Crusoe in South East Asia

My transport to Bangkok had been arranged to pick me up from the hotel at approximately 7.30 am. Didn’t want to be late so ran down to the lobby and was there waiting at 7.29. Feeling pleased with myself I sat down to wait in the lobby, expecting someone any minute. Sure enough a bus turned up 5 minutes later and I was practically on the bus when I realised it wasn’t going to Bangkok but back to Vietnam. Close shave. Go back and wait another 10minutes. Its now nearly 8am and the super deluxe bus I’d paid the extra $4 would be leaving any minute now and I still was no where near its departure point. I was beginning to get worried. Speaking to the staff at my guesthouse, they didn’t have a clue. I asked if I could telephone the travel company and ask them what was going on but they informed me their phone was broken and that their mobiles didn’t have credit. Great…Another 10 minutes goes by. I was beginning to wonder whether I’d be in Bangkok today. Sometimes when travelling you have to be patient…but other times you need to take action. I wasn’t sure which time it was so decided to take action. Eventually the guy running the hotel agreed to go and phone the travel company from a nearby phone. 3 minutes later, an irrate driver on a motorbike turns up and apparently everything is my fault. He grabs my back and gesticulates for me to get on the motorbike. Another great start to the day.
Speeding through the streets, he starts having a go at me. I tell him to go shove it up his ass….

He doesn’t understand but I realise we’re passed making friends at this stage in the day. I arrive at the ‘bus stop’ where he chucks off my bag and drives off, leaving me thoroughly confused. There are 2 buses and I don’t know if I’m supposed to get on either of them. To make matters worse…neither is the super deluxe bus and both are crammed to overflowing. I begin to think my $4 may not have been worth it and that perhaps I’d been scammed and that maybe there was no super deluxe bus. My day was just getting better and better…

A guy came out of the crowd and tried to push me onto the first bus…Sure why not? Then a second guy comes over and starts pulling me to the bus behind. I can’t be bothered to fight at this stage and so just go where everyone is pulling me. I enter the second bus and find there are no seats available (see yesterdays photo-post from Cambodia). There is a plastic red garden chair in the middle of the aisle practically next to the bus driver. This turns out to be my chair. I decide that this must be first class as everyone around me has paid $8 while I’ve paid 50% more. Decide therefore it is my right to get a better bus experience. I try and find the perks of the red chair and decide my first advantage is that I can board the bus anytime I like as long its last. I also get priority exit from the bus (no one else can exit if I’m sitting there) and finally, the biggest advantage: I had unlimited leg room while everyone else had there legs up by their ears. To be honest this alone probably was worth the extra $4. I tried to ignore the slight disadvantage of where I’d end up if we crashed….and the fact the guys knee behind me was smashing my kidneys at every bump….and the fact plastic garden chairs don’t do any favours for your bum after 3 hours. Whether the super deluxe bus existed or not it no longer mattered as either way, clearly I wasn’t on it.

Eventually, we arrived at the border. Somehow, I managed to navigate my way through the border (no easy achievement). Infact, prior to arriving at the Thai border customs I found my way being ushered into a very posh hotel. For a split second, I thought Thailand’s border was perhaps the nicest border control in the world….

On the other side I realise that the Indonesians I’d met yesterday and travelled with on the day before where in fact crammed like sardines behind me on the bus. I pretend to drive the bus. Very fun and also get mic control. I seriously felt like the tourguide on the bus as there was practically no room for me to sit so every now and again I’d stand and give information about Cambodia to the rest of the bus on the loudspeakers until I was threatened with the exit. Subdued I borrowed a book off a girl called Vicky. I can’t remember the title except this doesn’t matter as it was thoroughly rubbish. It was covered in butterflies and the title was in pink. Read the first 2 chapters and then realised I had amazing vistas just above my feet on the bags in front and yet I was reading some trashy shit. When I tried to give her the book back her face cracked me up. (see yesterdays pictures) Reese the Aussie guy next to her then woke her up by shoving his hand in her mouth….

In fact, the bus stopped several times for the bus driver to get off and walk around the bus. I have 2 theories as to why he was doing this: 1) He was checking for flat tyres (it was pretty bumpy) 2) He was checking for illegal immigrants. Apparently many Cambodians try and hop over the border each day to get into Thailand. Either way, he didn’t either so we continued until he felt the need to check again every 5 minutes…

Gave all my spare Riel to Cambodian kids at the border. Not that I had a lot but realised it would do more for them than it would in even the best scrap book I could ever make. I have to admit I wasn’t prepared for the poverty I’d see in Cambodia. I still feel guilty about not giving to beggars. Last night at my hotel while waiting for the internet I found a pamphlet for an orphanage in Cambodia. Once I return home I will donate to the  orphanage. That way hopefully I can help someone. Whether the money actually helps the right people I will never know but I can only try…On the positive side by visiting Cambodia I am helping their economy and thus making peoples live better. Even if this only on the microscopic level….

