Day 38 - 6 April 2015 - In Hua Hin

There was no kettle in the room for hot water and hence, the morning had to begin without a rejuvenating cup of coffee. The room tariff did not include breakfast either. Having decided to hit the streets later than normal I had provided for bread and peanut butter, bought from a 7eleven store. The bread was super soft and the peanut butter crunchy. I sat up and shortlisted 7 places to visit during the day. Problem was the absence of a reliable navigation system. However, the woman at the reception, friendly and English speaking, gave me proper directions to reach the places that lay in three different directions – three to the south, three to the north and one to the east. Despite all the painstaking research and enquires I ended up visiting only the three in the south.

I decided to first explore the Khao Takiab Mountain and beach. I reached it in 15 minutes from the hotel. It is a short diversion from the main southern route 4 to Chumphon.  When I reached the mountain side, which I recognised by the tall statue of Buddha facing the sea, I parked the car and walked to the beach. The place was so unremarkable that I had to reconfirm that I was where I thought I was. I asked a person, who looked like a local, if that indeed was the “Monkey Mountain”. He said, “Yes, yes. You see monkeys (pointing to many monkeys frolicking in the shallow part of the sea), see, see. That mountain, you know. So Monkey Mountain”! The Khao Takiab Mountain is also known as the Monkey Mountain for the large number of macaques that have made the temple grounds and a part of the beach their own. In fact, one of the main attractions, when I visited the beach, was to follow the antics of the monkeys in the water. They mimicked the activities of their two legged cousins so much that I wondered if they were humans in disguise. Some swam effortlessly, others jumped from rocks, some shoved others into the water, some had plantains to peel and feed on, a few played pranks on the unsuspecting and some others bullied the smaller ones. They were completely unaffected by people capturing all this on camera. In fact, it looked as if they were putting on a show to be digitised. The small climb up to the temple on the hill gave panoramic views of the beach. After the climb one can relax in one of the many shacks that provide seafood prepared to local taste.

On the way back from Khao Takiab I dropped in at the Cicada Market, which is meant to be an interface between artisans, artists, tourists and students. Cicada means insect in Thai language and it is an acronym for Community of Identity, Culture, Art and Dynamic Activities. The market is only open on three days of the week from Friday to Sunday, and so I missed out. I headed for the Market Village, considered to be one of the biggest shopping malls outside of Bangkok. Just to experience the scale I went in there. It is huge and has all the well known local brands and some international under one roof. The Tesco tore is large. I spent more than an hour inside and ended up buying quite a bit of stuff like wafers, beer, cakes and biscuits that had special offers going. Almost an entire floor is occupied by restaurants and food stalls. Walking around the restaurants with interesting aromas enticing the olfactory senses, I walked into a one that promised traditional food. After much deliberation I ordered a pork and shrimp wonton soup. I observed people at other tables and found that the table was full of plates and bowls filled with food. I wondered if I had ordered less than what I should have. In a short while my concern was addressed. A huge bowl of soup with steamed wontons and sliced cooked pork with vegetables was placed in front of me. Many types of sauces and slats were also set by the side. I tasted a spoonful of the soup and decided against altering its taste with sauces and salts. I loved it and the quantity was just right for lunch. As I was walking back to the car I was enticed by a stall of Dairy Queen and took a portion of the mango and cheesecake ice cream. I waited it to melt a bit and it tasted yummy.

Once I got back to the room, heat and lack of sleep hit me together. I must admit that a couple of cans of Chang Beer also supported the effect! I passed out for almost three hours before freshening up and heading to the night market – all plans to visit the other places went out of the window. I reached Chatsila Market and sought out the massage centre. The one I had last evening was so good that I wanted a repeat. However, it was not the same person who was allotted to do the foot massage this day. But, it was exceedingly good too. I found that my masseur was much in demand with repeat customers waiting for their turn despite other masseurs being available. After the session was over, with almost half closed eyes, I moved over to a food stall and had dinner of minced pork, holy basil and steamed rice.

I have planned to start off to Phattalung early tomorrow since it a 650plus km drive. Hence, I thought it best to ask the reception if they could give me some hot water to make coffee in the morning. I was pleasantly surprised when the guy at the reception gave me an electric kettle. I asked why that was not placed in the room, in the first place. He said they didn’t have that many for all the rooms! Anyway, problem solved, I asked him to give me a wake up call at a half past five.

Day 37 - 5 April 2015 - Pattaya to Hua Hin

When planning is done for overnight halts distance to be covered in a day and availability of accommodation are critical factors. I had zeroed in on Prachuap Khiri Khan as the possible night halt location between Pattaya and Phattalung in southern Thailand, as it was almost equidistant between the two cities. Prachuap Khiri Khan is situated in the narrowest land mass between the Gulf of Thailand and Myanmar. However, while searching for accommodation in Prachuap Khiri Khan the city of Hua Hin cropped up all the time with better hotel options. Later I discovered it as a city with some royal connections and Hua HIn was finalised.

