Kho Phi Phi, Phuket and The Similan Islands

Kho Phi Phi, Phuket and The Similan Islands

Wow…really…whoa…where the effe am I??  Could this be heaven?  I went straight from Cambodia to one night of partying at the Blues Bar for Taylor’s bon voyage in Bangkok (10 hour bus ride and border experience) then got up super early the next morning and caught a plane to Phuket to meet a friend who had decided that Phuket was lame and went to Kho Phi Phi.  Natalie is an old Burning Man friend and San Franciscan who also happens to be a dive instructor and is about to start working somewhere here in Asia (after our time on Phi Phi, I think that is where she will land).  I went straight to Kho Phi Phi and stepped off the boat in Paradise and backpacker heaven.  It was absolutely beautiful and the island has a very small tourist area.  I ran into people that I have met along my trip.  People from Laos, Northern Thailand and Cambodia all happened to be there…WHAT….The first night we explored the beach bars and landed at Stone’s due to their excellent music…drum n bass baby and it was PUMPING.  You can buy spliffs at the bar along with your brew.  It started raining a little during the night and we were all laughing and dancing in the rain on the beach..WHAT!

The people one encounters while backpacking are like no others (except for Burners).  Any given night at a bar or club ends with groups of strangers buying each other drinks and discussing the ‘must-dos’ at any given spot.  Relationships are forged quickly as usually most of the day (and sometimes the night if you are sharing rooms) is spent with your travelling companions.  Community is a very important thing to me and I think that is one of the reasons I enjoy travelling so much.

The following day Natalie took me down to the water for my refresher course* for SCUBA which went extremely well.  It is such an amazing experience to breath underwater.  I had no problem with the beginning skills and techniques.  It was super cool to have Natalie there giving me the run down at my pace (which is a little quicker than a group class).  After our first successful dive we celebrated again on the beach dancing.  This time we learned and would buy beer at the liquor store next to the club for a quarter of the price and then just bring it back to the club.  Natalie had another friend show up too so we had a great group.  Hugo is a French Canadian, world traveler, hilarious and sensual beast.  One favorite quote from Hugo was, ‘I like podiums.  They have good podiums here.’  He is a salsa instructor and fit man who loves to shake his hips for everyone.  He exudes sensual sexiness and we all love it.  Another favorite line of his is, ‘This (beer, food etc) . .. .c'est comme un petit jesus en culottes de velours qui vous descend dans le gosier.’  This loosely translates to whatever you are eating tastes so good that it is like Jesus wearing velour pants sliding down your throat…whoa-day!! So hilarious and such a great time.

The next day we went on a boat out to Phi Phi Don Island vicinity for two dives.  Such a great time.  Our dive master/lead knew that Natalie was an instructor and we were all comfortable so she had a great time.  Our instructor, Eve, is from Munich and was super fun.  On our first dive we saw all kinds of amazing animals and plant life.  For lunch we went to Maya Bay and checked out the beach where they filmed ‘The Beach’..super AMAZING and absolutely gorgeous.  I was on such a high after the dive and the second dive kept me going.  Everyone but me saw a black-tipped fin shark on the second dive…no worries.  The time goes by so quickly underwater.

That night we had the partying down to a science and it was also the half moon.  Kho Phen Nagn is known for the full moon parties and Kho Phi Phi is known for the half moon parties.  The island was buzzing!  After a delicious dinner at our new favorite spot we headed to a new bar on the beach to ‘warm-up’.  A few beers from the liquor store across the street and a special hookah while we lay on cushions in the sand and watched an amazing fire show.  These guys were all talented and tossing their fire all over the place.  When we started feeling the itch to dance we made our way across the island to the club beach.  Another trick we learned is to pick up the flyers during the walk.  Every flyer tells you when a bar will be offering a free drink/bucket/shot.  If you time it right and keep a decent pace then you can drink free from 9:30 to 11!!  We stumbled upon our dive instructor and all started dancing wildly.  We also stumbled upon some glow paint and black lights, a few podiums (for Hugo) and a whole lot of people having a great time.  There is something truly special about dancing to great music in the sand, on an amazing beach, with an amazing scene around you.

