Claire & Melanie's Global Trek

Saturday: Day 28- Early rising for both of us after only 3 hrs sleep! Didn't feel the best to say the least! But night was well worth it! Great bunch of people they were! Long day ahead of us, and the journey to Bangkok was an experience of a lifetime! We were due to leave Siem Reap at 7a.m. and get a bus to the border of Cambodia and Thailand, so we walked down our dirt path and waited at the corner. There were only two other people waiting there also so we presumed that we were getting a lift to the bus stop and that is why there were only 4 of us. Shortly afterwards, a car picks us up and says that the bus that was to take us to the bus had broken down and he was going to give us a lift to the bus. We all piled our bags in the back and hopped in. After about 30 mins and leaving the city to enter the bumpy zig-zag ride to the border, we thought to ourselves that the bus stop couldn't be this far away! Of course our driver wasn't informative at all, and you have to guess yourself, but he said he was actually bringing us to the border! Delighted to hear this as we originally looked into getting a "shared taxi" instead of the Cambodian bus! But it was too expensive! But it was the case! No A/C though just the fresh Cambodian air!
The road to the border was one long dirt path made of potholes! We drove mainly in a zig-zag line to avoid the pot-holes that were the size of an Olympic swimming pool. The journey was about 4 hrs long! We found out the reason they don't fix the roads there was because the airlines are paying the government NOT to upgrade the roads! So they get more business!! But the locals are the ones that lose out because they can't afford to fly!

Interesting petrol stop story- We stopped at a "gas station", no pumps or store as such, just a couple of guys standing around sheds and not sure how he knew they sold petrol but anyway, we pulled in and stretched our legs and got the usual stares and waited while he filled up. This consisted of opening the trunk, and feeding through a tube into the trunk somewhere and filling it with gas! Very strange but the car was so old, perhaps it was man-made! Then we heard this loud, piercing, squealing sound coming from across the road!!! We looked over and it was a Cambodian struggling to strap a........pig on his moped! Upside down!!!!! The pigs legs were kicking in the air, his ears were twitching, he was squealing as loud as he could but it didn't make a difference to his situation! There was already one pig strapped on upside down with his legs kicking straight up in the air. His friend's destiny was the same! After 20 mins- he managed to strap him on! The poor pig! I swore I would never eat pork ever again!......(until I was in a country where I knew it was safe to eat!!)

Made it to the border after our long crazy journey where half of it was in the "shoulder" of the road as there were fewer potholes there or in the median swaying back and forth. Here we had to cross the border and walk in the blistering heat to get our bus which we thought we'd definitely be getting this time to the city as we were lucky already! But....it was a nice air conditioned mini-van! This was the rolls we were looking for! Another interesting story, well not interesting, unfortunate I should say. The journey was about 2 hrs or so to Bangkok and the passenger in the front seat was violently sick. He must have been sick every 5 mins all the way to the city. He had to roll down the window and when the driver stopped he would also get out! Of course the driver had no sympathy for him so i'm sure he felt isolated. When we got to Bangkok, we felt sorry for him and asked him what was wrong, where he was staying and could we help him. He was from Scotland and he said that he had been sick for 2 wks now and wasn't really sure what was wrong but he lost 15 lbs. He said Dr said he had gastroenteritis but I don't think it was because I had that when I arrived and I didn't get sick at all like he did. Then we asked him was he drinking the water and eating fruit&veg... & he said for 2 months he was!!!!!! DON'T drink water & eat fruit!!! We checked him into where we were staying and he went straight to bed. We checked on him an our later to make sure he was still alive and gave him a few bottles of water! He was not healthy& he has to fly home the next day. I wonder was he allowed on the plane?
Anyway, arrived at 5, checked into the D&D Inn on Khoa San Road and went to meet my friend Colin! Was great to see him again & swap stories! We went to the Irish pub across the road and a few other places. Claire and Colin got a big pitcher (a yard of ale I think it's called?) and I had warm vodka's! Had a great night and unfortunately we were leaving tomorrow to Koh Phagnan and Colin was going the opposite way!

Sunday: Day 29- Spent the day shopping on Khoa San Road as we wanted to buy some fake runners for Koh Phagnan and few other souvenirs. Also treated ourselves to a 30 min facial (for $5)!
Our overnight bus for Koh Phagnan didn't leave until 9p.m. so we had some time to kill & breathe in the last bit of Bangkok's smell!
So we left Bangkok and went on our merry way following the multitudes to Ko Phangan! Got our green stickers and waited with over 100 other people all waiting to do the same trip! The bus journey wasn't that bad actually, comfy recliners and managed to get a few hours kip! Arrived at Chumpon really early in the morning and we were ferried across to the islands, one of the last stops being Ko Phangan!