That was Siem bus ride...
During the planning stages of this trip, I remember a friend of mine who had visited some of the same places last year telling me the journey from Bangkok to Siem Reap (site of the legendary Angkor temples) was one of the most memorable experiences of his voyage. I couldn't imagine how right he would be...
After hearing about a common bus scam run by travel agents in Bangkok - where travel on the notoriously poor roads from Poipet (the border of Cambodia and Thailand) to Siem Reap is purpousfully elongated in order to force travellers to take a room at a commisioned guest house upon arrival - Davey and I decided to play it safe and buy passage only to the border, then make it the rest of the way ourselves (which, according to Lonely Planet was no sweat). The ride from Bangkok was great, the very comfortable a/c bus covered the ~200km in just under 4 hours and we even procured visas in less than 90 minutes once there (funnily enough, we were charged $30US for a visa that clearly stated "20USD"...ah the power of bakseesh). As the group of travellers crossed into Cambodia to change buses and continue the journey, the two of us decided the service seemed reliable and the trip comfortable and fast, contrary to all prior indications. So we purchased the pricey onward tickets for USD10.
After a short wait at the bus stand, something resembling motorized transportation appeared and we were piled in, with just enough seats for everyone and our packs piled so high they obscured the driver's view out the windshield. The roads were attrocious, alternating between pavement that was so full of pot holes it rivaled the surface of the moon, and a dirt track. The bus' suspension system resembled that of a sherman-era tank, but the pleasant travellers on board made the journey enjoyable.
The bus suffered a minor breakdown as a wire came loose from the battery due to the heavy jarring. The driver must encounter that problem all the time, he fixed it without hassle and we were on our way shortly. A few hours (ie 30km down the road) later there was a huge crashing sound and the bus died again. As everyone climbed off the bus we spotted the problem; the gas tank had fallen off the underside and was being dragged along! It was 10:30pm, and by the time a replacement vehicle arrived two hours later everyone's good spirits were beginning to wane. Everyone was expecting a bus or minivan to come to the rescue, but it turned out to be a truck with and open back, which proceeded to break down itself as it pulled up beside the marooned group. After an hour of getting people and gear on and off the truck (the heavy monsoon rains that had been threatening us from the get go were finally unleashed) and fixing both vehicles to a degree suitable for travel we finally set off on the home stretch. We were all in the bus to avoid the downpour, with the gas tank tenuously tied on to the bottom of the bus with wire and the truck towing the bus. Our acute engineering senses told Dave and I that this might not be the safest thing to do, but the obvious danger paled in comparison to our need for a bed. I dozed off despite the violent banging and crashing, dreaming of Angkor in the morning...
I woke up when we came to a sudden (although not unexpected) halt about an hour later. The truck's gearbox had broken. We were trapped inside as there was a ridiculous storm outside, the deluge accompanied by vicious thunder, and lightning that was lighting up the entire horizon. Another rescue vehicle was beckoned by the poor driver and guide, but we soon received word that it had either been struck by lightning or run off the road or something. We contemplated walking into town, but that clearly was not going to work. We were settling in for a very uncomfotable night, when a vehicle appeared out of the heavy rain and thunder. Salvation!
Sure enough, the booming tourist town of Siem Reap's supply of non-meat-locker-on-wheels type transportation was fully booked at 4am on a Tuesday night in the low season, so we had no choice but to cram ourselves into a space 1/3 the size of the bus. The funny thing is, everyone was so cheerful, we were all smiling and laughing, sharing snacks and snapping pictures as we trudged the last hour to town packed in like sardines.
In conclusion, it was a hell of a trip, one that I will never forget. The aches and pains will heal themselves soon (perhaps with the aid of traditional Khmer massage) but the memory of the trip and the companionship the 18 of us felt for the 'brief' time we were together will last a lifetime. There was even some very impressive scenerey thrown in, to boot. We are already planning a reunion, but this time probably nowhere near National Highway 5.
After hearing about a common bus scam run by travel agents in Bangkok - where travel on the notoriously poor roads from Poipet (the border of Cambodia and Thailand) to Siem Reap is purpousfully elongated in order to force travellers to take a room at a commisioned guest house upon arrival - Davey and I decided to play it safe and buy passage only to the border, then make it the rest of the way ourselves (which, according to Lonely Planet was no sweat). The ride from Bangkok was great, the very comfortable a/c bus covered the ~200km in just under 4 hours and we even procured visas in less than 90 minutes once there (funnily enough, we were charged $30US for a visa that clearly stated "20USD"...ah the power of bakseesh). As the group of travellers crossed into Cambodia to change buses and continue the journey, the two of us decided the service seemed reliable and the trip comfortable and fast, contrary to all prior indications. So we purchased the pricey onward tickets for USD10.
After a short wait at the bus stand, something resembling motorized transportation appeared and we were piled in, with just enough seats for everyone and our packs piled so high they obscured the driver's view out the windshield. The roads were attrocious, alternating between pavement that was so full of pot holes it rivaled the surface of the moon, and a dirt track. The bus' suspension system resembled that of a sherman-era tank, but the pleasant travellers on board made the journey enjoyable.
The bus suffered a minor breakdown as a wire came loose from the battery due to the heavy jarring. The driver must encounter that problem all the time, he fixed it without hassle and we were on our way shortly. A few hours (ie 30km down the road) later there was a huge crashing sound and the bus died again. As everyone climbed off the bus we spotted the problem; the gas tank had fallen off the underside and was being dragged along! It was 10:30pm, and by the time a replacement vehicle arrived two hours later everyone's good spirits were beginning to wane. Everyone was expecting a bus or minivan to come to the rescue, but it turned out to be a truck with and open back, which proceeded to break down itself as it pulled up beside the marooned group. After an hour of getting people and gear on and off the truck (the heavy monsoon rains that had been threatening us from the get go were finally unleashed) and fixing both vehicles to a degree suitable for travel we finally set off on the home stretch. We were all in the bus to avoid the downpour, with the gas tank tenuously tied on to the bottom of the bus with wire and the truck towing the bus. Our acute engineering senses told Dave and I that this might not be the safest thing to do, but the obvious danger paled in comparison to our need for a bed. I dozed off despite the violent banging and crashing, dreaming of Angkor in the morning...
I woke up when we came to a sudden (although not unexpected) halt about an hour later. The truck's gearbox had broken. We were trapped inside as there was a ridiculous storm outside, the deluge accompanied by vicious thunder, and lightning that was lighting up the entire horizon. Another rescue vehicle was beckoned by the poor driver and guide, but we soon received word that it had either been struck by lightning or run off the road or something. We contemplated walking into town, but that clearly was not going to work. We were settling in for a very uncomfotable night, when a vehicle appeared out of the heavy rain and thunder. Salvation!
Sure enough, the booming tourist town of Siem Reap's supply of non-meat-locker-on-wheels type transportation was fully booked at 4am on a Tuesday night in the low season, so we had no choice but to cram ourselves into a space 1/3 the size of the bus. The funny thing is, everyone was so cheerful, we were all smiling and laughing, sharing snacks and snapping pictures as we trudged the last hour to town packed in like sardines.
In conclusion, it was a hell of a trip, one that I will never forget. The aches and pains will heal themselves soon (perhaps with the aid of traditional Khmer massage) but the memory of the trip and the companionship the 18 of us felt for the 'brief' time we were together will last a lifetime. There was even some very impressive scenerey thrown in, to boot. We are already planning a reunion, but this time probably nowhere near National Highway 5.
posted by Amar | 8:34 AM
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