Cambodia

I left my 400 baht/night room at 730 am. Took a taxi to Mochit station and caught the 830 bus to Aranya Prathet. Four and a half hours later, I was in a tuk-tuk headed for the border and trying my best to avoid all the well-known scams. Got stuck behind all the Khao San Road buses at immigration, so I chilled to the tunes of American pop music being blasted at the border. Wandered through the no man’s land between Thailand and Cambodia and found an unofficial looking official to get my visa for an extra 100 baht. Then to Cambodian immigration, where I received multiple smirks at the sight of my ridiculous new American passport. While waiting in line, I picked up a Brazilian boy to share the taxi ride to Siem Reap. A bus to the transport center, a taxi to the edge of town and another tuk-tuk to the hotel and I was finally enjoying a refreshing beverage at 630pm.

I had met a lovely kiwi boy in Pai two weeks earlier. He shared my love of zombies, first person shooters and vegetarianism, and he reminded me of something I had lost a long time ago. He taught me about perma-culture and meditative breathing, and I invited him for a jaunt in Cambodia. He accepted, and we were soon drinking fifty cent beers and scaling ancient ruins. I enjoyed the best baguette of my life in Cambodia. But soon had to bid adieu to both the country and my lovely NZ boy. Back to Bangkok and then off to Manila.