Reasons why I like the US/Canada border

Ok, so before I begin we are presently in Siam Reap and headed off to Phenom Penn tomorrow, sitting in a pretty grimy cyber cafe(but its cheap! though slow) so forgive any typos, this keyboard is about as fast and accurate as a type writer. Also we are posting a couple of things together based on Internet access and while we want to spread posts out we are a little busy at present (seeing ancient temples and all that.) So we'll come up with something better but not right now.

So we recently made the trek from Bangkok to Siam Reap, which involves a pain in the butt border crossing... here are the run down of the exploits and an illustration of why I like the Canadian border.

p.s.

Read the rest...

( It starts with taking a 5:30 bus out of Bangkok, something that isn't all that harrowing, aside from having to get up at 4:00 to get there in time. This early wake up was only made all the more comfortable because we didn't get to our guest house until late because we decided to navigate the public bus system rather than take a Taxi (but I think it says something of us if we can negotiate a bus system where we don't speak a word of the language!). The bus trip was utterly uneventful, a nicea peaceful 4.5 hour ride to the border town of Arayna Prathet. The bus doesn't take you all the way to the border but to a town nearby, where you catch a tuk-tukpronounced took-took) to the border. Our tuk-tuk dropped us off and we were immediately had a man ask us if we needed help (this means a fee), we turn him down only to have his friend then stand up and ask us the same question... the answer was still no. From there we had to check out of Thailand (even though we had been there only about 12 hours). So far so good.

From there we had to walk to the Cambodian visa station (to pay to be allowed into Cambodia). Upon arriving there we see a sign written in perfect english, "TouristVisa = US $20." So we fill out the necessary form and head to the window only to be told, "$25."

Uhhmmm. No, $20. No $25 only 20" I respond. This should be rather obvious as the man is standing below the sign.

"No, $25 dollar. Express service very fast."

"No, 20 dollar. No need fast, just need visa." We had heard about this scam, but the things we had read said they would still do it for $20, it just took longer. But seeing as how we are the only other folks there, it shouldn't take that long.

"No, $25 dollar. $20 dollar take three days." (or at least that's what i think I heard. It was something painfully long away, especially considering that it was only us there.)

"No, 20 dollar. The sign says 20 dollar." At this point I'm arguing on principle, I don't want to lose this one to some stupid border guard looking for a bribe I don't want to pay. Its about at this point that the border agent suddenly finds something interesting on TV and slowly (and deliberately) turns around to watch TV.

Crap.

"20 dollar for visa, twenty dollar now." At this point in time I'm hoping to pester him in front of his friends (also fascinated by the TV). No response. Then border guard #2 approaches. "Look, he just needs something to make it happen, something small like five dollars a person."

"The sign says 20 dollars and that's what we are paying, no more." I'm rather adamant as I think i can win this.

"Look, I know what the sign says. How about 200 baht a person?" (A baht is Thai currency and the amount is worth about 6 dollars.)

"No possible. Not enough baht." I knew how much I had and took my time showing Guard #2 how little cash was in my wallet. "20 dollars."

"Look, (he liked that word) how about five dollars for both of you?" At this point in time Meg is wanting to go as another backpacker we met named Estelle, we are traveling to the same place and decided to share costs. Meg and I look at each other and realize that its probably this or wait... so we pay. (Mind you its also about 87 degrees in the shade, which helps you want to get on your way.) We pay the bribe and sure enough we get out visas about 2 minutes later.

After that treat all we had to do was get to Siam Reap from Cambodian border (a town called Poipet) but the problem is that Taxis are regulated to a single company and in a place like Cambodia that often means corruption. We had heard reports of these rides which should cost 30 bucks or so regularly costing 50 to 80! But there is another way, if you get one of the other cabs around town it'll cost you the honest rate of 30. We are shooting for the other cabs. The problem is that once you clear the border and overly friendly "guide" trys to take you to the organized taxis (often labeled mafia taxis). So we hop on the back of motor bikes in an attempt to find our other transport before the mafia taxi agent finds us and breaks up any deal we had struck. We actually find a guy who is willing to go and we are negotiating a price when the mafia taxi agent shows up and starts yelling at our potently driver in Khmer.

Crap.

Shortly after that the potently driver goes away and the mafia agent tells us (again) to go to the bus terminal. We say we will in our own time but his taxis cost too much. He responds and says, "Only 60 dollars." I laugh at him, in the earnest and say, "No no. Way too much, can't pay that much." He responds with an offer of 50 but I turn again laughing as I walk away. But the downside is that he tails us for another 20 minutes and scares off any drivers that were interested, we had a couple of people call us over but when he showed up... no dice. So we finally head to the stupid terminal to pay for his overpriced cab.

After some negotiations, we settle on 45 for a cab (not a bad price considering sometimes they are twice that) and get it. I'm happy to resolve the matter because there are some really dark clouds looming and if it starts raining we lose any leverage we had. I think we wore him out between out relentless hunt for the non-existent driver and Estelle was pissed at him and let him know it. He wanted us gone and we wanted to be gone.

So we finally get in the car (a glorious Toyota Corolla) and set off down a road that looks like a small minefield went off in it, fitting for Cambodia. Adding to these massive holes was the sudden and torrential rain that came, where as before everything was dry and dusty now everything was puddles and mud. We covered the windshield with mud before we left town. But aside from the bumps and it was finally working out and we were almost there!

Then the car broke down. Our driver got out and fixed it and it lasted a whole 10 minutes till it broke down again... and again. He kept adding dirty brown water to the radiator but it never helped for long. So after about an hour of this we eventually made it to a town and to a mechanic. I went to the bathroom and was beginning to ponder what it would be like to get stuck in a small Cambodian town when I came out and saw the car running. Who knew that putting "happy healing" water into the radiator instead of the dirty brown stuff and tightening a screw fixed a car? At least that's all we say them ever do.

After that (and another three hours of driving) we finally made it to Siam Reap, found a guest house, ate dinner and called it a night.

What a day, hopefully they aren't all like this one.