The next day we bounced from Phi Phi and headed back to Phuket for the night before our live-aboard in the Similan Islands.  It was a mellow night.  I stayed on a street near Patong Beach that is the ‘Israeli  Street.’  Apart from the Chabad, every guesthouse and restaurant has Hebrew all over it.  We had some decent Mediterranean food then headed down to Patong Beach to check the scene.  Bangla Street is insane.  There are all kinds of hookers, bars, strip clubs and dark doors with big guys standing out front.  Needless to say it was madness, even on a Monday night.  I was happy to be in bed by 11PM and was up at 6 for the bus.  We took a speed boat from mainland to the Similan Islands where our boat was waiting.  At this point there were 4 in our group; Me, Natalie, Hugo and a cool Israeli guy we met at the guesthouse named Daniel.  Once we boarded, we realized that there was no one else sharing our cruise.  There is more staff on this ship than passengers.  IT IS THE SHIZNITO!!

4 dives our first day, no problem.  Delicious food after every dive, great music and an amazing vibe.  A dive master on the boat named Andy is from Germany.  He looks like an old rocker and we started talking about music.  Apparently he is huge into dancehall and goes to the biggest dancehall/reggae festival in Europe every year (happens to be in Koln, Germany which is a favorite of mine!!).  In no time we were sharing mixes and swapping hard drives.  The second day Hugo and I got deep water certified when we did a dive down to 30 meters and checked out a wreck. Super effing cool!  More dives during the day then a night dive after sunset.  That was another amazing experience.  There are huge statues on the bottom of the ocean in memory of the tsunami victims.  The coral has already taken them over and, in the dark, gives an eerie feeling.  Tons of huge moray eels.  Tons of Lionfish.  Tons of blowfish and boxfish.  Tons of wildlife which blows my mind because the dive instructor on board says this is the very beginning of the season and most of the marine life hasn‘t arrived yet.

Every evening we watch DVD’s on the galley.  Every morning we wake to the sunrise out the window and only have enough time to gulp down a cup of coffee before diving back in at 7AM.  Is this heaven?  I can tell that SCUBA will be a big part of my trip from here on out.

The morning dive today was beautiful with a few swim throughs and a baby sea turtle spotting.  I have been working on my breathing as I seem to be the first one low on air every dive.  Finally getting my bouncy neutral and breathing regular.  One more dive then I will sit the last one out due to my flights tomorrow morning.  I have been chilling on a boat with my crew for the last 3 days and it is beyond words.  Every dive, every meal, every beat and every conversation are amazingly happy, positive and delicious.

Battambang, Cambodia

 What a fun few days in Battambang.  I arrived late in the evening and met friends at a local bar for a ‘bon voyage’ party.  This is a  group of volunteers I met in Siem Reap and they are all wrapping up their time in Cambodia and getting ready to set out for some travels.  It was a fairly early night for me as I needed to dry out after my time in Sihanoukville.  We got up the following morning and hired a tuk tuk that had been recommended.  Tony the tuk tuk driver is the shiznito and I highly suggest that you use him if you go to Battambang.  He will take you to do anything and everything, speaks great English and has a good sense of humor.  We started at the only winery in Cambodia which wasn’t much of a winery at all.  The two kinds they had tasted more like red wine vinegar than red wine….the brandy was good though so I bought a bottle and we headed out for some adventure eating.

