Now I can say I've experienced the real Cambodia

Thursday December 18 2014

Siem Reap, Cambodia

I am dog tired, like the end of the Iditerod. Thirteen and a half hours of buses will do that to me. Didn't the guy selling me the ticket say it was nine hours and then swear it would be when I told him Cambodian buses were never on time,

The day started after breakfast when my luggage and myself hop atop the motorbike and head to the six forty-five'ish ferry from the island to mainland. I am very glad the young man from the hotel wrangled my luggage onto the ferry since it was a bit of wading and then negotiating two boats.

I think this is how the conversation went with the women on the boat – without a word being spoken. You ladies look to be freezing all bundled up and huddled up. - Yes, we are freezing – I really don't think it is cold at all. It is like summer to me- Ya, that may be true, but you are also fat. I ended the conversation at that point.

For a fistfull of paper I found a skinny guy to carry two of my three bags up the steps from river level to street level and found the bus waiting. Maybe lurking is a better description. What more is there to say. The bus ate my luggage and then ate me.

Near noon we stopped and the bouncy English maiden who I had shared a couple words at a previous stop came up and held out a plastic back containing her latest purchase. All wide eyed innocence she says sweetly “Would you like a grasshopper? They really aren't too bad.”. I told her that a cricket perhaps, but a grasshopper would ruin my dinner. She offered again and I grew a spine and picked out one. Not the biggest fattest juicy one, but not the smallest either. As directed I pulled off the legs and popped it in my mouth. It kind of sat there until I talked myself into biting down. As she said it wasn't all that bad. Would I want a regular serving of grasshoppers? I don't think so, but it was the thought than the taste that was the hardest to come around to. That and they are really, really chewy.

That is about it for the day. So instead of rehashing what you already know – That bus travel is a lot like air travel only slower and smellier.