As I travel, I write notes on my phone so when I post here, I have points I want to write about.  I forgot to save that note.  Now I have to remember it while fending off mosquitoes.

I flew to Siem Ream, Cambodia from Chiang Mai, Thailand via Bangkok on Air Asia.  There is ZERO legroom on Air Asia and I’m not exaggerating.  If you put your bag under the seat in front of you, you have to get out of your set to retrieve it.  Nok Air was by far superior and cheaper but Nok Air doesn’t fly to Cambodia and the connection time was too risky so I ponied up the cash and paid the higher price AND an absurd fee for baggage and an absurd fee for using my credit card.  Just under $200 CAD and I was on my way.

The flight was smoother than the turbulent flight to Chiang Mai on Nok Air but still pretty bumpy.  Must be Bangkok.  But we damn near landed left wing down.  I was horrified and there were no nuns this time.

Arrival in Cambodia was different.  The airport is really small but very nice!  They boot you off on the tarmac since there doesn’t seem to be a lot of planes landing there. The heat from the concrete hits your face like a nuclear blast.  Each place I go, I tell myself “it will be cooler.  It can’t POSSIBLY get any hotter”.  Well….it does.  Cambodia is just as smokey as Chiang Mai and Pai.  Ashes fall from the sky.

My choice of guesthouse was Okay Guesthouse.  It was….Okay.  I loved the rooftop bar/restaurant/pool and the pool is why I booked there.  The architecture of the building is worth noting.  It had such amazing intricacies that made it really beautiful.  In Canada, people would pay a hefty sum to stay in a “boutique hotel” such as this.  I paid $10/night.  I booked a room with a double bed but mentioned in the notes that I was ok with a twin if it meant a quieter area (I was aware of nearby construction).  The reception staff were very professional and attentive but did not speak much english which is fine.  Through a hilarious series of gestures, we got it all sorted out.  I get really annoyed when I read bad reviews on a place because they “don’t speak good english”.  Would these folks be upset if they came to Canada to find we don’t speak Khmer?  So the young man shows me to my room in a far corner of the building.  It has TWO bunkbeds.  TWO!!!!  I laughed and said “what am I to do with so many beds?” to which he shrugged and said “you choose one” and left.  Haha!

The first thing I did was go to the rooftop restaurant for some food.  I had been eating disappointing airport food all day and almost got punched out by an old  Chinese lady who clearly felt she needed a DQ Blizzard more than I.  I was surprised to see how cheap beer is in Cambodia.  In Thailand it is ridiculous.  Not here.  Nope.  Party on, Wayne.

I had a snack and decided to go elsewhere for dinner.  I went outside and asked a tuk-tuk driver to take me to where the food is.  He took me to a rather quiet area but the restaurant was good and the service was excellent. A rarity in SEA.  The driver waited for me in his tuk tuk hammock and was airing out his belly when I came out.  He took me to the famous Pub Street where I frolicked throughout the streets and markets checking out menus and getting a really cheap foot massage. ***Side note:  I don’t know how other people react to massages but I keep getting asked: “lay-deee…..are you OK”. ****

I had a really good taco and then met some cool people and had drinks and laughs all night.  This city is ALL about the good times.  COmpetitive pricing on foods from around the world and each place trying to lure you in with a drink special cheaper than the next.  There are also LOADS of really cheap massage places to help ease the pain of that hangover.

The next day was hot.  I went to the pool but it’s really small and there were small children in it.  I sat in the shade.  No good.  I went back to my room and tried to nap.  Also no good.  Too hot.  The ceiling fan was a good 10 feet up so I had to torment my broken toe to get to the top bunk for some breeze.  I napped.  it was nice but I was bored so I decided to change locations. I know I said I wouldn’t do hostels but the Funky Flashpacker had caught my eye many times.  It looked great and was super cheap but…..a PARTY hostel?  Me??  Yes…..I went.

After a terrible nights sleep, I was eager to move to the hostel.  A poolside party sounded great.  WHen the tuk-tuk turned off the main road onto Funky Lane (yep….Funky Lane. Ha!) I could hear the music blasting and the laughter rising above it.  It was 11am and my confirmation said check-in was noon.  I hoped maybe I could check in a smidge early.  No dice.  Check in is at 2pm.  well……shit.  The guy directed me to the bag storage area and then to the pool bar.  Okee dokee!

At first, I was quite intimidated.  So many people.  All splashing about and having fun.  What was I thinking?  I don’t belong here!  I chose a bar stool and a tall dark and shirtless fellow behind the bar was quick to make conversation as he poured me a beer.  This place is REALLY casual.  Almost all staff were western but the handful of Kehmer staff were quite a riot as well.  The bartender sat with me while he took a break and all the other staff were quick to join in on the silly banter.  It wasn’t awkward at all!  It was almost 3pm when I realized I could have checked in a while ago.  I switched to swimsuit mode, got a beer and sat poolside.  There was a rousing game of “throw a ball at anyone you want and they have to hit it with their head”.  I am the LAST person to participate in something like that but someone grabbed my leg and pulled me in.  I admit, it was pretty fun!!

