A DARE DEVIL DRIVE - Automobile Association of Singapore

BROQUET - THE FUEL CHARGER

It's amazing what that shiny chromed canister did for the performance of my Vitara. Like most car enthusiasts, I went through a stage when every advertisement that said thing fitting in their product would give instant power, fuel savings, etc…I fitted to the car, inevitably most fell short…..by miles, it did make the engine roar a lot though but then that was all it did. This time around, I have to eat humble pie. The "Broquet" is good and it does what it says. My Vitara accelerates a lot faster and is smoother than before. The engine is "sweet". Even my fuel consumption has improved.

I used to get around 230km to 30 liters of fuel. It's now 300km to 30 liters. Jeremy says that it'll get better the longer I use it. We'll see. What's interesting though is that even when we had to fill up along the way in Cambodia, where the petrol's sometimes a bit dodgy, we never had any problems. The engine was just as happy as ever. We covered a total distance of about 5000km in all and the engines' still purring like a pussycat.

I'd never understand how the reactor core in the shiny chrome canister works, but I can tell you for sure, "The bloody thing works!"

A DARE DEVIL DRIVE

"Drive to Cambodia?? You're nuts! If the landmines don't blow you away, the Khmer Rouge will."

I'd heard those words so often from friends who really cared for me but discouraged my wild love of living on the edge. Yes, I had made up my mind… I was going to drive to Cambodia, all the way from Singapore. The only trouble was finding someone to come along as navigator/co-driver.

Moving up to Penang, Malaysia. I bought a second-hand Suzuki Vitara. Not one of those fancy fuel-injected jobs but a simple carburetored version. Up went the 'Roo-bars and side nerf-bars, a set of spotlights, and Old Man Emu shock absorbers. A quick trip back to Singapore for road-maps. A GPS (Global Positioning System), a Mac G3 PowerBook, and filmstock and I was going to take off in a fortnight.

Then along comes an old kart racing friend. Hauw Wee who after a dozen years catches up with me in Penang. I tell him of my plans and without hesitation he volunteers to come along. I don't question my luck!

Once back in Singapore, Hauw wasted no time. Figuring that the Vitara needed a bit more power, he spoke to Jeremy Ong of Universal Consultants agents for the Broquet Fuel Reactor. "I think you better come down and meet Jeremy personally" said Hauw over coffee in S'pore. Jeremy began his spiel of how effective the "Broquet" was. More power, better fuel consumption, quicker throttle response, and to top it all, the "Broquet" would probably be able to help overcome the dodgy fuel quality that we could expect in Cambodia. "Bloody salesman. "I thought to myself. Still, it couldn't hurt.

In Penang, Hauw and I spent the evening packing up the gear. It seemed like there were a million and one things to do. Spare plugs, belts etc. all went into one bag. Oils into another. Filmstock into the portable cooler. Then came our bags, the camerabag, laptop, handphones…it pretty much was packed to the brim.

Early the next morning sees us heading towards the Thai border. Customs and Immigration clearance on both sides of the border was easy enough, the Thais as always courteous and polite.

We stayed a night in Haadyai. The night is always alive in this little town. Mind you, prices have gone up a fair bit and Haadyai is no longer the cheapie little town of yester-years. Hotel prices usually start at around 1000 Baht per night. Here's a little tip. Don't go straight to the hotel and ask for the room rates. Instead, go round the corner and look for a travel agency (there's usually one on most corners) and get them to do the hotel booking for you. Now that room only costs 700 Baht!

Just before we leave the next morning, we drop into the TAT office to check on hotels up north. An extremely helpful officer hands us several road maps and a book of hotel listings in Thailand. "How long will you be staying in Thailand, sir," he asks Hauw. "Actually we're driving on to Cambodia." Hauw replies. More maps are placed across the tables and everyone offer little bits of useful information. "Remember, get your Cambodian visa in Bangkok. You should have no problem crossing into Cambodia, but be careful."

Okay, okay, I already know the 'careful bit. So doing the "korp-kun mah" (that's "Thank you very much" in English) we're off heading north towards Chumpon, about 500km away and the halfway point towards Bangkok. "Just follow the GPS." Hauw says, as he stretches out in the seat. "I've already keyed in the co-ordinates. Easy ah?" Yes.

