Happy New Year China

February 16th

We went back to the TAT offices in the morning to see about getting our passports back so we could get the hell out of Bangkok and just maybe get a little back from our canceled Nam visa. We asked for our passports and the one dude said not till Wed. The guy next to him said something and made the phone sign and then he said “OK come back at 8pm” and a refund?? “ i have to talk to the manager” Malika and i dinked around until 8pm. When we got there our passports were there with Cambodian Visa’s and we got back everything less 400bht We were both very happy about this, but did not show it until we left the office. Now we were in good moods and NO MORE were we going to get jipped (until a few days later) After TAT we went to meet Peter Kent, former Grandaddy tour manager who now resides in BKK with his girl Nuct. We took a local bus and the sky train, meeting two very nice and very helpful locals. This was good because it rebuilt our faith and trust in our Thai brothers. Peter just bought a cute little Condo in a very nice area. We hung out a bit then cabbed it down to a local eatery. Nuct did the ordering. We had Tom Yum Koon (shrimp), whole baked fish and some string beany dish in a tasty gravy. We drank Thai whiskey, which i think is actually rum. with soda pop and seltzer water. Best meal i’ve had. Peter picked up the bill, about $30 for all four of us. Afterwards we went for drinks at Soy Cowboy (Cowboy Street) named after a former GI who opened the first bar on that street (Soy) It was a fun place the whole street was bars, food carts scantedly clad Thai girls and drunken Embassy workers. Because of its location it did not seem so scummy-like.Most of the patrons were regulars who worked at the Embassies. We sat out front of one bar and watched the people. We had a fun time and it was great to hang out with Peter. Nuct is going to school learning English so she and Malika visited all night. Nuct bought us a bag of crickets, you know just to snack on, like beer nuts. Nuct loves them. I had a couple. The crunch of the legs wasn’t so bad, but the overall flavor could use some work. Peter informed me that they had more protein than a steak. I think Malika had one, and looked like another might make her throw up.
The next day Malika took off to the floating market and Johnny and i Went back to china town and then to a mall in Siam Square. Johnny was looking at getting some paintings done. We decided to take a break and have a refreshment at Dunken Donuts, as we walked there i overheard a Thai lady telling two foriegners to go to TAT, i couldn’t help myself i went back and said “Did that lady just tell you to go to TAT?”yes” i wouldn’t do that they are a rip off” The lady was pissed which confirmed my suspicion that these so called nice helpful Thai’s were getting some sort of kickback. I told the whiteys about my experience, they thanked me and i left. As i sat in the donut store i was overy dirty looked by the lady. I don’t mind giving my money to the locals but to heck with that TAT scam. I then walked over to the pissed off lady with 50bht in hand and told her that i know she gets paid, but TAT is not good for tourists. She was having none of it, so to hell with her and i went back to enjoying my crappy donut and icky coffee.
That night we decided to treat ourselves to facials. It was my first professional facial. It was quite nice until they got to the blackhead removal. Too painful for me. But soon our pores were clean, though they would be filled back up ten fold by the time we got to Cambodia.
The next morning we took a cab to the local bus terminal, enough of this buying a ticket through a travel agent. Instead we paid $7 to get to the border, not a bad ride. Getting our passports stamped was a breeze. It took Malika a bit longer since she tried to use her old visa, they were not having that, so she was sent back to get a new one. They tried to up the price on her, but she stood her ground. While we waited on the other side we were rounded up with the rest of Whitey and told that we could ride this free bus to the main bus station in the border town of Poi Pet. Poi Pet looks a lot like Tiajuana. Free Bus?? the guy told me that no one believes him, but the government wants to promote tourism so they have set this up since it is so dangerous to walk there. He was very believable. He got everyone to go. I knew that he was going to try and get us to go on his special bus, but if figure we will just walk over and negotiate our own ride. NOPE!! After Malika got through we were taken down the road to the bus terminal, a road that seemed very un-dangerous. Once at the station we were told that the last bus was leaving and tickets were $10 each. I know that even though it had been five years since my last visit, it was far less than $10. I remember riding in the back of a pick-up for hardly anything. I was told that there had been too many thefts and that the gov would no longer allow this pick-up riding method. When i said i was going to go look around away from the bus station I was told it is far too dangerous and that the only other option was a $60 cab ride that you can conveintly book right here from this very station They were overly pushing us to get on the bus, but we wasted too much time arguing and the ‘last bus’ left. They would not lower the taxi price and every time i tried to walk away i was followed and warned not to leave. I new this was a scam, but couldn’t seem to get away from them. Malika slipped away and they were all very concerned “where did your friend go” It is too dangerous, many people with knives and how you say....machettee they chop her arms off. There English was very good and would not leave us any conversation space so when Malika returned (with both arms) she told me under her breath that she found a guy that would take us for $40 but it was very hush hush, she had to follow him into an alley. The guy told her that if the bus people saw her leave and get into his car the police would stop and harass him. this was not only a scam, but a local police run scam. After about two hours of arguing and us threatening to get a room at a guest house, we would walk down the street and they would follow us in a car we settled on $40 and 100bht ($3) “You Pay Now!” I said no, but i’ll give half now and half when we get there. I gave the bus guy $10+100bht which was the pay off money and we paid the drive $30 when we arrived. After paying the bus guy he leaned in the window and said “tip for me” yeah right!. sorry too dangerous? (I know the whole time you are reading this you are thinking, Bob just pay the $10 and go. I don’t mind paying the money, i just don’t like the monopoly they got going and the whole don’t go there or you will be killed by the locals.
