0530. It is an early departure out of Siem Reap. We have a lot of ground to cover. But my driver is late.
His name is Chamnam. He’s actually a certified Tour Guide, but I’ve only asked to be driven around. The addition of tour guiding fees costs nearly $100 and for a single traveller, I wasn’t willing to pay that much.
The car he’s using is very beat up, dusty, a little rattly. Sitting in the car, I think that on this trip, I’ve been really careless. I’ve made appointments with drivers (all men), do not know them, travelled to far and remote places with them, leaving at early hours, in the dark, so dark that sometimes I don’t even get to see their faces till much later, and really, no one knows who they are because I’ve not informed anyone whom I’m meeting.
But all these thoughts coming fast and furious as Chamnam drives fast and furiously further from Siem Reap are useless. The street lamps, already sparse in parts of Siem Reap disappear completely. It’s only the car headlamps on the road now.