on the way to Siem Reap...

My travel log last year was relatively anemic (and it looks like I’ll rebound this year), so I’m glad that my mom told me to book a trip for the family by the end of the year. After much debate, we settled on going to Vietnam and Cambodia, all in 7 days (you can just imagine the itinerary I made) since it’s one of the few left in SEA that I haven’t been to and both places are interesting to my siblings. As usual, I’m the designated planner of the trip (and this is the most challenging so far since let’s just say that each member of my family have different expectations of a “trip” compared to my friends).  

Going to Cambodia

We had to take a 12-hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh to go to Siem Reap since there aren’t direct flights from Manila (Cebu Pacific started offering flights the month after we left, talk about timing). Arriving at HCM at midnight with 7 hours to kill before your bus leaves was a strain. Thankfully, there’s a roadside joint where we ate pho and drank lots of coffee (which smells nice but not strong enough for me), while my brother (our designated ambassador) chats up with one of the guys in the shop. Hanging out at Pham Ngu Lao at midnight was a startling reversal when you get to see the chaos during the day. Thanks to the helpful tips, I decided to book with Mekong Express (primarily because of the built-in CR, hehe), and thankfully they took care of the border passage for us (because it was definitely confusing). It was a long bus ride and we slept most of the way (and slept more even if we already felt that we had enough sleep). The crossing of the Mekong River was definitely a highlight, not really because of how it looks (with its murky waters) but more because of its significance in the lives of the locals. We arrived in Siem Reap at around 8pm where our trusty tuktuk driver Sam was waiting for us.



  Quick picture from the Vietnam-Cambodia border...don't know why my pose is so weird...
Going Around
We only had limited time in Siem Reap (2 days) and moreso in Phnom Penh (1/2 day) so we tried to cram and go to as many sights as we can (which I’ll expound on the next post). We mostly hired Sam (aside from going around the ruins) to bring us to Pub Street (where the Christmas Eve festivities were lively and crazy) and also to the Catholic Church in the area to attend Christmas mass (which was also interesting and provided a unique twist to our yearly Christmas celebration). Since most people in Cambodia are not Catholic, I appreciate the fact that we still get to feel the Christmas spirit away from home. Different nationalities under one roof sitting on the floor celebrating the mass was definitely a prized encounter. We also managed to squeeze in some time to go shopping, which warmed-up my mom’s bargaining skills (she gets to maximize them in Vietnam).


  Blurry picture of the shepherds (coz they're dancing) during the Christmas play...the kids were adorable!
The vibe in Cambodia is more like one of the provinces in the Philippines, and I’m glad that we went there during the cold season because I can’t imagine going around the temples thoroughly enjoying myself if it’s summer. The people are very welcoming and are used to the influx of tourists in the area. Our hotel in Siem Reap (Angkor Pearl Hotel) was astoundingly better than what you expect from the price. We only got to stay for a few hours in Phnom Penh (just to cut our travel time going back to Ho Chi Minh), but we also got to chat with interesting people on the way. There is still a lot to discover about the country and I’m glad that it will be easier to go there unlike before.


  With our tuktuk driver, Sam (samtuktuk@yahoo.com)