2011 - NZ To SF - Day 71

Day 71: (23 July 2011):
- $10/person charge for airport pick-up. Ripoff.
- Got to Kate’s hostel ~7:30. Both 8 & 9 am buses sold out. After lots of back-forth & some ticket cancellations, we decide all get a minibus together.
- Tuktuks won’t take us to market together, so walk to central market.
- Kate negotiate for us. Strange sight as ~10 backpackers & ~10 locals stand & negotiate for us. We just follow Kate. Agreed on $3 each.
- Felix buy food as wait on bus.
- Fast minibus. Stop @ bakery, get breakfast & steamed bun.
- ~15 ppl in minibus, luggage hanging out back, trunk held closed with rope.
- Play cards. Guy by Felix motion sick, throw up outside & cover car door. Music & clapping. White girl dancing when we stop. Fun ride, when people leave, say bye.
- More luggage & people get on! 20 in van. Nice scenery: rice paddies, traditional village raised houses.
- Felix buy fried crickets at a stop. Kind of a blue-cheese taste. Not a fan.
- After first thinking we want to get dropped off at start of a park/trail, we direct driver to drop us in the village. Short walk to silk farm.
- American & Khmer wife’s project. Had a NGO project, but shut down when no money: say this is the problem with lots of orgs. He incentivises quality for the well-paid women weavers, many of whom are disabled from mines. Say monthly wage in PP for textile industry is $40.
- Show us entire silk process. Demo silkworm cage: nets, water for ants, etc. Golden Cambodian silk. Not economically feasable. Most of his silk imported from China. Try some silk worm pupae of some people’s request.
- Giant butterflies: Discovered later may actually be moths.
- Delicious home-cooked meal. $3 instead of $6.
- Tuktuk to Kampong Thom(?). Lots of statue makers in an area. Burning motorbike truck. Lots of flames & hot. Afraid will explode as pass it.
- Buy ticket for $4 at stall. Cool coconut for thirst. Sit & wait. ppl. vacate chairs when we say yes, we want to sit.
- Bus is like a “carrier” <- Felix’s words. Passengers on top, low bottom section for bags. also have some cargo & motorbikes being carried.
- Flooded with touts as get off bus. $1 each for Tuktuk to Garden Village (rec’ed by some people). Full tuktuk, pile of bags. Felix say concerned will flip over. Very bumpy mud sections. Small light, quite cozy. Pass homes & small stores.
- Get $10 deluxe room w/ hot water. Hear from girls the dorms are not good, some just beds outside. Nice room. As with most places, no shower curtain. Muddy streets & construction. Centre of town: looks fancy, & lots of white people.
- Have dinner at street stalls. Walked by night market. Lots of fish massage places. Pub street fancy. Lots of foreigners. Lots selling massage. $3/hr. Never seen so cheap.
- Felix start buying banana & chocolate crepes. Good technique while making them.
- Fruit lady (who I was eventually dissappointed by).
- Closed market. Use to wait out rain.
- Start every night buy some new beers to try.
- Sit & drink & eat fruit at roof bar & hostel. (Sat one floor below at covered bar due to rain). Mexican wrestling on TV.
- Lots of frog sounds as go to bed. Some roosters during night too.