Last evening I had informed the reception that I was not keen on Indian breakfast and that I need not be clubbed accordingly. I had a full blown continental breakfast before loading the car and checking out. It was slightly over 300 km to Hua Hin and the excellent road condition would mean about four hours. Most hotels have a 2 pm check in and hence, I took the roads slowly. The motorways were outstanding. The route to Hua Hin actually skirted the one to Bangkok and passed by the Suvarmabhumi International airport. Closer to Hu Hin the traffic slowed down, at times to a crawl, perhaps because of the long weekend and vacationers from Bangkok.

I have been depending on Google Maps during the journey. Once I left India the application had gone silent and pops ups mentioned that voice directions are not available in these countries. Surprisingly this morning, the lady’s voice assumed control. I was not in the least bit amused. I was used to the preview and uninterrupted GPS tracking. Anyway, since the voice tracking was on I considered it an added advantage. I was mistaken. The lady, as ladies are wont to, switched off when it was most critical. I am not joking. Just when I had to make a decision at a junction the application shut off. Not once, but twice. Trust a lady with your life and this is what she does – pulls the plug at the most critical time! I had to turn into a fuel station to try and remedy the situation. In the first case I tanked up and got the application back on track in a coffee shop that had WiFi. It did not cost me much time. In the second instance I found a fuel station with car wash facility. When the car was being spruced up I roamed around the vicinity in search of a WiFi location. Finally, after much time, I located a young and friendly girl in a store who gave me directions to reach the hotel.

Despite being challenged navigational skills wise I managed to reach the hotel without losing my way. The hotel is placed in a busy street and very close to attractions of the city. I parked and checked in, which meant that I paid room charges upfront. I was only upset about the room being on the fourth floor without access to a lift. Mercifully someone carried the luggage up to the room for me. The hotel did not serve food and beverages. But there are so many eateries in close proximity, of different types, that one does not feel that a constraint. I walked across to a small one and had noodle soup with grouper fish for lunch. The chilly sauce added spice to the otherwise bland fare.

After lunch I walked to the Hua HIn Railway Station. This is on the rail route from Bangkok to Malaysia. The Hua HIn railway station is considered one of the most beautiful in Thailand. The wooden structures painted bright red and off white is excellently maintained. The railway station was part of the popular getaways from Bangkok and Singapore to Hua hIn beach resorts in the early to late 20^th century. Part of the premises is used as a museum cum historical experience for tourists. It is made more famous by the pavilion used by the royalty while waiting for a train. The pavilion was fully reconstructed at the station in 1968.

After a snooze I was ready for the Hua Hin beach and the night market, by the time I reached the beach business had started winding down and people had started leaving the beach. It was just after sunset, even though a few glows still remained on the horizon. People were still sprawled on easy chairs with beers lying around. The smell of food had started dying down, though. The toilet enclosures were busy with people bathing and getting dressed to head back home. I walked to the Night Market, the Chatsila and Chat Chai Markets. At one glance all night markets look the same, but on closer scrutiny you will discover the uniqueness of each, be it food or local wares. I was blown by the amazing food on offer and so cheap too. But the most wonderful experience was a session of foot reflexology. It has been the most amazing session I have experienced all my life. The elderly lady went about her business most professionally and knew exactly what had to be done on my feet; it was extremely therapeutic. By the time that was over I was ready to eat anything in sight. I gravitated to a small place that gave me excellent Phad Thai shrimp noodle. I picked up a green soda lime to wash down the food.

I hit the sack late after zeroing down on the places to visit the next day.

Day 36 - 4 April 2015 - In Pattaya

Every once in a while I get undisturbed sleep. And last night was one of them. I woke up refreshed and ‘full of beans’. I was ready for a long walk along the beach after breakfast. The shower was a somewhat a dampener, for the flow was poor. I complained about it at the reception and the response was not at all appropriate. I felt all the more peeved because the hotel is pricey and they have quite a few properties in Pattaya. Perhaps they do not bank on repeat customers, is what I observed. There are so many Indians staying in the hotel that I started wondering if I was in Delhi. They were loud and boisterous, obviously out to have fun away from home, in every sense of the term. Most of them have come as part of groups, availing package tours. This morning when I reached the hotel restaurant I was asked to go to another building where breakfast had been arranged for Indians; poori chole, vada sambar, fried rice and fruits, besides fresh juice and fruits. The loud chatter and ‘we own the world’ attitude can be annoying at times, as it was at the buffet.

The hotel is situated on a road almost parallel to the beach. I did not know that because the reception did not have a tourist map I could use. They were most unhelpful when it came to tuk tuk charges. When I enquired how much it would cost to get to the beach, all he said was, “I don’t know”! Once that was said he quickly lost interest in the fact that I was in front of him seeking information; he got back to his computer and I was left standing there. Mercifully, he did tell me that I could get a tuk tuk outside the hotel.

