At the bus stop for Phnom Penh, we met a Japanese university student. It was his first backpacking trip, but he had already faced a disaster: shortly after arriving in Ho Chi Minh, he was walking through the city when his backpack — with his passport inside — was stolen. A nightmare beginning.
We hit it off and decided to travel together by bus. Between Vietnam and Cambodia lies the Mekong River. Since there’s no road, the entire bus boards a ferry to cross the border — a truly adventurous and surreal experience.
Once in Cambodia, the bus sped along the road, overtaking oncoming traffic with a fearlessness that was thrilling and terrifying.
We arrived safely in Phnom Penh and stayed at a guesthouse together. Interacting with people met on the road is one of the greatest joys of backpacking.
The next day, we visited the Killing Fields — a tragic reminder of the Khmer Rouge era, where mass killings occurred. Some bones still resurface from the soil. The atmosphere was heavy and left us speechless.
After that, we booked a shared bus to Siem Reap. The path to Angkor Wat was finally opening.
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