Getting to Thailand

We’re in Thailand but, we’re not to our guesthouse yet.  I’m not certain if we’re going to make it or not. I do think the minibus of death daredevil driver is trying to see if he can set a land speed record!  Ashley gets motion sick relatively easily so… This hasn’t been a great day for her but, We’re soldiering on.

Let me tell you a story about how we got to Thailand!

This all started yesterday when I decided I should probably book a hotel in Thailand.  We knew we wanted to go to an island but which one wasn’t important.  Originally I chose Koh Samet because it was close to Bangkok but while in Siem reap we found the bus companies wanted to send us to Bangkok and then Koh Samet while we could get to Koh Chang directly.  So… That’s where we’re going!

I booked the place were staying while on the top of a temple yesterday afternoon as that was the only place I had cell service! Yay for technology, tho I’m not sure what the Khmer king would have thought about that!

I knew today’s travel was going to be a bit ….interesting… Luckily the girls trust me enough that they didn’t exactly ask a lot of questions about how this border crossing was going to work.  

Last night I walked out on the hostel travel person because they wanted 18$/pp to send us to Koh Chang.  I found another person about 1/2 a block down who was willing to do it for 15$ and I actually wound up paying 43$ for three of us so $14.33 ea = not bad!  The thing is all these ppl are selling the same tickets so who sells it isn’t important

We started at 7:30am getting on a regular “Asiahound” type bus and because there is 3 of us I got stuck next to a (large) pissed off Frenchman. He was mad because he and his wife couldn’t sit together!  This is the same couple who have more (hard sided) luggage than should be needed to live for a year!  Who brings that kind of luggage on a public bus in Asia?!?!?  At one point in the drive the pavement just disappeared, so we went about 3 miles on dirt, I’m guessing based on the oxen and fallow fields that it gets washed out every monsoon season. (We’re visiting just as the monsoon season is starting)  Did I mention the bus stopped for 20 minutes for everyone to get out and “get snacks” which I read to mean “this is my brothers shop” when the bus is stopped its off, and HOT! Since we didn’t want to loose our seat… I waited while Ashley and Sara went inside. That thing was just a giant sauna smelling of massive BO

We made it to the border just before noon, where they unloaded our bags and gave us a red sticker on our shirt as proof we had a bus ticket on the other side!  We then had to walk 1/3 a mile to the Cambodian immigration then proceed through a nasty, nasty! no mans land casino alley type of thing to the Thai immigration office where we waited and waited and waited some more (in the heat) and finally got our visas and off we go down the street, looking completely lost… No matter how much I read about this crossing it was still completely confusing.

I withdrew 6000 baht at the atm thinking that was 300$ which should cover our hotel and 3 days here.  Turns out I screwed up and only took out about 170$ which isn’t s huge deal except they charge 200 baht (~5$) to do the withdrawal. <sigh> oh well.

Eventually we found our minibus, or rather the driver found us because of our red stickers.  We were loaded on a covered truck and were sent to the “minibus stop” I’ll mention that there were probably 15 of us and our bags in this tiny truck!  As they load ladies first, I wound up standing on a step hanging off the back of this truck the whole 5 minutes there! Fun times!!

The truck taxi (songathew) in all its glory

At the minibus stop they wanted us to buy water & sodas and order food before heading onwards.  Obviously this is another one of those “my brothers own this” kinda thing that we’re seeing a lot of. We pulled out of there at 1:45 PM.  The best news is there are only 6 ppl + a pile of French luggage in a seat on this minibus that can hold 11

The minibus of death 

Of note, every few miles the roads are blocked off partially and at one of these a military person stopped us and wanted to see who was inside.  No idea what that is about but, weird indeed…

And that leads me to my current position on the side of a mountain in Thailand with a possessed driver who obviously has no desire to miss beer :30.  Oh and it’s starting to rain!! Yay!!!! This will end well I’m sure.

Sara sleeping through it all 

We logged 3.5 miles so far today

I’ll update some pictures into this post when I get reliable internet again!

Update: we made it, I’m not sure how but, we did & it only took 11 hours to get to our room.  This included a songthaew (truck taxi) throwing sparks while going around a hairpin turn in the mountains and being picked up in the middle of the main drag by a shirtless Russian named Sergey.

I’ve now seen both girls show signs of doubting my sanity!

Mileage logged increased to 6 miles 

Update 2: nothing like your “taxi” driver pitching you out in front of a 7-11 and saying wait here, your friend said 30 minutes  I’m giving him go to hell looks because… I just made a freaking epic journey and I didn’t fancy being left on the side of a mountain at a 7-11. About then a Russian without a shirt shows up to save the day says “get in” and both  girls jump in while I pay the songathew driver 300 baht for the ride of our life 

The “ferry” I…. Don’t even know how to describe the sketchiness

Side view!

The first view of the island 

A better view from later on the ferry 

Obligatory family selfie from the ferry

My 3.50$ dinner once we arrived