In a short while I waived down a tuk tuk that had just two women passengers. I did not know where to get off for the beach. After a ten minute ride I asked the older of the two women where I should get down and what I should pay. She asked me to get down where she would and told me to pay 10 THB to the driver when I did. When I got down I realised that one could get to the beach from anywhere on that road – I could have done that from the hotel too instead of taking the tuk tuk ride. The receptionist should have told me this. The Sun was beating down remorselessly even before 10 am. Fortunately, I had taken a hat with me and that provided decent protection – shops in the city and stalls along the beach sell all types and sizes of hats.

The beach, by itself, is no great shakes; it is just a narrow stretch. But what is done there is amazing. The long beach is dotted with shamianas under which there are wooden easy chairs with a plastic table in front of them. Once you choose to occupy one of them it is taken for granted that you will avail services from that ‘group’, from food to drink to massage to water sport. It is efficiency personified in local entrepreneurship. All kinds of seafood and drinks are available and at reasonable rates. Westerners find the harsh sun ideal to tan themselves. I found some of them sprawled on the beach; many could be seen just sitting on the walkway adjacent to the beach sunning and sipping. The place is clean and every vendor makes it a point to keep it so. I walked all along the beach, and sometimes on the walkway, to observe the goings on. Sartorially, I was most ill-suited for the beach, without a doubt!

Parasailing is one of the prime sports from the beach. Many companies provide speed boats that take you some distance into the sea and launch you for a 10-15 minute experience. When you get back photographs of you doing the jump will be ready; express service. There were so many in the air I wondered how they did not knot themselves up. There are boat rides for the less adventurous, water scooters for others, swimming bays for kids and much more to keep one occupied for as long as one wishes to be at the beach. Along the beach there are many shops where bargains could be had and restaurants to suit every palate.

At one end of the Beach Road is the Walking Street, which is where one has to be to claim to have been in Pattaya. The street, so named because it is closed to vehicular traffic in the evenings, is a half km of fun and frolic with nightclubs, beer bars, restaurants and shopping stalls. I was there during noon when the places were readying themselves for business in the evening. Some of the restaurants on Walking Street have fantastic views of the bay and reportedly serve some of the finest seafood in the city – live specimens of what can be served are displayed in glass tanks. Almost at the end of the bay, on the side of a hill is written “Pattaya City”, from where one gets amazing views of the bay and the city’s skyline. The Bali Hai Pier was busy with tourists trying to get the best bargain for a trip to the Koh Larn Island. I stood transfixed by the work done by tractors and drivers of speedboats and water scooters to haul them on to the shore for parking.

It was so blisteringly hot by the time that I wanted to head back to the cooler environment of the room. Before taking a tuk tuk to the hotel I armed myself with a couple of bottles of Chang Beer and grilled chicken, bought off a street vendor. The chilled beer did not last long for the body sought express replacement of fluids lost during the morning forays.

Walking Street it was in the evening too to savour the atmosphere. I walked through a warehouse on the waterfront, which was also a fish landing centre with an old wooded jetty, and caught wonderful views of the sunset. The bay and the skyline looked different in the hues of a setting Sun. It was romantic, even to me. I sat there till it became dark and then walked down the street. Beer bars with loud music and enticing girls were in business at the time. I realised that the beach and the bay are within stone’s throw away from the hotel where I was staying – so much for getting to know the place. One of the streets leading to the bay is dotted with restaurants serving only Middle East food.

Wat Chaimongkol is just a short distance from the Nova Platinum Hotel. I heard loud chantings from the complex and saw bright lights there indicating that some interesting activity is afoot. It must have been some special occasion for there was a bustling market selling local wares and some amazing food. There were satays, skewered sausages, grilled meats and fish, special sweet meats, drinks of all conceivable fruits and fried delicacies such as beetles, water bugs, worms and grasshoppers. There were many activities for children too like a small ferris wheel, trampoline, shooting range, etc.

I headed to the Boat Bakery, where I had dinner last night, for another authentic Thai dish for dinner. It was seafood fried rice tonight. It did take a long time for the order to materialise, making me wonder if they were casting their nets for the catch. However, when the plateful of seafood fried rice was placed before me, I knew they weren’t. Unless the seafood was ‘dressed up’ as vegetables I could not get any evidence of it till I was almost halfway through the plate. Then surfaced a couple of emaciated shrimps that even had its shell slipping off because of mal nutrition! At the end were vestiges of what must have been a dwarf squid.  Back in the room I made up for the disappointment with a bottle of beer and chicken sausages.

Day 35 - 3 April 2015 - Siem Reap to Pattaya

 The days that I am behind the wheel for 4 hours and more I have a very heavy breakfast so that I do not have to stop for lunch en route. The drive to Pattaya, factoring in the two border crossings, I considered would take about 8 hours. The breakfast spread in the Royal Crown Hotel has been unvarying for the past three days. The only difference is the conjee, which had fish on the first, pork on the second and chicken this day. The smiling service staff makes up for any deficiency one may feel in the buffet. The checkout was so smooth that I had to ask if all was okay! I asked the young girl to affix the sticker for Cambodia and she was flattered. After doing the honours, smiling and bowing, she thanked me for staying at the hotel and wished me well.

