From Trat to Aranya Prathet and off to Cambodia...

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Welcome back to the next round...

Trat. Yes Trat. Long bus ride and not much to do there but good for a nice little chill out time with a bit more oxygen (though not any less tuk-tuk drivers yelling out for you).
Trat is ok, nothing special, the beaches in the area are quite dirty and the water is poo brown. But if you wanna stay in a nice place with friendly hosts, check in at Ban Jaidee Guesthouse. The host is an English teacher and translator and is happy to answer any questions, give advise, hang out with guests and even share her kitchen. We also found great curry at Morgan Cafe and the best massage in town for only 100 bath per hour (or 150 bath if you want oil massage). Those 2 older ladies in a dark alley definitely knew what they were doing (and that's coming from someone who's only ever had 3 massages!). Good stuff guys!
The scooter hire for the day was good too even though my bum was numb at first and then really sore later (massage didn't help there either), but save yourself the hunt for a good beach. I don't think they exist in scooter driving distance.

The markets were cool too but not for vegetarians. But fish in all sorts of sizes, colors and modes of preparation can be enjoyed on the spot or as take-away for later. We finally found the sticky rice I had been looking for for like 4 days (walked 2 evenings through Kanchanaburi to find it and Bangkok had none either!) and bought a huge bag full and a big lush mango! OMG, so good! Had to take advantage of that and got black sticky rice the next night... There, the ladies at the market where selling the stuff left, right and center! Good stuff!!!

K, here's an idea for those who want to avoid border crossing hassles after a long trip on the bus. Spend a night in Aranya Prathet and cross the border first thing in the morning. We took a bus from Trat to Chantaburi and then another bus to Aran. Was a long day but the "Market Hotel" has really good rooms with hot shower, tv and a pool!!! for just 250 bath and the food isn't bad either. Aranya Prathet sorta sucks bum but it's only for the night and we felt like kings when we saw the pool. And in the morning we were all fresh and ready for the border crossing, which was an experience and a half as well...

check back soon for photos...

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Photos

Trat
Quiet little town, very enjoyable if you're happy to chill out