Homeward bound (very late posting!!)


A crude representation of where we went




After saying bye to Amy I got the bus to Ho Chi Minh where I had a night before my flight the next day to Bangkok.

The bus ride was fairly uneventful but not particularly fun.  It was a sleeper bus which I was excited about until I realised I had chosen totally the wrong seat - never choose the seat at the back, it's in a row of 4 and the seats are fully reclined and you cannot sit up at all, plus you have a very low roof on top of you.  They're rather claustrophobic and you get to know your neighbour quite well.  Mine was a boy who kept touching my bum (couldn't work out if it was intentional or not) and next to him were a sickly couple, the man was ill, coughing and spluttering under a blanket even though it was a million degrees, and his wife who was constantly vomiting.  I feared for my health.



The advertised 6-8 hour journey took 9 hours and i was the only English speaker on the bus which made it fairly lonely but with a stroke of luck the bus dropped me right outside my hotel, woo hoo!! 

I returned to the hotel we'd stayed in previously but this time I opted for the dorm room as it was half the price and it wouldn't be real travelling without at least one dorm! (It was a bit weird for me going to bed and waking up in a room with a bunch of strangers, I won't make a habit of dorms!)

As I arrived late I headed out for dinner in a restaurant where I was sure the staff were high as they were so energetic and smiley, then crashed as I was tired from the journey.

The next morning I woke early to go to the airport and I had a wee accident. (As in small, not urine related)

A combination of flip flops, heavy rucksack, tiredness and clumsiness meant I managed to trip and fall down the stairs.  More embarrassed than anything (2 guests were in front and saw me do it) I recovered quickly, got up and sat down for breakfast.

When I went to stand up for my taxi, I burst into tears as where there had been a slight pain turned into a horrific pain in my foot and I couldn't put any weight on it at all.  I looked down and saw a nice lump on the side.  I realised I was in a bit of a sticky situation, I was about to get a flight to Bangkok for the day then a flight home the next day via Dubai and I was on my own and couldn't walk.

The ladies who'd seen me fall, as luck would have it, were doctors and after a quick examination decided it wasn't broken, instructed a hotel worker to get some ice and gave me some strong pain killers.  They walked me to the taxi and off I went to the airport, sobbing but trying not to and doing that annoying sniffling thing.

At the airport the taxi driver got me a trolley, put my luggage on it then had the cheek to ask for a tip with tears streaming down my face.  (One of the problems with SE Asia and probably any poor country is you never know if people are being nice because they want money or if they're actually just nice).  The check in desk wasn't open yet so I limped to the info counter and asked if they had crutches as once I got rid of the trolley I knew I wouldn't be able to move.  The lady got very confused and thought I had missed my flight but then saw my foot and sent for a doctor.  I wasn't convinced he knew what he was doing, I told him what was wrong and he started asking me about stomach pains then gave me a bandage.  The airline then brought round a  Wheel chair (they don't have crutches in airports) and I was wheeled about straight to the plane.  It was pretty sweet actually, asides the fact I missed out on browsing duty free and felt like a child in a push chair, I skipped all the security queues and was first on the plane.  I also got a row of 3 to myself, score!

My poor miss piggy foot


In Bangkok (after a lot of research) I checked into a swish hotel for the grand price of 900 baht (17 quid). It had a rooftop pool that I had to myself for the afternoon, a huge king bed,  a corner bath which I got very excited about but then realised weren't that comfortable and a separate shower.  I spent the afternoon by the pool, hopping around my room, in the corner bath and I ordered room service twice (it was very cheap) and felt like a queen. 

At Bangkok airport the next morning I went through the priority queue (wheelchair still) and saw members of the Thai Olympic team for Nanjing 2014.  The only reason I know this is because everyone was going crazy for the hottest member of the team and he was being mobbed, which he looked a little embarrassed by.

I'm writing this on the plane home, I am sat next to a guy who keeps snorting, in front of me is an old lady who I think is a bit batty and keeps pressing the assistance button though she doesn't need any help, and behind me is a guy who keeps telling everyone about how nervous he is and how he keeps needing to pee.  There's also two crying children, standard.  On the bright side I have just watched The Other Woman (laugh out loud funny) and Life of a King, a Cuba Gooding Jnr goodie that made me cry in front of everyone. 

So, some stats:

Money spent: £993.91 plus flights at £481 and £55. Not including flights, that's £23.66 a day which includes bus and boat journeys, food and drink, accommodation, souvenirs, visas, tours, everything.

Cheapest room: Ha Tien, Vietnam at £3 or something a night (not even a hostel!)

Most expensive: Bangkok just now but only marginally if I had split it with someone

Favourite hotel: The King Boutique, Siem Reap

Favourite place visited: Koh Tao or Dalat

Favourite country: Cambodia

Favourite tour: Dalat motorbike followed by tuk tuk tour in Kampot and Ang Thong marine park in Thailand

Things I will miss:
The sun
Bum guns
Every day being something new
Vietnamese iced coffee
Banana and coconut shakes
Swimming pools
Amy
Tuk tuks
Everything being ridiculously cheap
The sound of crickets and those loud birds I can't remember the name of that sound like they're going crazy
Kids saying hello

Things I won't miss:
Deet and sun lotion application
Insect bites even though you put the deet on
Being careful with what we eat
Public transport
Writing the blog on the nexus
Research every day
Having to be constantly vigilant for scams

Would I do it again: yes, but slower and different countries.  I think I'd prefer immersing myself in one country rather than hopping round three in the same space of time.

When I get time I want to do a "proper" photo post, I've only sorted through the Thailand pics and haven't had a chance to do the others.  

Comments

  1. Wait... I come five below bum guns?? Not cool :-p

    Also, King Boutique was in Siem Reap. I have a feeling the place we stayed in Phnom Penh was one of your worst hotels! "It's like being in a submarine!"

    ReplyDelete
  2. ah yes edited it now!

    well you know, i must rate my bottom cleanliness higher than your company!!

    I jest - you were top, but then i thought it was a bit 'beg friend' so bumped you down xxxx

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love comments!

Popular posts from this blog

End of year roundup

Yoga

30