Phnom Penh wasn’t a travel stop for me whatsoever. I had no choice, as the price of airline tickets were a bit steep to fly straight to Siem Reap from Singapore, so I figured six hours on a bus wouldn’t be so bad. To get a good whiff of my first Cambodian experience, on arrival I decided to board a tuk-tuk from the airport and asked to be taken to the nearst bus depot. The culture shock wasn’t too overwhelming, considering I was in Guatemala and Belize last year. I found Cambodians to be a lot more interactive and a lot warmer. I saw plenty of tuk-tuks I saw, and there were just as many smiles to match them.

I arrived at the bus depot pretty early, so I was able to buy my ticket early. Now I’m pretty sure the bible states, “thou first cometh, thou first served”. Perfect — then I should have been seated somewhere in the front, and if not I’d wait first in line to pounce inside. It wasn’t until I got on the bus that I found out we were all assigned specific seats. I couldn’t believe they sat me at the back of the bus, without asking if I’d like it. If I had known where I’d be sitting from the beginning, I would have taken the cargo room under the bus. There was no way to sleep because there was no seperation between the seats, the chairs didn’t recline, there was nowhere to put your feet up, and no view whatsoever because I was in the middle. This was the beginning of a painful 6 hour ride!

So first impressions of Siem Reap weren’t all that great. Rundown roads, cute but hungry and deprived children begging for food or money, and a disorganized arrival. The one person who stood out from the madness was a charming young man who was holding up a sign with my name on it. My tuk-tuk driver went by the name Sokea. He’d be my chauffeur for the extent of my stay in Siem Reap at the Bou Savy Guesthouse. The place was nothing spectacular, but very accommodating for the price. Small perks were internet and free breakfast. Without a moment to settle in, I was out on the town looking for some short-sleeve shirts and shorts for my big Angkor Wat trip the following day. I wasn’t looking forward to the 28C temperature in jeans! Later, back at the hotel, I got ready for the next day while watching The Simpsons Movie on the telly. Once I was done, I lay on the bed and instantly dozed off.

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