Taking the border crossing in Chong Sangam meant my legs first had to push up a hill for the first time after rolling through the flat plains of Northern Thailand for several days now.
It was a lovely approach to a new country, pushing uphill through the tropical forest, around lovely bends and taking in the views on the way, sweat dripping down my face, and encouraging hooting from overtaking cars on a regular basis.
..Border crossing to Cambodia..
Finally, I could see the border checkpoints.
Chong Sangam is not a busy border crossing. One can see that on how they are working (or mostly sitting around).
I got invited into the portacabin of the chief of the Thai checkpoint. I am asked to sit opposite his heavy mahogany looking desk. Three new, very important-looking hats with different coats of arms on them are carefully positioned to catch the eye of the ‘visitor’.
3-D framed medals are decorating the walls of the cabin, including a meticulously cleaned and pressed jacket with more medals, awards and badges on it.
It certainly was the most impressive audience I had so far just to get an exit-stamp into my humble Swiss passport!
A few pleasantries later, I was shown the way to the portacabin on the other side of the riot barriers and off I go. Cambodia, I am coming!
Again, I get an invitation into a portacabin, called ‘Foreign Visa’.
No mahogany, no hats, no medals – instead a simple table with a few chairs around it, a desk with a computer, a printer and lots of stacked up printing paper. The friendly Police Major Heng Pirun fills in my visa application form himself as he probably has done for other people before, knowing it will be quicker that way. He is good at it too, I can see it!
And about 10 minutes, quite a bit of handwriting, and passing over 30 US Dollars later (this is the official price, not a bribe), it appears…
The paper visa sticker for Cambodia!
It is all very neat, clear and straightforward! Thank you Pol. Maj. H. Pirun!
Now I am guided to another portacabin to have my fingerprints taken and to get the official entry stamp in the passport and this is the moment when Cambodia, country number 23, becomes to my disposal for up to thirty days!
Some innovations seen on Cambodian roads
Well, the main reason why I changed my mind (and route) to visit Cambodia is Carrie from Hook Norton. Carrie is a very well travelled person and recently has been in Cambodia, and she would NOT forgive me if I wouldn’t do the detour to Angkor Wat.
And as Rebecca is currently living in Carrie’s house it is not the time to get on the wrong side of Carrie 😊 – and my legs will deal with the 400 km detour quietly…
In hindsight, I have to admit, Carrie was right! The detour via Siem Reap, visiting Angkor Wat, the floating village and an interesting restaurant was worth every extra kilometer I cycled for it!
..Angkor Wat..
Watching the sun rising behind the nearly 900 years old temple of Angkor Wat was magical and mystical at the same time. Just the thought that I am walking through the largest religious monument in the world gives me some goosebumps. It goes beyond my comprehension how they were able to build something like this 900 years ago!
However, Angkor Wat did not only attracted myself that mild November morning. 6000 tickets were sold that day, which is quite little compared to the busiest days when they sell well over 20’000 tickets.
I have to admit, I am not very good at group tourism – being rushed, by a lovely guide wearing an orange t-shirt, from one great photo spot to another, queuing up to take the picture and then rushing off to the next great photo spot is simply not ‘my thing’. I cannot share the excitement most others in the group have by posing in front of all those ‘must have shots’ spots!
That probably explains, why I am travelling by bike and not by tour bus! I much rather browse on my own and find my own photo spots during my little adventures…
Therefore, after 4 hours, I got slightly bored looking out for the orange t-shirt and waiting nearby… However, my rescue was in reach, it was nearly brunch time – and food is always a good way to lift my mood… 😉
..Floating Village..
For the next day, I signed up for a half-day tour to the ‘floating village’ on the shores of lake Tonle Sap.
Tonle Sap is part of the Mekong River water system. During the wet season, it covers an area of about 16’000 square kilometers (75% of the area of Wales – sorry if this doesn’t mean anything to you) and during the dry season, it ‘shrinks to about 2700 square kilometers.
It is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, and it is known for being one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world.
During the wet season, Tonle Sap gets partly fed by the waters from the Mekong River and at the end of the wet season, when the water levels of the Mekong become lower, Tonle Sap starts to feed its water back into the Mekong – sorry, I don’t know what this process is called. River yin and yang?…
The visit to the floating village was interesting and gave a good insight view of how the people live their day to day lives here.
Visiting a local school in the village, being welcomed with a well rehearsed, standup "Good morning and welcome to our school", hearing about the local crocodile farming, the motor racing on the lake during the low water season, the pretty much unrestricted fishing in the lake - was all adding to the experience. Different world, different values and beliefs...
..Ry, our Guide..
Another real gem of the tour was our guide Ry. Unfortunately, I've forgotten to take a picture off him...