We had heard that Tony can take you to eat snake so we asked about it and he obliged.  After cruising out of town for a bit and down a dirt road we pulled up to our jungle restaurant with an amazing view of the rice fields and nature.  We selected a few snakes from a barrel and they began to cook them up.  Snake was difficult to eat and had a lot of bones.  The liver tastes like any other liver and the meat doesn’t have much flavor.  The lemon-pepper dipping sauce was delish though and in no time we were grubbin on the skin and everything.  Then we decided to try some fried jungle rat.  This isn’t the kind you find behind the fridge at home, these beasts live in the wild and can grow quite large.  They were gutted then butterflied then deep fried and at first tasted like turkey…then the meat didn’t taste so good.  Again we tried the liver which tasted like liver.  Next was our huge snake plate consisting of chopped snake with basil, pepper and lemongrass…SO GOOD!  Then we decided to try heron…yeah that pretty white bird flying in the distance…GET OVER HERE!!  Tony convinced me to eat the head and after his tutorial, I gave it a shot….super crunchy and the brains had a funny consistency.  Also ate the heart and liver.  The heron was fried too and had a ‘bird like’ flavor.

We rented a moto that evening and I had my first Cambodian driving experience.  The best description of the traffic there is that it flows like a river.  No attention to signs, signals and lanes but flowing perfectly.  The fact is that if there is an opening then you have to take it and can’t hesitate.  We became regulars at the local bar and the owner was quite entertaining.  The first night they had a kiddy pool with little floating fish and magnet fishing poles.  Late in the evening he ran out from behind the bar with only his underwear on and belly flopped in the pool!@!  Then he was pretending to be a shark..all hilarious.

The following day I took the moto out to the bamboo railroad but got a little lost.  Not sure what I was expecting to see (a huge neon arrow and sign reading ‘This way to BAMBOO RAILROAD’) but I didn’t see anything that looked like the right way.  Turns out I was given bogus directions from the moto spot and also that there are several set up in Battambang.  Basically anywhere that the railroad is still intact is now being used as a ‘bamboo railroad’ which means they put a bamboo platform on some wheels and roll it down by motor about 15km.  Fun experience but nothing crazy and a bit expensive.  I wouldn’t say it is a ‘must do’ at all.

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Amazing.  What can I say….wowzer.  So I arrived Saturday around 10 after an easy van ride from Kampot.  Upon arrival I went to a few guesthouses that were recommended.  Sebastian had lived at Utopia for 3 months so that is where I went first.  He’s somewhat of a legend there as I dropped his name and was given a warm reception at the bar.  A bit much for me and I am not on that strict of a budget.  The dorms had 40 beds and it looked like ‘night of the living dead’ with people sprawled out everywhere.  The second suggestion was a place across the street called Monkey Republic.  They only had triple rooms but a guy on my van ride and I decided to share…for 7 bucks total a night.  We dropped our bags and put on swim suits then headed to the beach with a few other people from the van that had unloaded at monkey republic.  It was an amazingly beautiful day and the sun was in full effect.  I had been worried about the weather as the forecast called for rain and clouds so the sun was a welcomed surprise.  We headed past all the chairs and umbrellas to a strip of beach with few people.  The water was warm and amazing.  It felt so nice and like Spring Break in Mexico.  Since my friends from Chang Rai/Burma were going to rendezvous with me here, I decided to head back and look for them.  Sure enough, they were sitting at Utopia when I walked in.  What an amazing thing.   Joost, Maarten and Maria along with a few other travelers they had collected along the way.  Another Dutch guy named Renee and a German girl name Lina.  We toasted a round or two then they swapped into their suits and we headed back to the beach.  We had a large group in no time lounging on the beach…all throughouly enjoying ourselves.  We stayed there until the sun set (which was amazing) then headed back to regroup for the night time.  We grubbed a great dinner at Monkey Republic and shot several games of pool before bar hopping around the beach and ending up at Utopia.  The music was pumping everywhere and everyone was having a great time.  Aside from the massive amount of hookers, the vibe was laid back and happy.  Maria pulled a disappearing act on more than one occasion, always returning with bruises from her lack of coordination.  By the end of the night it was just Maarten, Maria and I so we decided to head over to 24/7 pizza for a few happy slices.  That turned in to 3 pizzas and lounging on the couches watching Big Lebowski…god I love that movie!  By 4 we were done for and all retired.  Looking back on that day it feels like we crammed a few days worth of activity into it…definetly a few days worth of drinking!@  Sunday started slow with breakfast then we all decided to hop a tuk tuk to another, more remote beach.  8 of us on 1 tuk tuk was a bit much but definetly a funny ride.  The beach was supposedly on Forbes top 20 beaches in SE Asia but I didn’t see it.  My favorite part was the super clear water.  Such a relaxing day of chilling on the beach laughing and playing with each other.    We all went back to for happy pizza again at dinner time and that kind of set the mood for the rest of the night….set like….duuuhhhhhhhh……needless to say it was mellow.  We played pool, drank whiskey and watched some fire handlers. 