Until we realized that the GPS will show you the way there in the shortest possible straight line! And the road route is rarely in a straight line! Out come the maps again and we plot some more waypoints to help us on our way. Now everything is easy. The drive to Chumpon is smooth. The Vitara moves well, the engine purring like a contented pussycat at 4000 rpm. The roads from Hatyai to Chumpon have been widened, unlike the drive up in '94 when I drove up from Singapore to Laos. Much if not all, of it is very good and safe with clear directions. The corners are positive-banked so you can pretty much take them flat out if you get into the right line, so to speak. What can be a little disconcerting is that half-finished roads can abruptly change from a single direction flow to two ways. It is terribly un-nerving to suddenly find oncoming traffic on what you'd presumed was a single way flow! I'm sure the Thai's will get it sorted out.

The sad thing though is that little villages get flattened to make way for Expressways. Gone are the colorful little village morning markets. We get into Bangkok by evening the next day. On the way up, we stopped at Hua Hin, seaside resort of the better-heeled Thais' and tourists. High-rise condominiums and five-star hotels line the beachfront, even more under construction just after the highway turn-off into Hua Hin itself. The pier is crowded with fishing vessels. Just after this is the market and then long rows of seafood restaurants. What better place to stop for "tom-yum seafood" lunch.

After this was a slow drive to Cha'am, another beach resort. Popular with the locals, Cha'am seems to have stood still in time. The umbrellas still dot the beach, the same stalls selling seashells and the hawkers still ply their food along the road. Like the years before, I relaxed under the beach umbrella as I gulped down the king-sized barbecued prawns. Now it was time to get on, into the bustling capital of Thailand, the playground of the rich and famous. Bangkok is always vibrant. It is always busy… and crowded.. and the traffic…hmm, what, no traffic-jams any more? Yes, it's true. The city authorities have done an amazing job of building highways that have eased the traffic flow.

The next morning, heads still swimming in "Singha", we make our way to the Cambodian Embassy. The guard at the gate wouldn't let us in, saying that it was Friday and it was already closed. We told him that we had driven up all the way from Singapore and were heading towards Cambodia. I think the chap was a bit impressed, allowed us in and directed us to the Travel Counselor.

Mr Travel Counselor was all but encouraging. In muted tones he tells me, "It is not possible, sir. Very dangerous. Cambodian government very worry because of car smuggling. Many bad man. Bandits. "To which I counter, "Sir, I was told that it was no problem. Thailand and Cambodia can drive. Very safe now. Tell me, sir who is telling the truth?" You need clearance from Ministry of Interior." He says. "Ministry of Interior, top man is my friend's cousin. My friend say top man is expecting us. "Boy, was I lying through my teeth! We get our visas by 4.30 in the evening. Express service this! The next day, we leave for Aranyaprathet on the Thai-Cambodian border. Again, the roads are excellent. There are gas stations along the way so filling-up is never a problem. Cruising at a comfortable 100km we arrive in less than three hours and head straight for the border crossing for a quick look around. There is a mass of human traffic here. It is crowded with people. Landmine victims abound many with their legs missing move about on modified tricycles. Khmer children, ragged and dirty, play along a disused railway track that runs through both countries. Some come running up to us begging for a few 'riels' (the Cambodian currency). It's hard to say no, it's a moving sight.

Turning the Vitara around, we drive back into town and check into the Inter Hotel for a warm bath. Refreshed, we decide to explore the area. Aranyaprathet made the news some months earlier when heavy fighting broke out between the Cambodian government armed forces and the Khmer Rouge. Thousands of Khmer civilians fled into Thailand's border towns to escape the fighting. Refugee camps sprung up overnight. I went around looking for the refugee camp. Finding the Red Cross offices, I was told that we had missed the mass repatriation of refugees. They went back to Cambodia two days ago. Talk about poor timing!