The road to Seim Reap was hell, just like five years ago, I was happy to have taxi seat padding. They drive on the correct side of the road like in the States, but the car is Right hand drive. Because there is no road, just a bumpy dust bowl it was like driving in the fog. We were doing about 40mph and passing big trucks doing 10-20mph. I was a bit nervous, because it was dark out and i could see the oncoming headlights well before he could. I would warn him and tell him when it was clear. I was riding shotgun. Luckily he was better at telling whether the oncoming headlighs were two motor bikes or a 20ton truck. This made the ride very exciting. We hooked in johnny’s Ipod and listened to Dengue Fever, a friends band who’s lead singer is Cambodian and sings in Khmer (Cambodian) the driver enjoyed this. He was ok. After we left he told us that it was a police scam. I mentioned that he should write up a note in English, slip it to travelers at the border telling them that if they can sneak away he’ll take them for $20 to Seim Reap. He said no the cops know him and will take his car and take him away if he doesn’t go along with the scam. I guess leaving the bus station is very dangerous for some. Too bad for him and us. He only takes one trip a day from the border. I was also happy knowing that the last bus left two hours before us but we passed it up within one hour. The taxi driver laughed and pointed at the bus saying “midnight” this was a little after 6pm. We stopped along the way for the driver to eat at a sort of kind of restaurant. We sat and ate with him. Nothing i have ever tasted. A bowl of boiled ?? one thing looked like squid and felt like catalige. the next bite i am pretty sure was an intestine. I pointed to my stomache a said “Cow?” Yes Yes. Mmm...yick!. We arived around 9:30pm got a nice room for $8. Best room so far in S.E. Asia.
Yesterday we went to Angkor . i got a one day ticket for $20 and the others a three dayer $40. I was well templed out at the end of the day. We saw Angkor Wat a couple other temples whos names elude me. We climbed up to one up on a hill to watch the sunset. Johnny and i found it more fun to talk about the people up there. He had brought up a bottle of wine so we enjoyed that up there too. afterwards we climbed down and headed back to our house. Had some cheap food and went to bed. Today We went to a fancy hotel, where Johnny had breakfast and Malika and i had coffee. $2.50. The place was really neat inside. johnny went back to the guest house and Malika and i went to go eat paying for both meals + drinks for less than one cup of coffee at the fancy hotel. We then all went to donate blood for the unfortunate children infected with the real Dengue Fever. The place was set up by a Dutch Doctor, very clean very professional. Took just a few minutes. It left us with a good feeling, a box of cookies, a soda pop and a t-shirt. Malika went for day two of temples while Johnny and i walked around a grimy little market which sold meat with flies all over it. Not too far away i heard a big crack and then made the mistake of checking out the noise which came from the street. There was an old women lying in the street next to her downed motorbike. There was no rush for a couple of locals to come to her aid. bikes just cruised on by. I did not like seeing this. I wish i had the medical experience to know what to do. johnny said they moved her like three times before getting her into a tuk tuk, I saw that she was totally out. Hopefully just knocked out. I am pretty sure you are not supposed to move those who are unconsious, but then again , it was not looking like there was an ambulance coming anytime soon. Made me think i am going to be a hell of a lot more aware when crossing the street. I also showed Johnny where all of my travel insurance info is.
I went looking for a way to Phnom Penn, it looks like $10 VIP bus or $5 Crap bus. I hear the roads are now paved so i am hoping that three hours on Crap bus is tolerable.