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Published: October 28th 2007
Bangkok Royal Palace
((c) http://www.sxc.hu/)Awoken 530... Today of all days stomach has finally decided it's had enough... We're about to undertake a 9-10 hour journey to Bangkok on poor roads! I know I'm not the only one either but we've not all eaten the same thing/same place so who knows what it is!
Anyway, get packed, have a 'takeaway' breakfast of bananas (we got there in the end, was trying to explain bananas still with the skin on, but, you know, My Cambodian's not up to much!), and get on the coach - front seat to help with travel sickness, and everything! Leave Cassandra still half-asleep as she's flying to Bangkok... Doesn't want to face the journey.
On the road, through the traffic, and we're out on the open road. Our guide is back with us and he says we're about to rock & roll... And that he used
to be a taxi driver 10 years ago when it was worse and it would take 2 days + to get to the Thai border (150km) as the roads were so bad, but they are now much improved! The road condition gradually deteriorates, but we can see evidence of much road-building going on... When the monsoon rains haven't washed them away! Today, apparently, is a special holiday - the end of the rainy season and the end of Buddhist lent.
We keep going, keeping an eye out for photo opportunities. Ricky spots his water-buffalo in a paddy field perfect shot so we stop for 5 minutes for that, then that's it until we have a toilet stop - nice, a squat, but it's pretty clean. Our guide buys some kind of iced ginger biscuits and offers us one - I'd have those again! The food in Cambodia has been entirely the best of this trip, and I'd be pretty tempted to look for a way to come and live/work in this country. The journey is just going through some beautiful countryside too, and I don't regret coming by bus at all, even as the road condition deteriorates even further...
We go through a village where our guide says he knows everyone because he's often had to stay there a couple of nights waiting for a tractor to pull him out of the mud! We're also seeing lots of country life: water buffalos, tractors, fishing, boys/men swimming/washing mud off in the water! See more strangely loaded vehicles, including a moto stacked up and sideways with about as much as white van man would carry... Our attention drawn to it by Kym's loud exclamation!
Make another toilet stop which I use as a photo opportunity, then back on the road which is still pretty deadly. About 130 we get to the border town, our bags are put on a trolley to be pushed through by a couple of lads. We make our way to the border exit window, get processed, and suddenly we're next to loads of big casinos! Illegal in Thailand, this 'no man's land' on the Cambodian side offers many options to gamblers. We make our way through Thai immigration easily enough, and there we are - hordes of beggars. We're told it's OK to give them food, or pretty much anything so long as it's not money!
Give away some of my food as I've not eaten a lot of it (although am going to as feel fine now all the meds have kicked in!), but then they ask for more, so we just keep walking... You have to.
We find our mini-vans - what a contrast to the bumpy, suspension broken bus we've just been on! Big leather seats, air-con, beautiful! First, though, we need some Baht - so some exchange dollars whilst I give the ATM a go. Did get some $s from the Cambodian ATMs (that's what they give you!), but prefer to only take out what I need locally! Then it's into the vans and out onto the smooth tarmaced road to get to 'Bangers' as Kym called it. Take the opportunity to relax and type up some of my blog (as have been doing on and off all day), and think that now (4pm, we have about 2.5 hours to go) Cassandra, David and Vittorio are en route to Bangkok in the skies above us!
The rest of the journey back to Bangkok is pretty uneventful, another toilet stop at a large garage. These are usually a mix of western/squat
toilets but this time it's all squats... Apparently we're seen as very unclean for sitting on the seat...! Into the hotel, Cassandra's arrived 15 minutes earlier after a big haggle with the taxi driver who spent an hour trying unsuccessfully to find DHL for her - she found it another way! The Royal, after the last hotel, doesn't seem as faded and dingy as I (in fact, we) remembered it last time... And it's a chance to relax/freshen up/more Chinese laundry effect!
715 back in the lobby to meet for our final dinner. Oliver and Nick are back, they're off to Malaysia in the morning. 730 still no sign of Vittorio and the lobby won't ring his room so we set off. Glad we're in a group because I don't particularly feel comfortable walking round Bangkok in the dark - and I'm definitely not getting a tuk-tuk here! The taxis are a hassle too... Only with the meter, but then they turn it off/drive to places you don't want to go, etc... Within 10-15 minutes we're walking past the hotel I stayed in the first night, even closer than I thought! Couple of doors down we're at the restaurant,
on the waterfront. I decided to put on my custom-made jeans and silk top, otherwise what's the point in carrying them around! Cassandra also decided to put on her $10 dress!