We tried to go to the brewery the following day but had no luck.  I begged, pleaded and even tried to bribe my way in there but no one would go for it.  Dejected we settled for a couple across the street.  Since my next destination is Battambang I had been looking for a way there.  The only bus leaves at 8AM every morning and takes 10 hours to get there.  I was not interested in losing a whole day and was having too much fun with my friends to leave this morning at 8 but I knew I still wanted to get out so I pulled a move….I hired a car and driver to take me the 10 hours…not cheap but definetly cheaper than anywhere else in the world and totally worth it.  So here is where I sit…in the back of my ride getting driven to Battambang from Sihanoukville…. BIG TIMER!!

Kampot, Kep and Rabbit Island

Kampot, Kep and Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island)

I love Cambodia and now feel that I am experiencing it at its true, raw nature.  I bounced from Phnom Pehn a little sad and ready for some relaxation at the beach areas.  The bus took me to Kampot and I grabbed a tuk tuk headed for a few guesthouses that had been recommended.  All 3 were booked so I went with the recommendation of my driver and stayed at a nice spot near the water.  I walked to the market for some exercise and enjoyed the drizzle.  The market had some of the most nasty smells I have ever had the luxury of inhaling.  Meat, fish, fruit, dried stuff and all kinds of other things I couldn’t tell mixing with trash and piles of burning trash…not very beautiful but still an experience.  After the market I headed to a restaurant recommended to me.  Kampot is famous for their pepper plantations so I ordered some delish grub consisting of mainly pepper.  After dinner I stopped by a bar that had been recommended for 1 beer and a small conversation with the owner who is a nice Dutch guy.  I crawled into bed early and picked up my book, itching my arm without even thinking about the rash.  I actually had the thought that I would rather have a rash than a stomach ache…famous last thought as that night turned into a rough one with me getting sick, super sweaty and then making frequent runs to the toilet.  Thank god I went for my own bathroom/bedroom as opposed to the shared bathroom.  The night was rough but I woke the next morning feeling like whatever was in me was now out.  I grabbed my tuk tuk and we headed to a different guesthouse that had been recommended outside of town.  My plan was to drop my bags there and pack a small pack to take to the island with me.  It worked out perfectly as they were booked that night (who cares) but had a room available the following night.  They were ok with me leaving my stuff so I unloaded, reloaded and bounced.  We headed to the pepper plantation first which was anti-climatic but still cool to see.  They were trying to sell me some pepper but it seemed too expensive and I didn’t go for it.  After we cruised to Kep and the crab market for lunch…guess what I had…crab and peppercorns…so bomb.  I sat right on the water.  Then my driver took me to the dock where I chartered my own boat to the island.

-àInteresting side note:  Everything is negotiable here in Southeast Asia (unless you are in 7/11).  If you pay full price for anything then you are over-paying.  Sometimes it is just worth the extra few dollars to pay and get on with it but sometimes it is part of the fun.  Also, since I am alone now, things are more expensive because the rides, etc cannot be shared.

