Cambodia is a vast country, and I am so glad I spent quite a lot of time travelling overland between my destinations. The changing views show the real side of a country and not just the “tourist” areas highlighted in travel brochures. Phnom Penh is gigantic, but I couldn’t help how happy I was to leave the city behind. However, before leaving the city, I made a crucial stop at AEON MaxValu Chroy Changvar and Black Canyon café to buy much-needed snacks for the long drive. I was pleasantly surprised to find the supermarket was clean and well-priced. It even had a small bakery at the back. Yes, I struggled to find vegetarian things. But there is always coffee, crisps and croissants, so I was a happy dinosaur.
Restaurants, cafes and schools lined the main road that led me out of the capital. However, these were broken up by the occasional temple peeping out from behind the trees. Wat Pothi Pruk was a beautiful sight from the bus window. The walls surrounding the monastery were incredibly ornate and beautiful. I loved seeing all of the stupas surrounding the temple. However, I have since learned that these are all funerary stupas. The entrance to each temple/ pagoda was so unique, statues of elephants and monks were present at Sauriya Pothi Meas Pagoda, I had a peek into the complex (courtesy of Google Maps and it was incredibly ornate, especially the dragon fountain).
No signposts were present to highlight the border of Phnom Penh and Kandal Province; the distinct change in scenery showed me I was entering the countryside. We followed the Mekong River for miles without managing to spot it. I watched the houses pass by with little interest until I spotted a hand-painted white stone on the roadside, informing me of the distance to the next village or city. Cambodian roads don’t have signs like in Europe, so this was a unique way to work out where you are. I loved being able to count down the kilometres to Siem Reap. The views of the towns in Kandal Province repeated themselves, and I did start to get a bit bored. Luckily, I had my plastic bag of coffee and a delicious pastry from the bakery to re-energise me so I could return to looking out the window. Sadly, I was too engrossed in eating to notice we had passed over a bridge, which took me away from urban Cambodia and finally into the rural areas I was excited to see.
Kampong Cham Province is in the central lowlands of the Mekong River. Unfortunately, travelling in the rainy season meant many fields had turned into oceans, and the roads were not in the best conditions. But, the area was very green as it is known for rubber plantations and forests. I was surprised to see each of the unique houses contrasting their neighbours. Villages were a combination of houses unique in design, either detached or built on stilts. Some houses were wooden, others made from metal or brick, though all were brightly coloured and surrounded by greenery.
Kampong Thom brought more distinctive and tiny villages dotted along the side of the road. Poverty in the area was apparent as we drove through one of Cambodia’s biggest provinces. Surprisingly, many children were helping with farming tasks or just running around. I had seen many schools on the drive, but the cost must be too much for some families. Many fields were underwater, and for a while, I thought we had reached the ocean. But it turns out Kampong Thom is an overspill for the incredible Angkor temples, with many still lying hidden in the densely forested areas. Sadly, land mines remain hidden in the ground, especially in rural areas, so I left the temples undiscovered for another day. As we passed along the northern side of Tonle Sap Lake, the landscape changed, and canals appeared between the houses and fields. The NR6 road was Romanesque (long and straight), so I had a snooze as we passed through many small villages and rice paddies.
I woke to spot the houses becoming more tightly packed together and many white cows roaming the grass verges as we made our way into Kampong Thom for a brief stop. Unfortunately, it was torrential rain during this time, so I chose to stay on the bus, where it was dry and cool. As I was halfway into my journey, I was eager to continue just in case I got stuck in the countryside due to the weather.
The journey continued, and I finally reached a bridge cutting across a massive lake, Boeng Prey Pras. I guess I have a rainy season to thank for the incredible sight. There was a restaurant with huts in the water to dine at. Sadly, there was nothing for miles around once we left the lake. Continuing on the straight road, we zoomed past rice paddies and flood plains. The occasional ox was visible in the water, helping the humans tend the rice. It was as if I was part of the scene from Spirited Away, where the train goes through the ocean.
My view of water was broken up by dirt track roads breaking away from the highway, passing under ornate arches, leading to a place not frequented by dinosaurs or tourists. Cambodia has an abundance of Buddhist, Hindu and Animist temples, monasteries and ancient religious sites. Each religious site has an entrance arch where you pass into a spiritual world.
Cambodian rush hour traffic filled the final hour of my drive with what felt like thousands of cars and scooters. But, I was surprised to see men walking their oxen home after a long day tending to the fields. I didn’t realise how big and powerful the animals are; to see an ox running over the road was a rather scary sight. I did spot a few ancient bridges at the side of the road, just peeping out between the mud and grass. These sightings meant one thing. I was finally in Siem Reap Province, the home of Angkor Wat.
Many plastic chair-filled restaurants and shops lined the entrance to Siem Reap. I spotted a sign for Prasat Bakong, another lesser-known temple complex. But dusk was setting in, so I couldn’t see anything through the trees. It was getting late when I arrived at my hotel, so I decided the only exploring I wished to do was a hunt for the hotel restaurant.