It is a 150 km drive from Siem Reap to Poi Pet, the Cambodian border, which was eventless and unhurried. I filled fuel in two locations before getting to the border as fuel in Cambodia is cheaper than it is in Thailand. Konna trees were in full bloom right through the drive to the border town, which made a pleasant sight. Every hamlet I passed on the way had stalls vending food and local hand made products.

Any thought or mention of border crossing is a matter for tension with me these days. Talk about negative reinforcements! Even though I thought up many reasons why I would be denied entry into Thailand, the experience was otherwise. The formalities at the Cambodian and Thailand borders were smoothly executed, even though the Thai immigration and Customs had their fair share of melodrama. The Poi Pet town is congested and dusty. There are so many handcarts in the town that it takes special skills to manoeuver between them. They are mainly engaged in transhipment of cargoes across the border. I was helped by a helpful Cambodian immigration official to join the correct queue to do the departure stamping. The Immigration official in the booth pleaded for 100 THB for coffee! When I said I did not have any he was disappointed. But, he did the job quickly and I walked to the Customs office that was situated away from the Immigration Office. At the gate of the Customs the security guard quickly understood what I wanted and took me to an officer. Without any queries he directed his junior officer to stamp the Carnet and I was out of the Cambodian border post in about 15 minutes! And I started driving on the left side of the road after many weeks; the brain was overjoyed.

When I parked for immigration clearance on the Thai side I kept telling myself that all would be fine and reminded myself that I should get immigration clearance for the car too. I presented the Carnet and Passport to the immigration official who went out of the way to fill up forms and take necessary photocopies. He presented all the documents to his superior for signature. The Officer, who till then was happy watching his favourite programme on TV, had doubts regarding my visa. Mercifully, he cleared his doubts via a phone call. These moments stretch to hours when you await a ‘verdict’, as it were. In the end, the passport was stamped and the immigration papers for the car were also obtained this time. I had learnt a lesson the last time around, when I had to pay a fine at the Thai border while exiting to Laos for not having taken the papers at the time of entry from Myanmar. I passed through the border post and parked the car for Customs clearance. The lady in the booth did not seem familiar with the Carnet. Her superior was summoned who stamped the Carnet. However, Customs gave another document also, which was to be handed over to Customs at the exit to Malaysia. The most hassle free movement across the borders with the car were in Lao PDR and Cambodia, where the formalities of Carnet were known to the officials concerned.

I was not in a hurry to reach Pattaya, since it was only 10.45 am by the time I finished border formalities. Just a few km into Thailand I was waived down by a police patrol. The senior among them approached me and asked for papers. He was convinced by the Carnet and he started speaking to me animatedly. I could make out very little because he was wearing a mask. Lip reading is effective only when you can see the other person’s lips! I showed him the stickers on the car and told him about the expedition. He wished me well for the rest of the journey, which I made out from the pat on my back.

The hotel I was booked into in Pattaya, Nova Platinum, is certainly not value for money with unfriendly staff and ill maintained room features. The location is good as it is in one of the main streets of Pattaya, just off the Walking Street. Once the Sun had started its descent for the day I forayed out to experience the town. After a while I concluded that you cannot walk in the town without either bumping into an Indian or espying an Indian enterprise, be it tailors or restaurants. Himalaya Tours has over 60 Indian guests staying in the same hotel that I am. Raja restaurant, Indian Hut, Sanjha Choolha – you name it, you have it. Massage parlours are ubiquitous and brazen about services they offer. Massage by transvestites is a feature. Compared to most other places massage services are cheaper in Pattaya. I tried a foot massage to get over the after effects of the aggressive fish that had me sore at the ankles. The experience was not so great.

One of the items that tourists buy from Pattaya is bags. I have set my sights on one that is just right for travelling. Eateries are dime a dozen, offering varied cuisine, particularly German and Italian. When the lights are up the mobile cocktail bars, offering small and large bucket drinks, start doing brisk business. Bars and restaurants that offer football on telly and escorts at the table are full to overflowing. Gaudy women start appearing at street corners, silently soliciting customers. I observed that hotels are not averse to permitting ‘room guests’ for whatever time they are there.

I had booked to experience the Alcazar show at 9.30 pm, for which I had to be ready for pick up from the hotel an hour before that. I had dinner at a small restaurant offering traditional Thai food. Phad thai shrimp noodle is what I ordered. It turned out to be lip smacking good. The Chang Beer went well with it.



I had been to the Alcazar Show when I was here in 2008. Memories of that wonderful night lingered. The one hour show this night was every bit as thrilling as the one I had experienced then. Even though it was announced that camcorders, mobile phones and cameras should not be used to record the show, it was observed only in the breach. The ushers were strict when it came to people using flash. Once the show was over the artists came out to pose with the audience, for a fee of course. The twist in the tale was that all the pretty women who appeared on stage were actually beautiful transvestites!

In 35 days I have completed 10,000 kms through 6 countries.

