|
|
|
Lower levels: Navigation: |
We arrive on the last flight into Phnom Penh International carrying a mere US$20 and a bucket load of Thai Baht hastily acquired at Bangkok airport. This is a country with no ATMs and a preference for dollars; so, despite our apparent riches we are in somewhat of a pickle - we need dollars - worse than we expected... We reach the visa on entry desk. We fill our forms and hand them in and are asked to supply two photos. We have none and are charged (gulp!) $2 for the privilege of having our passports photocopied. Hmm $18 left - and we need a room and taxi to town... Photocopies sorted, we pass our documents across the counter. These are duly stamped and passed along to a clerk - shock! horror! each of our visas is $20! I ask if we can pay in Baht - fortunately yes... a thousand of them. Now this seems a good rate to me so now I see that rather than being fornicated by the fickle finger of fate, the same has dealt us a kind card. I pay and immediately begin offering to pay other peoples visas for them in Baht in return for their dollars. A brisk trade ensues and we walk through passport control up $140. I'm feeling smug - grinning inanely - and then see an open foreign exchange office, which accepts Visa and Access... so much for being a smart-arse. A $7 taxi ride later, we arrive at a recommended hotel beside the Tonle Sap river. The corridor outside our room is open, facing the river and lit by a massive neon sign - in its glow we see a swirling cloud of large boot-wearing, red-eyed blood suckers - mosquitoes a plenty. Thank heavens for Baygon - a wee blast and the beasties retreat. From hereon in however, we are covered in Deet on our travels... |
|
|