SOooo my boat took us to Rabbit Island off the coast of Kep.  It was magnificent.  I jumped off the boat and a woman came to ask if I needed accommodation.  After negotiations we decided on a private bungalow for me where I dropped my bags, put on my suit and headed out for a walk.  I decided to head along the beach then continued on a trail…then I started blazing my own trail.  I wasn’t sure how big the island was but it didn’t seem that large.  About what I considered ¾ of the way around I realized that I would be getting to a part with no coastline or beach as the maingrove trees had taken over.  Up until that point the walk was either on sand or, mostly, on super rough dried coral.  When I hit the rough part I saw a couple of guys ahead of me and after polite ‘hellos’ I asked hopefully if they had come from the other way…no such luck, they had come from the way I did and were turning around as there was no way through the nasty marsh.  I peered into the thick forest and reckoned that it was dense but not impossible…they turned around and I charged through.  It was rough and I probably wouldn’t do it again as I was crawling, jumping and running through the marsh with tons of mosquitoes and a nasty smell of water, shit and rotting stuff.  I popped out on the other side and continued on, thinking that every point would be the last one…only to find another.  It was a long walk but I felt a sense of accomplishment when I made it back to ‘camp’ and rewarded myself with a dip in the warm water.

I think it is easy to say I am a social creature.  I love nothing more than to hang with friends and family.  That being said, the moments I am alone are rare and special to me.  I truly have been enjoying my time alone.  Not talking to anyone (not being rude by any means) and just enjoying my thoughts and quiet.  The last two days on the island and in Kampot have been extremely relaxing for me.  Lots of triple R…resting, relaxing and reading.

Anyway, after my dip, I lounged on a hammock and read then wrote some postcards.  After sunset I grubbed on some squid and pepper then retired to my room around 7 to read.  Promptly at 8:30 the generator that had been powering all the electricity went off.  Well I guess that’s lights out then.  I was asleep by 9 and didn’t get out of bed till 9 the following morning…..soooo nice.  Had breakfast of pancakes with bananas and coffee then lounged on the hammock again with my book till the boat took me back. 

On the way back to Kampot we detoured to the bokor (I think) caves.  The bumpy dirt road leading there was fun because all the kids kept running to the street yelling ‘hello!’….I smiled and said hello back while waving and making silly faces.  The kids here are amazing.  By the time I pulled up to the caves there were about 5 kids that had biked behind me talking to me the whole time.  They were my guides in the caves (for a nominal fee of course) and I was glad to have them.  They showed me animals in the rock formations and took me ‘spelunking’ down into places I otherwise would not have dared.

After the caves I we headed to town so I could grab some cash for my driver.  I also decided that I needed to get some pepper for my favorite chefs back home so I asked my guy if he could stop at the market and help me find some.  No problem and the cost was half what they were charging at the plantation…SCORE!!

We arrived at ‘Les Manguires’ in the early afternoon.  This is a remote, all-inclusive, type place.  I grabbed my book, put on my trunks and headed for a deck on the water to read and swim.  A nice Ozzy/Canadian family joined me and in no time we were all doing flips and jumping into tubes off the deck.  Super fun and relaxing.  The sunset was magnificent and the peacefulness is abundandt.  They have a pre-fix menu which makes it easy on the kitchen and is fine with me as we were served fish, shrimp, pork, mashed potatoes and veggies.  Dinner was great and then we were offered a night cruise to see some fire-flies up river.  The boat ride was amazing as I saw 3 shooting stars then we saw the fire-flies and it seemed to be another Universe of light.  It almost made the trees look like Christmas as they were sometimes blinking in unison then making lines up and down.  It was beautiful.  At one point our driver hopped off and grabbed a few for us to see up close.  That was fun too as when they tried to fly away it was easy to snag them in a cupped hand so we played for a bit before heading home.  Once we arrived at home, I knew my stomach wasn’t right.  I don’t blame dinner as I think there has been a bug or two living in my belly for a few days but I do think that they reached a critical mass last night.  I was sick…and this was the first time I puked…and then the second time…After the second time I felt that most everything was out of my stomach and rolled over for sleep.  I had the most vivid nightmares I can ever remember having last night and it was crazy.  The first was a grudge meets paranormal activity kind of thing with this death-ghost-demon chick chasing me and scaring the shit out of me.  Several times I half woke up only to again fall into her clutches.  At one point I flinched in my dream and jolted myself awake where I laid for a few minutes with my eyes open not allowing myself to fall back into the dream.  The next dream was me strapped to a table in a dungeon with this mad scientist guy sticking drugs into me that paralyzed me.  At one point he put some powder next to my face meant to further disable me when a surge of adrenaline freed my arm and swatted it at him.  That motion in my dream manifested and I again startled myself awake.  Now that it is morning, I am feeling much better and actually enjoy that crazy, terrifying experience.  It has been a long time since I have had a nightmare or two!

