50 something on her travels

Yesterday we took an Air Asia flight from Phnom Penh to Bangkok. At check in we were asked for evidence of our onward travel from Bangkok.  We explained we had not booked our flights yet. The check-in assistant said we could not fly unless we proved we had sufficient funds to stay in Thailand and be able to afford to leave. She requested we each show her $500 in cash. Which meant leaving the long queue and walking to a cashpoint to withdraw a total of $1000. How ridiculous! We weren't having any of that and weren't getting anywhere fast so George called over the supervisor to have a word.  We were advised that we could travel but it was our responsibility if we were refused entry into Thailand. We said fine. We arrived in Bangkok and apart from being asked how long I was staying there was no issue. #airasia #cambodia #phnompenh 

... but not a bin in sight. I remember the rubbish issue being bad when I was last in Cambodia, but it seems to have got far worse.  Yesterday on our road journey to the capital we saw people lobbing their rubbish from their cars and motorbikes onto the side of the road. The photo I share was from a tourist hill viewing point in Battambang.  It does not help that there are hardly any bins (if any) to use. But people will continue to drop or throw their rubbish as that's all they know and have ever done. I looked odd today carrying my empty water bottle around the city while searching for a bin. I'm not sure what century they will move away from plastic. You go to a shop or get a takeaway - they will box in plastic, add a plastic spoon and then put in a plastic bag. I laugh and say no plastic when they offer it to me. They look at me as if I'm nuts. #plastic #rubbish #cambodia

We are now in Phnom Penh and staying at the the White Mansion (formerly the US Embassy a few years ago).  As we are return visitors they upgraded us a suite which was lovely if slightly too much space for people who live on a boat 😂 #whitemansion #phnompenh #cambodia

This week we moved from Siem Reap to a rainy Battamburg. We stayed at a lovely Homestay with a local family who cooked us breakfast, lunch and dinner ❤️ The only downside was no hot water in the bathroom, so we had an industrial flask delivered to our door for a daily s trip wash 😂 Battambang is very much off the tourist trail so we were able to visit the main attractions in one day. Killing Caves - execution site where Khmer Rouge killed their victims at the top of a cave and then threw them in.  Bamboo Train (Norry) - the Khmer Rouge destroyed the country including the railway. Locals decided to build trains by taking leftover parts and adding bamboo platforms on top with a small motor. It was fast! See Facebook for the video 😁 Bat Caves - an eternal spectacle that happens every day between 5:30 and 6:00pm. Bat's fly out of the cave in their thousands! #battambang #batcaves #bambootrain #cambodia 

In Cambodian restaurants and shops you pay with US dollars.  However when you are given change, it can be a mixture of US dollars and the local Cambodian currency called Riel.  It is approximately  4000 Riel to $1. To be honest it is mind boggling to figure out if you have been given the correct change! 🤑 #cambodiaRiel #currency #cambodia 

We've been in Cambodia now for 24 hours and there are a few things that have changed (and some not) since our last visit.   1. Lack of tourists Pub Street is the evening entertainment centre for tourists (or farangs as we are called). Bars and clubs thumping out EDM (electronic disco music for us old people 😂) and many western style restaurants selling pizzas and other bad European food.  What is visible is the lack of tourists. Yes they are here, but not in great numbers. Bars are empty and lacking in any atmosphere.  It's left to bar staff to try and coax you in with happy hour offers. Which leads me to my next point.. 2. Prices have risen Lets be honest, its not as expensive as going to Greece, the Carribean or being in the UK.  However a pint of Angkor used to be 50 cents and its now $1.75-2. Meals have risen in price to around $4-6pp. And tours and entry costs for foreigners have been hiked up. I appreciate that locals need to make up the money...

We have returned to The Moon Residence & Spa which we stayed at five years ago. It reopened for the first time since Covid on 15 December and we are one of the first guests back to stay.  It's a very small hotel in a quiet area of Siem Reap. But only a few minutes walk to busy tourist Pub Street. The hotel staff are so friendly and can't do enough for you. Our room is large and comfortable.  As the hotel has been shut for a long time there are certain areas in need of repair or a lick of paint.  But these things can be forgiven for one of the many hotels trying to get back in business.  #moonresidence #cambodia #siemreap

After a month it was time to leave Thailand for a few weeks.  As we are not in a hurry we decided to take the scenic coach option from Bangkok to Siem Reap in Cambodia.  Land border crossings can be a mixture of excitement and stress for any traveller. With Covid and other circumstances, getting from Bangkok to Siem Reap  is not easy unless you fly. And that is an expensive option.  Often when you are dropped at one land border you need to find your onward transport once through the next border. You are faced with the onslaught of taxi drivers wanting to charge you extortionate prices because they know you have zero public transport options.  We used Giant Ibis in Bangkok who were a little more expensive (€40pp) but they get you from point to point without leaving you behind at the border 😀.  As part of their fee they can arrange your visa on arrival before the border crossing and are on hand if there are any issues.  We had already paid for our eVisa...