The Funky Site

Cambodia

• 2 subalbums 7 images
• 2024-04-23
• Cambodia is one of the least visited countries in south east Asia due to its previous civil unrest and instability. The last few years has seen the situation improve greatly and it's now possible to travel around selected areas of the country, although at the time of writing the British government still advised flying in and out rather than using land based transport. We opted for the land route despite this advice - our logic was that if companies were offering the service (and everyone was) then it couldn't be that bad. The four hour journey from Bangkok to Poipet was uneventful, but then things became a little more interesting.... Poipet is the western border crossing with Thailand, and one of the more memorable places we passed through. The customs facilities consisted of a group of small white buildings with absolutely no indication of where to go next and what to present - you just wandered around until someone pointed out the right direction. After showing passports we were asked to present our international vaccination cards - the fine for not having one was $5 (US). It was claimed that this was to ensure our health while in the country and those without proof of vaccination had to pay this fee for a pill which according to the official doctor 'prevents malaria, polio, and typhoid' . A scam basically. Welcome to Cambodia! Once across the border the difference between Thailand and Cambodia swiftly became apparent. Cambodia is still a very poor country and is struggling to recover from its recent past. Roads in Cambodia are not what you find in most countries, they're dirt tracks with huge potholes, made worse by the rainy conditions. Much of the traffic (especially at the border) seemed to consist of motorbikes and vehicles that look like something from Mad Max - exposed engines attached to a trailer, strange three wheel bikes with large engines on the front etc. . It's not just the roads and vehicles which indicate the state of the country - buildings are often in a state of disrepair, and there is virtually no infrastructure. Often you'll find yourself surrounded by nothing more than flat fields and tall sugar palms - no houses, no telephone poles, no electricity pylons. It's actually rather pleasant.

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