Off to Sihanoukville for some fun in the sun!

Phnom Pehn, Cambodia

It was a blitz but I definitely got what I needed from the capital of Cambodia.  The city itself is pretty dirty.  Since there are lots of cars and motos, there is lots of smog but also since the roads are dirty themselves there is lots of dust constantly being kicked up causing a haze when mixing with the smog.  I arrived in the evening and went to a guesthouse recommended by some friends I made in Siem Reap.  Taylor and I wound up kicking it with a large group of volunteers working in various spots throughout Cambodia and I went to the guesthouse where most of them were living. 

When I woke the following morning, I had a rash on my arm.  This is the second time I have had a rash on my arm and it appears to be an allergic reaction to something.  Last time I had a rash was in Bangkok and Colby did too.  Not sure what the cause is but I would rather have an itchy rash on my arm than stomach pains and diarrhea.

Anyway, I bounced early by hitching a ride on a moto to the Killing Fields.  Since the air was so toxic, I made the driver pull over at one point and bought us both medical masks to cover our faces and prevent the dirt and grime from getting in my mouth and nose.  I was expecting a football size field with human remains sticking out of the earth as Colby had said there was little infrastructure and no information.  I have to categorically disagree.  Paid 2$ at the gate and walked straight to the Pagoda which houses many many skulls and bones.  Very somber feeling.  Then a path leads you around the area with various signs saying what went down and where.  I am also reading a book called, ‘First They Killed My Father’ and have to say I was pretty ignorant on the whole Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot thing.

A very brief rundown on what went down goes like this.  During the Vietnam War we bombed the fuck out of Cambodia and hurt a lot of innocent people.  Then we put a puppet government in place that could not control the people and since they were all upset anyway, the Khmer Rouge was able to garner power in the mountains and walk straight into Phnom Pehn.  This was their crazy idea…to turn Cambodia back into a complete agrarian society.  Therefore, they killed all intellectuals, people of power, doctors, even people that wore glasses as it was a sign of education/wealth.  The mountain people were his ideal vision of the future of Cambodia so they were the first to be used in his army and manipulated. 

The atrocities conducted at the Killing Fields were horrific.  There is a tree that was used to kill babies and children by grabbing them by the feet and bashing their heads against the trunk.  The reason for killing the young was so that they wouldn’t grow up and try to avenge their parent’s death.  Since ammunition was expensive, many died by being beaten/stabbed/etc.  Lots of that went down at S-21 which was my next stop.

I felt sick after leaving the Killing Fields and the moto driver asked if I wanted to go shoot some guns.  The manager at my guesthouse mentioned that was something to do here so I acquiesced.  We drove to a military area and I was given a ‘menu’…hmmm…what to choose from.  I decided on a gun that I have never shot and probably won’t be able to in the states…an Uzzi.  Something about the smell of gunpowder!  40 rounds later we were on our way to S-21.

S-21 was an old school converted into a prison/interrogation center/reeducation center.  The scenes depicted here were equally brutal.  Most people at the killing fields were brought here first to ‘confess’ and give information.  Again, they had done a good job of showing some artifacts and giving information about what went down.  I was recommended a restaurant across the street as an ‘oasis away from it all’ so I went there for lunch.  It was and I needed it.  Bodhi Tree Restaurant supports local charities and hires kids that need jobs.

