Can it get any worse? aka 40 hours to Siem Ream part II

Ok, I know it has been over three months, but I have to finish my story. If I am going to be any kind of writer, I have to see things through. I can’t leave my readers hanging. Of course now the passion is gone. I don’t feel the zest for writing this that I felt the following day, but I must finish what I started.

I left you hanging at the train station. So here it is…I watched the tall Englishwoman for a good hour before I went up to her. Part of my hesitation was due to fatigue. I just didn’t want to move! But then I saw her starting to talk to another guy, and I though "OK, she is receptive" I have to go make friends. After all traveling alone is all about making friends. You meet the most interesting people that way and my train journey to and from Ananya Prathet provided me with the best friends I had on this trip. After all it IS a 7 hour train ride.

I went to use the WC and returned slightly refreshed and ready to face the strangers. After all the last time I had done this was when I met Sean on my flight to England, and I ended up marrying and divorcing him. Needless to say I was wee bit rusty. "Mind if I sit with you?" I said to the 2 talking away. "Not at all! The more the merrier" came the answer. WHEW! Ok, so I squeezed in but immediately realized I didn’t really belong in their world. Me; with my red roller suitcase and LowePro camera bag. Them; with their Lowe Alpine can-fit-a-small-family-of-twelve back packs. Well at least our labels matched. I sat down anyway. After all we were all LowePro users. How bad could it be?

We started the usual chatter. She in her late 20s, working for film and television in England, and he, a German, on a soul searching journey. Very much a young one, trying hard to find his identity. Nothing wrong with that. I wish I had done it when I was that age......ooooooh I sound so old!

Before I knew it, it was time to board the train. Our 48 Bhat tickets had secured us a place in third class, but if we wanted, we could pay on board to upgrade. We decided to see just how bad third class was before we spent the extra dollar for first. Actually the trains were fine. Hard seats, but clean with ceiling fans and big windows. It was a rickety train, and we did expect to derail a few times, but overall the ride was quite nice and the scenery was lush and beautiful.
Also much to my surprise the bathrooms were quite clean. Even the Koreans don’t seem to get that right. I liked the Thais already!

I spent most of the trip with my head out the window. The temperature and the breeze combination were perfect, and the huge windows had no covers at all. I also sat on the steps for some time between train cars. The scenery was tranquil, punctuated with the most ornate gold-roofed temples. I could look at that view forever!

Everything had a fine coat of red dust, as did we at the end of our journey.

The train made about 6000 stops. One of these days I would like to take that rain again and get off at each stop, spend about 24 hours photographing that town or village and publish a book of it. The most interesting people kept getting on and off that train with the wildest assortment of "luggage" (if you can call it that)

We spent the 7 hours getting to know each other, sharing our food and sampling the food sold on the train by the old ladies. I would give my right arm for some of the food they had on that train. Sticky rice and mangoes, baby coconuts with straws stuck in them, and the usual pop and water on ice. They know how to make life comfortable with the small things. Ice is a novelty in Korea even in the hellish heat of summer. I mean how hard is it to freeze water??

About midday we pulled into Ananya Prathet. A poor and sparse border town serving one purpose only; populating the border! There have been disputes over the years whether Ananya Prathet belonged to Thailand or Cambodia. Presently it is on the Thai map.

As we got off the train we were approached by a sleazy, greasy mid-twenties guy selling us an "Air-conditioned bus tour" to Siem Reap. We knew this was a long and rough ride as the Cambodian Government still recovering from the Khmer Rouge does not have the funds to pave these roads. We thought the A/C would be a nice touch, and followed the man like sheep. Little did we know that a series of bad decision, beginning with this one would make our journey to Siem Ream a hellish one.

But then trauma does bring people closer together, doesn’t it?

Continued in Part III