November 28th, 2005- Back to Thailand
The main highway between Vietnam and Thailand
Well, we decided to leave Cambodia and head back into Thailand and go to the island of Ko Chang. What a journey! I know i say that every time we go anywhere, but Cambodia was not only the icing, but the cake itself as well.
Leaving Sihanoukville at 7am (goodbye lovely beach... sniff sniff) we got an mini "bus" to the Thai border. I wouldn't call it a mini-bus at all. More like a run down death trap. There was seating for 12 and for half the journey we had 14. Adrian and I were lucky enough to nab the two seats in the front, and let me tell you i am so glad that we did! The road was dirt (their main highway!) and very bumpy. They have no bridges so at each of the 4 rivers we crossed we had to get boat ferries, which were more like two boats with a huge plank of wood over them that you drive onto. Pretty scary!
Leaving Sihanoukville at 7am (goodbye lovely beach... sniff sniff) we got an mini "bus" to the Thai border. I wouldn't call it a mini-bus at all. More like a run down death trap. There was seating for 12 and for half the journey we had 14. Adrian and I were lucky enough to nab the two seats in the front, and let me tell you i am so glad that we did! The road was dirt (their main highway!) and very bumpy. They have no bridges so at each of the 4 rivers we crossed we had to get boat ferries, which were more like two boats with a huge plank of wood over them that you drive onto. Pretty scary!
Rural homes in Cambodia
When we were nearing the end of the journey, it started to POUR rain and the road began to get very muddy and we were sliding around everywhere. With so many bodies in the car the windows were all steamed up and even in the front i couldn't see a thing... at one point the driver stopped to wipe the windows and we got stuck in the mud for 10 minutes on a hill!
Anyways, eventually we made it to the thai border. Crossed through without a problem and then had to get yet another mini-bus to Trat, the next main city from the border. Only this time it was a proper mini-bus with air-con and we were in Thailand so the roads were actually roads. (it was funny-- when i first got to Thailand i thought it was really minging.. and then after going to Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam and cambodia, to go back to thailand was like going back to civilization).
Anyways, eventually we made it to the thai border. Crossed through without a problem and then had to get yet another mini-bus to Trat, the next main city from the border. Only this time it was a proper mini-bus with air-con and we were in Thailand so the roads were actually roads. (it was funny-- when i first got to Thailand i thought it was really minging.. and then after going to Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam and cambodia, to go back to thailand was like going back to civilization).
So we arrive into Trat and get a ferry over to Ko Chang. And the fun don't stop there! To get from the pier to the main beach, we needed a taxi. In thailand it is all swathides (something like that) which are like small pick-up trucks with canopy like things on them, with two benches along both sides of the box of the truck. After cramming 12 people into it we were on our way. Only Ko Chang is really mountainous, and we are on our way up this really windy steep hill the truck slows down, and then dies. It is getting dark now and we are stuck on this steep, windy hill, with other cars driving by in both directions. The driver then tells us he is out of gas. Brilliant.
Eventually another taxi truck came and picked us up and we made it to our guesthouse. We booked ourselves in for 5 nights. There isn't a lot to do here other than be lazy on the beach and maybe go snorkelling and such, which is fine with me because these are my last 10 days in Thailand (sob!) and with Adrian.
From here we are gonna head to bangkok for adrians bday and then i leave for england on dec 6th. Then home on the 13th. Not sure if i should be happy or sad about that it is a strange feeling and it is really starting to sink in now. Less than a month. (another sob)
Until next time ladies and gents.
Eventually another taxi truck came and picked us up and we made it to our guesthouse. We booked ourselves in for 5 nights. There isn't a lot to do here other than be lazy on the beach and maybe go snorkelling and such, which is fine with me because these are my last 10 days in Thailand (sob!) and with Adrian.
From here we are gonna head to bangkok for adrians bday and then i leave for england on dec 6th. Then home on the 13th. Not sure if i should be happy or sad about that it is a strange feeling and it is really starting to sink in now. Less than a month. (another sob)
Until next time ladies and gents.