It is quite the site to see at night! We will maybe go for a tour of it tomorrow. It is quite clear that the gap between the rich and the poor is vast here. You can see some people driving luxury cars and others who are barely surviving. Cambodia is known for its corruption, and I think you can see it in the disparity.

A quick note about the cyclos- this form of transportation is a bit archaic and is dying out. As such, our presence on the busy downtown roads was seen as a nuisance. We got honked at a few times, but it was a pretty neat experience and a nice slow ride to see the city!

After saying goodbye to our drivers, we walked to dinner. Brad and I had two Khmer specialties: amok fish (a green curry with fish) and long bak bo (beef with a green peppercorn sauce). Both were excellent! We are a bit sad to be out of noodle country (it’s mostly rice here) but excited for the local cuisine! new cuisine!Read more