After dinner, I wandered over to reception to see about booking the obligatory Angkor tour.  Tom was fairly new to booking but was helpful.  He suggested I try to find some cool people to join up with.  I did.  I tried.  But by then it had gotten so late, everyone was half in the bag so I went back to book a solo trip.  He was a sweetheart and said he had to work at noon or he would be happy to join me.  I ended up booking a shared mini-van tour for the sunrise tour.

The sunrise tour.  Generally, I consider myself a morning person, but waking up at 4am ESPECIALLY when you are in a 24 hour party zone, well…….no!  My dorm was right under the Skybar where they were having “all you can drink for $5” night.  I had no trouble waking up at 4am since that’s when all the drunks started piling into the dorm rooms.  Not that I was sleeping anyway.

Cambodia is a bit funny in how the money works. There are 2 currencies here.  US dollars and Cambodian Riel.  USD is the main currency but they don’t use coins here so you usually get change in Riel (ie: 1000 Riel is 25cents).  Bank machines give USD and they give $100 bills unless you take out less than $100 which is stupid if you’re paying huge transaction fees.  Also, USD *MUST* be in perfect condition if over $20.

So it’s 5am and I am at the Angkor ticket centre.  One day is $20.  One day is MORE than enough for me so i get ushered into the $20 line up along with a few hundred others.  I slide over one of my freshly dispensed $100 and the lady sneers at it and says “no!  We can’t make change.  Only smaller” So I argued that this is all the ATMs give and there are thousands of people here there is NO WAY they are all paying in 20’s.  She said “no” again.  I got a bit uppity.  “If a place THIS big won’t take my 100, then who will?”  She rolled her eyes and gave me change.  Jeebus!!!  What the hell?

Everyone piles back into the vans and we are whisked off to the front of Angkor Wat for the chance of a lifetime TO WATCH THE SUNRISE!  Well, if the mosquitoes and flies weren’t bad enough, the vendors were.  Escaping the vendors is impossible and they do Not take “no” for an answer.  Every few minutes someone was tugging on my arm tryig to make me buy a scarf or a painting, or a coffee.  I am amazed that vendors are even allowed to be in this area.  These are sacred temples, dammit!!  AAAAARRGH!!!  If the vendors weren’t bad enough, the  other tourists were.  People shoving and jamming their selfie sticks into evey goddamn photo.  It really wasn’t at all realing or peaceful.  I was severely disappointed.  And the guide said this was NOTHING compared to the busy season. *eyeroll*.  The only thing that really changed as the day went on was the temperature.  I’m glad I went.  It is worth seeing but the amount of people shoving their way in front of EVERYTHING so they can take another friggin’ selfie was unbearable.  AND THIS IS THE LOW SEASON!!!!

*side note:  To visit some temples, you have to be dressed appropriately.  This means men AND women must have their shoulders and knees covered.  Hilariously, if your shorts aren’t quite long enough, you may unbutton them and pull them down to cover your knees.*

So by noon, they took all of our overheated and cranky asses back to our hotels.  I walked right past the pool party and straight to my air-conditioned dorm where I passed the hell out!  I slept through all of the shenanigans (mostly) went out for a bite to eat and then settled back in at the pool bar.  Everyone there is SO curious as to how one feels about a day at the temples.  I have a feeling that temple enthusiasts don’t tend to stay at this hostel.  I had actually planned to take a sleeper bus to Sihanoukville that night but that pesky bar staff convinced me to stay.  It was Gender Bender night at Skybar.  Well, ok then!  I hadn’t actually planned on participating but the saucy fella from the bunk above mine asked if I would like to trade clothes.  Moments later, I was at Skybar with a mascara mustache.  It was fun for a bit but it got to be a bit difficult to even get a drink and everyone was so rowdy.  I went downstairs to find Tom poolside and had a drink there instead.  I also met the owner who was suffering a rather serious hoverboard injury.  We all had a great chat and after the rowdys all stampeded off to Pub Street, I returned to Skybar where I sat until 3:30am chatting with Ross the Australian (the Rosstralian…..he had NEVER thought of that. haha!) who has a fear of spiders that rivals my own.

Since Skybar was dead, I had a decent sleep.  I woke up in time to get ready and check out then do my rounds so everyone could ask me how glad I am I didn’t take the night bus after all.  Yes, yes.  I had fun…ya bunch of animals!  Haha

I booked my bus though reception since online wasn’t an option last minute.  There is one bus company in Cambodia that is overall quite a good company OR there is the other one that many are calling to boycott due to a terrifying safety record, poor maintenance as well as MANY accusations of theft and sexual assault,  The list is seriously endless.  I did NOT want to book this bus but it was all that was available to me last minute and the hostel has a money back guarantee for ANY reason whatsoever.  I heard it right from the owner himself.

I did take the night bus, or “hotel bus” as it is called here.  Obviously, I lived to tell the story but that will be next time  🙂