Transferred from the bus once on the Thai side onto a minibus. Spoke to a some Japanese travellers. 2 guys and a girl who had just met up with them joined them. The girl spoke good English while the 2 guys spoke very little. The 2 guys were determined to teach me Japanese slang for everything. Why is it that all the Japanese who want to teach me only teach me slang? One day I’m going to be fluent but will also sound like a gangster…

Eventually we arrive in Thailand and I find myself immediately surrounded by taxi drivers inches from my face. This has got to be the worst thing about Thailand…Eventually I lose it and tell the guy shouting taxi taxi in my ear to leave us alone. Maybe I sounded very harsh because at this point he comes over and grabs me and starts shouting at me. To make matters worse I was wearing a red T-shit…He was wearing a yellow T-shirt. Any Thai people will immediately understand what I’m saying but for those who don’t get this reference I’ll explain. The old Thai government supporters wear red T-shirts while their rivals wear yellow. When I booked my tickets there were riots between the 2 sides… Anyways, this guy clearly assumed I was a supporter of the Reds. FREAKIN IDIOT! Why would I have a bias in Thai politics? He grabs my arm and starts shouting about yellow being better than red. I tell him to get off me. Actually, he was the first Thai I spoke to on my return to Thailand. I clearly know how to get on the right side of people. He then starts shouting about to many people in Thailand, go home! Hmmmm…he clearly hasn’t been to London. Dickhead.

The clown then starts asking to see my passport. Good one! The other taxi drivers at this point have instructed me to appologise and ran off. Yeh, appologising isn’t the first thing that comes to mind…more like trying out some Vietnamese fighting moves I’d witnessed the other night. However, no bar stools were to hand so decided to take the moral high ground and move on.

The last time I was in Bangkok I was in a totally different area. I’d heard from some of the other travellers on the bus to check out Buddy Lodge. Eventually, I find my way there. Immediately I realise I’ve made a mistake once I see their decour. I find out the price 40 UK pounds. Just a tad over my budget….Frickin noobs….In the end I spend about 15 pounds but get a nice bed and swimming pool on the 6th floor. Totally worth it! The most expensive accommodation of my trip but seeing as I’ve under budget I figure it can’t hurt too much. Feel bad as I lie in bed thinking of all the people I’d seen without anything begging for money. The world can be a harsh place….I try and be grateful and thank God for my comparatively easy life before I go to sleep. Its the only way I can stay nearly sane…

Woke up at 6.30 to go and meet my new friend George in the foyer. At 7am our Tuk Tuk driver was awaiting us and climbing aboard we set off for Ankor Wat.

Some background info on Ankor Wat:

Angkor Wat  is a temple complex at Ankor, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country’s prime attraction for visitors.

(Of course I wrote that myself.)

During the day we viewed Ankor Wat, and several other temples in the surrounding areas. I was surprised at the huge number of temples in the area. Visitors to Ankor Wat should be aware of the sheer number of beggars and street sellers that attempt to get your dollar. Oh by the way the main currency of Cambodia is the US dollar as their currency isn’t really used much.

George exclaimed how he’d be a rich man if his sales men were that persisstant in the US. I couldnt agree more except they wouldnt be very popular….

I actually didn’t have enough money on me and had to borrow money from George. So all the beggars and craft sellers who were desperate for my money all got told the same thing. “Sorry I don’t have any money” No one belived me and they just tried to haggle harder reducing their prices. Crazy thing is they probably had more money on them than me! Unless you count Singaporean…

My impressions of the temple were marked by a little frustation caused by my lack of knowledge about the sites I was viewing. I would strongly advise any travellers heading here to research the area before viewing. Some places can be ‘winged’ and visited without any prior study however visiting Ankor Wat, I really felt like I couldn’t fully appreciate the history of the site. No matter how much research one does, it is impossible to imagine how much time, effort, lives and inspiration were required to creat the temple complexes. Surrounding some of the temples where thousands of blocks that had been knocked off the temple. Different countries around the world are trying to rennovate and protect the temples however, to carry but one of these blocks is a huge difficulty. I couldn’t even lift one! But yet there are thousands that need to be carried and lifted around.

Talking with George, I realised that if a country such as UK or USA, with all the money and resources was to try and build something like the temples at Ankor, it would costs Billions upon Billions of pounds/dollars. Even with all the technology we have today it would be a truely massive undertaking. I have no idea how they managed it all nearly 1000 years ago. Apparently they did it out of devotion to their king. A story I don’t really believe…

We viewed temples until 5pm and afterwards went back to the hotel via a travel shop. Bought a bus ticket for tomorow for $ 12. This was $4 more than the Indonesians paid although the travel agency woman assured me the bus would be a lot more comfortable and worth the money. (What happened in reality was a completely different matter!)