We spend another day here checking the car, making sure that everything's working fine…and of course doing that singular chore which all travelers hate - the laundry. A call on the handphone to Sophy, my Cambodian friend who will act as our translator, confirms that he will meet us at Poipet the following day. Gut feeling makes me check with the Thai Customs about driving into Cambodia. The customs officer at the border was adamant that we could not drive across in the Vitara. He told us that the only way was for us to get approval from the Customs office. Finding the correct office proved taxing. We were sent scuttling into town from office to another, and then back to the border before finally finding the correct Customs Office. Not making any headway with the junior officers, I was directed to the AranyaPathet Chief Customs Officer.

Mr Ithiwat Tiptus was most helpful. No problem. He had just returned from Battambong after a conference with his Cambodian counterparts to facilitate travel between both countries. Endorsing the vehicle declaration form, which we had filled up at Sadao, he made a photocopy for his records. "You must surrender the original to the Thai Customs office at the border. Do not lose the photocopy otherwise you will have problems when you return. Please remember the expiry date of the permit. You have to leave Thailand by that date. Make sure your Khmer friend is there to meet you. He must be there to guide you otherwise there might be problems," Mr Ithiwat warned.

On the 6 April at 3pm, with the flags of Malaysia, Thailand. Singapore and Cambodia flying from the roof of the car, we make the crossing. Things went smoothly on the Thai side - I suspect that Mr Ithiwat had spoken to the officials there. The crossing into no man's land, though no more than 500 meters, was interesting. Truckloads of people and cargo criss-crossing the dusty narrow road, a mass of humanity moving in all directions.

At Poipet, the Immigration officers duly stamped our visas. Just as we were doing this Sophy showed up. After Immigration we were directed to Customs, this is where all the trouble started. The Chief of Customs kept asking for "the car travel book" - something I'd never heard of up until then, I produced all the relevant car documents but that didn't seem to help. We spent about three hours talking and talking. It was useless, the Officer wouldn't budge. Parking the car in the Customs compound, we hopped onto a "Moto Dot" (normally a Honda Club taxi) and checked into a hotel, deciding to review the whole situation tomorrow. Like most border towns, Poipet is small, dusty and filled with Military personnel. It's not difficult to imagine what it was like before the present government took over by absorbing into their military ranks, members of the Khmer Rouge. Actually all you have to do is picture these very same soldiers in another uniform. Up until early last year, areas of this town, including Battambong, Sisophon and Pursat, were Khmer Rouge controlled.

Poipet also lies on the notorious K-5belt, a five kilometer belt that follows the Thai-Cambodian border from Pailin in the south to Prey Vihear in the north. The belt is one of the heaviest land-mined areas in the world. De-mining operations are still being carried out by organizations. We are a motley crew the next morning. Sophy makes a call to his office in Phnom Penh to get his staff to go to the Customs there to clear the matter. He will only get a reply about 4pm. A Thai chap, Mr Suvinai and I get to talking. When he learns of our predicament, he offers to help. He goes down back to the Customs office at Poipet where the Vitara is kept and finds that what the Customs want is a copy of the Simplified Form of the temporary import of vehicles which we had earlier given to the Thai customs. Suvinai manages to get the original and makes a photocopy for the customs at Poipet. He also has to slip them US$50. They tell him to come at 5pm to collect the car.

That evening, Suvinai and Sophy go down to the customs and by 6.30pm he's back with the car at the hotel. We load up and head for Sisophan 49km away. Saying that the roads are bad is an understatement. There are no streetlights and as night falls, the roads become pitch-black and deserted. We pass tiny villages. In the darkness I can see a few people sitting about. Their heads turn as we pass, the flags flapping in the breeze, catch their attention. We pass through two checkpoints with military clad personnel brandishing AK-47s (Russian made assault rifles). Sophy shouts, "Don't stop!" as Hauw slows down for a split second. We speed past them without incident. "Illegal checkpoints," says Sophy. They extort and sometimes rob the cars that stop."

At about 9.15pm we come to another checkpoint. "Stop or not?" asks Hauw. Sophy hesitates as he peers into the darkness and then yells, "Stop. Stop. Military Police!" Those AR-15s pointing straight at us show they mean serious business. We are surrounded by Military Police and Customs officials. Sophy gets out and speaks to them. We are instructed to follow them across the wooden bridge to Sisophon. Sophy travels in the jeep with them ahead of us. At the bridge, we see a big gapping hole almost in the middle. An officer gets out and guides us across. On hindsight, perhaps it was a blessing that we were stopped before we got to the bridge. We could have had a big accident if we hit the hole that night.

