Trip report -Siem Reap to Preah Vihear

[Phuketrichard]

am now at the NEW Home Vatthanak Guest house off the main road, Rooms are $17 OR $35 for the vip room which is perfect as have gf and daughter, 1 queen size and 1 single bed, flat screen, Fast internet and huge bathroom.

Left SR at 7;20 am for BM, great temple and good roads, Had about 10 minutes before 2 bus loads of Chinese arrived, They have to be the Worst/most obnoxious tourist on earth. They had people doing a survey on their experiencing and how it could be better and i wrote in, Get rid of the Chinese,
They must love my "Free TIbet" bumper sticker

Of to KK; good paved roads about 75% of the time and than hard packed dirt. The road where u turn off to head to PV is 8 kms of dirt to Kor Ker and as it rained the other night and off an on during the day it was a mess . Loved the temple as NO one else was there. Not like a regular any of the other temples around Siem Rep more like an Aztec one, as it tiered and flat at the top. There was a Japanese guy that just came down from climbing the stairs to the top and he said never again. They looked totally unsafe and was marked Dangerous and off limits but $5 allowed him up



From the turn off to PV city was paved all the way an in excellent shape. Got to the turn off to go left to the temple or 24 kms to town ( and than have to back track that tomorrow) as it was still only 1 pm headed to the temple was able to cruise at 100 kms all the way.

Overshot the ticket office and 4 motorbikes took off after me but i saw what i did and backed up. Figuring not good idea to use my daughter thai passport gave them our US ones and got the motorbikes to the top (really see no reason why as my honda could easily have made it up)
walked up and was met by couple of Police, they asked my daughter where she was from and she said Thai and the trouble started. They asked for her passport and i gave them her us one which states she was born in Thailand. They made a few calls back to the head office and allowed us to proceed BUT we were accompanied by 2 police men. There were not a lot of military the temple but they were going up to it, but plenty of guys with Walkie talkies, police and only a few Cambodian tourist.



I think they thought she was a spy. Felt real uncomfortable as when ever my daughter was not next to me they were questioning her in Thai. They walked with us to the top and showed (led) us around and as he spoke some Thai an english he gave me some good info. The temple is nice but the views are priceless Just the right amount of clouds and blue skies to make it look amazing!!!

It was a great day an with good roads we got into town ( an got lost) before it was dark.

[ltnt]

i wrote in, Get rid of the Chinese,

And the Chinese wrote in, "Get rid of the Americans."

[jobsworth]

i wrote in, Get rid of the Chinese,

And the Chinese wrote in, "Get rid of the Americans."

the next war is china versus america with the front line in cambodia.

[natalie8]

Looks really nice, Richard. Got any more pics?

[deepee]

Managed to visit the site about 20 years ago ,just after it was reopened to tourists.I was told I was the first fee paying falang to cross the border and so was told to hand in my passport on the Thai side 'just in case THEY don't let you back" was the explanation."Oh, and you must be back by 4 pm sharp too.You wouldn't want to find yourself on that side after dark"

Was a really ugly humid day and were glad to get sold some extra water on the hike up to the top.The problem was my Thai mate and I needed to have a pee and we ducked off down a dirt side track.Walking back via another track we ran into a bunch of Khmer Rouge solders who were armed to the teeth and not very happy with us at all. They started pointing at signs we had just past by depicting the scull and cross bones and then we realised we had just come thru a land mine area!!

We eventually made it up to the very top just as a humungous thunder storm hit the the hill. Ducted off into a tiny little lookout shelter used by the KR boys as blasts of lightning went off all around .Then realized the corner pole of the hut was a metal flag pole. High-tailed it out of there to the old monks living quarters.
Sat out the storm and made it back to the gates on the Cambodian side with not too much time to spare before lock up.
Then the KR started to give me some grief for having a video camera with me.Really thought we were headed for some serious shite but for whatever reason they just decided to wave us thru.
All up one of the most memorable trips I have ever been on.

[Rural Surin]

i wrote in, Get rid of the Chinese,

And the Chinese wrote in, "Get rid of the Americans."

the next war is china versus america with the front line in cambodia.

Proabaly not, they've tried this already with nasty results all around.

[cambtek]

Lovely pic of koh ker richard,I must get there this trip.The temples pnly a few ks from kompong thom arereally nice too,no tourists and a lovely area.
If it were me at preah vihear I would tell the scruffy,nosey khmers to fuck right off.Tell them that you work for the embassy and the ambassador would not he happy with their shit.

[Phuketrichard]

if i had said that most likely my daughter would have been arrested as a Thai spy
and who knows what they would have done to me

[natalie8]

Any more pics? I'd love to see them.

[Phuketrichard]

Richard Reitman Photography | Asia trip July 2012

This covers the whole trip from Phuket Thailand to Meung Sing, Laos and than south to Vientiane- Surin- Siem Rep Cambodia..

[Phuketrichard]

Just an update;
am now back in Cambodia
headed from Phuket to Mae sot an than drove up along the Burmese border -Mae Sariang-Mae Hong Son- Doi Ang Khong and Fang before heading over to Chaing Khong

entered Laos ( again) an drove to Luang Prabang-Phonsavan-Vientiane-Nong Khai-Surin and am now in the gh in Siem Rep\
Crossing with my Thai registered car at Osmach ( south of Surin) Piece of cake!!
look for photos update after i finish the trip

ON to Phnom Penh-Kep-Battambang-Pailin-Pattaya-HOME!!!

[Smug Farang Bore]

I've been to Kep, it's ok.

I'm in Phnom Penh at the moment if you fancy a quick beer.

PM me.