First thing that comes to mind when you’re travelling to Cambodia and other summer-in-winter locations is:
- Lush tropical flora
- Pearly white beaches
- Midnight skinny dipping among the sparkling plankton
But reality kicked our overdressed asses. First it took us 3 different flights and 2 time-zone changes to get here. The thrill of travelling was significantly reduced after the third movie and left us shivering in a cold plane wondering “are we there yet”.
(Btw, why is it so fckn cold in airplanes?)
Stuff that happened BEFORE even getting to Phnom Penh:
- We lost a pair of inexpensive but very emotionally valuable sun shades
- We also lost a charger for our trusty old Canon (the only camera we have and planned to use for work)
- A bottle of perfume broke in one of our bags (we believe this is karma for even bringing perfume to an adventure in wilderness)
The downward spiral didn’t reach it’s bottom even when we landed in Phnom Penh. Supremely tired and unimaginably under slept, we fell for a typical dumb as fuck tourist trap.
“Where do you wanna go guys” in tragically bad English, a uniformed legit-looking airport official asked us.
With welcoming smile and I-know-the-place face, he escorted us to one of his tuk tuk drivers (who chatted to us in Khmer!). Ten minutes and 7 dollars later, we were left stranded on the side of the dirtiest and busiest road leading away from the town.
A million heavily loaded trucks and tuk tuks whizzed by a guy sitting behind a single table nestled between a tire repair shop and what seemed like a garbage collection area. That was our “bus stop”!
If we were to hashtag what happened further on these would be it.
#fakebusticket #dodgynessgalore #lost40$ #customerservicehell
After an hour long drama in the scorching windless heat the “ticket clerk” told us he will personally drive us to our destination on his motorbike ONE BY ONE we decided to say its over and headed on foot back to the airport.
Admitting we’re complete idiots we decided to follow the textbook advice. (The (text)book is Move to Cambodia and it’s lifesaving and brilliant). It got us a minibus that goes straight to Kampot.
Three non airconditioned and Cambodian folk music filled hours later we were in well deserved heaven that is Ramo Resort on the river Kampot.
We were led to our wooden hut on stilts overlooking a lush garden. Out of this world is an understatement! The first thing we did after our 15 hour jet legged sleep was to fall straight out of the hammock to the water and chilled out with our host.
Being a very talkative guy ( a diamond geezer of customer service) he rambled on and on and one of the thing he told us was that only one person EVER has left a bad review and that hurt his soul deeply.
That made us think of a sneaky plan.
What if we asked all of you guys to help us with our first what-if?
We told him that we can make his page a little more popular in exchange for a free room.
This is where you jump in.
Click on this link and like his Facebook page.
Do not overthink and let the GOOD KARMAGEDDON strike you.
We’ll let you know what happened.
Eternally, your slaves,
Anja & Tane.