His personal story, calling himself being ‘almost tribal’ was very interesting.
During the Khmer Rouge suppression back in the 1970’s, his and other families escaped into the jungle around Lake Tonle Sap where they started to built a small, mostly self-sufficient community.
It was only in his early teenage years, when Ry for the first time left the village to join a group of villagers to visit a market, which they used to do only once or twice a year.
One can still hear now, some 30 years later, what an exciting moment that was in his life! He still recalls, how excited he was coming back from the market and telling all the other kids in the village about it!
In his mid teens, Ry was ordained as a novice at a temple to acquire an education. Three years later, he knew he didn’t want to be a monk for the rest of his life and thanks to his religious education and academic abilities, he was offered a bursary in a catholic college in Phnom Penh.
He arrived in Phnom Penh when he was 18-years old and the first memory of it is how he stood on the side of a road and didn’t know how to cross it…
Ry has his own family now and lives in the modern city of Siem Reap. His heart however, is still very much rooted with the communities which live an almost self-sufficient life with fishing, keeping a few animals, and planting rice, fruit and vegetables.
Over 90% of Cambodian households are involved in crop growing, fishery, animal rearing and making rice schnaps for the cold months (20 – 25dC) and any other occasion worthwhile to have a drink…
Apart from all that very interesting information about Cambodia and Cambodian life Ry was sharing with us, he also took us to a market near the floating village.
..A market run by locals for locals..
The narrow walkways between the stalls of the vendors made it quite hazardous for us to walk through. People laden with loads of goods, vendors with trolleys, and of course, people on scooters spreading the fumes over the food on display - they all tried to make their way through the market, navigating around that group of tourists in their way.
For Cambodians, food has to be fresh! I am told, if there are no flies on the meat on display, Cambodians think the meat was treated with some chemicals and isn’t fresh and they will not buy it… I can confirm, there wasn’t a shortage of happy flies whizzing around the market!
I am always hesitant when it comes to buying fresh fish & seafood on such markets, questioning how fresh the items really are . However, I got some reassurance from Ry: If the fish is not sold on the day of catching, they turn it into a fermented fish paste which is used as a seasoning in soups, stocks and other dishes. This paste, which was available in big buckets did smell less than appealing to me but as it often is, once cooked into a dish, it tastes nice and forgotten are the dirty buckets and hygiene levels at the market!
The small paddy field crabs which are coming fresh and alive to the market end up the ‘sad’ way of being pounded to provide a lot of tasty juices used as seasoning in different dishes.
And yes, also in Cambodia are lots of paddy fields everywhere. Two times per year they have a rice harvest and according to Ry, the time in between, the farmers ‘take it easy’ which sounds a bit unusual for farmers...
Jaggery (palm sugar) is produced by collecting the sap of the palms. The milky sap is then slowly cooked until it caramelizes and thickens. From one liter of sap, about 150g of jaggery can be produced. This is then packed in small plastic bags where it will solidify. This carb-rich, unrefined sugar with a rich and complex flavour adds a distinctive touch to hot beverages like tea and coffee and gives a subtle sweetness to savoury dishes.
And did you know, embryo-eggs are eaten as a 'treat’ in Cambodia?
As we are on it, lets keep talking about food – and Carrie…
It was her (and her husband Neil) who ‘strongly’ suggested to visit a restaurant called ‘Haven’ in Siem Reap.
The restaurant’s name ‘Haven’ has a deeper meaning than just referring to a nice place with good service, food and drink.
‘Haven’ has been running by the Swiss couple Sara and Paul and their Cambodian Head Chef Pardet since 2011. Prior to that, as part of travelling the world, Sara and Paul spent seven months working at an orphanage near Siem Reap. This was when they realized, they wanted to help in a bigger way and build something more sustainable and lasting.
..from their website..
HAVEN is a social enterprise and a training restaurant for vulnerable young adults from shelters, as well as underprivileged young adults from very poor rural areas. By teaching quality work skills and important life skills, we empower these young people by preparing them for employment and by helping them in their personal development, creating safe and independent futures.
The service and food was great and Paul was so interesting to listen to that it didn’t matter my starter was cold by the time I got to eat it! 😊
Haven – where helping tastes good…
From Siem Reap, I headed westwards, towards the border town of Poi Pet to cross into Thailand again.
My last 60 kilometres through Cambodia have taken me over some lovely small back roads towards the border.
I am a little sad to have to say goodbye to Cambodia already but grateful for the unplanned detour, and all the things I’ve seen, heard and experienced here.
And as I approach Poi Pet, the lovely small back road has a last little surprise ready for me. It’s a very muddy one which an hour later, renders me as the only person entering the customs office feeling obliged to take the shoes off…
Keep on keeping on, Herr Markus.