Arriving at the Customs Headquarters ten minutes later, we are told to park the Vitara in the compound as Sophy disappears into the office with the guards. From the window, I see him busy speaking to the Chief Customs Officer here. There is nothing much that we can do except just hang around outside in the compound and wait till Sophy returns. Several Military Police and Customs officers befriend us. They're curious as they have never seen Singaporeans drive all the way up here. Sophy appears and looks agitated. He'd overheard an in-coming message from the Police/Military checkpoint just outside of Sisophon. About five minutes after we had passed one of the illegal checkpoints, a taxi stopped and the driver and occupants got robbed and killed….Sheeez, God must really love us! The next morning Sophy and I go to the Banteay Meachay Governors' office and ask for assistance. Translating, Sophy says that the Governor is angry that this should happen - given the fact what we are doing is promoting tourism in Cambodia. He signs and stamps his approval for us to proceed. Back at the Customs, we produce this "Governor not my boss." We are told to go to Phnom Penh to get the approval.

A four-hour taxi (actually a modified Nissan pick-up with extra passenger seating added) ride takes us to Battambong. Again the roads are really bad…It's like going off-road on-road! Most cars here have raised suspensions and stiffer springs. Roadside vehicle breakdown is a common sight… the most common problem being a broken suspension.

Hauw decides to stay in Battambong while Sophy and I catch a plane to Phnom Penh.

The fare is US$45 one-way. Flight time is one hour in a twin-prop turbo. Very basic - no in-flight service no announcements…nothing but seats and dubious seatbelts! We head straight for the Customs office but it is Saturday afternoon and they are already closed. Monday morning sees Sophy and I shuttling up and down at the Customs office. I was beginning to have serious doubts about ever seeing my Vitara again. There was only one avenue left - the Singapore Embassy. The Second Secretary, Ms Tay was very helpful. Expressing disbelief, "You What?" You're joking, you know, this country has no law….every government department head is a Law unto himself. You guys must be very brave…or very crazy!" Then congratulating me on being the first ever Singaporean to drive into Cambodia, she offers to help.

The next morning she prepares a letter to the Chief of Customs asking for his help on this matter. If we cannot drive into Phnom Penh, the letter expresses they grant us release of the Vitara to drive back to Singapore. The letter works. Back at the Customs House, I'm
ushered straight up the stairs into the office of the 'Numero Uno' of Cambodian Customs, "Please accept my apologies for this mix-up," says Mr Pen Siman, "But you really should have filled in our Customs form for the temporary use of your car in Cambodia. I apologise profusely, silently cursing Sophy under my breath for not translating this to me in the first place. "I have already prepared the form for you. Just sign.

So it was a flight back to Battambong, pick-up Hauw, and another taxi ride to Sisophon. Overjoyed to see us back, the Customs Chief and Captain Chansamnang buy us dinner. "Real Khmer food." says Capt. Chansamnang.

The next day we gun the Vitara and head for Phnom Penh, a hard 11 hour drive through some of the worst road conditions I've ever experienced. It was a good thing that we decided to do the drive during the 'dry' season. It would have been really bad if it were during the rainy season. We pass through the towns of Battambong, Pursat and Kampong Chhnang before finally reaching Phnom Penh. Along the way we see that de-mining operations are still being carried out. A word here about taking a 'leak' while on the road. Get out and take a 'leak' close to the car. Forget modesty. There are still some stray mines lying about in the bush. Better the whole countryside gets a temporary look at what's between your legs than you losing them for good! At Phnom Penh, we cause quite a stir when we park the car at Sharky Bar. Jay Steed, part-owner of the bar, nearly falls off the bar stool when I tell him that we've driven here. The drinks flow freely. We spend a few more days in Phnom Penh and make enquiries about driving up to Siem Reap and Angkor. The roads, we're told are even worse than the Poipet to Phnom Penh run. The car would never make it. Well, we'd already been the first into Cambodia. There was no point pushing Lady Luck. We headed back and began that long drive home. Maybe Vladivostok the next time. I hear the bad guys use tourists for target practise. Anyone care to come along??