Hi all,
To give you an idea of my travel budget, if someone decided to mug me,
they’d end up putting something in my pockets. It’s fortunate I’m in SE
asia, but you gotta have your wits, because some people will always try
their luck….
Well, on the morning of leaving Phuket, I booked a bus/coach/ferry ticket
that translated into 12 hours of travelling before I reached the verdant
green gorgeous island of Koh Phan Ngan, a recommendation by a friend. I had
arrived at ground zero i.e. full moon party weekend (unplanned); drunk
people were everywhere, the bars were blaring out loud music, people
heckling left right and centre for tuk-tuk rides, restauramts, souvigners,
the works. I pushed through the throng of people and very luckily escaped
sunrise beach (where the party was) on a longboat destined for the resort
I’d booked, on the remote east coast. I thought that it was quite ironic
that I had landed bang in the biggest party in Thailand, and had decided to
high-tail it to the only quiet pocket of paradise, riding the rough sea
swell under a full moon in complete silence (save the engine noise). Spent
four days relaxing at this resort (kinda hippy-esque with yoga classes, vege
menu, soothing music 24/7, fasting, people reading Tarot cards…you get the
idea). I wasn’t there for any of that, but because of the dead cert that
there would be only a hand full of backpackers and that I wouldn’t meet any
laary t*ssers content with getting pissed and passing out during the day.
My days were remmincent of Fiji’s bounty island- waking up to sunshine
bursting though my window, hearing the din of the sea waves crashing against
the beach right outside my room, I’d have a swim/ laze in a hammock and then
spend my whole day writing/ reading, listening to music, sunbathing,
swimming and frequently eating amazing Thai food with or without company at
a fab restaurant perched on a headland in between two beaches, with such a
panaromic view too!!
Tearing myself away from my gulf of Thailand paradise, I caught the ferry
back to the mainland and almost missed my night train to Bangkok “ässumption
is the mother of all f*ck ups”. This saying is so apt, as I thought that
everyone else sat down eating with me were going to Bangkok, hearing them
say that the train’s delayed. The penny dropped when a french guy asked äre
you going to Penang too?”. I thought oh shit, my train isn’t late but is in
fact the same bloody thing that’s on the verge of pulling away from this
station!!”….I legged it and managed to just get on!! Bangkok itself was
sweet, like visiting an old friend. Only two nights spent there, with an
Irish girl I met on the train, so I had great pleasure in dining out with my
Thai friends and exploring a bit more of the city, as well as the mandatory
stop in my favourite massage parlour!!
A change of plan….I decided to go to Cambodia with the Irish girl, as she
said it would be great to go together. The journey to Cambodia took ALL
day, leaving Bangkok early morning and clearing customs at the
thai/cambodian border late lunchtime. The real fun came when we had to use
the Cambodian “road” from its border to the final destination of Siam Reap,
taking a loooong 5-6 hours. The “road” itself was nothing more than a dirt
track with a lot of pot holes and stones, constantly shaking our minibus. I
cannot describe how bad the road is, suffice to say that when we took a road
detour (due to road works!!), the surface actually improved!! Stayed a
couple of days here and explored the unfathamable achievements of the
Cambodians in the form of Ankor Wat. This temple site is the most
incredible beautiful achievement I’ve ever seen- intricate stonework on such
a grand scale. Ankor Wat is actually one of over 100 temple sights in the
area, being a part of the vast Khemer empire’s capital. We got there at
dark and watched the sunrise slowely unshroud this immense holy structure,
worth getting up at 4.30am!! We did the ëssential” sights with our
motorcyle guides and just went around like headless chickens snapping pics
all day, pausing in the town of Siem Reap during the afternoon as we were
“templed-out”.
From Siem Reap, my two friends (Irish girl and U.S guy) and I travelled to
the capital of Cambodia- Phnom Phen, where we’ve spent the last three
nights, one of my longest stops in one place to date!! That’s saying
something in itself don’t you think? We used our time to do the beautiful
city justice, seeing the national museum (exhibiting the khmer culture), the
Grand Palace (with all of its temples and gold statues), the killing fields
(where Pol Pot and his evil genocidal regime tortured and killed 20,000
people using clubs and firearms during the mid 70’s), the genocide museum,
the Russian Market (you could aquire anything here!!), the cafes/ eateries
and just dumb wondering around its quant streets. I like this place a lot,
as i contains a lot of crumbling french architecture, a colonial city
dropped into the heart of SE asia!! Imagine coupling the food, traffic, buzz
of people, smells and sounds of any asian place and then adding old European
buildings- the best of both worlds!!
I’m done with Cambodia now, a great place of raw energy, great people and a
huge treaure-trove of culture that is still understated!! Going to the “nam
tomorrow….Siagon here I come!!
Oli.
Really do wish you guys/girls could share some of these moments with me!!