So, we all order. Forgot that should be eating bland and had an ice cream shake and chicken/gravy/rice (which was nice and not in the English style!)... Food was all good but was a bit of a pain trying to pay as we all had big 'just arrived in the country' notes and they weren't prepared for us to pay seperately! We got there in the end with Kym promising change left/right and centre - which she achieved from the 7-11 (where I'd got my first ever 'meal' in Bangkok). Before we left, Ricky had done the rounds with the envelope for Kym's tip so we passed that on with much ceremony... She's kept us in fits of laughter most of the time - and made the logistics run as smoothly as possible.
No one really wanted the evening to end although everyone was shattered so we made our way into a bar... With a happy hour. Had a bacardi and orange and we all listened to
the 80s music and for a while it felt like we were in an English pub... Which was the ambiance they were going for... Although the street kids coming in to sell sweets was maybe a little different. However, to the disappointment of the bartender, after one drink we need to go, so walk back past the Khao San Road where Cassandra needs to use the internet quickly so for safety I go too and upload my blog... Then it's back to the hotel to try and sort the bags out a bit and hopefully a decent sleep...
Monday 29th Still waking too early (hoping lying on the beach somewhere is going to help me catch up!), think that rich food yesterday was too much, too soon! Cassandra is up before me, ready to go to the Indian Embassy. Before 830 we're at breakfast, where Kym is busily wi-fi'ing, and she borrows my SD cards (which had been playing up) and borrows my piccies - they're all on there but still. Vittorio is there too - he fell asleep in his room yesterday evening, came down about 730 and no one could tell him where we'd gone!
As
the others appear, seems most of us are going to go to the MBK Shopping Centre (or is it Center... Who has influenced them more, American or English?). 5 of us agree to meet 930 to negotiate a taxi - Kym said insist on the meter but def no more than 150 baht. Went to change to my single room but they said I could stay in the same room so left note for Cassandra and headed out. We arranged a 'big' taxi for 150 baht (about 25-30p each), then got to our cab which was a normal one, so we squashed in, got to the Centre which is huge - 7 floors - a mix of shops and market-style shops. Geoff had been talking to the driver who's trying to put his daughter through university, felt sorry for him and gave him an extra 20...!
We arrange to meet back 1230 for lunch and dive in (after finding the (western) toilets - 1 baht)! I want to replace some of my apparently indelibly grubby t-shirts and after a while wish I'd bought more in the Vietnamese market as they're all coming out at GBP10+ (I paid about 3
in Vietnam)... But I persist and then find 3 Fila t-shirts in the 50% off section (yes, Bargain Bex!), I like them, they fit (it's quite off-putting 'yes, we have in your size' type comments as Asian bodies are so tiny), and so that's done.
Lunch is true Thai style... A zinger burger from KFC! Haven't had a fast food burger-style meal for as long as I can remember and it's pretty tasty. We agree to another hour, and dive back in. I came out with a list and find my headphones, blank DVDs, some cereal, and some stuff from Boots the Chemist (it's about the same price as UK!). We meet and go to the taxi rank. He agrees to take 5 of us, but the meter's not on.. However he says 100 baht which seems a bargain after the last one! Ricky's in the front this time and the questions start to sound suspiciously familiar to me (how long you here? When you leaving?, etc) and sure enough 2 minutes later the gem shop leaflet comes out. Fortunately when we say no the driver just shrugs in a 'I had to try' way and takes us to
the hotel.
Agree to meet 1/2 later. Then say goodbye to Geoff & Lucy who are off to another hotel to join an Intrepid trip (although not a group - just the travel/accommodation is organised), and Lynne, Ricky & I set off to find the Post Office. First place isn't an official post office so we try to find it - then realise it's being renovated, but the map shows another one nearby. We find that easily enough - postal prices are pretty shocking, about GBP10 per kg I think... So some of those cheap clothing bargains to post home don't seem so cheap now... Fortunately am just sending souveniers but bits of paper are racking up. I ask for surface mail so should be there in 2 months. Am keeping hold of DVD to make copy in case problem with SD cards so nothing urgent!
Head back onto the Khao San road to buy some more badge patches, back up my DVDs/SD cards so am carrying one/posted one. Manage to exchange my books but they are not worth as much as I thought. Find internet café, do some banking, sort out some logistics and some photo uploads
then it's time to see if anyone is up for dinner. Lynne and Ricky have put a note under the door to say that their flight has been brought forward to 630am - I never thought to check mine. Go to say bye to them, and then nip down to the hotel internet to check my flight. 25 baht later (for 5 minutes, can do an hour for 40 baht most places, but worth it not to go outside), all seems OK, so go back to my room, work out packing/what to leave behind (have a 15kg checking limit), eat pistachio nuts (can't be bothered to go out and find dinner and reduces my bag weight!) and watch films (The Incredible Four I think was the whole one!) and BBC World, work out finances, do some washing, try antiseptic-ing my shoes - they need to be soaked in something and left unworn for a few days (new ones would just do the same thing shortly!). Fall asleep to some other film - feeling kind of ready for tomorrow!
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