After that I decided to cruise to the US Embassy to get more pages in my passport.  Pretty cool that I have filled up every page (and a few amendment pages) in my travels over the years.  I figured it would be fairly easy…then I remembered that it was a government run operation.  Waited in line outside for 30 minutes then waited inside for a few hours.  The room was full so I picked an empty chair and plopped down to eavesdrop on the conversation next to me.   It was an older guy talking to a well dressed couple (one white male and one Cambodian female).  In the introduction the well-dressed young guy says he is from San Luis Obispo….WHAT>?!  I have to jump in so I ask if that is where he is really from…nope..actually he is from Atascadero..>WHAT!!!  Robert graduated 3 years after me.  He lives at the Bordeaux Apartments and has never left Atascadero aside from the 3 small trips out to Cambodia to try and get his wife permission to enter.  He works at a convalescent home in Atascadero and cared for this girl’s grandmother who insisted that they connect.  After being pen-pals for a bit, he flew out to meet her for a few weeks and proposed.  That was 3 years ago.  He has only seen her 3 times during the 3 years and never for more than 2 weeks.  I was asking if he has travelled around when he comes to visit and he said that it is too hot, the food is no good and he misses his cat too much…oh boy, this girl is in for a ride when she gets to Atown.  It was so crazy to see this kid, who is a total meat and potatoes kind of guy, who has never left Atown and who is incredibly innocent trying to get this woman back to the US with him..and he is committed.  He loves her and I believe him.  This meeting was the last one and if all goes well she will be on a plane for California in 30 days.  I offered to buy them some beer that evening if it went well and we parted ways.  The older guy was a hoot too.  He lived in many countries on many continents and has been married 3 times (although he lied about that to the Embassy).  He is trying to marry a woman from a very traditional family.  He said they have never been alone together.  He was a cool guy and had some great stories and great advice.  Who knew waiting at the Embassy for hours could be so interesting.

That evening the rain kicked up and they cancelled their celebration (hopefully they were having their own if you know what I’m sayin!).  I got a massage and called it a night early as the bus was arriving at 7 AM to take me to Kampot.  Phnom Pehn was great.  I probably could have spent 1 more day there but don’t think anyone needs more than a few.  Since I was ‘templed out’ from Siem Reap, there wasn’t much to see aside from what I did in 1 day.

Kampot, Kep, Rabbit Island, Sihanoukville and Batambang before I leave Cambodia….HOLD ON!! 

Siem Reap, Cambodia

The bus ride from Bangkok to Siem Reap was somewhat uneventful.  The only hitch was when we got to the border.  Unfortunately we didn’t read up in the guidebook and got suckered into paying more for the visas.  My advice; get your visa ahead of time then you won’t have to worry about it there.  Taylor and I were just stoked to be in Cambodia so we decided to just pay and move on…to a cab instead of a bus.  We grabbed a cool Spanish couple and the 4 of us took off for Siem Reap.  Once in the car we started chatting about Burning Man and diving.  Marta had been to Burning Man before and her boyfriend Lusso just finished working on Kho Tao as a dive instructor.  They were really cool and we immediately bonded as you do on the road.  We went straight to the hostel Colby had recommended and all shared a large room.  The cost was pricey (8$) each but we were just stoked to be there.  Siem Reap Hostel was pretty set up too.  They have an indoor pool, full bar/restaurant, wifi, pool table and various other games.  We were all starving upon arrival and just decided to grub there.  That was a great decision as their hostel burger was AMAZING.  Homemade burger with bacon, grilled onions and a fried egg….oh my god it was good.

