Ho Chi Minh-Phnom Penh Bus Ride
As I munched on some chocolate cupcakes, the bus driver took his seat, steered the wheel and began what seemed to be a good journey across Vietnam and Cambodia. Well, at least that’s what I thought it would be via the Sapaco Bus.
Sapaco Tourist Bus (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
TRAVELOCITIES REMINDER #1
Sapaco is a popular bus company in Vietnam. Its main terminal in Saigon is located at District 1 at the intersection of Pham Ngu Lao Road and Do Quang Dao Street. The said terminal opens for business at around 5:30 in the morning. The schedule of departure of buses are 6:00 am, 7:00 am, 8:00 am, 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. Sapaco is said to be one of those that offers the cheapest modes of transportation from Saigon to Phnom Penh, Cambodia (approximately 6 hours travel) and from Saigon to Siem Reap, Cambodia (approximately 12 hours travel). The Saigon to Phnom Penh fare ranges from 11-15 US$ while the Saigon to Siem Reap fare falls within 18-22 US$. Bus fares are dependent both on the route to be taken and the services included. The usual amenities claimed by the bus company are air-conditioning, checking of passports, usage of toilet, a wet towel, a bottle of water, immigration processing, and a rest stop. For non-ASEAN passport holders, a visa entry for Cambodia is required. The bus company also claims to handle visa processing for about 24-26 US$. Sapaco also promises tagging of checked-in luggage for security, a hand towel, and a snack. But my mom and I were certain that during our travel the company missed out on these three. Despite its appeal to budget backpackers, the bus company has also earned negative comments from a lot (and I really mean it) of dissatisfied (and some, abused) customers. A popular and oftentimes considered to be the most patronized and most suitable substitute for Sapaco Bus is the Mekong Express. Its fare falls on the same range as Sapaco but the services are said to be more complete thus allowing the company to receive a downpour of good reviews.
While the vehicle was making its way through narrow streets towards the expressway going to Cambodia, the bus conductor was verifying and collecting passports (and visa for non-ASEAN passengers) for easy processing at the Vietnam-Cambodia border. My mom took the liberty of communicating with the grumpy conductor (he was really being unfriendly—a said characteristic of Sapaco Bus staff according to another blog entry) while I was taking some shots of the bus interior and the busy city outside.
Checking of Passports (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
Motorcycle-Crowded Intersection (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
A Glimpse of Jollibee (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
There wasn’t really much to see—roadways, houses, apartments, inns, motels, hotels, cafes, bars, restaurants, malls, public terminals, ports, wet markets, and a lot of other typical urban establishments. Ho Chi Minh resembles other metropolises in Southeast Asia. Thank goodness I brought my iPod shuffle to provide me some audio entertainment as I stare with ennui at the monotonous city scenery. (I just notice how I tend to become redundant—“boredom overload” perhaps). But really, it was impossible not to fall into a deep slumber.
If you’re not the type of person who is fond of sleeping during trips (such as I am), then I suggest you bring 2-3 books to read, a fully-charged gadget that can provide you audio entertainment, and/or a few snacks that can satisfy your palate. If you wish, you may also bring your portable DVD player or laptop. But these are items that I am not endorsing as you may be catching the attention of nearby criminals.
I felt the bus coming into a halt. My mom was waking me up and telling me that we were already nearing the Vietnam-Cambodia border. We were asked to get down from the bus and present ourselves to the immigration. We needed to get our passports marked with the “departure” stamp so as to prove ourselves cleared of all other possible duties and responsibilities in Vietnam.
Immigration Office at the Vietnam Portion of the Border (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
The process at the immigration office (Vietnam portion of the border) was slow and, in my opinion, discriminative. All passengers were asked to wait as names were called out. I remembered how the conductor piled our passports and I knew that my mom and I should have been called within the first ten. But we were not. Apparently, the immigration officers were calling out names of those they can easily pronounced first—mostly Vietnamese, Cambodian and other mainland nationalities. In the end, I learned that most of those who were left behind were mostly Filipinos and Westerners. But I would have understood if it was the only problem.
A second bus has just arrived with a new set of passengers bound for Phnom Penh. And with the most unfortunate and cruel of all circumstances, the immigration officers called out names of locals from the said group first, instead of us who were left behind from the first bus. We were quite disappointed with the unfair process. But not one of us complained because we all know how immigration officers can cause greater trouble if we raise our concerns—for all we know, we may end up being stuck in Vietnam for some made up violation. But again, as what I have mentioned in Part 5 of my Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) travel journal, I am writing such bad experiences so as not to ruin the image of the Vietnamese or any other people for that matter but rather to warn other tourists about such delinquents lurking and giving dishonour to good societies.
