In Search of Lara Croft

After finishing up the 2004 spring semester at Jishou University in China, I headed back to U.S. and resumed my regular work as public relations consultant and poker player.

It quickly became apparent that Texas hold 'em had become immensely popular during my time overseas. (It was on television and everything.) Having supplemented my earnings for some 30 years by playing poker in my spare time, suddenly it seemed there were no-limit hold 'em players under every rock.

The influx of relatively inexperienced players allowed me to fix up the house a bit and, still, save for another overseas trip.

I set my sights on Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the ruins featured in the movie Lara Croft Tomb Raider.

In February of 2007, my unbelievably understanding wife gave her blessing, and I took off for a month or so of traveling around Southeast Asia, with really only one spot that was a "must-see."

After surfing the Internet for a couple of days, I selected a round-trip from from San Francisco to Bangkok with EVA Airlines. If I recall correctly, the price was $762. On the way over, there was one of those strange layovers in Taiwan where there's a terribly long wait, but it isn't long enough to get a hotel room. Otherwise, it was great (aside from the fact that after about 10 hours in the air, I'm ready to scream.)

As much as I enjoy mainland China, EVA, the Taiwan-based airline, has it hands down over China Air. (Just my opinion.)

In any case, I did have fun when a stewardess asked me if I wanted chicken or fish for dinner and I replied in Mandarin. She did a doubletake, then recovered, and continued the conversation in Chinese. Fortunately, we stuck to food topics. So, we were able to communicate fairly effectively.

But, back to the topic at hand -- getting to Cambodia.

I thought I had a pretty good plan. I had read about the Thai-Cambodia border crossings (in the north and in the south) and figured I would take advantage of one of the many "visa-run" excursions out of Pattaya.

Americans, as well as foreigners from certain other countries, can visit Thailand for 30 days by simply showing their passport. But, after that, they must leave the country and re-enter to stay for another month. (By the way, this is getting more and more complicated as the Land of Smiles is constantly tinkering with the rules.)

Many ex-pats use this travel ritual for years, spending an hour or two in Cambodia before returning to Thailand.

Well, I booked a visa run and planned to simply stay in Cambodia and catch a bus or taxi to Siem Reap, the town next to the Angkor Wat temple complex.

Ah, the adventure of travel! Turns out I was dropped off at an immigration checkpoint in the middle of nowhere. There was a gas station comprised of a folding card table with some empty Pepsi and Sprite bottles filled with petrol, a dusty fruit stand, and a lone taxicab with a broken front windshield and five Cambodians already sandwiched into the rear seat. Somehow, I managed to communicate that I wanted to rent the entire front seat and travel to Batambang.

During all my travels, that ride was the first time I actually thought there was a good chance I was going to die -- breakneck speed; no paved roads; clumps of oxen, bicyclists, and children; and dust that reduced visibility to a few feet ... not to mention the occasional sign about an uncleared minefield. I actually gave myself the last rites, and I'm not even Catholic.

But, miracle upon miracle, we made it to our destination. And, as luck stayed with me, I found another taxi going to Siem Reap.

Same roads, same dust, same speed, same road hazards, and same seating arrangements, but, one huge surprise -- a passenger who spoke English. Halfway through the trip, we stopped at a village, and I heard a voice ask, "Would you like to pass urine?" Well, the answer was, "Yes." Turns out the guy had just opened an English school in Cambodia, and he offered me a job on the spot. I politely declined, noting I was only on vacation.

So, getting on with the story, we made it to Siem Reap just as night fell (thank God), and I found accommodations at an unbelievably nice guest house that's been an institution there for years -- Smiley's.

I can't say enough nice things about it. You have to see the place for yourself. I think it was $13 a night (everyone prefers American dollars to the local currency), and there's no reason to eat anywhere else. They have just great food, and they simply add the cheap prices to your room bill.

When I got up the next day to plan my sightseeing, I ran into Tuey the Tuk-tuk Driver (pictured at right), who took me anywhere I wanted to go and even acted as a bit of a tour guide for the princely sum of $10 a day.

The wats are just a short drive out of town. You can get a three-day pass (I believe it's still $40 -- the money is used to help restore and preserve the ruins). I had seen what I wanted after two days. But, you can easily spend three days there and not get bored.

The ruins are magnificent, and you can simply wander around them to your heart's content. The only places you can't go are where the shrines are unstable.

When you want to return to Thailand, it's a simple process to buy a bus ticket. Although, once you transfer at the border, things can sometimes get a bit tricky. Just stand your ground and refuse to pay more if you've already paid for your fare.