The Dreaded Border Run

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Well after what felt like weeks of deliberation about what to do when my visa expires I finally came to a decision, changed it, and then changed it again!!! It was between travelling to visit ko chang myself or staying put in Siem reap!! I've made some lovely friends here and wasn't quite ready to leave them, so booked my ticket to do the dreaded 'border run' on Sunday morning! Well all I can say is I wish I'd been more prepared for the treat I was in for!

The bus journey there got us to Poipet in good time, arriving about 11.45. Whilst it wasn't a highlight if my trip it was comfortable enough and only made two stops which by Asian standards is pretty good going!

I could feel my heart start to race the minute I stepped off the bus! No one else was on the same mission as me, to get my stamp and head back to Cambodia!! Not a great start as there was no one to latch onto for moral support!

I got stamped out of Cambodia and joined the queue to enter Thailand, at no point was I ever further away than about 100m from the entry point, but it was almost like a tease. In one hour I had moved precisely the distance of about 3 steps, and the frustrating thing was that Thai people were able to just cruise up the outside and straight to the front where all of us 'foreigners' were 'patiently' (some more so than others) to get through! The fact I wasn't entirely sure I was in the right place was making me have a mild panic... There was no one to ask who spoke English and those who did as time continued to pass on gave me that sympathetic look of oh dear and expressions that weren't exactly comforting!!! Oh have I mentioned I had no organised transport back to Siem reap and still had to buy and visa and carry out the same process on the other side?!

On two occasions I felt tears well up as I just wanted to cry, but managed to pull myself together and hold it in!! Time ticked on and still by 3.30pm I had not 'entered Thailand' and the possibility that I may have to do an overnight stop somewhere near the border was becoming more likely! I hadn't considered not being able to go there and back in a day! Oh and did I mention it was raining?! So all I had was the clothes on my back, a book, and my passport and I was soaking!! Lol!

Thank goodness my luck began to change, as I finally entered Thailand, I crossed over the road, in the pouring rain and got stamped straight back out again! My 4 hour wait in the queue to get into Thailand has really been worth it...... Naaaat! Lol! There were the usual scam artists trying to sell me a visa for twice the price but I managed somehow to locate the visa express office.... Oh did I mention there are no signposts anywhere and nobody you ask speaks English and those who do lie through their teeth and send you off on some wild goose chase while happily taking your cash and waving you off knowing they've won one over you!

The visa office was no exception! People skills in Cambodia need serious improvement! I handed my passport across to have it thrown back at me.... Literally!!! Plus I was charged an extra 100 baht with no explanation as to why! I wasn't for getting into a situation where my passport may be held hostage so I coughed up the cash grateful to have a visa and made my way to get a stamp and back into Cambodia!

Here, I was again thanking my lucky stars as not only did I walk straight to the desk, but I met two Americans heading to Siem reap who were willing to share a taxi! I literally did a little dance as I was so happy things were falling into place and I wasn't stranded at the border!!

We hopped onto the government bus and were taken to a bus and taxi depo in the middle of nowhere which was charging extortionate prices!! I knew this was above and beyond the going rate and said to the Americans we were being ripped off!! As there was only 3 of us we had to 'pay for the extra seat' and finding a forth passenger was not a possibility according to the Cambodian trying to 'help'. The Americans who weren't on a budget said they were happy to pay double the price I knew we should be, and even offered to pay the difference for me as I said it was too much!!! Nice offer, but god I felt patronised and ended up giving in and paying the extra just to get home!

In typical Asian fashion we had been told a pack of lies and got into a full taxi despite paying for the extra seat!!! The journey home was nail biting, with a couple of near misses with on coming traffic, a moto sliding along the road in front of us as it pulled out without looking and on a brighter note we stopped to allow a flock of ducks to be herded across the road. Not something you see everyday! Lol! The scenery of beautiful green rice fields and everyday living was incredible, and we witnessed the sky close in as a storm approached Siem reap!

Driving into Siem reap I proudly announced to the Americans that we were nearly there, or so you would think!! Lol! As the taxi veered off a side street down a dirt track with potholes bouncing us around the back into a rural area with no lighting I knew we were heading in the wrong direction!! I said to the taxi man Siem reap was not this way, but was ignored! Eventually in the back of beyond we pulled up outside a hut and were greeted by a group of Cambodian men sitting waiting for us. The taxi man got out and the men opened the boot and doors and instructed us to get out as the taxi stops here, claiming taxis are not permitted in Siem reap, repeatedly asking for the hotel addresses and stating they would take us from here!!!

Remaining very calm (for once.... Ha) I told them that was a load of rubbish 'you lie you lie' I said and told the taxi man to get back in the car and take us to Siem reap!! After 10 long minutes of deliberation the men reluctantly established that we were not budging and closed the door, not before shaking hands with the taxi man who was in on the whole thing!!!

It's enough to make your blood boil, every left right and centre there is a scam!!! Coming to Cambodia for my first trip alone will definitely harden me up! I have learnt to stick to my guns, and have created the three person rule. If in doubt ask three people as you can almost guarantee you will not get the same answer and deliberate from there! Time scales here do not exist, you have to account for things to take nearly double the time, and whatever price you're quoted, where possible half it!

But most importantly I have learnt to not panic!!! Ironically I have taken toms philosophy of everything will be ok and kept calm even when all my instincts are saying cry!!!

I will look forward to a repeat trip in 9 days time!!! Naaaaattttt! Lol!

On the plus side I am meeting Tom at the other end, every cloud ....

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