Day 34 - 2 April 2015 - In Siem Reap

I had backpacked a few days in Thailand and Cambodia in 2008 with Elvis D’Cruz, my colleague in DP World at the time. We landed in Bangkok with just return tickets and the intention to tour Pattaya, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. We have wonderful memories of that tour, particularly the manner in which we had walked across the border into Cambodia with our backpacks. A tour agency in Pattaya had arranged to drop us at the Thai border. Many Europeans were part of that bus ride to the border, whose visas were on the verge of expiry. They would get the Thai visa cancelled at the border, walk across the Cambodian border, get formalities of visa and in and out stamping done and return for another 30 day stay in Thailand. The bus would wait on the Thai side to return to Pattaya with them!

We didn’t have Cambodian visas, but were encouraged by stories of how easy it was to obtain the visas on arrival at the border. Our experience was not exactly unpleasant, but we had to wait for over 3 hours to get the formalities done, with some tension thrown in. By the time it was done, we had to make arrangements to stay in a guesthouse near the border. But, lasting impressions of the visit was of simple people, cheap accommodation, excellent street food, Angkor Wat, boat travel between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap on the Tonle Sap Lake and terrible road infrastructure. In Siem Reap we had befriended a tuk tuk driver who took us around for two days. He suggested a sunrise view of Angkor Wat on the second day. $.30 am was the time set for departure from the hotel. Frankly, I had not expected the tuk tuk driver to be on time, considering experiences in tourist places in India then. To my utter surprise he was sleeping in his tuk tuk when I opened the hotel gate at 4.30 am! I was reminded of this when I got ready and left the hotel this morning at 5 am to view the sunrise from Angkor Wat.

I did not engage a tuk tuk because it would have cost me about $25. I had to get a day ticket for visiting the Angkor complex, for which I had to go to the ticketing office first. I was pleasantly happy to see the organised process followed. There are different queues for one day, three day and seven day passes, mostly manned by women. Most of the ushers are women too, who are extremely polite and courteous. I paid the entrance fee of $20 for a day pass, which is valid for twelve hours from 5.30 am. The ticket is by itself a souvenir for it has the picture of Angkor Wat as well as your photograph on it. By the time I had parked the car and reached the site from where the sunrise was to be viewed there was already a large group of tourists, most of whom who had arrived by tuk tuk.

It was dark and torch lights were required to keep one from tripping and even falling, as a few did. The magic is to capture the reflection of the Angkor Wat Temple on the small pond in front of the entrance. People wait patiently for a few hours to experience the change of hues and professionals wait days to capture the right moment. I positioned myself behind a few Japanese women tourists, who were sitting beside the pond. Even if they stood they would not have obstructed my view. The wait from 5.30 am to 6.45 am, by when the Sun had fully risen, was worth it. I was happy to capture the transition. However, what fascinated me the most was the childish cry of one of the Japanese tourists, who exclaimed “she’s kumming”, when the Sun rose above one of the temple turrets! Many tourists began their tour of Angkor Wat Temple following the sunrise. I came back to the hotel, which was only 7 km from the complex, for a shower and breakfast.

By the time I got back to the Temple at 9.30 am it was already very hot. I felt I too should have done the temple visit early in the morning. It would have been good for photography too. When I did the rounds of the 12 century masterpiece, which was first a Hindu Temple complex – dedicated to Vishnu - and then a Buddhist one, it was energy sapping. It is considered the largest religious monument in the world. It was at the heart of the Khmer Empire at the time. It is still very much a place of worship and the ushers remind you of this significance when they ask you to remove your cap before climbing the steep steps to the top of the temple mountain. The Khmer architecture, which itself is early Dravidian architecture, is a symbol of Cambodia. Angkor Wat is supposed to represent the abode of the devas in Hindu mythology. At the centre of the temple are five towers, four at each of the corners and one in the centre. Many areas of the temple are under reconstruction and hence closed to visitors.

To recoup from the loss of fluids there are enough and more stalls vending food and drinks in Angkor Wat. I ordered mango juice from a stall manned by a young girl. She immediately called her friend to make the juice and started ‘marketing’ postcards, which she said would help her go to school. Even though I didn’t need them I fell for the emotional blackmail. As I paid for the juice and the cards another girl asked me to buy a further set of cards to help her too. I had to quickly move away and onwards to the Bayon Temple. A kind usher at the entrance to the Angkor Wat Temple had given me a laminated map to guide me to the various sights in the complex.

The iconic and richly decorated Bayon temple, that has served as backdrop for many films, was the last state temple built in the Angkor complex. It was built as a Buddhist temple in the 13^th century. The most distinctive feature of the temple is the large number of serene faces that project from the many towers of the temple. The conservancy of this temple is being done by the Japanese Government, just as India is involved in Ta Prohm Temple. This was built as a monastery and university in the late 13^th century and has largely been left as it has been found even though quite a bit of restoration of the Gopura has been done. With large trees growing out of walls and ruins in a jungle surrounding make it one of the most visited tourist sites in the complex. The entire Angkor complex remained hidden from public view for nearly four centuries till the 20^th century.

