Crossing the Border to Cambodia and Hair Wash

4am, my alarm rang.

I hastily traced the source of sound in the dark for my phone. Switching it off, I slump my head back to bed face forward.

4:15am, my snooze went off. I dragged myself out of bed, with the heaviest feet, I plopped out of the room and into shower for an awakening call.

Cold water always does the trick, and as much as I hated the cold shower in the wee hours, I needed stimulation to my senses. I have not packed yet, as always.

Back in the room, I stuffed left right centre all my scattered clothes around the floor into my backpack, chucked chargers and cables into a separate compartment and before I left the house, I took a last glance around the room for any left behinds. And I was out on the cold dark street alone, dragging what was at least 16kg of luggage over my shoulders.




At the street, I waited impatiently for a cab, aware of the time as the seconds ticked. One spotted me from the street across, eager to make his first baht of the day, he speedily made a U-turn in front and screeched to a halt in front of my in no time.

“Hua Lumpong”, he nodded. I think my Thai is getting better, I can speak street names now.

There are several ways to get to Cambodia from Thailand. The safest and most un-Nicolekiss way is to fly (loser~~). You can fly from Bangkok to Siem Reap through Bangkok Airways.

If you’re looking for a cheaper option, you can always catch a bus straight into Siem Reap. Note: it’s well known that buses that run from Bangkok to Siem Reap are full of scams. Many agencies will cheat their passengers to pay extra visa fee at the border (visa for foreigners outside ASEAN is USD25), reach Siem Reap too late at night so you need to stay at their designated guest houses.

To avoid this, don’t buy bus tickets from Khao San Road, get yourself a bus ticket to the border at Aranyaprathet, cross the immigration to Poipet, then take a shared taxi or bus into Siem Reap. Bus to border will cost around 250 baht (RM25) and 4 hours.

Now if you wanna do it MY WAY (which is usually the most pathetically cheap and local way), catch a 5:50am train at the Hua Lumpong train station in Bangkok at the rate of 48 baht (RM4.8), 6 hours journey to the border.


I don’t know why, I find thrills in cheap travels. I’m sick, I know.


Taking the public train before the sun rise is actually very cooling; I didn’t even realize there’s no air-conditioning till around 10am when the sun started to burn. The train passed through fields of padi and clover buds flew in through the window, by 9am, the whole train was full of clovers. It was a romantic scene.

Pulling in at Aranyaprathet, I got off the train heaving my oversized backpack and hired a tuk-tuk to the border for 50 baht, which was roughly 6km from the station.


Immigration at Aranyaprathet to Poipet


You will find many cart traders lining up to get into Cambodia here.







Beware of Thai people trying to con you telling that the bus ride on the other side of Cambodia to Siem reap will cost 600 baht and that it is impossible to get a ride once you crossed the border, just ignore them. There’re always cheaper rides on the other side.

If you’re white skin, beware of people trying to tell you that the visa will cost USD40, it’s a lie. Pay for your own Visa at the entry in the immigration. Do not go through anyone else. Other than that, travelling from Thailand to Cambodia is as safe as it can get. :)

As for the rest, all you need to do it just walk across into the Kingdom of Cambodia~! :D




On the other side, you will find many casinos settled at the border. Many Thai people come here on weekend for gamblings, like Genting Highland for us.




My only mistake in Cambodia, after having avoided ALL of all the scams mentioned above, was that I forgot to check on the conversion rate for local Riels from US dollars. Which is USD1 = 4000 riels.

I was ripped off at a money private money exchanger for changing USD1 to 3200 riels!!! ARGH!!!




Since I changed a total of 100 dollars, means that for what I can get at a local bank in the city, I can get 80,000 riels more than what I was given in exchanged at the border exchanger. That’s a blinking 20 US Dollars!!!! ARGH… kill!!!!

Then later I found out everyone deals in dollars in Siem Reap. MORE CURSES!!!!!!!

Sigh…

One thing about Cambodia I have learned was that the most ripped off money exchangers are at the airport and private outlets, which is the total opposite of Laos and Vietnam. Hence in Cambodia, change at the bank, you will get the cheapest rate.

Once over at the other side, board a free shuttle bus to a taxi and bus station and rent a shared taxi with other travellers to Siem Reap, which is three hours drive away on rocky red earth road (there’s not really a road).


My taxi buddies – Hiroshi from Japan and Andrew from Canada


Andrew was ripped off twice for a 500 baht bus on the Cambodian side and USD40 for Visa on the Thailand side, he was pretty pissed. He then left us to argue with the bus agency for his money back and we went off in the shared taxi with another two Japanese passengers.

Despite all that, reaching Siem Reap wasn’t so hard, was it? *Big gleam on face*


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, I woke up to a free buffet breakfast at my hostel that costs me USD10 a night.




I wanted to splurge a bit on myself in a swimming pool hostel with free wifi access, oh how I can’t live without wifi, wifi is the most amazing thing ever invented. :D


Blogging at breakfast, seriously, I need a therapist.


Ants invaded my breakfast while I blogged away.




After breakfast, I decided to cycle to town to look around.




Here in Cambodia, they drive on the wrong side of the road (like how the French does), so keep right. And look left first before you crossed the road. Nearly got me killed the first few times.

Everything in Cambodia is cheaper than Thailand, more expensive than Laos and slightly in between Thailand and Laos in the development sector.




You get Absolute Vodka selling at USD8.50 here (RM27!!!) in Mini Markets!!!!

Just imagine all the cheap alcohols~~~~




Airport duty frees in Cambodia is at least twice the price of those in Mini Marts.


USD8.50 for a bottle of Bacardi


I’d said Cambodia is more developed and commercialised than Laos simply because in Cambodia, you find Starbucks! Well, not exactly the outlet.




But hey!! Still Starbucks ok!


Cycling in Siem Reap is anything but dusty, like really really dusty. I don’t know why (maybe because of the lack of proper roads) but I can easily classify Cambodia as the dustiest country in the world.


Most people wear a mask or a scarf around their head here


The old Market is smacked in the middle of the town - my first visit in Cambodia (apart from the stupid deceitful money exchanger at Poipet).




80% of the things you see sold here come from Thailand. And 80% of the things you see in Thailand come from China.

Hence, Chinese rules.

Now… in Cambodia, you HAVE TO VISIT THE SALOON. Don’t ask, it’s just a must.

Because a hair wash in Cambodia is DIRT CHEAP (quoted from Zen).




How cheap? Say~~ 2 dollars? (less if you haggle, my god, RM6 for a hair wash?!!!)




You’ve guessed it.




That was exactly the first thing I did in Cambodia. Get a hair wash. Not only that, I had my hair coloured!!!

For 13 dollars!! (Including the wash, I found out later in Phnom Penh, you can get your hair dyed at 10 dollars!)

That’s like RM40!!!! And my hair is at least up till my waist! In Malaysia, the cheapest saloon I go to charges me at least 3 times the price of that!!!! 6 times if you’re in KL!!


Choosing colours


After two hours of tagging and pulling and massaging.

*drum rolls*
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Wait for it~~~

Wait for it~~~

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*continue drum rolls* (hey I haven’t visited a saloon in almost a year k?, this is big)

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Teng teng!!!




Nice or not nice or not nice or not nice or not?!!


Let hair down a bit



Different angle a bit



Angkor wat, opps, I just revealed my next post~


It’s Copper Red! Ho HO!!! I finally dyed my hair!


Say nice damn it! Cost me RM40 ok!!!


Though I realised it’s not a good idea to colour your hair before your decision to cycle around town full of dust.


Riding into the sunset.


I need my 2 dollars hair wash tomorrow.