After the immigration officer called out my name (I believe I was sixth from last) and my mom’s (she was third from last), we went out of the office and hurried inside the bus to take our seats. I would have wanted to take photographs near the premises of the Vietnam portion of the border but considering the facts that we were last and everyone inside the bus were already waiting for us including the grumpy conductor whose face looked so annoyed (as if it was our fault we got stuck inside!), and that my mom and I did not feel happy taking pictures after standing inside the office for a long time, no one can actually blame us for our choice to head back inside the vehicle.
Monument behind the Immigration Office at the Vietnam Portion of the Border (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
A less-than-a-minute ride (literally!) followed and we were once again asked to get off the bus and enter the immigration office (Cambodia portion of the border).
Cambodian Marker (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
Unlike at the Vietnam portion of the border, my mom and I were blessed to be assigned to one of those officers who were able to process documents and stamp passports quickly but efficiently. It was not long after when we found ourselves heading to the exit after a few minutes. We were just about to step outside when we were greeted by a man. “Kumusta kayo?” (Filipino translation of “How are you?”), he said. I replied with, “Mabuti naman po” (Filipino translation of “I’m fine”) and immediately asked, “Gaano na po kayo katagal nagtatrabaho dito?” (Filipino translation of “How long have you been working here?”). He first answered with a smile then continued with, “Sorry, I’m not Filipino. With many Filipinos visiting Cambodia, I was able to learn a few phrases myself.” Hearing his reply made me realize that we, Pinoys, being well-travelled and scattered all over the world, should be having this impact on other nationalities. We should actually be promoting our culture, tradition and language. The Chinese have done an amazing job influencing the world such that it is impossible not to see a Chinatown in a certain country. In addition, Mandarin has become a part of the curricula in many schools and universities worldwide. Would it be nice to have our own Pinoy Villages around the world? And would it be kind-of cool to have other nationalities speaking in our native language? What an ease in communication! I bid the man farewell and joined my mom outside for some photo-ops.
Immigration Office at the Cambodia Portion of the Border (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
The immigration office (Cambodia portion of the border) was just stunning to look at. With intricate roof engravings and other embellishments, the infrastructure may actually be mistaken to be a temple. My mom and I did not hesitate to take some pictures of the building and, of course, of ourselves.
Behind the Immigration Office at the Cambodia Portion of the Border (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
Me at the Border (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
My Mom and I (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
We then headed inside the bus to rest as we wait for other passengers. When the conductor finished his head count and realized that all were accounted, the driver made its way to new territory—Cambodia. Several majestic casinos welcomed us as we travel through the highway. It was just surprising for my part since I never envisioned Cambodia to be fond of such entertainment especially that it is considered to be a developing country such as the Philippines.
Titan Casino (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
Hours have gone by like minutes and the bus made a stop to allow passengers to have a late lunch. I wasn’t really hungry so it was only my mom who went down and got herself a bowl of steaming noodle soup. It was not long after when the passengers started entering the bus. The conductor did his usual head count when the vehicle seemed full inside and gave the driver a go signal to start the final leg of our journey.
The sceneries to Phnom Penh were rural as oppose to the urban setting just outside Ho Chi Minh. Several little houses lined the roadsides while a few large houses stand somewhere in the middle of the plains. The main highway was somewhat asphalted but the reddish-brown soil have caused it to appear dirty.
It was not long after when we reached a river that cuts across a portion of Cambodia. My mom told me that a small boat able to contain a number of land vehicles will be used to reach the other bank. She said that if the bus driver decided to cross via the bridge located several kilometres away from where we were at the moment, it would take us ages to reach Phnom Penh. And so I was quite amazed that a mode of transportation similar to our very own Ro-Ro (i.e. Roll-on, Roll-off boat) was also being effectively utilized in Cambodia.
Boat Ride (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
The crossing of the bank was relatively faster than what I expected. In a matter of minutes, I found the bus once again making its way through the highway. At this point, the conductor decided to turn on the television and insert a DVD inside the player. I was quite excited to know what the crew decided to feature. And after a few adjustments to the volume and contrast, (Alas!) it was a show that brought me a terrible headache that lasted for an entire night! But the details of that, my friends, will be available in my next blog entry.
It was a rainy afternoon when the bus reached the heart of Phnom Penh. Different establishments and monuments lined both sides of the road—all drenched by the pouring rain.
Raindrops (Photograph by EK Encarnacion)
The bus finally swerved to the terminal where my godmother, uncle and cousins were waiting for our arrival. My mom and I got our baggage and headed towards our relatives. And after a few hugs and kisses, my cousin exclaimed, “Welcome to Cambodia, Kuya!”
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Making Your Way through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
It was EK Encarnacion's first time to travel from one country to another via land transportation. Although quite relatively uneasy during the entire trip, he believes that it was essential that he was able to experience such in life. To learn more of his viewpoints, visit his other blogs: Every-Comedy-Thing (life blog), Culinary Coliseum (food blog), and By God's Grace (gratitutde blog). His works are also indexed at one of the best Pinoy blogs, The Filipino Diaspora.