I had to drag myself back to the car once the Ta Prohm temple was done. I was completely wasted and had to get to the hotel to rest and recuperate. The heat is incredible. Later in the evening I headed to the Pub Street for a fish massage. It was eerie, but enjoyable. I shifted from a tank with small fish to one with big ones and experienced it for over an hour. Initially, the fish nibbling at the undersoles and ankles is a funny feeling. After a while you get used to it. It is at times ticklish and at times a bit painful when the big ones get to your Achilles heel. By the time I was done I had some sore skin at the back of my feet where the big fish had got a bit aggressive with their nibbling. I had pork Lok Lak, another Khmer delicacy, at the Khmer Kitchen Restaurant for dinner. It has plenty of cucumber, tomato and greens along with eggs and paste on pork. The dish was accompanied by a large serving of rice.

The wonderful stay in Siem Reap was coming to an end. I had apprehensions about entering Cambodia, but once I did, I enjoyed it every bit here. Thailand is the next country in the itinerary with Pattaya the next stop over destination.

Day 33 - 1 April 2015 - In Siem Reap

The service garage was part of the Total fuel station, an integrated facility. Oil companies have different prices; Total charged 0.94 cents a litre for diesel, a bit on the high side. Later during the day when I fuelled at a Tela outlet I paid just 0.70 cents for a litre of diesel, which is about Rs. 44; the cheapest source of diesel during the journey. I made a mental note to tank up before exiting Cambodia. Moreover, the acceptance of USD is a major advantage as one does not lose in changing to the local currency; everything is quoted everywhere, at least in this city, in USD from massage to tuk tuk rides. “It’s only one dolla, saa”, is something you hear from the market vendors, smiling from ear to ear, as you walk past them. It made me wonder what the currency of the country is and how such wide acceptance of USD gets accounted for in the system. That the city is totally dependent on tourism is brought home by the larger acceptance of English; even street vendors respond when you address them in English. This has not been my experience in the other countries that I have been on this journey – most turn their heads away.

I reached the service garage with the car exactly at 7 am, the slot given to me, and found that another car was being given some attention. I had made a checklist of items to be attended to such as engine oil change, brake fluid and coolant top up, oil, fuel and air filter check up, fan belt condition to be assessed and tyre pressure to be checked. The manager said that his mechanic was not used to checking fuel filter and fan belt condition and hence, could do the rest of the job. I agreed and soon work began. The mechanic was surprised that I was carrying all the oils and spares. The young mechanic and his younger assistant did a decent enough job completely draining out the oil – I feel it was changed in good time – cleaning the air filter – which was so full of dust that it took a while to clean it – and the rest of the jobs in under an hour. Tyre pressure was a bit low, which was topped up. I confirmed from the manager that I had to pay just $5, it being April Fool’s Day. When I paid the mechanic he smilingly accepted the ‘wage’ and loaded the left over oils and spares into the car. I could not believe what I was seeing, service for $5 and plenty of smiles to go with it!

Next focus was breakfast. After a shower – you feel like remaining under the shower all the time; it’s that hot – I headed to the hotel restaurant. The spread was overwhelmingly continental with a sprinkling of the orient. I had lots of juices, bread and eggs and fish conjee. When I had travelled through Tibet and China, on my car journey to London last year, the conjee was typical fare at every breakfast. I did not sample it since I thought that rice early in the morning would be difficult to consume. On this trip I have started enjoying it. The hot rice porridge, cooked with either meat or fish, is healthy and nutritious and a better alternative to muesli and cornflakes.

Last evening I was told by guest relations that the Phnom Kuela waterfall is worth a visit even though it is 50 km from the hotel. I had reserved the next day for a visit to Angkor Wat and hence, had time on my hands this day. I engaged the route on Google Maps and headed in the direction of the waterfall. Half way through I lost my way on Maps and followed road signs. It took me to the Phnom Koulen National Park. At the entrance to the Park a fee of $20 was realised. The next 13 km was a lonely drive through thick forest but there were local people along the route vending forest produce such as banana and coconut. When I reached the waterfall it was full of locals and tourists, giving a festive touch to the surroundings. Raised wooden platforms, covered overhead, gave visitors a place to relax and enjoy food they bring with them. Narrow and creaking wooden hanging bridges provided access across flowing water. From various points one can enjoy the cascading falls. It doesn’t come anywhere near the Kuang Si waterfall in Luang Prabang in terms of spectacular sights. But it was a place that people came to beat the oppressive heat.

On the way back to the hotel I saw a big marriage reception and my thoughts sprang to Phoukong in Luang Prabang. He had become emotional when asked if he was married. He wasn’t and was already 29. He said that boys and girls often married young, even before they reached 21. He had not got married because it is extremely costly to do so. Tun Tun had expressed the same in Myanmar. In these parts the man has to pay the woman to seek her hand in marriage. The better looking the woman is the more money you shell out. Phoukong said that women are even reluctant to fall in love, because they stand to lose financially! The wedding dress could cost as much as $4000, he said. The ‘bride money’ could set you back from $10000. These may not sound large sums in India these days but it does here when you appreciate that $100 is considered a back-breaking annual tuition fee.

