Abandoned

Day 46 - Thursday 15 November


Today I attempt to cross the border back into Thailand. As Russ had already left at midnight last night I've now started travelling solo.

My free pickup to the bus station was supposed to arrive at 7:30am so I could catch the bus at 8am. Finally at 10 past 8 it arrived. This meant that although the bus was still at the station it was now full and there was no more room. "No problem sir they said we have other bus to take you". A few minuites later a taxi pulls up with two Cambodians in beckoning me to get in the taxi. If this had been the first day of my trip I might have been a bit wary but as it wasn't I judged the situation and reckoned it was safe.

Like the 24 hour bus journey from Vientiene to Hanoi the bus from Siem Reap to the Thai border is supposed to be a backbreaker as there is no road just a dirt track. Luckily in my taxi with lots of legroom and good suspension the journey was a doddle. By lunchtime we were at the border and getting out of Cambodia and into Thailand was a pretty easy affair. Customs were searching every oriental person but I was quickly waved straight through.

I was then instructed to cross the road to a cafe and wait for a bus to pick me up. I had a gut feeling I was about to be ripped off and sure enough when I arrived at the cafe they didn't have a clue what I was on about and the Cambodians had legged it leaving me abandoned at the border.

I wasn't too worried I knew public transport was cheap and easy to use and had only been ripped off by a fiver I was just pissed off I'd let it happen. In broken english I was told the local bus station was only 300m away so decided to decline the tuktuks and walk. After 500m and still no sign of the bus station some teenagers on scooters drove past giving me puzzled looks. Obviously even though we were so close to the border they dont see too many white people walking around here. I shouted out to them and they stopped and turned round. Unfortunately they didn't speak any English so I had difficulty explaining I was looking for the bus station. By chance a bus went past, I pointed they understood and told me to hop on the back of one of their bikes. They then gave me a free lift to the bus station which turned out to be 3ks away not 300m.

There was a phonebooth at the station so I phoned the travel company (Angkor Amazing Holiday Travel - Do Not Use Them) and gave them a mouthful of abuse. They gave me some other phone numbers to phone but as it would have cost me more to call them than it would just to buy a new bus ticket I didn't bother.

There was a bus about to leave for Bangkok for only 210 B. I was tempted I'd be there by 7pm and new Bangkok fairly well. However it was the beach I was after so took a bus to Chanthaburi instead where I then got a further bus to Trat. It was on this bus that a young Thai girl got on and sat next to me. She proceeded to give me her home address and told me if I was ever in the area I should come round and stay there. You really have to love being a bloke in Thailand thats never happened to me on a bus back home.
Unfortunately her stop was miles before mine and by the time I arrived in Trat it had gone 6 and Id missed the last ferry to the island of Ko Chang. Had a wonder round Trat but there was nothing to do so had an early night.

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