Angkor Wat, travellers belly and Bangkok (take 2)

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Hello everyone!

Not long to go now, I have just been left by the last remaining member of our group and am on my own for the 1st time in 7 weeks. Quite sad really because I've had some great times with all the guys, but am looking forward to making some more friends in Chiang Mai.

Since I last wrote an entry, myself, Rich and Ciaran got a bus across Cambodia to Siem Reap. You can see from the bus the floods are still having a big impact in the rural areas. Luckily for us the roads were unaffected. Random experience alert......2 men on bus with live (and very smelly) chickens under their t-shirts....back to the story......Siem Reap was our home for 7 nights, a little longer than we had planned initially but we had a great time there and it was nice to not be packing up after 2 nights. We stayed in a middle of the range guest house called Angor Wat Guest House for $10 a night. A bit over budget but I was seduced by the pool, and big beds with fluffy pillows.... sometimes you just need a little luxury. The boys were a bit more excited about Sky Sports again (I think I need to find some girl friends in Chiang Mai, haha).

We booked a tuk tuk driver for 3 days costing $70 between us and then bought a 3 day pass for the temples for $40 (Cambodia turned out to be suprisingly pricey). On the second day we dragged ourselves out of bed to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat. We managed to get ourselves a good view despite the hundreds of tourists. It was absolutely stunning and I would recommend anyone visiting Angkor Wat to see the sunrise. The actual temples themselves are beautiful, you really feel like youve gone back in time (or youve been sucked into a Tomb Raider movie or Indiana Jones). We had a lot of fun taking millions of photos....I think I have mastered the 'looking wistfully off into the distance' look now, haha.

We had our next rip off experience unfortunately.. Our tuk tuk driver took us to this floating forest (for an extra charge) and we told we didnt have to pay anymore when we got there. Of course when we arrived we were told it was $20 each for a boat ride. $20 in Cambodia is obscene, considering our 3 day pass to the temples was $40, so we laughed in the face of the man who tried to sell us it, as dida few other tourists who had been scammed too. We tried giving him business advice, if he halved his price more people would do the tour. Our advice was not well received, unfortunately their are always some fat rich Americans who are stupid enough to pay the price. But as we all left, 3/4 of their boats sat empty. Our tuk tuk driver felt the full might of karma bite him on the bum though, he got a puncture on the way there and had to pay out for a new tyre. Serves him right.

The 3rd day we lost Rich to 'Cambodia Belly' so me and Ciaran went off on our own to visit a temple thats actually in a waterfall and then to another temple. I think I may have had my fill of temples now......

Day 4 the lurgey started spreading and I came down with whatever virus Rich had. Not so much fun. You know you have spent too long with a group of people when talking about poo consistency and frequency is part of normal conversation. We must have asked the poor guy on reception for loo roll about 15 times...after a couple of days he just started to reach for one before I even opened my mouth. How embarrasing. I've been fairly lucky to make it this far and to only have got pink eye. But if i was going to pick a time to get ill, this was possibly the worst time.

Yesterday (and yes still not well), I had to get a bus to Bangkok with Ciaran. We were told the bus would be a proper coach, So I assumed there would be a toilet, as it was a 10 hour journey. I assumed wrong. It wasnt a coach, more like a delapitated school bus, which stopped every couple of hours to pick up or drop off monks. Ciaran was also not feeling well at this point, but this was self inflicted buckets of vodka redbull. The border crossing was hot and lengthy. We had to stand in line for aaaages. Ciaran nearly passed out. Wasnt sure what I was supposed to do if a 6ft6 man faints infront of me. I dont think I could physically get hiim in the recovery position. Luckily after 1/2 an hour of being green and clammy he perked up. We were told we were swapping buses...YES! I thought, maybe we will get a proper coach with a toilet??? Of course not. We were led past all the plush coaches, some with onboard karyoke, to our mini vans, with no air con, and worst of all still no toilet. The seats were so small, Ciaran had to wedge himself in, and then couldnt even wriggle. It was a bleak experience I dont want to repeat ever again.

Ciaran and I checked into Nap Park hostel again (where I first started) and it is really strange to be back. Lots of newbie pasty young travellers here. Feels like a life time ago that I was here last. I was tempted to see a ping pong show last night (Mum and Dad, if you dont know what a ping pong show is, I urge you not to google it, that would not end well). Surely no Thai experience is complete without a ping pong show??? But I chickened out and went for a fancy Cocktail at one of Bangkok's Sky Bars called Banyan Tree instead. If anyone has seen Hangover 2, that bar features in the film. You get open panoramic views of Bangkok. Unfortunately they have a dress code. I was ok in a dress, Ciaran was in shorts and flip flops. They made him wear some of their trousers instead of his shorts. These trousers were their staff uniform and barely covered Ciarans shins. He looked like a giant hobbit. Highly amusing.

Anyway I am due to get a bus in a few hours to Chiang Mai, it better have a loo. Then its a week working my socks off with the elephants. Then a few days exploring Chiang Mai before home!

Still having an amazing time and excited to meet some new people and here's hoping I get to give a baby elephant a bath. Hope everyones well, see you soon xxx

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