George paid for my fee for the tour guide. I’ve had a lot of freebies on my travels (and not just this time). One day when I have more money I hope I don’t forget peoples kindnesses to me and I can give to others what others give to me now. If I make it that far!

I saw so many temples that come 11pm as I was going to sleep, I had temple ruins burned into my retinas and couldn’t get temples out of my head as I was trying to sleep. Felt a little eery but didn’t last long as I was so shattered from the days activity in 5 minutes I was sleeping like a log…

Left Vietnam early in the morning, struggling to stay awake. A 12 hour journey awaits me with but 1 stop for 20 minutes. Sleep for the first 2 hours and find myself in conversation shortly after with George, a retired American who travels since the death of his wife, 10 years ago. George is anything but boring and I hear many exciting stories about his life and travels. He reminds me of the character Clint Eastwood played in Grand Torino. Serving in the military, he was adopted into the Mong Community near his house and has since joining them tried to help them in their day to day lives. He has documented the arrivals of many Cambodians into the US and how they deal with the culture shock. He was approached by National Geographic for the story but is only able to publish the material once he is dead as he fears he may get sued as  he doesn’t have the model releases. Can’t really imagine how great the culture shock must be as the difference in way of life here is so huge. We discuss many things (not hard when you have 12 hours to kill) I find I disagree with him about somethings, particularly the Vietnamese war. I find it interesting to hear his side of the story, especially after hearing the Vietnamese side. He tells me it was not a war as the US were just there to keep the peace. I don’t really know how to argue back and decide to keep my opinion to myself in order to avoid a fight on the bus. Had enough of them last night…

A guy sitting in the row next to me seems to have taken a liking to me and smiles at me. This is not uncommen as white people are often the subject of many curiosities. He doesn’t appear to speak English, but offers me a hardboiled egg. Its blue/green and slightly smaller than a chicken egg. He hands me some powder which he gestures to sprinkle on the egg. It looks like sand and grit. Accoding to my guide book people often feed travellers food that is drugged and then steal their posessions while they are asleep. Maybe the powder is drugs?  I eat a bit of the egg and feel fine, so I finish it off. Its fun being paranoid and then doing it anyway…

Discovered what the reason of my illness a few nights ago was. The malarone was causing chronic heartburn and I still find it uncomfortable to swallow. The problem was diagnosed by a crack team of experts back in the UK who wouldn’t rest until they found the answer. Following their excellent advice, now everytime I take a pill I make sure I eat a big meal at the same time. This is easier said than done when your trapped on a 12 hour bus journey! At the lunch break I order a dish with rice and pork ribs. However, there is so little meat on the bone I don’t eat that much. Still, gives me  opportunity to take the pill.

The bus approaches a ferry crossing and a small boy climbs up on the side of the ferry starts smacking on the windows of the bus trying to get inside. This is a new form of begging I’ve never seen before. He is soon joined by many other kids. They are miming food and I realise they are trying to sell little parcels of food. Everybody ignores them yet they remain knocking on the windows for another 15 minutes.

George and I arrive at the hotel by a new kind of Tuk Tuk. This type is different from the ones in Bangkok and resembles a trailer with a roof being dragged by a motorbike. Exciting but very bumpy. Hold onto my bags as I feel they might fall out.

I’m staying at the Apsara Steung thymey lodge (not an easy name to remember when your trying to ask for your hotel when your lost) and get a room with 2 beds in it for 8 dollars. Its one dollar more than the room the guide book reccomends, however, when I cheked that place out the room barely had a light and smelled incredibly musty so have decided to have a luxury night tonight here instead. I appreciate the privateness of a single room from a dorm room except miss the air conditioning….Reminds me of living in student halls (the room temperature hit 40C from solar gain) except is not actually as bad! Eat dinner at a place called Khmer Kitchen. Get lost again on the way back. There are no street lights here (or at least very few) and have difficulty reading my map (hotel card). Getting lost is way too familiar for my liking..

Tomorow I visit the temples of Ankor Wat. Think Tomb Raider was filmed here. Apparently according to George who has seen the pyramids, this is better. Yet most people have never even heard of it. Think this adds to the mystery.

Have less than a week now before I head home. Mixed feelings about heading home. Sure I miss my family and friends but will definitely miss the freedom I have out here. Have completely forgotten what its like to have a mobile phone but greatly miss the internet speed of London. Reality is I have to go back, made much easier safe in the knowledge I don’t have to retake the year. However, the university sometimes publishes the wrong results. I have a friend who recieved an email informing him he’d failed an important exam and as such would need to retake. He was a very hardworker and was devestated by the news. A few minutes later he recieved another mail saying he’d passed. Turns out he shared a surname with another Korean in the department and their names confused the secretary. He’d recieved her message in error…I really don’t want to find a message in my Inbox saying they made an error about me passing!

Should be getting my final results soon. Wish me luck!