T-minus 1 day until VIET NAM and HEATHER!

Today I got up and started packing for my big trip. I soon realized that there was NO way that everything I thought I was taking to Viet Nam as fitting into the bag I am taking. So I made a new bag to take to the B-team's apartment and finally cut it down enough to fit things. I mean, I'm going to be on the beach the majority of the time anyway, so do I really need much more than a couple of dresses, a swimsuit, and some flip flops? Survey says... nope. I packed up my room and paid off my hostel bill. I then headed back over to the B-team's to drop off my other bag of stuff. They gave me a key so I can stay there when I get back, because I think I'm getting back a couple of days before them. Nice!
I walked back to the hostel and checked out of my room completely. The Peace Corps guys from Mongolia are back at the Banana so I hung out with them a bit and we started watching There Will be Blood. I will have to watch it again because I was falling asleep (from the heat- it's MAD HOT today) and because my minivan showed up to take me to the train station. We got to the station and I was chatting with a Cambodian guy who told me he didn't like Obama because something about his involvement in the tribunal. I'm not sure what tribunal, unless he's referring to the international court currently going on in Phnom Penh to try Khmer Rouge, but I'm not sure of Obama's involvement in that... hmmm... usually I get only positive Obama feedback. No on wins them all :-)

I got on my bus and sat next to a guy from Belgium. He had literally just landed in Cambodia and was headed down to Rabbit Island. I alternated between chatting with him and reading Trainspotting. I've owned the book for YEARS but have never read it- I finally got past the first page this time. It's written in Scottish dialect so it takes a bit to get into it- you have to say some words outloud in your head to get the meaning. Anyone read Clockwork Orange? Kind of like that, but with less Russian or fake Russian...

At our obligatory stop I got a Chinese dumpling with pork and egg in it again. Yum. I want to know how to make those. They are so good.

We finally got to Kep. Since I'm on vacation and therefore not bound by the rules of my internship, I jumped on a motorcycle to get a ride to my hostel. Don't worry, Mom and Dad- I was not DRIVING it. They would have horrible flashbacks to the day I crashed a motorbike driving in the streets of Hue, Viet Nam. Never again will I drive a motorbike in a city where there are no traffic rules and people drive whichever way they want.

I'm chilling in my bungalow now, about to go get a bite to eat and set up my trip across the border for the morning. Heather's mid-flight from New York to Saigon as we speak! I'm hoping I can catch an early ferry from Rach Gia (in Viet Nam) to get to Phu Quoc Island around the same time she does. Otherwise I might have to wait until the afternoon ferry. We'll see what happens- whatever it is it's going to be an adventure since i have no tickets bought and no idea how I'm getting there! Wee! My motorbike driver volunteered to take me to the border then his friend would take me to Ha Tien on the other side... hmmm... awesome... nothing like crossing borders via two motorbikes... I think I'm going to go the slightly safer tuk tuk method because I"m not sure how I feel about being on the back of a motorbike with a stranger for more than an hour. I'll update you as soon as I can!!

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