The next morning we decided to rent bikes and head out to the temples.  It was a nice ride about 6km to Angkor Wat.  Talk about amazing, this thing is incredible.  We spent a few hours wandering around and checking the amazing-ness that it is before heading out to the next stop.  We cruised through Angkor Thom on the way to Ta Phram.  Brief history lesson; Cambodia has 3 time periods, pre-Angkor, Angkor and post-Angkor.  During the Angkor period Angkor Thom was the capital.  It is a huge area with a moat around most of it and cool passageways to enter.  It is about 2km from Angkor Wat and then Ta Phram is another 4-5.  Ta Phram is where they filmed Tomb Raider and it is super amazing as the forest is starting to reclaim the area.  There are huge trees growing, and in most cases, holding the temple up.  Taylor and I blazed a j there and totally felt zen-ed out!  We had planned to stop at Bayon on the way home to catch the sunset but it went down to fast and we had to jet back in the dark.  Taylor and I had a great pace and were deep in conversation the whole time.  He is a great guy and we have been on the same page from the beginning.  That night we all went out for Mexican food and that was surprisingly delicious too.  Dinner was followed by a bucket each at Angkor What? Bar and then we cruised home.  We bumped into some dudes that were on our bus and they told us about their guesthouse which was way way cheaper…it was actually the one my friend recommended so we decided to switch the following morning.  We had also arranged for a tuk tuk to take us back to the temples as all of us had super sore booties after that long day. 

The next day we did Bayon and a bunch of other temples in Angkor Thom.  It was amazing and we were all picking our jaws off the ground.  In my opinion Bayon is the coolest thing out there followed by Ta Phram followed by Angkor Wat.  Those are the top 3 and the must dos.  We caught the sunset on top of a hill to end the night.  It was super crowded up there and we were all a little over it when we found ourselves in the middle of a large group of children.  That made it fun as we were all laughing with them and taking pictures.  The kids are all so friendly and nice…and all orphans we found out.  Being that it was Friday night we decided to check the town.  We made plans to catch the sunrise the following morning at Angkor Wat so were going to make it an early night….then we changed our minds.  Taylor and I decided to pull an all-nighter and didn’t leave Temple Bar till 4:30 AM…walked back to the guesthouse and jumped in our tuk tuk at 5…that was all fun and games till about 8:30 when I hit the wall.  Needless to say after the sunrise and 1 more temple way out of town we went back to bed. 

Saturday night was the Halloween celebration and the streets were buzzing.  We wanted to dress up and were trying to decide on what to do.  Finally we went to the market and picked up some pajamas and a kimono.  Topped the outfits off with funny hats and a fan.  It was hilarious and we were having a blast laughing with everyone.  The pictures are amazing.  Taylor and I were on FUEGO!!  That was another long and seriously fun night.  It felt like we were friends with everyone at the club by the end of the night.  I also brought out my black-out/censor glasses that I packed from home and everyone was taking pictures with them…HUGE HIT!!

Sunday was another super mellow day.  We got massages and lounged around the rooftop restaurant at our guesthouse.  Taylor and I had plans to get bus tickets for Phnom Phen for the following day and continue our journey while the Spaniards weren’t sure where they wanted to go yet.  I convinced them to head to Laos and gave them my highlights.  Later in the evening we are all playing pool and I hear this guy ask Taylor what his next destination is.  He casually says, ‘I’m heading to Laos tomorrow’….I’m like, ‘what dude!’…oops, he forgot to tell me that he decided to bounce with the Spaniards…it actually was super funny and all good.  I am glad he is going to Laos and I am trying to convince him to meet up with me in Brazil next year which I think will happen.  We decided to get one more day out of our costumes and went out for our last night together.  Another super fun night with lots of laughing and dancing and singing…lots of singing!

Taylor bounced super early this morning and I had the bus pick me up at noon for Phnom Phen…somehow he forgot to leave me any money for the room and food/beer charges…lucky him.  It’s so funny and all good.  UPDATE:  Actually he did pay at the front and I think they ripped us off.  I am looking into it but it is probably a lost cause.

This was the first time since I have started blogging that I waited this long to put my thoughts down.  We were just going non-stop in Siem Reap and having so much fun there was no time to sit and type.  I am actually looking forward to the next week+ by myself and am heading to a few very very chill spots where I plan to sit in a hammock and read for most of the day….but today and tomorrow I am in Phnom Phen…stay tuned!!