I was almost blown by the heat and resolved to ‘treat’ the condition with a couple of chilled beers. I found a ‘drink store’, that I thought vended only liquor and was mistaken. It was a small store sold beverages, alcoholic and otherwise, as well as items for daily use. Liquor costs substantially less here than in India. Back in the room I leisurely consumed the beers and took a nap that lasted a couple of hours. I had set apart the evening and the early part of the night to explore the nearby markets. And what an evening it was.

The Siem Reap River is dirty as it winds its way through the city. Plastic and other flotsam and jetsam are an eyesore. When the lights come on they do not matter. Many wooden bridges connect one side to the other. Bright lighting announces the Old Market, Art Market, Pub Street, et al. Old market is a labyrinthine collection of shops and stalls that sells a whole host of products, mostly locally made fabric, readymades, handicrafts, jewellery and paintings. The market is so large that I found many tourists walking around shouting for mates they got separated from! It may not be as large as the Crawford Market in Mumbai, but is certainly worth a visit to pick up branded wear at bargains. As the Old Market closes the Night Market, in close proximity to it, springs to life. Juice vendors are everywhere - $1 for a large plastic glass of what you care to have. At $0.50 roasted and scented coconuts are sold in large numbers to tourists. At the Night Market I found a woman sampling scarves. She would don one and ask her husband if it suited her. The husband had a bored look – they looked much married! In the end, he mustered enough courage to tell her that she already had enough scarves!!

The Pub Street is where all the action is. Streets are lined with eating joints offering all types of cuisine from the Belgian to Khmer. Bands in some restaurants played loud music and some popular old melodies too. There were tuk tuks all over the place. And they make a beeline for you asking if you want “massash or girl, saa”. Massage parlours were there in plenty offering different types of services. The most popular seemed to be foot reflexology – people reclined on comfortable sofas for an hour while expert hands worked on their feet. I was quite taken in by the fish massage; stores offered fish massage for as long as you want for $3, including a bottle of beer.  They even advertised that the experience would be free if their fish did not make you happy! A favourite with tourists from Europe seemed the North Face outlet which did brisk sales of shoes and backpacks. Small alleyways with restaurants selling continental food and beer looked transplanted from Europe.

I settled into the Khmer Kitchen Restaurant and ordered Amok Fish, a Khmer speciality. The huge portion arrived in a bowl and I wondered how long it would take me to do justice to it. The preparation contained coconut cream, long beans, onions, green leaves, spicy paste, white egg and fish. The steamed rice was a bit undercooked, but the curry was tasty even though bland. I was seated on a table just outside the restaurant and I could see local enterprise in full swing. Vendors went about their job without being intrusive and pesky. After the meal I walked back to the hotel resisting solicitous tuk tuk drivers. “Lion”, one of them, even volunteered vivid descriptions of the ‘bouquet of services’ on offer depending on time available and nationality of the service provider!

Day 32 - 31 March 2015 - Pakse to Siem Reap

The room was extremely comfortable and the service pleasant. Yet I was not able to sleep properly. I was quite tense. The disappointment at the Vietnam border kept playing on my mind. I kept on mulling options in case I was refused entry into Cambodia with the car. I knew that the Laos border would not present any problems. Many reports on the Net talked about all around corruption at the border posts. Would I be able to handle that? There weren’t any reports about driving a personal car, from other than the neighbouring countries, into Cambodia. Therefore, the documents required to be presented to Immigration and Customs to get the car in were not known. Despite the Cambodian Embassy in New Delhi confirming that the Carnet alone would suffice, I was apprehensive. The Vietnam Embassy in New Delhi had given similar advice with disappointing results. These thoughts as well as the fact that the schedule would go completely off sync with financial implications, due to pre-booked hotels, kept building up the tension. After midnight sleep completely deserted me. I had nothing much to do too and an idle mind is a devil’s workshop, I experienced. The tensions only built up more. Finally, I had a bath at 3am, to ‘kill’ the situation. And then, I slept for a couple of hours!

I had scheduled to stay this day at Stung Treng, on the Cambodian side of the border. The drive was less than 230 km. I deliberately chose the location for two reasons; I did not know how much time it would take at the borders and the roads in Cambodia was another unknown element. Considering that the borders would be freer if I reached there close to 10 am, once the morning rush had been dealt with, I checked out of the hotel after 6.30 am. The road condition was quite good and the traffic on the road was sparse. I reached the Lao PDR border much earlier than anticipated at a quarter to 9 am; it took me only 2 hours of relaxed driving from Pakse. When I was getting the Immigration formalities done on the Laos side I observed the Cambodian border post with trepidation. What hurdles lay across that? After stamping my passport the immigration official asked if I would give him $2! I said I would complete the Customs formality of stamping the Carnet and get back to him. After the Customs officer had stamped the Carnet he too asked for $2, which seemed to be standard fare. When I gave him Lao Kip, he gave me change after keep the equivalent of $2; so much for honesty. I walked back to Immigration and satisfied his request too.

