Paradise found. Warm Crystal blue waters lap against the shore and my feet enjoy the softest sand Ive felt in a while. Its like walking on silk cotton. Im currently under a mosquito net listening to the music and laughter just outside my room. Just had a nice dinner with our feet in the sand 30ft from the water. Its Alright chillin here on Koh Rong. But lets back up a bit my faithful reader. Lets talk about the adventure it took to get here. Because it was a touch of a hassle, but worth it now Im here. BTW, you look great! have you been working out? Just kidding, I dont care about you, this is all about me. Soooooooo, where were we? ahh yes. We left off in Vang Vieng. From there we took a mini bus south and grabbed a quick flight to Paske in hopes of a fun town and huge waterfalls. What we found was a craphole of a dustbowl town and almost nothing to do. That place sucks. What a waste of time and money. #fail. The most productive thing we did there was laundry. Spent one day there and jumped on another plane south to Siem Reap. Its a fun little tourist town full of shopping and restaurants. We were there to see Angkor Wat, one of the wonders of the world. It doesnt disappoint. We arranged for a Tuk Tuk driver to pick us up at 5am. Sunrise there is supposed to be epic. Theres nothing like a 430am alarm clock on vacation........... FML......alright.... lets do this...... ughhhhhh. The alarm went off and I bounced up bright eyed and bushy tailed!!! Just kidding, I dragged my ass to the shower and slowly came alive at a snails pace. Even with adventure at one of the worlds wonders thats an early start. Anyway, we met the driver/guide, hit the road, and was there in 20min. We got coffee and pastries and walked in the dark to await the sunrise. about 300 people had the same idea. Weaksauce. Kinda packed by the first temple. We wait for the stupid Sun to rise over this ancient pile of rocks. Needless to say my mood was jaded by the mass of people and early hour. They grey of dawn approaches and I decide that Im going to get a jump on the crowd and get in the temple while its empty. Everyone else waited outside to see something that happens everyday. A predictable burning ball of radiation run across the sky. Going in before the crowds, best decision ever. It was stark empty. I wandered about at dawn in one of the most preserved and complete relics of the world. Staff was none existent so I might have gone past a few gates I wasnt supposed to as well. It was really quite peacefull and completely silent except for the sound of my sandals, well that and maybe a coffee fart or two. Its was really quite impressive. (The temple, not the java toots)Its mind boggling to think of the work involved to construct such a place. The stone carvings and rooms are amazing and just massive. An unimpressive Sun finally drags its ass Into the pollution they call a horizon and people begin to filter in. Im all about the ruins. Im putting some use to all my cameras. I traded between 3. I got some great shots before it filled with people. This was only temple 1 and we took almost 2 hours at it. The entire Angkor Wat property is almost the size of Manhattan. Some people take three days to explore it all, we only had one so we had to get on it. We jump into the Tuk Tuk and buzz to the next spot. They are all very impressive and beautiful. The jungle wants to take back what was cut away and in some areas growth snarls through or pours over the stone. I was very glad we took the time to come appreciate this part of history. Another must see if you come to this area. Ill post pix once I get home. Im most exited about the infrared shots I took. The effect is awesome with the mix of rich jungle and jagged stone architecture. Some of my new favorite photos for sure. We spend around 8 hours wandering and exploring the different temples. Soon its time to return home. Foot sore and starving we back home for a quick shower and a change then out the door for food and drink. We run into a posh wine bar and settle in for a bottle and some really nice tapas plates. #win. We walk the streets and stop here and there to have a drink or bite, maybe just to admire the variety of food and goods available for purchase. Red bull vodka makes an appearance and suddenly we are hunting for loud music and a fun scene. (go figure) Easily found. We had previously scheduled an early car to pick us up and get us to Phnom Phen. Late night drinking and a 6am pickup for a nice long car ride?!!?? sign me up!!!! ugh..... So brutal.... oh and just for the record, I wanted to fly. I somehow got talked I to taking a car again. something like Come on Dave, itll be fun. Well see the beautiful country side and have fun in the car. Well be there before you know it Clearly I dont learn quickly, and what followed sucked. What was promised to be a quick 4 hour journey turned into a 6.5hour race down pothole filled roads with super sketchy traffic and a half dirt half paved highly unpredictable surface they call a highway. We were also graced with a driver who is probably the Cambodian cousin of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Between the road chasms, swerving, white knuckle situations, a solid hangover, no real road laws to hold anyone back, and the driver constantly laying on the horn to warn people he was passing, No sleep was achieved and I estimate 5 years was shaved off of my life from stress. Homeboy doesnt speak a word of English either. Yaaaay. So there I sit, puckered at both ends for an extended amount of time. Next time. Fly. No questions. Spend the money and fly. Somehow we finally made it. It also turns out our driver had NO IDEA where our hotel was so we just bailed the car and got a Tuk Tuk. 10 min later and going the wrong way on a one way street and we were there. Finally. Whew!!! My friend Sophear ( a local to the area) set us up with a place to stay in Phnom Phen, and it turned out to be an awesome spot. We relaxed at the pool and enjoyed apps and drinks and then met up with Sophear and her husband for more of the same and a nice dinner later. It was awesome having a Cambodian guide for a second. She spoke the language and knew the spots. Way better than just blindly walking around hoping you run into something decent. Thx Sophear! always nice to see a familiar face in a far away place. Dinner for the 5 was only $45. We had 3 servers attending to us waiting to attend to our needs. Not bad at all! The next morning we grab a quick breakfast and a car to the coast. Enough of this landlocked jungle shit, lets hit the beach!!! We jam over to the island in a ferry and the sight is prime. Lined with quaint minimalistic beach front hotels the beach is white and the water is like glass. Very nice. Accommodations are extremely expensive, $20a night, LOL. We throw down our gear and take a walk on the beach. Its seriously the finest sand Ive ever felt. We find a tree house resort down the way and take a walk with a random water buffalo strolling down the sand. OH!!!, and puppies. There are so many puppies here. Adorable. I mean come on, awesome beach getaway and then you get to play with puppies too! Im just waiting for a unicorn to make an appearance now!! Its the epitome of paradise. Evening comes and we have a chill dinner and talk of experiences from the trip. With an island this small its all run on generators so when the hotel decides its lights out. Its lights out!!!!! So then you relax under your mosquito net and listen to the water and people outside, maybe read your book if you have a headlamp or tap away on your tablet like me. The next day we hike over the island to a place they call Long Beach, its fantastic. A 40 minute hike past signs that warn of snakes and not to wander into the jungle alone reveals 4 miles of perfect sand and amazing water. I have some great pictures. Absolute post card material. I cant wait to print them in large format. We chill for a few hours and just take it all in, just kind of enjoying it. Instead of hiking back we pay a small fee to take a boat to town and drop us off. American lazy strikes again but it was really nice. Great island, but its time to move on. Koh Chang one of Thailands islands. We had to switch cars because our Cambodian driver cant cross so we arrange our new driver on the other side. We get conned at the border crossing by a smooth individual who does our paperwork and a money exchange. He got each one of us for about $12. Hes got a clean system that doesnt really make you feel too ripped off, and he was a really nice guy. *sigh....whatever. Once across the border you drive on the wrong side of the road but the road conditions improve dramaticly! Koh Chang is really pretty as well. We rent scooters and stay in some quiet bungalows. We mostly chill out and see some sights. Operation Swim in a waterfall was a success and fed a baby elephant along the way as well. We found some really tasty food and enjoyed a few epic sunsets as well. Time to modivate though. We have places to see. Game on. And its a big move. It starts at 6 am and we take our scooters to the dock to return, a private car we arranged picks us up drives onto the ferry ( car and all) on the other side we blast up the coast to Bangkok International. We saw 4 accidents along the way and suffer some scratched paint ourselves involving a small tree on the highway. Unscathed we jump on a plane and fly south like ducks in the winter. Once departing the airplane we blindly follow a crowd onto a bus. No real idea where it ends and not sure its a great idea, we jump on anyway. Its 6pm. We are 12 hours into our travel time. The bus ends at the docks and we find out there is an overnight ferry headed to Koh Tao. Awesome. I love it there. On a whim we buy tickets and it seals our plan that we never had. We totally just winged it and it worked out perfectly. The boat was spacious and comfy. The deep hum of the diesels and gentle rocking motion lulls everyone to dreamland quite quickly. Im up at sunrise I time to see Koh Tao come into focus. Its good to be back. Almost 18 hours after we left one hotel, we find our next. A scooter rental later and we buzz around the island to lunch and picturesque beaches. A touch of impulse buys at local shops and Im back to my poolside bungalow. Its been a hell of a week. Just amazing. I have one more week here. Looking forward to telling you another story. See ya soon. -D
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 12:52:57 +0000
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