I passed through the Lao PDR border post wondering if I would have to return as I had to do in Tay Trang, Vietnam. The quarantine officials on the Cambodian side asked me to park the car at a designated spot and go to the Customs first to check if they would permit my car through. Palpitation increased and my legs felt leaden. I took the Carnet, supporting documents and passport to the Customs booth about 300 metres away. Those 300 meters felt like 3 km; my mouth went dry and I walked very slowly. A young boy manned the Customs counter and he looked at the Carnet and didn’t know what to do with it. That was additional reinforcement of the Vietnam border experience. He got up after a while and approached a senior person who was talking on his mobile animatedly. He looked to be in a jovial mood; all such details are accounted for by the brain in such tense situations. He took the Carnet and, still talking on the phone, affixed rubber stamps on the Carnet and put his signature on it. I was surprised that he had not asked for either the registration certificate or the International Driving Permit. He only asked to see my passport and took down what looked like the visa details. Later I realised that he had taken down my US Visa details! All this happened in less than 5 minutes.

I was so relieved when I walked to the Immigration counter, where I got the visa stamped. The immigration official asked for $2 and he accepted $1 when I said that that was all I had. When I was at the immigration counter I saw a chap from the quarantine department spraying the wheels of the car. As soon as I was finished with the immigration I was summoned to the quarantine booth where I was given a certificate for their work and was asked $3. I gave them 20,000 LK I had on me ($2.5), the last of the Lao Kip. With that all formalities for entry into Cambodia had been completed – both borders detained me for a total of only 30 minutes. That was swift work. As I was about to leave the booth an elderly gentleman asked where I came from. His eyes lit up when I mentioned India. He said he had worked with the Archaeological Survey of India in New Delhi for many months when the Indian Government was involved in the restoration of a few temples in Angkor Wat. He is currently the Chief Guide of the complex.

I had less than 60 km to get to Stung Treng, where I was to halt. I started calculating if I could drive through to Siem Reap, another 300 km, instead of staying in the one horse town. I briefly abandoned the idea when I encountered rank bad roads more than half way to Stung Treng. I located a hotel on the highway and checked if I could stay there. They were fully booked except for the VIP room that was available for $40. It was only 10.30 am and I decided to take the chance and left for Siem Reap. The road condition turned out to be quite good and I hit the outskirts of Siem Reap by 1.30 pm. And then, Google Maps took me on a wild goose chase in search of roads that did not exist. After a while I got a bit desperate because the roads got very rough, there was no one in sight and fuel was running low. After about 30 minutes or so I saw a house in the middle of nowhere. I drove to it and got directions to get back on the main road.

As I was in the city I was waved down by what looked like the Police and the Military. The young man in military uniform asked to see my papers. When I showed him the Carnet he was immediately convinced that I was in the country with the car legally. He did not want to see anything further but he had a few queries. He wanted to know what work I was engaged in back home, the purpose of my visit to Cambodia and why I was travelling alone. He was convinced about my responses to the first two and he himself supplied an answer to the third, “Lady, yah?” I told him that I have come looking for a companion in Cambodia! To this he said, “Don’t waste your time here, friend. They are not good”!

I got to the Royal Crown Hotel without any hassle and requested the reception for a room. I had booking at the hotel from the 1 April. I had reached a day early. They complied soon and I was shown to my comfortable room by the Bin Barang who was in charge of guest relations at the time. He suggested a relaxing massage at the hotel, which I booked. The young lady suggested that I take the massage in the room without any additional charges, which I agreed to. Barang suggested what I could do in the next two days and places where I could sample local cuisine in the vicinity of the hotel.

It was hot and the ideal weather that would dry clothes quickly. I had quite a bit of laundry to do and got through it while having a couple of cups of coffee. I was hungry since I had not had anything other than biscuits, dates and plenty of water on the drive from Pakse to Siem Reap, where I had reached at 3 pm. By the time I was done with the laundry the masseuse arrived with the towels and oil. Over the next one hour she worked to untangle the knots and tensions. The Khmer massage is different from the Thai one; the former is softer and does not use as much pressure as the latter.

By the time the massage was over I could not contain the hunger. After a shower I walked across to the Khmer Charming Restaurant and ordered the special food of the day which consisted of mango salad, noodles and pork, sticky rice and mango and orange juice. But Angkor Beer had to start things off, naturally. As I was leaving the hotel for the restaurant I requested the reception to change USD into local currency for me. When I mentioned that it was to pay for the food they told me that USD was widely accepted almost everywhere, especially in hotels and restaurants where the tariff and rate cards are in USD! I found it so in the Khmer Charming Restaurant, where the change was returned in a mix of USD and local currency.

As I was walking back to the hotel I found a Total gas station where cars were being serviced. I had done close to 9500 km and thought it would be a good idea to service the car as I had an extra day. I walked in and booked a slot for 7 am. Since I had all the oils and replacement spares I was told that all I needed to pay was $5 to the mechanic for the servicing! The servicing would be completed in an hour, he confirmed. That was a lovely end to a wonderful day, which had begun with plenty of tensions.